当提到章鱼和龙虾时，你的脑海里会想到什么？是海鲜食品还是智慧海洋生物？

Some creatures are so different from us that we can only guess how aware or sentient they are. An octopus has arms that can smell and taste. They can solve problems, even escape from aquariums. Lobsters and crabs hunt, reproduce, and can regrow limbs. But none of these animals has a brain in the human sense.

有一些生物和我们是如此不同，以至于我们只能猜测它们的意识和感知力是怎样的。章鱼有能闻气味和尝味道的触须。它们可以解决问题，甚至可以逃离水族馆。龙虾和螃蟹捕食、繁殖，断肢还能再生。但这些动物都没有人类意义上的大脑。

Should we have to lessen their pain when we kill them like we stun cattle or gas chickens? Scientists are divided. The animal welfare bill going through Parliament would give many animals the right to more humane treatment, but it would only apply to vertebrates – in other words, species closer to humans.  

我们在杀死这些动物时，是否需要像击昏牛或用毒气杀鸡那样减轻它们的痛苦？科学家们在这个问题上存在分歧。英国议会正在审理的动物福利法案将给予许多动物受到更人道待遇的权利，但这只适用于脊椎动物，也就是更接近人类的物种。

However, after pressure from welfare campaigners, ministers are set to extend the definition to cover lobsters, crabs, octopuses, squid and other invertebrates.

然而，在倡导动物福利人士的压力下，议员和政府官员准备把对该法案的定义扩展到龙虾、螃蟹、章鱼、鱿鱼和其它无脊椎动物。

Some may need to be stunned before being killed. There is likely to be opposition from the fishing industry. But there is precedent. Boiling lobsters alive is illegal in Norway, Switzerland and New Zealand.

其中一些动物在被宰杀之前可能需要被击昏。这很可能会遭到渔业界的反对。不过其实有先例：在挪威、瑞士和新西兰，活煮龙虾是非法的。

词汇表

aware 有意识的
sentient 有知觉力的，有感知力的
aquariums 水族馆
reproduce 繁殖，生殖
regrow 重新长出
stun 击昏，使昏迷
welfare 福利
treatment 对待
vertebrates 脊椎动物
invertebrates 无脊椎动物
precedent 先例

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. True or false? An octopus’s arms are capable of tasting and smelling things.

2. What types of animals would have received better treatment in the previously proposed animal welfare bill?

3. Who pressured the ministers for changes to the animal welfare bill?

4. In which countries is boiling lobsters alive banned?

答案  

1. True or false? An octopus’s arms are capable of tasting and smelling things.
True. An octopus has arms that can smell and taste.

2. What types of animals would have received better treatment in the previously proposed animal welfare bill?
The previously proposed animal welfare bill would have only applied to vertebrates – in other words, species closer to humans.

3. Who pressured the ministers for changes to the animal welfare bill?
Animal welfare campaigners put pressure on ministers for the changes.

4. In which countries is boiling lobsters alive banned?
Boiling lobsters alive is illegal in Norway, Switzerland and New Zealand.