【精英翻譯】的部落格

Do You Speak “Cat”?  聽貓在說話

精英翻譯社轉自https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0058/343774/web/

Cats are generally considered quiet animals. However, if you’re a cat owner, you likely know that cats make all sorts of noises: they purr, meow, and even hiss! But what do all of these noises mean?

貓通常被認為是安靜的動物。然而，如果你是貓飼主，你可能知道貓會發出各種聲音：牠們會呼嚕叫、喵喵叫，甚至是嘶嘶叫！但這些聲音是什麼意思呢？

Many people believe that a cat’s meow is its main means of communicating with us. Studies have shown that cats usually only meow to communicate with humans. In the wild, adult cats don’t meow around other cats. On the other hand, kittens will make the sound to call for their mothers. And since house cats think of humans as their parents, meows often mean that they want something.

很多人認為貓的喵叫聲是牠跟我們溝通的主要方式。研究顯示貓通常只會喵喵叫來與人類溝通。在野外，成貓在其他貓附近不會喵喵叫。另一方面，小貓會發出這種聲音來呼喚媽媽。而由於家貓把人類視為爸媽，喵叫聲經常表示牠們想要某個東西。

A cat usually purrs when it’s feeling good. However, on rare occasions, it means that the cat is afraid. Some studies also claim that purring can help restore a cat’s muscles, bones, and skin. In fact, listening to a cat’s purr may even help humans in the same way!

貓心情好時通常會呼嚕叫。然而，在罕見的情況中，這表示貓感到害怕。有些研究也宣稱呼嚕聲可以幫助貓的肌肉、骨頭和皮膚復原。事實上，聽貓呼嚕叫甚至可能同樣對人類有幫助！

Lastly, a cat’s hiss sends a clear message: it feels angry or unsafe. So don’t get too close to a hissing cat, or you may regret it!

最後，貓的嘶嘶聲傳達了一個明確的訊息：牠們感到生氣或不安全。所以別靠一隻嘶嘶叫的貓太近，否則你可能會後悔！