Furry family members

What did you do to celebrate the new year? For many, there’s no better way than watching movies with heart-warming holiday vibes.
你会做些什么来庆祝新年呢？对于不少人而言，观看洋溢着暖心节日气氛的电影堪称最好的庆祝方式

Adoring, a comedy-drama released on Dec 31, is such a film.
2019年12月31日上映的喜剧电影《宠爱》便是这样一部电影。

The movie tells a story through the eyes of pet center owner Vivian, who provides medical care for all pets in her community. She witnesses six heart-warming stories among the pets and their owners. In one moving scene, an old dog is dying but wants to see its beloved owner one last time.
影片中的宠物中心店主薇薇安关照着社区里所有宠物的健康，影片正是通过她的视角来讲述故事。薇薇安见证了六段宠物和主人之间的暖心故事。在一个感人片段中，一只年迈的狗狗在弥留之际，仍想要看自己挚爱的主人最后一眼。

As the movie tagline goes, “Love is trust, love is commitment, and love is a vow we take for life.”
正如影片的宣传语所说的那样：“爱是信任，爱是承诺，爱是我们一生的誓言。”

The film’s producer, Xu Zheng, said at the premiere that Adoring is a movie that “explores different relationships”, “brings the warmth of love” and especially “attracts young people”.
该片监制徐峥在首映礼上表示，《宠爱》是一部“探索不同人际关系”、“带来爱的温暖”的电影，尤其“吸引年轻人”。

Indeed, pets are becoming popular among young Chinese people. According to a report on the 2019 Singles Day shopping festival from online retailer Tmall, cat food is the most popular import commodity, even surpassing powdered milk for babies. The total sales volume reached 14,000 tons of cat food and 18,000 tons of dog food, combining both imported and domestic commodities, with the generation of the 1990s making up 44 percent of the total buyers.
的确，养宠物在中国年轻人之中日益流行。据天猫发布的一份关于2019年双十一购物节的报告显示，猫粮是最热卖的进口商品，甚至超过了婴幼儿奶粉。国内外猫粮和狗粮的销售总量分别达到了1.4万吨和1.8万吨，其中90后买家占44%。

Food and daily necessities aside, young pet owners also buy smart products, like automatic feeders and pet monitors to take care of the pets while they are not at home. Other pet services include training, grooming, vaccines, medical treatment and funerals for pets passing away.
除了食品和日用品之外，养宠物的年轻人还会买自动喂食器和宠物监控等智能产品，以便不在家时也能照顾宠物。其他的宠物服务还包括了训练、清洁、打疫苗、医疗以及为去世的宠物举办葬礼等。

The increase is partly attributed to people’s attitudes toward pets, as more and more youth treat pets as companions or family members.
这些宠物服务的增长部分源于人们对于宠物的态度，越来越多的年轻人将宠物视为同伴或者家人。

Linda, a 25-year-old white-collar worker in Beijing, has kept a Scottish Fold for two years. She bought the cat for more than 3,000 yuan and spends 300 to 500 yuan on her cat each month. When asked why she keeps it, she told Global Times that taking care of a cat is like raising a child. She needs its company in the big city.
25岁的北京白领琳达养一只苏格兰折耳猫已经两年了。当时她花了3000多元买下这只猫，每月会在爱猫身上花300-500元。当她在接受《环球时报》采访被问及为何要养猫时，她表示养猫就像养娃。她在这个大城市里需要陪伴。

“It is natural to spend money on their ‘family members’,” Liu Bo, a professor at China Agriculture University told Xinhua News Agency. “This trend … meets people’s demands for a better spiritual life.”
“为‘家人’花钱是理所当然的，”中国农业大学教授刘波在接受新华社采访时表示。“这种趋势……满足了人们对更好的精神生活的追求。”

Indeed, pets give people so much in terms of love and emotional support. After all, it’s difficult not to enjoy the bond with pets as well as the pleasure and challenge brought by a furry friend.
的确，宠物给予了人们不少爱与情感支持。毕竟，人们无法拒绝享受与宠物之间的深厚感情以及这位毛茸茸的朋友所带来的快乐与挑战。

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》，详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高三704期