A beastly business

　　一個殘忍的行業(yè)

　　Peaceful protests against animal testing are on therise

　　反對動物實驗的和平抗議活動正在高漲

　　A FOG of confusion shrouds British attitudes toanimals. For a nation of pet-lovers, Britain hassurprisingly few vegetariansjust 3% of thepopulationa point that Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, a celebrity chef, tried to make onOctober 11th when he described the distinctionbetween a pet and a farm animal as cultural and suggested, to general outrage, that puppiescould be reared for meat. Britains animal-experimentation laboratories boast higher welfarestandards than many of its farms and abattoirs, yet provoke far more anger. That hostility isnow being expressed more openly, as moderate protesters discover new causes to championand reclaim their campaign from extremists.

　　一些令人困惑的事情讓人看不清英國人對動物的態(tài)度。他們愛養(yǎng)寵物，但素食主義者卻出奇地少。這也是10月11 日烹飪大師休?弗恩利?惠汀斯托爾想要表明的，當時他說，寵物與家畜的區(qū)分只是一種文化習慣，他暗示小狗也是可以食用的，這激起了公憤。英國的動物實驗室比很多飼養(yǎng)場和屠宰場享有更高的福利標準，這更惹了眾怒。現(xiàn)在，那些溫和的抗議者發(fā)現(xiàn)了他們所要捍衛(wèi)的新目標并從極端分子那里奪回他們的抗議活動，于是敵視情緒更加公開化。

　　The number of peaceful protests against institutions that perform research on animals hasincreased markedly of late , as memories of the violent attacks on the homes andcars of researchers have faded, according to information supplied by members of theAssociation of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, a lobby group that keeps tabs on suchmatters. It reckons that many moderate protesters were so appalled at the increasinglyabhorrent tactics used by extremistswhich culminated in a grave-robbing in 2004that theyabandoned the cause. Only after such attacks had all but halted in 2009 did they return to thebarricades.

　　游說團體英國制藥行業(yè)協(xié)會對此事甚為關注，根據(jù)這個協(xié)會成員所提供的信息，最近，對于動物實驗室研究人員的住所和車輛的暴力攻擊少了，而針對這些機構的各種和平抗議突然多了起來。該協(xié)會認為許多溫和的抗議者對于極端分子日漸可惡的伎倆 感到震驚，以至放棄了這個事業(yè)。只是2009年這類的攻擊快要停止時，他們才回到設置路障上來。

　　There is more for them to shout about. Despite a ban on the testing of cosmetics andhousehold products on animals, the number of experiments performed in Britain rose by almost40% between 2000 and 2010 to 3.7m, mainly because increasing numbers of geneticallymodified rodents were used. In France just 2.5m experiments were conducted in 2010 and thefigure has been stable for many years.

　　對他們來說，需要抗議的還有更多。在英國，這些機構無視不得使用動物對化妝品和日用品進行試驗的禁令，從2000年到2010年所進行實驗的次數(shù)增長了40%，達370萬次，主要是因為他們越來越多地使用轉(zhuǎn)基因的嚙齒類動物。2010年法國僅有250萬次的動物實驗，而且這個數(shù)字多年穩(wěn)定不變。

　　Two aspects of European legislation may push the figure higher still. The REACH directive, aneffort to identify whether chemicals that are already used in vast quantities could be toxic topeople, requires that their safety be demonstrated scientifically. In some cases only animal testsare deemed sufficient. The European Commission has estimated that 9m animals may be usedfor such tests; some observers put the figure far higher. Second, changes to the strict lawsthat require British scientists to consider alternatives to animal tests may be partially relaxedas a result of European reforms. The Home Office is due to respond to a consultation on thesubject within the next few weeks.

　　歐洲法律可能會在兩個方面推高這個數(shù)字。觸及指令，一項用來鑒別已被人們大量使用的化工產(chǎn)品是否對人體有毒的計劃，需要對它們的安全性進行科學論證。在有些情況下，只有用動物實驗結(jié)果才能充分可信。據(jù)歐盟委員會估計，可能有900萬動物用于此類實驗，有些觀察者認為這個數(shù)字遠遠低于實際。再者，轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)閲栏竦姆桑笥茖W家考慮動物實驗的替代方法，可能是歐洲改革的部分放松。內(nèi)務部在未來幾周將對這一主題的咨詢作出反應。

　　Emboldened by the rise of the moderates, new campaigns have begun. Animal Aid, for example,is targeting medical-research charities, which it sees as more amenable to influence than theremote laboratories in which the work is done. It plans to step up its protests.

