michael crichton.congo-第9节

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lled　by　the　natives　for　food。　Mrs。　Swenson　bought　her　as　an　infant。〃
　〃So　she　was　not　bred　in　captivity；〃　Morton　said；　writing　on　his　pad。
　〃No。　Mrs。　Swenson　brought　her　back　to　the　States　and　donated　her　to　the　Minneapolis　zoo。〃
　〃She　relinquished　her　interest　in　Amy？〃
　〃I　assume　so；〃　Elliot　said。　〃We've　been　trying　to　reach　Mrs。　Swenson　to　ask　about　Amy's　early　life；　but　she's　out　of　the　country。　Apparently　she　travels　constantly；　she's　in　Borneo。　Anyway；　when　Amy　was　sent　to　San　Francisco；　I　called　the　Minneapolis　zoo　to　ask　if　I　could　keep　her　for　study。　The　zoo　said　yes；　for　three　years。〃
　〃Did　you　pay　any　money？〃
　''No。
　〃Was　there　a　written　contract？〃
　〃No；　I　just　called　the　zoo　director。〃
　Morton　nodded。　〃Oral　agreement。　。　。〃　he　said；　writing。　〃And　when　the　three　years　were　up？〃
　〃That　was　the　spring　of　1976。　1　asked　the　zoo　for　an　extension　of　six　years；　and　they　gave　it　to　me。〃
　〃Again　orally？〃
　〃Yes。　I　called　on　the　phone。〃
　〃No　correspondence？〃
　〃No。　They　didn't　seem　very　interested　when　I　called。　To　tell　you　the　truth；　I　think　they　had　forgotten　about　Amy。　The　zoo　has　four　gorillas；　anyway。〃
　Morton　frowned。　〃Isn't　a　gorilla　a　pretty　expensive　animal？　I　mean；　if　you　wanted　to　buy　one　for　a　pet　or　for　the　circus。〃
　〃Gorillas　are　on　the　endangered　list；　you　can't　buy　them　as　pets。　But　yes；　they'd　be　pretty　expensive。〃
　〃How　expensive？〃
　〃Well；　there's　no　established　market　value；　but　it　would　be　twenty　or　thirty　thousand　dollars。〃
　〃And　all　during　these　years；　you　have　been　teaching　her　language？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Peter　said。　〃American　Sign　Language。　She　has　a　vocabulary　of　six　hundred　and　twenty　words　now。〃
　〃Is　that　a　lot？〃
　〃More　than　any　known　primate。〃
　Morton　nodded；　making　notes。　〃You　work　with　her　every　day　in　ongoing　research？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Good；〃　Morton　said。　〃That's　been　very　important　in　the　animal　custody　cases　so　far。〃
　For　more　than　a　hundred　years；　there　had　been　organized　movements　in　Western　countries　to　stop　animal　experimentation。　They　were　led　by　the　anti…vivisectionists；　the　RSPCA；　the　ASPCA。　Originally　these　organizations　were　a　kind　of　lunatic　fringe　of　animal　lovers；　intent　on　stopping　all　animal　research。
　Over　the　years；　scientists　had　evolved　a　standard　defense　acceptable　to　the　courts。　Researchers　claimed　that　their　experiments　had　the　goal　of　bettering　the　health　and　welfare　of　mankind；　a　higher　priority　than　animal　welfare。　They　pointed　out　that　no　one　objected　to　animals　being　used　as　beasts　of　burden　or　for　agricultural　work…a　life　of　drudgery　to　which　animals　had　been　subjected　for　thousands　of　years。　Using　animals　in　scientific　experiments　simply　extended　the　idea　that　animals　were　the　servants　of　human　enterprises。
　In　addition；　animals　were　literally　brutes。　They　had　no　self…awareness；　no　recognition　of　their　existence　in　nature。　This　meant；　in　the　words　of　philosopher　George　H。　Mead；　that　〃animals　have　no　rights。　We　are　at　liberty　to　cut　off　their　lives；　there　is　no　wrong　mitted　when　an　animal's　life　is　taken　away。　He　has　not　lost　anything　　　　　
