実践ビジネス英語 ディクテーション (4/10, 11)

NHKラジオ「実践ビジネス英語」”Talk the Talk”のディクテーションです。
Lesson 1のテーマは、’Pets Giving Blood’（ペットの献血）でした。Vignetteでは、ペットの輸血用の血液が慢性的に不足している状態で、「献血犬」がブームになっていることが話題になりました。背景には、動物病院やクリニックでの治療が急増していることがあるそうです。「ドナー」になる条件や具体的なプロセスなども紹介されました。
Talk the Talkでは、ペットの献血に対する考え方や、Heatherさんが現在飼育中の賢いメダカと今後飼いたいunusual petsについても話されています。

Pets Giving Blood

（S: 杉田敏先生　H: Heather Howardさん）

S: In our current vignette, Chuck Salmans talks about how dogs and cats can donate blood.

I know someone myself who had her pet donate, which made her a “donor-owner.”

She says her dog instinctively knew, once he was on the vet’s table, that his blood would be extracted (quote) to save other pets (unquote) and behaved quietly and bravely.

But I understand some pets simply aren’t qualified to be donors.

Like those that are small or stressed out by the vet, as cats often are.

H: Clearly every pet owner and vet needs to decide whether an individual animal is right to be a donor.

But I’m OK with the overall concept of pets giving blood.

This isn’t being done to harm an animal for a human being’s profit.

This is something that will help other animals.

If the medical professionals involved are like those described in the vignette and help the animals feel calm and appreciated, in general it’s probably fine.

S: You mentioned possibly getting a pet for your daughter at some point.

What’s your current status regarding pets?

H: We have a little fish now, a medaka, or Japanese rice fish as those are called in English.

We call it “Fishy”.

I say “it” because we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl.

Usually I don’t like calling a pet “it” in English; that feels too impersonal and unfeeling to me.

Sweet little Fishy is not a thing.

Fishy is very cute and smart, too.

I call out, “Fishy, Fishy, time to eat!” and he or she comes swimming over to the corner of the tank where I drop in the food.

Once I got home a bit late and Fishy was waiting by the corner, tail twitching away.

And “Just where have you been?” was clearly Fishy’s question.

S: Dogs and cats may need blood transfusions if they have an accident and have to undergo surgery, but vets in the United States are constantly faced with a shortage of pet blood, as demand outpaces supply.

I can understand that, given the fact that clinics and hospitals are performing more treatments in recent years.

Devoted pet parents will spare no expense for their pets, who they consider to be part of the family.

H: I agree with them.

Those guys are members of the family.

Anyone who’s ever had a pet knows how attached both sides can get to each other.

I was petting my mother-in-law’s little dog once as she lay on my chest, and she suddenly gave out a big sigh, nestled closer into my neck and fell asleep.

It was such a wonderful feeling of pure love and trust.

And that’s not just true of cats and dogs.

I had a hamster as a teenager, he used to follow me around the house in his exercise ball.

You know, I sometimes think of getting a more unusual pet like a big snake or an iguana.

I like reptiles: their sleek forms and ancient aura.

And my daughter loves holding the big snake at a pet store not far from our house.

So maybe she’d like the idea, too.

She even put the snake on her shoulders once.

But whatever kind of pet we have, we should always choose carefully and then give that pet the best possible care.

I feel really strongly about that.

To the greatest extent possible, I must not let an animal suffer because it’s in my care. 

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