　　在溫和派的鼓舞下，一些新的活動開展起來。例如，動物救助活動把矛頭指向了進行醫(yī)學研究的慈善機構，他們認為這些機構比那些做實驗的古老實驗室更應對其影響負責。他們計劃加緊他們的抗議活動。

　　For their part, scientists are beefing up their security on the advice of the police, lest animal-rights extremism return. The last of four people who were convicted of conspiracy toblackmail as part of their effort to intimidate a family who bred guinea pigs at Darley OaksFarm was released from jail last month. The National Extremism Tactical Co-ordination Unit,which oversaw their arrest, has turned its attention to such matters once again.

　　而科學家們正在加強對警察建議的保護，以防動物權利極端主義的回潮。企圖詐騙達利橡樹農(nóng)場一個飼養(yǎng)實驗動物家庭的4名罪犯中的最后一人已于上月從監(jiān)獄釋放。過去國家極端主義行動協(xié)調(diào)小組監(jiān)督對他們的拘捕，現(xiàn)在再把注意力放在他們身上。

　　Yet direct campaigns to eliminate animal experimentation by targeting institutions thatfacilitate it have so far relocated rather than removed the practice. In 1997, for example,protesters directed their anger at Consort Kennels, which bred beagles for animal-testinglaboratories. It closed, but it sold much of its stock to the laboratory it supplied so that it couldbreed the animals needed in-house.

　　但是，到目前為止，把實驗機構作為攻擊目標以減少動物實驗的直接活動，只是讓這種做法改變一下形式，而不能完全消除。1997年，抗議者把怒火直接發(fā)泄到飼養(yǎng)實驗用獵犬的Consort Kennels狗場。該狗場關閉了，但他把大部分的股份賣給了他們的實驗室客戶，這樣，實驗室就能自己飼養(yǎng)實驗所需要的動物了。

　　Any successful effort to eliminate animal experiments is more likely to come from withinlaboratories than outside them, argue researchers. Animal testing is expensive and can be ofdubious value, and scientists would prefer cheaper and more reliable alternatives. Alas for labrats everywhere, such alternatives are not yet sufficiently developed for animalexperimentation to be relegated to the past.

　　研究人員認為，任何減少動物試驗的成功努力更可能來自實驗室內(nèi)部，而不是外部。動物實驗成本高昂，價值取向模棱兩可，科學家更愿意采用便宜可靠的替代方法。唉，各地實驗室的白鼠們，動物試驗雖已過時，但替代方法還沒有完全開發(fā)出來。

　　A beastly business

　　一個殘忍的行業(yè)

　　Peaceful protests against animal testing are on therise

　　反對動物實驗的和平抗議活動正在高漲

　　A FOG of confusion shrouds British attitudes toanimals. For a nation of pet-lovers, Britain hassurprisingly few vegetariansjust 3% of thepopulationa point that Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, a celebrity chef, tried to make onOctober 11th when he described the distinctionbetween a pet and a farm animal as cultural and suggested, to general outrage, that puppiescould be reared for meat. Britains animal-experimentation laboratories boast higher welfarestandards than many of its farms and abattoirs, yet provoke far more anger. That hostility isnow being expressed more openly, as moderate protesters discover new causes to championand reclaim their campaign from extremists.

　　一些令人困惑的事情讓人看不清英國人對動物的態(tài)度。他們愛養(yǎng)寵物，但素食主義者卻出奇地少。這也是10月11 日烹飪大師休?弗恩利?惠汀斯托爾想要表明的，當時他說，寵物與家畜的區(qū)分只是一種文化習慣，他暗示小狗也是可以食用的，這激起了公憤。英國的動物實驗室比很多飼養(yǎng)場和屠宰場享有更高的福利標準，這更惹了眾怒。現(xiàn)在，那些溫和的抗議者發(fā)現(xiàn)了他們所要捍衛(wèi)的新目標并從極端分子那里奪回他們的抗議活動，于是敵視情緒更加公開化。

　　The number of peaceful protests against institutions that perform research on animals hasincreased markedly of late , as memories of the violent attacks on the homes andcars of researchers have faded, according to information supplied by members of theAssociation of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, a lobby group that keeps tabs on suchmatters. It reckons that many moderate protesters were so appalled at the increasinglyabhorrent tactics used by extremistswhich culminated in a grave-robbing in 2004that theyabandoned the cause. Only after such attacks had all but halted in 2009 did they return to thebarricades.

　　游說團體英國制藥行業(yè)協(xié)會對此事甚為關注，根據(jù)這個協(xié)會成員所提供的信息，最近，對于動物實驗室研究人員的住所和車輛的暴力攻擊少了，而針對這些機構的各種和平抗議突然多了起來。該協(xié)會認為許多溫和的抗議者對于極端分子日漸可惡的伎倆 感到震驚，以至放棄了這個事業(yè)。只是2009年這類的攻擊快要停止時，他們才回到設置路障上來。

　　There is more for them to shout about. Despite a ban on the testing of cosmetics andhousehold products on animals, the number of experiments performed in Britain rose by almost40% between 2000 and 2010 to 3.7m, mainly because increasing numbers of geneticallymodified rodents were used. In France just 2.5m experiments were conducted in 2010 and thefigure has been stable for many years.

