What-Animals-Really-Think

WhatAnimalsReallyThinkEugeneLinden1Overtheyears,Ihavewrittenextensivelyaboutanimal-intelligenceexperimentsandthecontroversythatsurroundsthem.Doanimalsreallyhavethoughts,whatwecallconsciousness?Wonderingwhethertheremightbebetterwaystoexploreanimalintelligencethanexperimentsdesignedtoteachhumansigns,Irealizedwhatnowseemsobvious:ifanimalscanthink,theywillprobablydotheirbestthinkingwhenitservestheirownpurposes,notwhenscientistsaskthemto.动物到底想些什么尤金·林登多年来，我写了大量关于动物智能实验、以及围绕这些实验所产生的争议的文章。动物真的有思想，即我们所说的意识吗？在考虑是否会有比设计教动物人类手势语的实验更好的方式探索动物智能时，我悟出了现在看来是显而易见的一点：如果动物能思维，它们会在能为自己所用的时候，而不是在科学家让它们思维的时候作出最佳思维。2AndsoIstartedtalkingtovets,animalresearchers,zookeepers.Mostdonotstudyanimalintelligence,buttheyencounterit,andthelackofit,everyday.ThestoriestheytellusrevealwhatI'mconvincedisanewwindowonanimalintelligence:thekindofmentalfeatsanimalsperformwhendealingwithcaptivityandthedominantspeciesontheplanet—humans.于是我开始与兽医、动物研究人员以及动物园饲养员交谈。他们大都不研究动物智能，但他们每天都碰到或碰不到动物智能。他们讲述的故事开启了我相信是研究动物智能的一扇新的窗口：即动物在对付樊笼生活和地球上的主宰物种——人类——时所表现的高超的思维技能。Let’sMakeaDeal3ConsiderthetimeCharleneJendry,aconservationistattheColumbusZoo,learnedthatafemalegorillanamedColowashandlingasuspiciousobject.Arrivingonthescene,JendryofferedColosomepeanuts,onlytobemetwithablankstare.Realizingtheywerenegotiating,Jendryraisedthestakesandofferedapieceofpineapple.Atthispoint,whilemaintainingeyecontact,Coloopenedherhandandrevealedakeychain.让我们做笔交易请考虑这一情况：哥伦布动物园的一位动物保护主义者查伦·延德里觉察到一头叫做科洛的雌性大猩猩在玩弄一件可疑的物品。延德里走过去，给了科洛一些花生，却被翻了个白眼。意识到这是在讨价还价，延德里加大了筹码，又给了一片菠萝。这时候，科洛一边望着延德里，一边摊开手，露出了一根钥匙链。4Relieveditwasnotanythingdangerousorvaluable,JendrygaveColothepineapple.Carefulbargainerthatshewas,ColothenbrokethekeychainandgaveJendryalink,perhapsfiguring,whygiveherthewholethingifIcangetabitofpineappleforeachpiece?见不是危险或珍贵物品，延德里松了一口气，把菠萝给了考勒。科洛真是个精明的还价者，它把钥匙链拉断，给了延德里一段，或许在算计着，要是每一小段都能换片菠萝，我干嘛要全都给她？5Ifananimalcanshowskillintradingonethingforanother,whynotinhandlingmoney?OneorangutannamedChantekdidjustthatinasign-languagestudyundertakenbyanthropologistLynMilesattheUniversityofTennessee.Chantekfiguredoutthatifhedidtaskslikecleaninghisroom,he'dearncoinstospendontreatsandridesinMiles'scar.Buttheorangutan'sunderstandingofmoneyseemedtoextendfarbeyondsimpledealings.Milesfirstusedplasticchipsascoins,butChantekdecidedhecouldexpandthemoneysupplybybreakingchipsintwo.WhenMilesswitchedtometalchips,Chantekfoundpiecesoftinfoilandtriedtomakecopies.如果动物能在以物换物中显示技能，又何尝不会在使用钱币中再露一手？在田纳西大学人类学家琳·迈尔斯进行的一项手势语研究中，有头名叫夏特克的猩猩就这么做了。