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Unit4Whenweabuseanimals,wedebaseourselves人类虐待动物就是在贬损自己Movingacowbychainingittoatractoranddraggingitbyitslegsaysalotabouthowweperceiveandvalueanimals.WhentheHumaneSocietyvideothatshowedthisandotherbrutalslaughterhousetreatmentmadetheroundsontheInternetafewweeksago,itcausedpublicshockandledtoafederalinvestigation.Butthere'sadeeperlessonthatallofus–whetherornotweeatmeat–needtotaketoheart:wedegradeourselveswhenwedegradeanimals.将一头牛锁在一辆拖拉机上然后拖动很好地表明了我们对动物的看法和感受。当人道协会的这个展现了这样场面等其它屠宰场里残忍对待的录像片在数周前网上散布后它引起了公众的震惊，导致联邦政府开展调查。但是对我们所有人来说这还是一个更为深刻的教训--不论我们是否吃肉--应该铭刻在心中：在贬低动物的同时我们在贬低自己。Muchasbulliesdemoralizethemselveswhentheydominateorrideroughshodoverthosewhoaremeek,vulnerable,ordefenseless,itshouldbeobviousthathumanbeingsaretheonesdemoralizedbythecommissionofinhumaneacts.正如那些欺负者们当控制那些温顺、脆弱或没有抵抗力的人们或骑在他们头上是在将自己的道德败坏一样去进行那些残忍的虐待动物的活动中人类的道德也被这种非人道的行为所败坏。Overtheyears,manyhavebeencaughtupinthedebateoverwhatis,orisnot,man'sobligationtoanimals.Butthedebateistranscendedbythegrowingrealizationthatneitherourcivilizationnorourplanetwillsurviveunlesshumanbeingsgrowricherinmoralqualitieslikemercy,kindness,compassion,andtemperance.长期以来让许多人纠缠不清的是到底哪些是哪些不是人类对动物的义务。不过人们越来越认识到除非人类在怜悯、善良、同情和节制上提高否则我们的文明或地球都将不复存在。这个观点已经超略了前面的争论。Yetinordertoestablishaplatformforspeakingoutagainstcruelandpainfullaboratoryexperimentsandslaughteringtechniques,animalrightsadvocatesareoftenaskedtoprovethatanimalshaveamoralsenseandcanfeelphysicalandemotionalpain.然而为了建立一个疾呼反对残忍和痛苦的试验及屠宰方式的平台，动物权利提倡者往往被要求证明动物有道德感；能感到身体或感情的痛苦。Butevenifanimalscouldbeprovedamoralandimmunetopain,humanbeingswouldhavenobasisforevencarelesstreatmentofthem.Mostofusweretaughtaschildrentotakegoodcareofinanimateobjects,eventhoughtheyfeelnopainandhavenomoralsense.Wearetaughttotreatfinebookswithvirtualreverence.Wearetaughtthatitisactuallyacrimetovandalizebuildings,cars,andotherinanimateobjects.可是即便证明了动物属于超道德范畴且它们不会感到痛苦人类也提不出对动物漠不关心对待动物的根据。多数人在小时候就被教导要照顾好无生命的物体--即便它们感受不到痛苦、没有道德感。我们被教导用崇敬态度对待好书；我们被教导破坏建筑、汽车等其它没有生命的物体是犯罪。Butevensettingasidethedegradationbroughtuponthehumanswhocommitactsofcruelty,researchhasconsistentlyrevealedevidenceofthemoralityandsentienceofthenonhumanworld.Bynowdocumentariesaboundinwhichwecanseeearth'screaturesdiscipliningmembersoftheirownspeciesforcrimeswithintheircommunities.Converselywe'vealsoseenthemcareforeachother,aswellasformembersofotherspecies,inthemostintelligent,unselfish,courageous,andtenderways.但是即便将残忍行会给人们带来的贬低抛在一边不谈，过去的研究一致显示在非人类世界存在有道德及感觉性的证据。到目前为止大量纪录片中我们能看到地球的生物在自己种族内部会对“犯下罪行”的成员进行管制。