　Many　people　were　troubled　by　these　views；　but　attempts　to　establish　guidelines　quickly　ran　into　logical　problems。　The　most　obvious　concerned　the　perceptions　of　animals　further　down　the　phylogenetic　scale。　Few　researchers　operated　on　dogs；　cats；　and　other　mammals　without　anesthesia；　but　what　about　annelid　worms；　crayfish；　leeches；　and　squid？　Ignoring　these　creatures　was　a　form　of　〃taxonomic　discrimination。〃　Yet　if　these　animals　deserved　consideration；　shouldn't　it　also　be　illegal　to　throw　a　live　lobster　into　a　pot　of　boiling　water？
　The　question　of　what　constituted　cruelty　to　animals　was　confused　by　the　animal　societies　themselves。　In　some　countries；　they　fought　the　extermination　of　rats；　and　in　1968　there　was　the　bizarre　Australian　pharmaceutical　case。　*　In　the　face　of　these　ironies；　the　courts　hesitated　to　interfere　with　animal　experimentation。　As　a　practical　matter；　researchers　were　free　to　do　as　they　wished。　The　volume　of　animal　research　was　extraordinary：　during　the　1970s；　sixty…four　million　animals　were　killed　in　experiments　in　the　United　States　each　year。
　But　attitudes　had　slowly　changed。　Language　studies　with　dolphins　and　apes　made　it　clear　that　these　animals　were　not　only　intelligent　but　self…aware；　they　recognized　themselves　in　mirrors　and　photographs。　In　1974；　scientists　themselves　formed　the　International　Primate　Protection　League　to　monitor　research　involving　monkeys　and　apes。　In　March；　1978；　the　Indian　government　banned　the　export　of　rhesus　monkeys　to　research　laboratories　around　the　world。　And　there　were　court　cases　which　concluded　that　in　some　instances　animals　did；　indeed；　have　rights。
　The　old　view　was　analogous　to　slavery：　the　animal　was　the　property　of　its　owner；　who　could　do　whatever　he　wished。　But　now　ownership　became　secondary。　In　February；　1977；
　
　*A　new　pharmaceutical　factory　was　built　in　Western　Australia。　In　this　factory　all　the　pills　came　out　on　a　conveyor　bell；　a　person　had　to　watch　the　belt；　and　press　buttons　to　sort　the　pills　into　separate　bins　by　size　and　color。　A　Skinnenan　animal　behaviorist　pointed　out　that　it　would　be　simple　to　teach　pigeons　to　watch　the　pills　and　peck　colored　keys　to　do　the　sorting　process。　Incredulous　factory　managers　agreed　to　a　test；　the　pigeons　indeed　performed　reliably；　and　were　duly　placed　on　the　assembly　line。　Then　the　RSPCA　stepped　in　and　put　a　stop　to　it　on　the　grounds　that　it　represented　cruelty　to　animals；　the　job　was　turned　over　to　a　human　operator。　for　whom　it　did　not；　apparently；　represent　cruelty。
　
　
　there　was　a　case　involving　a　dolphin　named　Mary；　released　by　a　lab　technician　into　the　open　ocean。　The　University　of　Hawaii　prosecuted　the　technician；　charging　loss…of　a　valuable　research　animal。　Two　trials　resulted　in　hung　juries；　the　case　was　dropped。
　In　November；　1978；　there　was　a　custody　case　involving　a　chimpanzee　named　Arthur；　who　was　fluent　in　sign　language。　His　owner；　Johns　Hopkins　University；　decided　to　sell　him　and　close　the　program。　His　trainer；　William　Levine；　went　to　court　and　obtained　custody　on　the　grounds　that　Arthur　knew　language　and　thus　was　no　longer　a　chimpanzee。
