貓耳有福了 專門獻給貓咪的音樂

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

在討好貓咪歡心的持久戰中，貓奴們終於又有了新裝備。

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.

國家交響樂團(National Symphony Orchestra)的獨奏樂手大衛·提伊(David Teie)最近與若干動物科學家合作，創作了《給貓咪的音樂》(Music for Cats)，這是一系列時而嗡嗡作響、輕快活潑，時而又吱吱嘎嘎的音樂，專門爲貓咪的大腦和耳朵設計。

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.

貓咪的主人們不在家的時候，經常開着收音機或音響，覺得它們也能分享人類的音樂品味，不管是古典、鄉村，抑或NPR主持人抑揚頓挫的聲音。但貓的聽覺和人類是不同的，“我們放音樂給它們聽是很傻的，”威斯康星大學麥迪遜分校的榮退心理學教授查爾斯·斯諾頓(Charles Snowdon)說，他也參與了提伊的項目。他說《給貓咪的音樂》使用了特殊的樂器和音調混音，爲人類與貓類感官的鴻溝架起橋樑。

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.

在專輯的某些曲子之中，聲音有些像鳥兒的啼鳴，疊錄了急促的斷奏，有種活力十足的效果；還有一些音軌是漸強的呼嚕聲和哺乳的聲音，這是爲了放鬆用的。對於人類來說，這些聲音不太像是來自現實世界，有時候讓人昏昏欲睡。

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.

但是這些音樂的目標聽衆們又如何呢？我家那隻名叫“口袋”的貓可以跟着音樂放鬆。她原本是布朗克斯街頭的流浪貓，我們把她從紐約市動物關愛與控制中心帶回布魯克林的新家後，她養成了一個神經兮兮的習慣，喜歡在廳裏猛跑，一路用頭撞門。

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.

專輯裏有首曲子叫《科茲莫空氣》(Cozmo’s Air)，是舒緩的顫音，她聽了就平靜地坐下來。四分半的曲子結束後，她跑到音箱邊上蜷成一團，打起了呼嚕。

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.

一般來說，像“口袋”這樣獲得救助的年輕貓咪對這些音樂是最敏感的，斯諾頓說。他還說，愈是平靜的曲子，對於那些經歷過忽略和虐待的貓咪們來說，愈有治療作用。

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.

一項Kickstarter網站上的衆籌活動旨在募集二萬美元，製作更多曲子，構成一張完整長度專輯，可以放給留在家裏的寵物們聽。它將會包括六首十分鐘長的曲子，中間夾雜着靜默。

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.

在這次衆籌活動的推廣視頻裏，有若干Instagram名貓首次試聽這些音樂的畫面，其中包括了Nala、Bacon、City the Kitty以及Cole and Marmalade，它們有的驚訝、有的困惑，也有的顯得心滿意足。

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.

喬治·佩羅(George Puro)是市場調研公司Packaged Facts分析《給貓咪的音樂》項目的負責人，他說，寵物市場去年創造的價值超過740億美元，而且還將持續上升。

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.

幾年來，市場營銷人員們特別擅長出售和人類有關的寵物用品。佩羅說，消費者把寵物視爲家庭成員（這個趨勢被稱爲“寵物人類化”），更傾向於買下他們自己喜愛的東西。而貓咪音樂可以被列入寵物水療、藝術化食品和設計服裝一類中去。

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

提爾說，他希望“儘可能地把音樂中的美與舒適帶給更多物種”。接下來就輪到狗狗了。

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

“不過我擔心它們會跟着音樂一起唱，”他說。