在癌症病人的康復過程中,狗狗可能扮演着十分關鍵的作用

If you're a dog person, you've probably either been told or told someone at some point that studies show having a dog can help you live a longer life. And as a dog owner, you have no problem believing this — to be honest, Most of us can't imagine what life would be like without our pups.

如果你是一位愛狗人士，那麼你肯定一度聽說過或告訴別人這樣的消息：研究表明養狗能讓你活得更久。作爲狗主人，你肯定會相信這樣的話——說實話，大多數養狗人士都無法想象沒有狗狗的生活。

But can the unconditional love of dogs actually help save people's lives?

但是狗狗無私的愛真的能救人性命嗎？

Through her own personal journey from grief to healing after losing her sister to gastric cancer, author Arlene Weintraub maps out the potential dogs have to help unlock the mysteries of cancer in her book, Heal. Weintraub's well-researched findings allude to the fact that dogs' simple, unconditional love actually plays an important role a cancer patient's healing.

作家阿琳•溫特勞布的姐姐死於胃癌，通過這段失去親人的痛苦和治癒之旅，她在《治癒》一書中描述了狗狗的潛能——有助於揭開癌症的神祕面紗。溫特勞布的研究結果表明了這樣一個事實：狗狗那種簡單、無私的愛真的在癌症病人的治癒過程中起着重要作用。

In an effort to learn more about the fascinating ways dogs may be helping humans curb sickness, we reached out to several doctors, pet experts and authors to get their take. Here's what they had to say.

爲了更多的瞭解狗狗幫助人們抑制疾病的知識，我們諮詢了幾位醫生、寵物專家和作者。他們的觀點如下。

"Every study shows their benefits"

“每一項研究都能發現狗狗的好處”

According to Dr. Bernie Siegel — an author, public speaker and retired surgeon — there are numerous health benefits to having companion Animals. In fact, the very title of his latest book speaks to the heart of the subject: Love, Animals & Miracles: Inspiring True Stories Celebrating the Healing Bond.

據伯尼•西爾格所述——一位作家、公共演講家和退休外科醫生——動物的陪伴會給人們帶來很多的健康益處。事實上，他最新出版的那本書的標題恰恰道出了該主題的核心：《愛，動物和奇蹟：那些從傷痛中癒合的鼓舞人心的事蹟》（Love, Animals & Miracles: Inspiring True Stories Celebrating the Healing Bond）。

"One study in Australia showed a 6 percent mortality rate at 12 months after a heart attack in a home with a dog, and a 24 percent mortality rate in non-dog homes," he told SheKnows. "Every study shows their benefits."

“澳大利亞的一項研究表明：養狗的家庭中如果有人患了心臟病，那麼12個月之後，死亡率爲6%，而在無狗家庭中，死亡率爲24%，”他在接受SheKnows的訪問時說道。“每一項研究都能發現狗狗的好處。”

While there is no hard and fast scientific explanation for why dogs are so restorative for humans, Siegel suggests the answer lies in what we learn from them. "They teach us a reverence for life," he said. "Also, animals teach that communication can be through consciousness and non-verbal."

對於狗狗能幫助人類康復這一點，雖然並沒有確鑿的科學解釋，但西格爾認爲問題的答案在於我們可以從狗狗身上學到什麼。“它們教會我們對生命的敬仰，”他說道。“同時，動物也教會我們通過意識和非語言也是可以相互溝通的。”

"Dogs are amazing healers"

“狗狗是神奇的治療師”

When it comes to the healing effect dogs can have on those afflicted with cancer, Sally Morgan has firsthand knowledge. A physical therapist for pets and people, she is what Siegel would call a "cancer thriver" — and she attributes part of her success to having her beloved pet by her side.

在狗狗對癌症病人的治癒效果方面，薩利•摩根最有發言權。她是寵物和人的物理治療師，她就是西格爾會稱之爲“與癌共舞”的人——她認爲成功的一部分原因是有摯愛的狗狗陪伴左右。