　〃One　of　the　pertinent　facts；〃　Morton　said；　〃was　that　when　Arthur　was　confronted　by　other　chimpanzees；　he　referred　to　them　as　'black　things。'　And　when　Arthur　was　twice　asked　to　sort　photographs　of　people　and　photographs　of　chimps；　he　sorted　them　correctly　except　that　both　times　he　put　his　own　picture　in　the　stack　with　the　people。　He　obviously　did　not　consider　himself　a　chimpanzee；　and　the　court　ruled　that　he　should　remain　with　his　trainer；　since　any　separation　would　cause　him　severe　psychic　distress。〃
　〃Amy　cries　when　I　leave　her；〃　Elliot　said。
　〃When　you　conduct　experiments；　do　you　obtain　her　permission？〃
　〃Always。〃　Elliot　smiled。　Morton　obviously　had　no　sense　of　day…to…day　life　with　Amy。　It　was　essential　to　obtain　her　permission　for　any　course　of　action；　even　a　ride　in　a　car。　She　was　a　powerful　animal；　and　she　could　be　willful　and　stubborn。
　〃Do　you　keep　a　record　of　her　acquiescence？〃
　〃Videotapes。〃
　〃Does　she　understand　the　experiments　you　propose？〃　He　shrugged。　〃She　says　she　does。〃
　〃You　follow　a　system　of　rewards　and　punishments？〃　〃All　animal　behaviorists　do。〃
　Morton　frowned。　〃What　forms　do　her　punishments　take？〃
　〃Well；　when　she's　a　bad　girl　I　make　her　stand　in　the　corner　facing　the　wall。　Or　else　I　send　her　to　bed　early　without　her　peanut…butter…and…jelly　snack。〃
　〃What　about　torture　and　shock　treatments？〃
　〃Ridiculous。〃
　〃You　never　physically　punish　the　animal？〃
　〃She's　a　pretty　damn　big　animal。　Usually　I　worry　that　she'll　get　mad　and　punish　me。〃
　Morton　smiled　and　stood。　〃You're　going　to　be　all　right；〃　he　said。　〃Any　court　will　rule　that　Amy　is　your　ward　and　that　you　must　decide　any　ultimate　disposition　in　her　case。〃　He　hesitated。　〃I　know　this　sounds　strange；　but　could　you　put　Amy　on　the　stand？〃
　〃I　guess　so；〃　Elliot　said。　〃Do　you　think　it　will　e　to　that？〃
　〃Not　in　this　case；〃　Morton　said；　〃but　sooner　or　later　it　will。　You　watch：　within　ten　years；　there　will　be　a　custody　case　involving　a　language…using　primate；　and　the　ape　will　be　in　the　witness…box。〃
　Elliot　shook　his　hand；　and　said　as　he　was　leaving；　〃By　the　way；　would　I　have　any　problem　taking　her　out　of　the　country？〃
　〃If　there　is　a　custody　case；　you　could　have　trouble　taking　her　across　state　lines；〃　Morton　said。　〃Are　you　planning　to　take　her　out　of　the　country？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Then　my　advice　is　to　do　it　fast；　and　don't　tell　anyone；〃　Morton　said。
　
　Elliot　entered　his　office　on　the　third　floor　of　the　Zoology　Department　building　shortly　after　nine。　His　secretary；　Carolyn；　said：　〃A　Dr。　Ross　called　from　that　Wildlife　Fund　in　Houston；　she's　on　her　way　to　San　Francisco。　A　Mr。　Morikawa　called　three　times；　says　it's　important。　The　Project　Amy　staff　meeting　is　set　for　ten　o'clock。　And　Windy　is　in　your　office。〃
　〃Really？〃
　James　Weldon　was　a　senior　professor　in　the　Department；　a　weak；　blustery　man。　〃Windy〃　Weldon　was　usually　portrayed　in　departmental　cartoons　as　holding　a　wet　finger　in　the　air：　he　was　a　master　at　knowing　which　way　the　wind　was　blowing。　For　the　past　several　days；　he　had　avoided　Peter　Elliot　and　his　staff。
　Elliot　went　into　his