What Can We Do to Reduce Animal Cruelty?

我们度过的每一天基本都会有一起新的针对动物的可怕暴行发生。最近一起被揭露的事件（如果你没有足够的心理准备，请不要点击链接）是关于一些动物在长途运输过程中的悲惨遭遇，它们被关在极其狭小且闷热的空间里，没有食物和水（这些动物在被屠宰前必须确保是活的。因为它们必须符合世界上发展速度最快的宗教所设定的离奇的，残忍的屠杀仪式的标准）。而这种事件已经是动物保护主义者们司空见惯的了。
Hardly a day goes by without another gruesome story of cruel atrocities against animals. The latest revelations (don't click this link if you're squeamish) about the horrific suffering inflicted on animals transported live huge distances in tiny cramped stifling hot spaces without food or water (they have to be alive when slaughtered to conform to the grotesque, painful, ritualistic slaughtering standards of the world's fastest-growing religions) come as no surprise to animal welfare activists.
 
大量让人感到恐怖的工厂化农场迫使这些有生命，有感情的生灵产出奶制品和肉制品，使它们遭受长达一生的痛苦。那些屠宰场的所作所为可以说是丧心病狂，如果你去过一次，定会留下一辈子的惨烈记忆。实验室也靠折磨动物来赚钱，因为它比任何方法去展示他们产品的安全性都要来的便宜。小动物制造厂（许多还是由所谓宗教团体经营的）不断用你难以想象，甚至会要了它们命的方法喂养生病的小动物，这样做仅仅是为了利益。还有一些针对动物们的残忍暴行旨在获取动物（往往是濒危物种）的器官，长牙和其他部位用作所谓的治疗和保健品，其实它们都缺乏根据，但这样的行为却从未停止。
Massive, monstrous factory farms that reduce living, feeling creatures to milk and meat machines, in lifelong misery and suffering. Slaughterhouses whose activities are so heartless and barbaric that a single visit can leave you traumatized for life. Testing labs that profit by torturing animals because it's cheaper than other methods of demonstrating product safety. Puppy mills (many run by 'quaint' religious groups) that breed sickly animals non-stop under unimaginably dreadful conditions, just for profit. And some of the animal cruelty designed to procure organs, tusks and other parts from (often endangered) species as quack cures and health enhancers defies description. It just goes on and on.

我的老读者们都知道我已经基本放弃用政治方法来使问题复杂化。如果想让任何合理的动物保护条例通过和生效，则要花太多太多的钱去喂饱太多贪婪的政治人物。所以我们能做些什么呢？
Regular readers know that I've largely given up on political solutions to complex problems. There is just too much money greasing too many greedy political palms to ever permit the passage and enforcement of any kind of reasonable animal welfare regulations. So what can we do?
 
首先，对于靠对动物施暴来获利的公司的产品，我们可以抵制购买。我们可以成为素食主义者。如果你做不到这点，那么你可以买些你认识的当地小农场产出的肉制品，这些动物在农场时是被自由放养的。这有助于推动当地经济，同时对你的健康和那些动物也有好处。我们还要抵制一种农场，他们生产出来的肉制品都来自还只能喝奶的幼崽（比如小牛肉）。同样地，对于供应此种肉的餐馆，我们也要抵制。
First, we can refuse to buy the products of companies that profit from animal cruelty. Become a vegetarian or a vegan. If you can't do that, buy only locally-produced, free-range meats from small farms whose owners you know personally. It's good for the local economy, for your health, and for the animals. And boycott farms that produce, and restaurants that serve, meats from confined milk-only-diet baby animals (e.g. veal).

在购买保健品，个人用品或者化学产品时，只购买那些注明未经动物测试的产品。这些标准也许让你感到乏味，不协调并且很难执行，但至少这是一个开始。或者你可以动手自己用一些简单天然的原料来制作属于你自己的产品（这同样可以帮你省钱）。
When you buy health, personal and chemical products, buy only those clearly certified as not tested on animals. The standards are poor, inconsistent and sloppily regulated, but they're a start. Or make your own products from simple natural ingredients (saves money too).
 
不要从那些小动物制造厂或宠物商店买小动物。如果你想要个宠物，请去动物收养所选一只吧，而且要确保它做过绝育手术。如果你养了只猫，那请把它养在室内，这也算是保护了小鸟。请不要把动物关在狭小空间内或绑起来。限制自由比痛苦更加残忍。
Never buy animals from puppy mills or pet stores. If you are looking for a pet, please select one from an animal shelter. And make sure it's neutered. If you choose a cat, please do the birds a favour and keep it indoors. And please don't keep animals caged in small spaces or tied up. Confinement is crueler than pain.
 
也许我们永远无法改变法律或宗教传统。几个世纪以来，人们一直在试图改革针对动物的残酷律法和宗教传统，然而实质上没有取得成功。当然，我们还是应该继续努力，要鉴别出那些不从Big Agribusiness和Big Pharma公司收钱的候选人，给他们投票。但光靠政治来解决是远远不够的。
We'll never get the laws changed, or the religious practices changed. People have been trying to reform animal cruelty laws and religious practices for centuries, with virtually no success. Of course we should keep trying, and identify and vote for candidates who take no money from Big Agribusiness or Big Pharma. But political activism will never be enough.
 
我们能做的是抵制靠对动物施暴而获利的企业组织--工厂化农场，屠宰场，Big Agribusiness和Big Pharma，宠物商店，皮草商，那些不负责任的饭店，化妆品商，保健品制造商，个人用品及化工产品公司还有那些用船装运活体动物的运输公司，让它们无利可图而退出市场。
What we can do is starve the organizations that profit from animal cruelty -- factory farms, slaughterhouses, Big Agribusiness and Big Pharma, pet stores, fur merchants, irresponsible restaurants, cosmetic, health product, personal care and chemical companies, and transportation companies that ship live animals. 


 
只有当有足够多的人明智地（或者更准确地说是，停止盲目大意购买）选择性购物，我们才有足够的影响力让那些暴行者无利可图。只有当这个行当赚不到什么钱了，它才会停止。
Only when enough of us buy intelligently (or, more accurately, stop buying ignorantly) will we have enough of an effect to make animal cruelty unprofitable. And only when it becomes unprofitable will it stop.