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雷达卡
In one of a string of well-known '80s Alpo commercials, actor Lorne Greene proclaimed, "Danny is 14 -- that's like 98 to you and me."
80年代末有一条著名的狗粮广告：著名影星 Lorne Greene 在广告中说到：“Danny 14岁了，这就好比你我到了98岁一样。”
The national commercial helped to perpetuate the myth that a single calendar year equates to seven dog years, but also did poor Danny a disservice, inflating his age by a decade or more. While this seven-year myth helps dog lovers understand canine life stages compared to those of humans, experts agree that it's not entirely accurate, particularly once dogs reach their golden years.
这条广告当时家喻户晓，也让“狗的一年寿命相当于人类寿命的七年”的观念在人们心中根深蒂固。可怜的Danny，年龄还被夸大了十岁。虽然这个概念帮很多爱狗人士了解了狗在某时期究竟处于某种阶段(与人类类比)，但是一些专家说，这个依据并不那么可靠，尤其是狗活到了他们的鼎盛时期时。
Though it's possible to translate dog years to human years, the process isn't as simple as using a straight multiplier. That's because a dog's progression through life is not exactly linear, and can vary significantly based on the breed and size of the animal. For example, canines experience rapid development in their first year, aging as much as 20 times as fast as humans, and then gradually slowing their development until the ratio is more like 5-to-1.
把狗的寿命类比成人类寿命的确也说得通，但却不如乘法那样简单。它们在成长的过程中，并不是完全呈线性变化，而是因动物种类和大小而异。就好比，在狗出生的第一年内，它们身上发生的变化就像人类在从出生到二十岁中间发生的变化，而在此之后，速度就放缓了，差不多狗的一年抵得上人类的五年。
If you need a framework for estimating Fido's age, assume he reaches the age of 15 by the end of his first year, putting him at the stage where he's ready to reproduce. Add another nine years for his second year of life, which puts his age at 24 by the time he reaches his second birthday. After that, add four to six years to his age for every human year – this is where size comes into play. For small dogs, assume they age about four years for every human year. For medium dogs, this figure ranges from four to five, while large dogs age five to six years annually.
如果你需要一个概念框架以估计一条狗的寿命，不妨在他出生一年后将他看成正处于人类的15岁，这时的他已经可以繁殖了。第二年后，你可以在15的基础上再加上9，也就是24岁，这是他“狗生”的第二个阶段。在这之后，每过一年，你可以就在此基础上加四岁，就是对应的人类年龄。对于小型犬来说，一年比作四年；对于中型犬来说，一年抵得上四年或者五年；至于大型犬，一年就得看成五年至六年了。
While this may not seem like much of a difference, it can really add up over time. By the age of five, large breeds hit the age of 36 and are considered seniors. Medium dogs have another year, reaching geriatric status by age six, while small dogs can hold off on the senior title until they reach the age of seven -- or 44 in dog years.
虽然这看起来并没有多大差别，但随着时间的流逝，差异会越来越明显。到第五年时，大型犬差不多就36岁了，这就算是开始老了；中型犬到第六年时才算是年老；而小型犬到第七年时才步入中老年，差不多相当于人类的44岁。
And Danny, from the Alpo commercials? After 14 long years of life, the medium-to-large Danny is somewhere between 78 and 88 years of age, or 10 to 20 years below Lorne's estimate.
那么那条狗粮广告中的Danny究竟多大呢？他活了七年，实际年龄相当于人类的78-88岁之间，这大概比Lorne Greene的估计少了大概10-20岁呢。
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