昨天，生活在上海野生动物园(Shanghai Wild Animal Park, one of China's largest zoos, located in the Pudong area of Shanghai)的狮虎豹[1]竟没有肉吃。这绝不是虐待[2]动物，而是动物园里结合动物训练[3]定下的规矩--每五天一天是"停肉日"[4]，即便是春节(Spring Festival)，这一规矩依然执行[5]。
饲养员[6]说，每个 "停肉日"当天及过后的第二天，都是狮虎豹最活跃[7]的日子，它们都会表现出更大的活力[8]，这也是它们在自然界[9]缺少食物时的求生本能[10]。
但是，生活在城市动物园内的动物最容易长得肥胖[11]，让动物饲养专家最担心。肥胖症[12]又是各种疾病的起源，过于肥胖还会影响它们繁衍[13]后代。为此，野生动物园对猛兽[14]实行"停肉日"制度，即每月的5日、10日、15日、20日、25日停肉食，而代之以每头猛兽限量供应1公斤鸡壳(chicken ribs)。
Yesterday, lions, tigers and leopards living in the Shanghai Wild Animal Park didn't receive meat to eat. This was by no means maltreatment of the animals, but a custom drill of for all the predators of the park: Every 5 days, one day is 'no meat day', and this is even implemented during Spring Festival.
Animal keepers say that the 'no meat day' and the day after are the time when the lions, tigers and leopards are most lively, showing greatest energy. This is also the survival instinct of animals in the wild when they lack food.
Animals living in city zoos easily gain weight, making animal experts very worried. Obesity can also affect the animals' ability to reproduce. Therefore, the Wild Animal Park implements 'no meat days' for its predators, as on the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th of every month the supply of meat is stopped, and replaced by a limited food supply of 1 Kg of chicken ribs per predator.
Original article published by Shanghai Morning Post 新闻晨报
[1] 狮虎豹 shī hǔ bào - Lion, tiger, leopard
[2] 虐待 nvèdài - Maltreat, abuse
[3]训练 xùnliàn - Drill, exercise
[4] "停肉日" tíng ròu rì - 'No meat day'
[5] 执行 zhíxíng - Implement
[6] 饲养员 sìyǎng yuán - Animal keeper
[7] 活跃 huóyuè - Vivid, lively
[8] 活力 huólì - Evergy, vigor
[9] 自然界 zìránjiè - Natural world, nature
[10] 求生本能 qiú shēng běnnéng - Survival instinct
[11] 肥胖 féipàng - Fat
[12] 肥胖症 féipàngzhèng - Obesity
[13] 繁衍 fányǎn - Reproduce
[14]猛兽 měng shòu - Predator
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