Factory Farming and Animal Rights|集约畜牧及动物权益

by Brian Foden

Animals are sometimes kept in atrocious conditions.

We often read or hear about animal cruelty cases involving dogs, cats, and less frequently, other animals. In these cases, the authorities step in to _(1)_ the pets from their inhumane conditions and neglectful masters. In addition, investigations are carried out and charges may be _(2)_ against these owners. Yet in the world of factory farming, practices that cause great discomfort and pain to the livestock occur on a routine _(3)_, with only a limited amount of public opposition.

One common element of factory farming is the extremely packed conditions in which the animals are _(4)_ to live. In poultry production, for example, egg-laying hens are

_(5)_ into small cages, which are stacked one on top of the other. It's _(6)_ uncommon for hundreds of thousands of captive hens to exist in a single building. Conditions can be even less humane in another aspect of poultry farminghickens raised for food. Since animals herded together in crowded conditions are more apt to fight, farmers sometimes debeak the chickens, which involves cutting their beaks off so they can't peck at each other.

Pigs raised for pork production go through a different painful procedure known _(7)_ docking. This refers to cutting their tails off so that they are not bitten by other pigs. Another _(8)_ that causes concern for animal rights activists is the use of gestation crates. These enclosures made of steel bars are _(9)_ small that a breeding sow is unable to turn around or stretch at all. This means the animals are forced to live in their own filth. While some countries have _(10)_ laws to improve conditions for the animals in factory farms, there is still a lot more that needs to be done.

(A) not (B) filed   (C) basis   (D) remove  (E) practice

(F) forced  (G) as  (H) crammed (I) enacted (J) so

集约畜牧及动物权益

动物有时被饲养在恶劣的环境中。

我们常读到或听说动物虐待的事件，当中包括了狗、猫和一些较不常听到的其他动物。在这些情况下，相关当局就会介入，将这些动物带离非人道的环境及粗心大意的主人身旁。此外，相关当局会进行调查，并可能会对那些饲主提出控告。然而在集约畜牧的领域里，常发生的一些例行做法会造成家畜极度不适及痛苦，却只有少数的民众反对。

集约畜牧的一个常见因素就是那些动物被迫居住在极度拥挤的环境里。举家禽业为例，蛋鸡被塞进小笼子里，而那些笼子是一个个堆栈在一起。数十万只圈养母鸡生存在单一建筑内的这种情况并不罕见。就家禽养殖业的另一方面而言，肉鸡养殖的环境就更不人道了。由于被赶集在拥挤环境的动物比较容易发生打斗，所以农夫有时候会把那些鸡的喙割除，如此一来牠们就无法互相啄对方了。

那些被饲养来提供猪肉的肉猪也会经历不同的痛苦过程，这个过程被称为『去尾（docking）』。这指的是把猪的尾巴割除，如此一来猪只才不会被其他猪咬。另一种做法则造成动物权益保护份子关切，也就是怀孕铁条笼（台湾称母猪夹栏）的使用。这些由钢条所围成的一块地，而地小到母种猪连稍微转动身躯或伸展四肢都不行。也就是说这些动物被迫活在自己的排泄物中。尽管某些国家已经颁布法令要改善集约畜牧动物的生长环境，我们还是有许多事需要完成。

答案：  1.  D   2.  B   3.  C   4.  F   5.  H

   6.  A   7.  G   8.  E   9.  J   10. I

集约畜牧（factory farming）简单地来说，就是

一种在人工环境下饲养动物的技术，可利用鸡肉、鸡蛋、火鸡、牛肉、小牛和猪肉制品。动物被限制在一个室内的环境中饲养，建筑物呈现出工厂的外貌。

（数据源：行政院环境保护署）