Everyone knows that dogs are supposed to be our best friends. Could it be that they know what we are thinking? Whether it's getting excited at the prospect of a walk or knowing that tasty food is coming soon, are our dogs reading our minds?

每个人都知道狗应该是我们最好的朋友。 难道他们知道我们在想什么吗？ 无论是对散步的前景感到兴奋，还是知道美味的食物即将到来，我们的狗会读懂我们的心思吗？

Now, by mind-reading we're not talking about knowing our deepest thoughts in detail, but various psychologists have suggested that dogs might have a theory of mind. What this means is that they are aware that other creatures, like humans, are able to see and understand things in different ways. In various experiments it appears that dogs are able to identify who is paying them attention. They are more likely to ask for food from someone if there is a reason that the human would know where the dog treats are. If dogs have been forbidden food by someone, they are more likely to try and get it quietly.

现在，我们所说的读心术并不是要详细了解我们最深层的想法，但许多心理学家都认为狗可能有一种心理理论。 这意味着他们意识到其他生物，比如人类，能够以不同的方式看待和理解事物。 在各种实验中，狗似乎能够识别谁在关注它们。 如果人类有理由知道狗的食物在哪里，他们更有可能向某人索要食物。 如果有人禁止狗吃东西，它们更有可能尝试悄悄地得到它。

As well as these behavioural studies, there are other things that show how dogs are able to relate closely to humans. Brain imaging studies have shown not only that canine brains react to human voices, but that they also show an emotional response to those human sounds which demonstrate strong feelings, such as laughing or crying. Brain scan studies have also shown that human faces also provoke an emotional response in dogs. Other studies have shown that sweat from people feeling scared could make dogs feel more stressed than sweat from happy people.

除了这些行为研究之外，还有其他一些研究表明狗如何能够与人类建立密切的关系。 脑成像研究表明，犬类的大脑不仅会对人类的声音做出反应，而且还会对那些表现出强烈感情的人类声音表现出情绪反应，例如笑或哭。 脑部扫描研究还表明，人脸也会引起狗的情绪反应。 其他研究表明，感到害怕的人流的汗比快乐的人流的汗会让狗感到更大的压力。

There is some debate about whether dogs have evolved to respond to human emotions as they have become domesticated or whether this behaviour is a learned reaction to stimuli. Experiments like those described above have also been carried out on wolves that have been raised by humans, who may have learned to respond to their carer's behaviour, but do not have the genes of a domesticated species. Wolves did show some abilities to respond to human emotions, but were less able to pick up more subtle clues.

关于狗是否在被驯化后进化到能够对人类情绪做出反应，或者这种行为是否是对刺激的后天反应，存在一些争议。 类似上述的实验也在人类饲养的狼身上进行，这些狼可能已经学会了对照顾者的行为做出反应，但不具备驯化物种的基因。 狼确实表现出了一些对人类情绪做出反应的能力，但它们不太能够捕捉到更微妙的线索。

Whether it's learned or innate, dogs' ability to read human emotions and intentions are one reason that we have included them in our lives for centuries. It's also why they have been successful as assistance dogs, helping their owners to get through everyday life.

无论是后天习得的还是天生的，狗解读人类情感和意图的能力是几个世纪以来我们将它们融入我们生活的原因之一。 这也是它们作为协助犬取得成功的原因，帮助主人度过日常生活。