用英语介绍中国文化:中国人打扮自己的狗狗

　　编者按：许多中国爱狗人士都喜欢打扮自己的狗狗，打扮自己的狗狗这个问题可以分为多个方面来解释，我们运用英语来解释这个现象吧。

　　We have all seen the doggie decked out with dress, shoes, bows and hat in the street when it's getting cold in winter. To foreigners it's an unusual sight, but to our Chinese friends, it's something that's so common, even not worth mentioning. If you do enquire into this seemingly strange phenomenon, it seems the responses are generally something along the lines of, “Of course people dress up their dogs in China, nobody is surprised."

　　The first, and most practical, reason behind the doggie clothing is for the dog's protection. During the winter months Chinese people are generally very conscious of the cold, (just look at the way in which children are bundled up when the weather starts to get a little chilly). It is therefore no surprise that doggie owners in China also worry about their little companions getting cold and therefore deck them out in thick sweaters and the occasional hat. It does not always look very stylish, but at the very least the dog is appreciative for the extra layer of warmth.

　　Another reason is a sanitary reason. We have all experienced the less than hygienic qualities of air and understand why it's necessary to remove your shoes before walking around in your house. The same idea applies to the dogs. Dogs don't really care about what they are walking in, and who wants their dog to drag in the dust of streets into their house? So, why not dress your dog up and give their feet and bodies that extra sanitary protection?

　　These are some of the more practical reasons for the doggie clothing, but after careful consideration regarding the matter we came up with a few more possible explanations:

　　In general, dogs in China are viewed by their owners in a slightly different light to the dogs in the West. In the West we own a dog, which is just that-a dog- and we enjoy allowing our canine companion the joys of being a dog (namely, running freely in a huge park and perhaps even swimming with the ducks). The environment of cities in China doesn't really allow for dogs to be raised as Western image of a dog. Dogs in China live in very close quarters with their Chinese family and become a member of the family. This does not mean that in the West we don't consider our dogs as part of our family-they most certainly are- they are just viewed more in light of the family dog and not the family 'cute thing'. In China it seems the idea of owning a dog is more around having a cute animal around (thus allowing for it to be dressed up) where as in the West if we want a 'cute' animal for a pet, generally a dog is the last animal we would consider.

　　So next time you see a doggie rocking that weird dress, try to remember that the owner is dressing the dog up not to make it look stupid, but rather to make the dog feel more comfortable and to show the dog (and everyone else around) how much the dog is loved. We Westerners may still think it's weird but at least you know is coming from a place of love.

　　Source: mandarinInn (written by Stephanie)

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