Compared to just a few decades ago, now is a good time to be a dog in China. With bans on pet ownership gone, and eating habits changing, puppies today

are now more likely to end up on a leash than on a plate.

　　跟几十年前比起来，现在在中国可是当狗的好时机。随着养宠物的禁令解除，以及饮食习惯的改变，小狗现在的下场很可能是被套上皮带，而不是摆上餐盘。

　　The result has been a huge increase in dog ownership around the country. For young people, especially in the larger cities, dogs have become a must-have fashion accessory, while older people are turning to dogs for companionship.“He’s like a child to me,”says one Beijing pensioner of the tiny dog she carries with her at all times.“I’d be very lonely without him.”

　　解禁的结果是全国养狗的人数大增。对年轻人来说，特别是在大城市里，狗已经变成必备的流行配件，而老年人则求助于小狗带来的友谊。“他就像我的小孩一样。”一位靠养老金生活的北京居民说，她随时都带着一只小狗。“没有它我会很寂寞。”

　　Over 130,000 dogs have been registered in Beijing, but police estimate the total number of dogs kept as pets in the capital is closer to 650,000. The flipside is that dog bites have also reached record numbers, with tens of thousands of incidents reported annually in major cities.

　　北京有超过13万只已经登记的狗，但是警方估计在首都的宠物狗总数有将近65万。与此相对应的是，狗咬人的事件也破了纪录，在主要城市每年有数万次咬人报告。

　　For these animal owners, no expense is too great, and the pet supply business is booming. Pet stores in Beijing sell fashion outfits for dogs and bottles of pet perfume that cost up to $110. Feasting on imported dog food, some dogs eat better than many people. And for those dogs that overdo it, spas in Shenzhen cater to overweight dogs and offer special training programs to help them slim down.

　　对这些动物的主人来说，开销永远不会太大，而宠物用品的生意也蒸蒸日上。北京的宠物店贩卖售价高达110元的狗时装和瓶装宠物香水。有些狗享用进口狗食，它们吃得比很多人还好。对于那些享受过头的狗，深圳的水疗中心会特别照顾过胖的狗，并提供特殊的训练计划来帮助它们瘦下来。

　　But this new love of pets hasn’t kept all dogs from winding up on the menu. Animal rights groups estimate that over a million dogs a year are eaten in China. But they hope that, as more people keep dogs as pets, fewer people will be interested in having them as a meal.

　　但对热爱宠物的新风潮并未让所有的狗都免于沦落到菜单上。动物权利团体估计，每年在中国有超过100万只狗被吃掉。但是他们希望，当更多人养狗当宠物时，有兴趣把它们当食物吃的人就会很少。

　　“I used to be scared of animals, but now I find that they bring me much happiness,”said one pet owner.“People sometimes make you angry, but pets never do.”

　　“以前我很怕动物，但是现在我发现它们带给我很多快乐。”一位养宠物的人说，“人有时候会惹你生气，但宠物从来不会。”