相反我们也看到它们会彼此照顾对方、照顾别的种族成员。所采取的方式是最智慧、无私、有勇气和体贴地。Thisevidenceofmoralityinnonhumanstellsusthatmankindandcreature-kindareinextricablywoventogether,notseparateworldsattemptingcoexistence.Wemaynotbelinkedbytrunksandtusks,wingsandbeaks,butIhaveyettothinkofasinglequalityassociatedwiththebestinmankindthatisnotexpressedbyanimalsandoften–aswithloyalty,sincerity,wisdom,andforgiveness–moreperfectly.非人类中存在着道德的证据告诉我们人类和“生物-类”是彼此密切相连而不是努力要共存的一个个独立“世界”将大家联系在一起的也许不是牙齿、翅膀和喙。可是至今我还想不到有哪个单一和人类相关的特质在动物身上没有出现(例如：忠诚、诚恳、智慧和宽恕)--而且往往动物是做地更好。Ourdifferencesappeartoliemoreinthecomplexitywithwhichweexpressourcommonlyheldqualities.Infact,thecaring,thoughtfulobservationofanimalshastaught,andcancontinuetoteach,vitallessonsaboutwhatweourselvesareandwhatwecanaccomplish.大家的不同之处似乎更多地在于表达共同具有特质的复杂性上面。事实上，对动物深入、关爱地观察已经告诉并一直继续告诉人类自身以及我们能做到哪些Welearnfromanelephant,forexample,thatpowerandgentlenessarenotincompatible.Welearnfromanygazellethenaturalnessofgrace.Ourdearcanineorfelinefriendsteachusthathappinessdoesn'tcomefromoutsideourselves–fromtheactofacquisition–butissomethingwebringtothesimplestobjectorexperience.Frombirds,we'velearnedtheconceptofflight.Andfromanyanimalwecanlearnthatwedon'toutgrowchildlikenesswhenweentermaturity,becausechildlikenessisaqualityofthought,notaconditionofage.例如：我们从一头大象身上学到了力量和温和并非是互斥的；从任何一只瞪羚身上人类学到了优雅的自然性；从亲爱的猫类、狗类朋友们教导人类快乐并非来自自己之外--来自获得--而是我们对最简单体验或事物赋予的东西；从鸟类身人类学会了飞行的概念。从任何动物身上我们都能学到在步入成熟后依然无法摆脱童心--因为它是一种思想上的特点而与年龄大小无关。Infact,whenweabusechildlikequalitiesinanimals–whenwetakeadvantageoftrust,sweetness,simplicity,orinnocence,forexample–wearewellonourwaytotheabuseofchildren.Fordecadesresearchers,childandanimalprotectionprofessionals,andeducatorshavebeenpointingtothecorrelationbetweenthetreatmentofanimalsandthetreatmentofchildren.事实上当人类虐待动物们身上的那些与童年有关的特质时--当人类利用它们的信任、可爱、淳朴或纯真--我们就很可能会去虐待我们自己的孩子。十几年来，动物和儿童保护专家、教育学家都一直指出在对待动物和对待孩子之间有关联。Butit'sperhapsthealmostinexplicablydeeplovethatwe'reabletosharewithcreaturesthatexplainswhatamagnificentsymphonywecanbe.Symphoniesaren'tcomposedofinferiorandsuperiortonesandpassages.Theirbeautyisintheunityofthesimpleandcomplex,theobviousandsubtle,theaudaciousanddemure.Whatmattersinmusicisthateachtoneorpassagebeallowedtocontributeitsfullvalue,howevermeekthatvalue.不过也许正是那种人类能与生物分享的最无法说明的深爱才解释了大家能成为多么美妙的交响乐。这些乐章并不是由“高等”或“劣等”的音调和部分组成。它们的美在于简单和复杂、明显和微妙、无畏和端庄的统一。音乐中重要的是每个音符或部分都能贡献起十分的价值--不论它有多么地渺小。Inthesameway,ourmoralobligationtowardanimalsisn'taquestionofwhatasuperiorbeingowesaninferiorone.Unselfishaffectiontakesthesimpleandcomplex,theboldandthemeekincreation,accordse