Keeping PetsMen have kept pets since ancient times. We can see from discoveries in the pyramids in Egypt and from scenes on decorated wall-coverings of European castles that our ancestors were as in-terested in pets as we are. One reason for keeping pets is their utility. When our dog barks, it warns us of thieves. A cat keeps down the mice and rats in homes. When men depended on hunting for food they found hunting-dogs extremely useful. They also used a type of bird to aid them in their search for food. Companionship is a non-utilitarian reason for keeping pets. If people are living by themselves they feel lonely, and having a pet relieves this loneliness to some extent. We like to have some companion with us even if this companion is not human. We feel the need to have another living being to shareour daily lives. Having a companion, even if it is only an animal, gives us a feeling of warmth and an interest in something else beyond ourselves. Some people even prefer pets to other people. Pets are not as demanding as people sometimes are. In particular,pets do not demand of us that we should talk when we wish to remain silent. Some people do talk to pets as if they were human beings, but they have the satisfaction of knowing that thepets cannot answer back and engage them in argument. Pets seem content with so very little.

养宠物 从远古时期，人们就开始饲养宠物。埃及金字塔里的种种发现，欧洲城堡华丽穹顶上的绘画都充分说明：我们的祖先和我们今天一样喜欢宠物。 养宠物的其中一个原因就是它们的实用性。狗吠叫警告我们小心盗贼，猫消灭田鼠和家中的老鼠。在依靠打猎获取食物的年代，人们意识到猎狗举足轻重的作用。那时，人们还同时使用一种小鸟来帮助他们寻找食物。 养宠物的另一个非实用的原因就是要它们和自己做伴。独自生活常常会感到孤单。养宠物可以从某种程度上缓解这种孤独感。我们喜欢有伴儿陪着，即使这个伴儿并不是人类。我们感觉需要另一个生命分享自己每日的生活。同伴，即使只是个动物，也可以给我们一种温暖的感觉，让我们对除自己以外的其他事物感兴趣。 一些人爱宠物胜过爱其他人。宠物不像人那样有时会有各种各样的要求。特别是当我们不想说话时，宠物不会逼我们开口。不过一些人会把宠物当作人一样和它们交谈，他们很高兴这些动物不能回答他们的问题，不会和他们争论。只需一点点，宠物们就很容易知足了。