Scientists are potty-training cows in a bid to help save the planet

 

為拯救地球科學家訓練乳牛如廁

【摘要2021.9.27.一.自由】◎陳成良

If you can potty-train a child, you can potty-train a cow. At least, that was the theory a group of researchers in Germany decided to test, in a bid to find a solution to the environmental damage caused by livestock waste.

如果你可以訓練孩子自己上廁所，你也可以訓練乳牛進行如廁訓練。至少，這是一群德國研究員決定驗證的理論，目標是解決牲畜糞便危害環境的問題。

"It’s usually assumed that cattle are not capable of controlling defecation or urination," said Jan Langbein, co-author of a study published Monday in the journal Current Biology.

這項研究週一發表在《當代生物學》期刊上。該研究的合著作者揚‧朗本說：「人們通常認為，家畜無法控制大小便。」

Farmed cattle produce roughly 66-88 pounds of feces and 8 gallons of urine each day and are free to relieve themselves where they please. However, the spread of their waste into the soil can have negative effects on the environment.

在農場飼養的牲畜每天大約會排出66到88磅糞便和8加侖尿液，而且都是隨地大小便。但是，牠們的排泄物滲入泥土中，會對環境產生負面影響。

The main question for Langbein, an animal psychologist at the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) in Germany, and his team was: "Why shouldn’t (cattle) be able to learn how to use a toilet? Animals are quite clever, and they can learn a lot." Langbein said in a statement.

德國農場動物生物學研究所的動物心理學家朗本在一份聲明中說道，對於他和他的團隊來說，主要問題在於：「為什麼牲畜不能學會如廁？動物們很聰明，也能學習很多東西。」

新聞辭典

in a bid to：片語，為了、試圖。例句：The boy stays away from the tent in a bid to give the girl some privacy.（男孩站得離帳篷遠遠的，好讓女孩有一點隱私。）

relieve oneself：原意是「放鬆自己」，俚語中則是「上廁所」的委婉說法。其他同義的婉稱還有︰go to the men’s（ladie’s）room／restroom／washroom 或wash one’s hands。