　　對他們來說，需要抗議的還有更多。在英國，這些機構無視不得使用動物對化妝品和日用品進行試驗的禁令，從2000年到2010年所進行實驗的次數(shù)增長了40%，達370萬次，主要是因為他們越來越多地使用轉(zhuǎn)基因的嚙齒類動物。2010年法國僅有250萬次的動物實驗，而且這個數(shù)字多年穩(wěn)定不變。

　　Two aspects of European legislation may push the figure higher still. The REACH directive, aneffort to identify whether chemicals that are already used in vast quantities could be toxic topeople, requires that their safety be demonstrated scientifically. In some cases only animal testsare deemed sufficient. The European Commission has estimated that 9m animals may be usedfor such tests; some observers put the figure far higher. Second, changes to the strict lawsthat require British scientists to consider alternatives to animal tests may be partially relaxedas a result of European reforms. The Home Office is due to respond to a consultation on thesubject within the next few weeks.

　　歐洲法律可能會在兩個方面推高這個數(shù)字。觸及指令，一項用來鑒別已被人們大量使用的化工產(chǎn)品是否對人體有毒的計劃，需要對它們的安全性進行科學論證。在有些情況下，只有用動物實驗結(jié)果才能充分可信。據(jù)歐盟委員會估計，可能有900萬動物用于此類實驗，有些觀察者認為這個數(shù)字遠遠低于實際。再者，轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)閲栏竦姆桑笥茖W家考慮動物實驗的替代方法，可能是歐洲改革的部分放松。內(nèi)務部在未來幾周將對這一主題的咨詢作出反應。

　　Emboldened by the rise of the moderates, new campaigns have begun. Animal Aid, for example,is targeting medical-research charities, which it sees as more amenable to influence than theremote laboratories in which the work is done. It plans to step up its protests.

　　在溫和派的鼓舞下，一些新的活動開展起來。例如，動物救助活動把矛頭指向了進行醫(yī)學研究的慈善機構，他們認為這些機構比那些做實驗的古老實驗室更應對其影響負責。他們計劃加緊他們的抗議活動。

　　For their part, scientists are beefing up their security on the advice of the police, lest animal-rights extremism return. The last of four people who were convicted of conspiracy toblackmail as part of their effort to intimidate a family who bred guinea pigs at Darley OaksFarm was released from jail last month. The National Extremism Tactical Co-ordination Unit,which oversaw their arrest, has turned its attention to such matters once again.

　　而科學家們正在加強對警察建議的保護，以防動物權利極端主義的回潮。企圖詐騙達利橡樹農(nóng)場一個飼養(yǎng)實驗動物家庭的4名罪犯中的最后一人已于上月從監(jiān)獄釋放。過去國家極端主義行動協(xié)調(diào)小組監(jiān)督對他們的拘捕，現(xiàn)在再把注意力放在他們身上。

　　Yet direct campaigns to eliminate animal experimentation by targeting institutions thatfacilitate it have so far relocated rather than removed the practice. In 1997, for example,protesters directed their anger at Consort Kennels, which bred beagles for animal-testinglaboratories. It closed, but it sold much of its stock to the laboratory it supplied so that it couldbreed the animals needed in-house.

　　但是，到目前為止，把實驗機構作為攻擊目標以減少動物實驗的直接活動，只是讓這種做法改變一下形式，而不能完全消除。1997年，抗議者把怒火直接發(fā)泄到飼養(yǎng)實驗用獵犬的Consort Kennels狗場。該狗場關閉了，但他把大部分的股份賣給了他們的實驗室客戶，這樣，實驗室就能自己飼養(yǎng)實驗所需要的動物了。

　　Any successful effort to eliminate animal experiments is more likely to come from withinlaboratories than outside them, argue researchers. Animal testing is expensive and can be ofdubious value, and scientists would prefer cheaper and more reliable alternatives. Alas for labrats everywhere, such alternatives are not yet sufficiently developed for animalexperimentation to be relegated to the past.

　　研究人員認為，任何減少動物試驗的成功努力更可能來自實驗室內(nèi)部，而不是外部。動物實驗成本高昂，價值取向模棱兩可，科學家更愿意采用便宜可靠的替代方法。唉，各地實驗室的白鼠們，動物試驗雖已過時，但替代方法還沒有完全開發(fā)出來。