夏特克悟出，如果它干些诸如清理房间的事，他就能挣些硬币，好用来买好吃的，还可以坐迈尔斯的车外出兜风。但这头猩猩对钱币的理解似乎远远超出了简单的交易。迈尔斯一开始用塑料片充当硬币，而夏特克竟认定，它可以把塑料片拗成两片，以此扩大钱币供应量。而当迈尔斯改用金属片时，夏特克找到了一些锡箔，试图复制。6MilesalsotriedtoteachChantekmorevirtuoushabitssuchassavingandsharing.Indeed,whenIcaughtupwiththeorangutanatZooAtlanta,wherehenowlives,Isawanexampleofsharingthatanyonemightenvy.WhenMilesgaveChanteksomegrapesandaskedhimtosharethem,Chantekpromptlyateallthefruit.Then,asifhe'djustrememberedhe'dbeenaskedtoshare,hehandedMilesthestem.迈尔斯还试图教会夏特克一些好习惯，诸如节俭和与人分享。当我在它目前居住的亚特兰大动物园见到这头猩猩时，我果然见到它与人分享的一例，足以令任何人羡慕。迈尔斯给了夏特克一些葡萄，要求它与人分享，它很快吃完了所有的葡萄。随后，它似乎是想起了迈尔斯要它与人分享，便把梗儿递给了迈尔斯。TaleofaWhale7Whywouldananimalwanttocooperatewithahuman?Behavioristswouldsaythatanimalscooperatewhentheylearnitisintheirinteresttodoso.Thisistrue,butIdon'tthinkitgoesfarenough.鲸鱼的故事动物为什么会愿意与人合作？行为主义者会说，动物认识到合作于己有利时就会这么做。这没有错，但我觉得这一解释尚不充分。8GailLaule,aconsultantonanimalbehavior,speaksofOrky,akillerwhale,sheknew.OfalltheanimalsI'veworkedwith,hewasthemostintelligent,shesays.Hewouldassessasituationandthendosomethingbasedonthejudgmentshemade.动物行为顾问盖尔·劳尔说起过她了解的一头虎鲸奥基。“在我照管过的动物当中，它是最聪明的，”她说，“它会审时度势，再根据自己的判断采取行动。”9Likethetimehehelpedsaveafamilymember.WhenOrky'smate,Corky,gavebirth,thebabydidnotthriveatfirst,andkeeperstookthelittlewhaleoutofthetankbystretcherforemergencycare.Thingsbegantogowrongwhentheyreturnedthebabywhaletothetank.Astheworkershaltedthestretcherafewmetersabovethewater,thebabysuddenlybeganthrowingupthroughitsmouth.Thekeepersfeareditwouldchoke,buttheycouldnotreachthebabytohelpit.比如有次它救了一个家族成员。奥基的配偶科基生幼鲸时，那条幼鲸一开始情况不妙，饲养员把幼鲸用担架抬出水糟，实施紧急护理。他们把幼鲸送回水槽时，出了事情。当工人把担架停在高出水面几英尺处的时候，幼鲸开始呕吐。饲养员担心它会窒息，但他们无法接近幼鲸提供帮助。10Apparentlysizinguptheproblem,Orkyswamunderthestretcherandallowedoneofthementostandonhishead,somethinghe'dneverbeentrainedtodo.Then,usinghistailtokeepsteady,Orkyletthekeeperreachupandreleasethe420-poundbabysothatitcouldslideintothewaterwithinreachofhelp.奥基显然看出了问题，它游到担架下，让其中一人站在它头上。这种事从来没有训练它做过。然后，奥基用尾部保持平衡，让饲养员接近，并松开了那条420磅重的幼鲸，以便让它滑入水中，获得帮助。PrimateShellGame11Sometimesevidenceofintelligencecanbeseeninattemptstodeceive.ZookeeperHelenShewmanofSeattle'sWoodlandParkZoorecallsthatonedayshedroppedanorangethroughafeedingholeforMelati,anorangutan.Insteadofmovingawaytogetit,MelatilookedShewmanintheeyeandheldoutherhand.Thinkingtheorangemusthaverolledoffsomewhereinaccessible,Shewmangaveheranotherone.ButwhenMelatimovedoff,Shewmannoticedtheoriginalorangewashiddeninherotherhand.灵长目动物的骗术有时动物的智能可以从其欺骗的企图中得以证明。西雅图伍德兰公园动物园饲养员海伦·休曼回忆道，一天她从喂食窗口给猩猩梅拉蒂扔了个桔子。梅拉蒂没有移动身体去接，而是眼睛直视休曼，伸出手来。休曼以为桔子准是滚到一边拿不到了，就又给了它一个。可