猫耳有福了 专门献给猫咪的音乐

In the long battle for feline affection, cat owners may have some fresh ammunition.

在讨好猫咪欢心的持久战中，猫奴们终于又有了新装备。

David Teie, a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, recently teamed up with animal scientists to develop “Music for Cats,” a series of whirring, lilting and at times squeaky musical tracks designed for cats’ brains and ears.

国家交响乐团(National Symphony Orchestra)的独奏乐手大卫·提伊(David Teie)最近与若干动物科学家合作，创作了《给猫咪的音乐》(Music for Cats)，这是一系列时而嗡嗡作响、轻快活泼，时而又吱吱嘎嘎的音乐，专门为猫咪的大脑和耳朵设计。

Owners often leave the radio or a playlist on for cats alone in the house, assuming they will share human musical tastes, be it classical, country or the lyrical tones of NPR hosts. But cats’ hearing develops differently and “we mindlessly turn on music” for them, said Charles Snowdon, an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who worked with Mr. Teie on the project. With its special instruments and tonal mixing, “Music for Cats” aims to bridge that sensory gap, he said.

猫咪的主人们不在家的时候，经常开着收音机或音响，觉得它们也能分享人类的音乐品味，不管是古典、乡村，抑或NPR主持人抑扬顿挫的声音。但猫的听觉和人类是不同的，“我们放音乐给它们听是很傻的，”威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校的荣退心理学教授查尔斯·斯诺顿(Charles Snowdon)说，他也参与了提伊的项目。他说《给猫咪的音乐》使用了特殊的乐器和音调混音，为人类与猫类感官的鸿沟架起桥梁。

In some tracks, sounds similar to the chirps of birds are overlaid with hurried streams of staccato for an energizing effect; in others, crescendos of purring and suckling sounds are designed to relax. To a human ear, the sounds are otherworldly and at times soporific.

在专辑的某些曲子之中，声音有些像鸟儿的啼鸣，叠录了急促的断奏，有种活力十足的效果；还有一些音轨是渐强的呼噜声和哺乳的声音，这是为了放松用的。对于人类来说，这些声音不太像是来自现实世界，有时候让人昏昏欲睡。

But what about the music’s target audience? My cat, Pocket, could do with some music-induced relaxation. She was found wandering the streets of the Bronx, and when we took her from the New York City Animal Care and Control shelter to her new home in Brooklyn, she developed a nervous habit of running full speed down the hallway, smacking her head against doors along the way.

但是这些音乐的目标听众们又如何呢？我家那只名叫“口袋”的猫可以跟着音乐放松。她原本是布朗克斯街头的流浪猫，我们把她从纽约市动物关爱与控制中心带回布鲁克林的新家后，她养成了一个神经兮兮的习惯，喜欢在厅里猛跑，一路用头撞门。

Listening to the track “Cozmo’s Air,” built upon soothing vibrato sounds, she sat still. By the end of the four and a half minutes, she had curled herself around the speakers, purring.

专辑里有首曲子叫《科兹莫空气》(Cozmo’s Air)，是舒缓的颤音，她听了就平静地坐下来。四分半的曲子结束后，她跑到音箱边上蜷成一团，打起了呼噜。

Young rescue cats like Pocket are generally the most responsive to the music, Mr. Snowdon said, adding that the more-calming tracks could be therapeutic for cats who have experienced neglect or abuse.

一般来说，像“口袋”这样获得救助的年轻猫咪对这些音乐是最敏感的，斯诺顿说。他还说，愈是平静的曲子，对于那些经历过忽略和虐待的猫咪们来说，愈有治疗作用。

A Kickstarter campaign aims to raise $20,000 to produce more songs for a full album that can be left on for the housebound pets. It will include around six tracks of 10 minutes of music, interspersed with silences.

一项Kickstarter网站上的众筹活动旨在募集二万美元，制作更多曲子，构成一张完整长度专辑，可以放给留在家里的宠物们听。它将会包括六首十分钟长的曲子，中间夹杂着静默。

In a video that accompanies the campaign, some of Instagram’s favorite cats are shown listening for the first time to music designed for them. In the video, Nala, Bacon, City the Kitty and Cole and Marmalade appear to react variably with surprise, confusion or contentment.

在这次众筹活动的推广视频里，有若干Instagram名猫首次试听这些音乐的画面，其中包括了Nala、Bacon、City the Kitty以及Cole and Marmalade，它们有的惊讶、有的困惑，也有的显得心满意足。

The “Music for Cats” project joins a pet market that was worth more than $74 billion last year and which continues to grow, according to George Puro, who analyzes it for Packaged Facts, a market research company.

乔治·佩罗(George Puro)是市场调研公司Packaged Facts分析《给猫咪的音乐》项目的负责人，他说，宠物市场去年创造的价值超过740亿美元，而且还将持续上升。

For several years, marketers have been particularly successful selling pet products and treatments generally associated with humans. Consumers who see their pets as family members (referred to as “pet humanization”) are increasingly inclined to spend money on things they themselves would appreciate, Mr. Puro said. The cat music can now be added to a list including spa treatments, artisan food and designer clothes.

几年来，市场营销人员们特别擅长出售和人类有关的宠物用品。佩罗说，消费者把宠物视为家庭成员（这个趋势被称为“宠物人类化”），更倾向于买下他们自己喜爱的东西。而猫咪音乐可以被列入宠物水疗、艺术化食品和设计服装一类中去。

Mr. Teie said he wants to bring “the beauty and comfort of music to as many species as possible.” Next up: dogs.

提尔说，他希望“尽可能地把音乐中的美与舒适带给更多物种”。接下来就轮到狗狗了。

“I worry they will want to sing along, though,” he said.

“不过我担心它们会跟着音乐一起唱，”他说。