本文选自《北外网院》的博客，点击查看博客原文

　　Peoplewho own a cat are more likely to have a university degree thanthose with a pet dog, a study by Bristol Universitysuggests。

　　布里斯托大学的一项研究发现，养猫的人比养狗的人拿到大学文凭的人数要多。

　　A poll of2,524 households found that 47.2% of those with a cat had at leastone person educated to degree level, compared with 38.4% of homeswith dogs。

　　这项研究共对2,524户养宠物的家庭进行了调查。结果发现，47.2%的养猫户家中至少有一人接受过高等教育，而这一比例在养狗户中只有38.4%。

　　The study saidlonger hours, possibly associated with better qualified jobs, maymake owning a dog impractical。

　　研究指出，养狗需要投入更多的时间，这可能导致繁忙的白领养狗有些不切实际。

　　It also foundthat UK pet ownership was much higher than previously thought。

　　研究还发现，家有宠物的英国家庭数量远比先前估计的多。

　　Cat and dognumbers were last estimated in a scientific peer-reviewed journalin 1989, which said there were 6.2 million and 6.4 million respectively in the UK。

　　1989年科学类同行评议杂志曾评估，英国大约有6,200,000只宠物猫和6,400,000只宠物狗。

　　But accordingto Bristol's Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, the populations today are likely to be about 10.3 million and 10.5million。

　　而据布里斯托大学临床动物医学所的统计数字，如今英国大约共有10,300,000只宠物猫和10,500,000只宠物狗。

　　Overall, itestimated that 26% of UK households owned cats and 31% owneddogs。

　　养猫和养狗的家庭在全国家庭总数中所占比例分别为26%和31%。

　　The study, published in Veterinary Record, suggested a number of other characteristics, aside from education level, were associated with either cat or dog ownership。

　　发表于《兽医记录》的该项研究显示，除了受教育程度之外，还有其它一些因素会影响人们养猫还是养狗。

　　Of thosesurveyed, dog-lovers were more likely to be male, living in ruralareas and under the age of 55.

　　调查显示，喜欢养狗的人多是55岁以下且居住在乡村地区的男性。

　　But cat ownerswere more likely to be female and living in smaller or single-person households。

　　而猫主人则更倾向于是居住在小户型公寓中的单身女性。

　　The age of children in a family also appeared to make a difference, with catsbeing more common than dogs in homes with children under the age of 10.

　　此外，家庭中小孩的年龄也会影响宠物的选择。对于小孩还不满十岁的家庭来说，养猫比养狗更加普遍。

　　However DrJane Murray, a lecturer in feline epidemiology at Bristol University, said the variation in education level between owners was the most striking difference。

　　而布里斯托大学猫冠状病毒博士简·马雷表示，主人教育程度高低所导致的养狗还是养猫的差异是最明显的。

　　"We don't knowwhy there is this discrepancy. "

　　“我们尚不清楚为什么会存在这种差异。”

　　"Our bestguess is that it's to do with working hours and perhaps commutingto work, meaning people have a less suitable lifestyle for a dog."

　　“我们只能猜测，花在工作上的时间太长意味着人们没有足够的时间去遛狗。”