动物虐待史悠久 大猩猩应受到人类善待

When it comes to the fascination with exotic species, the ancient Egyptians seem to have got there first.

说到对奇异物种的迷恋，古埃及人大概算是最早的。

Archaeologists working at a cemetery in Hierakonpolis, a thriving city by the Nile in the fourth millennium BC, have uncovered a zoo’s worth of skeletons of baboons, hippopotamuses, leopards, elephants and crocodiles.

在耶拉孔波利斯(Hierakonpolis)（前4千纪尼罗河畔一个繁荣城市）遗留下来的一个墓地工作的考古学家们，发现了足以组成一个动物园的动物骨骼，包括狒狒、河马、豹子、大象和鳄鱼。

These were not pampered pets; the remains reveal scars from beatings and broken bones from tethering.

它们并非娇生惯养的宠物；遗骸上显现出因殴打导致的疤痕和因被捆绑而断裂的骨骼。

The rather cruel menageries of old have given way to modern zoos that prioritise conservation and welfare — but the propriety of keeping non-human primates in captivity is being questioned anew.

古代残忍的动物牢笼已让位于优先考虑动物保护和福利的现代动物园——然而，将非人类的灵长动物圈养是否恰当正重新遭到质疑。

Last week, London Zoo went into lockdown when a male gorilla escaped his enclosure.

最近伦敦动物园一度进入封锁状态，因为一只雄性大猩猩(Gorilla)逃出了他的笼子。

Kumbuka, a western lowland silverback, had managed to reach a secure keepers’ area and was tranquillised before being returned to his domain.

这只名为昆布卡(Kumbuka)的西部低地银背大猩猩设法逃入了保育员区域，最后被麻醉枪击中，送回其在动物园的领地。

Visitors later said he had seemed agitated beforehand.

后来有游客反映，昆布卡此前似乎焦虑不安。

It is a happier ending than that enjoyed by Harambe, a gorilla at Cincinnati Zoo, who was shot dead in May after a young boy fell into his enclosure.

相比辛辛那提动物园今年5月因一名小男孩掉入笼内而遭射杀的大猩猩哈兰贝(Harambe)，这是一个比较可喜的结局。

There are, incidentally, two earlier cases where gorillas have protected children in similar circumstances.

顺便说一下，此前有过两起大猩猩在类似情况下保护幼童的案例。

In the two latest incidents, both zoos acted appropriately — which is to say, in the public interest.

在最近这两起事件中，两家动物园都采取了适当的行动——也就是说，是从公众利益出发。

And that, really, is the trouble with zoos: they are primarily for public interest.

而这其实也是动物园所面临的麻烦：它们主要从公众利益出发。

They educate, inform and inspire us about animals — we learn what they look like in the flesh and perhaps become more motivated to protect the natural world — but those worthy functions feel peripheral to the business of entertainment.

它们为我们提供动物相关的教育、信息和启发——让我们亲眼看到动物的真实模样，或许让我们变得更有动力去保护自然世界——但人们的感觉是，这些有价值的功能相对于娱乐业务只是外围的。

How thrilling to gaze into the eyes of a gorilla and to see its almost humanlike temperament, with its stares, frowns and sulks.

直视大猩猩的双眼，从中看到几乎跟人类一样的气质，包括它的凝视、皱眉和愠怒，这是何等地令人震撼。

Sometimes, though, that thrill seems uncomfortably close to voyeurism.

然而有时候，这种震撼似乎很不妥地接近于偷窥。

Sir David Attenborough, the British naturalist and film-maker, suggested this week that visitors should observe these sensitive animals through peepholes in an effort to preserve their privacy.

英国自然主义者和电影制作人戴维•阿滕伯勒爵士(Sir David Attenborough)最近建议，游客应该通过窥视孔来观察这些敏感的动物，以此来保护它们的隐私感。

Gorillas — which are critically endangered because of habitat loss, the bushmeat trade and diseases such as Ebola — remind us, through their eerily familiar expressions, that we share an evolutionary kinship.

由于栖息地丧失、野味贸易和疾病（如埃博拉）而被列为极度濒危物种的大猩猩，通过它们与人类出奇近似的表情和性情提醒我们，我们共享着进化过程中的亲缘关系。

Gorillas and humans belong to the order of primates, encompassing lemurs, monkeys and apes; DNA analysis suggests we last shared an ancestor about 10m years ago.

大猩猩和人类同属于灵长目，这也包括狐猴、猴子和猿类；DNA分析似乎表明，我们在大约1000万年前仍共享同一个祖先。

Chimpanzees are our closest relatives, with gorillas next in line; they can count and use tools, and appear to experience a range of emotions.

黑猩猩(Chimpanzees)是我们人类最近的亲戚，大猩猩紧随其后；它们会计数和使用工具，而且似乎还能体验一系列的情感。

This has, rightly, led to a reduction in their use in scientific experiments; Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist, has re¬newed her call for such experiments to be banned completely.

这正确地减少了它们在科学实验中的使用；著名的灵长类动物学家简•古多尔(Jane Goodall)再度呼吁彻底禁止这样的实验。

A recent, albeit failed, attempt to ascribe personhood to pet chimps, and fresh Californian laws against the use of killer whales for entertainment, also shows how our attitudes towards other species are evolving.

最近一个使宠物黑猩猩拥有人格的尝试（尽管失败了），以及加利福尼亚最新颁布的禁止使用杀人鲸供人娱乐的法律，都表明了我们对其他物种的态度正在如何演变。

And that is why keeping gorillas in zoos feels like an outdated practice.

这也是为什么把大猩猩关在动物园里感觉像一个过时的做法。

It may well be that these sanctuaries offer some insurance against extinction — but habitat protection has proved a better option for saving mountain gorillas.

很可能这样的避难所在某种程度上为动物灭绝提供了保险——但是栖息地保护已被证明是拯救山地大猩猩的更好选择。

It is true that zoos offer those without money or the inclination to travel an opportunity to see beautiful animals first hand.

没错，动物园为那些没有钱或不打算远行的人提供了一个机会，让他们可以亲眼看见这些漂亮的动物。

But what, exactly, entitles us to this privilege? Moreover, no matter how well-designed the enclosure, zoos are unnatural settings likely to elicit unnatural behaviours.

然而，究竟是什么赋予了人类这样的特权？更何况，这些笼子无论设计得有多好，动物园终究是非自然的环境，容易引发非自然的行为。

Sir David’s outstanding natural history films are arguably more educational.

戴维•阿滕伯勒爵士的出色的自然历史影片可以说更具教育意义。

Soon, virtual reality may provide a more authentic experience than watching a stressed-out gorilla banging on a zoo window.

很快，虚拟现实有望提供比看着一只受不了压力的大猩猩敲打动物园窗户更加逼真的体验，

For me, the most compelling reason to visit a zoo is that the admission price funds conservation in the wild.

对我而言，参观动物园最有说服力的理由是：门票收入被用来资助野生环境保护。

It is an upfront, if mercenary, transaction: a visitor pays to be entertained and the captive primates pay an uncertain price in return.

这是一笔预付费（即便是从金钱角度）：游客付钱享受娱乐，而笼中的灵长类动物付出不确定的代价。