比利时动物园：勿对猩猩“暗送秋波”

Don't stare at the apes, zoo tells visitors

　　Most people visit zoos to see the animals - but visitors to Antwerp Zoo in Belgium are being told not to look at the apes.

　　去动物园的人都爱仔细观察动物们的表情，但是比利时安特卫普动物园近日却要求游人不要和猩猩等猿类动物进行长时间的目光交流，因为这会导致它们患上忧郁症。

　　Instead, visitors are now confronted with signs telling them that making prolonged eye contact with the apes leaves them sad and withdrawn. Zoo staff reckon staring can result in the creatures becoming less sociable.

　　据《每日电讯》报4月16日报道，安特卫普动物园张贴出告示称，人长时间与猿类动物进行对视后，会让它们的性格变得消沉孤僻，以至不再愿意与同类交往。

　　A spokesman said: "We are saying to visitors that, if our apes hold eye contact with them, then they should look away for a bit or take a step back. Our evidence shows that chimpanzees and other apes who have a lot of contact with visitors apparently tend to isolate themselves from their companions over the course of time."

　　安特卫普动物园发言人提醒游人说：“如果猿类动物盯着你看，你应该把脸暂时转过去或是直接离开。研究结果显示，猿类动物一旦与游人的目光交流过多，就容易患上忧郁症，在一段时间内封闭自己、远离同伴。”

　　But the policy has bemused some zoo-goers, who while used to signs asking them not to feed the animals, are now wondering if this is taking animal welfare a step too far. Dirk Woldt, a teacher visiting the zoo with his family, said: "When we saw the signs, we thought it was a joke. "The next thing you know, they'll be having to counsel the apes."

　　然而，动物园的这项新规定却遭到部分游人的反对。许多游人认为，动物园此前已经禁止他们向动物喂食，现在又不许他们注视猩猩的眼睛，这种做法似乎太苛刻了。一名带着家人参观动物园的教师指出：“看见告示牌时我们还以为是在开玩笑。接下来，动物园是不是还要对猩猩们提出忠告呢？”