原文：https://www.farmsanctuary.org/students-choose-sanctuary-over-slaughter/

注：译文谨供参考。

Students Choose Sanctuary Over Slaughter

戒杀护生──学生们的无畏抉择

Five animals’ lives have been saved thanks to a group of courageous Fullerton Union High Future Farmers of America students who made an unlikely decision: To let them live.

让它们活下去！一群勇敢的学生们做出的一个罕见决定，使五条动物生命得以拯救。这是富勒顿联合中学的学生们在参与“美国未来农场主”计划过程中发生的动人一幕。

That was not always the plan. Students participating in Future Farmers of America (FFA) at Fullerton raise and care for animals on the schools’ adjacent farm to be auctioned off at the Orange County Fair- where they are mostly purchased to be slaughtered for food. Students learn that this is a natural part of the farming cycle; still, many grieve the loss of their animals and yearn for other options. Though the students technically “own” the animals, the program expects them to follow through with the plans they had agreed on to prepare them for the realities of farm life.

按照原计划不一定会有这样的结果。富勒顿联合中学的学生们参加“美国未来农场主”（FFA）计划，在学校的毗邻农场里饲养和照料动物，将来再把它们运到橙县博览会（Orange County Fair）上拍卖；这些动物一般是被别人买下来屠宰用作食物。学生们知道这是养殖周期的一个自然过程；然而，许多学生仍为将要失去自己亲手抚养大的动物而感到伤心难过，因此迫切希望找到其他替代解决方案。虽然事实上这些学生“拥有”那些动物，但他们需要贯彻执行原来达成的计划（目的是为适应将来的农场现实生活做准备）。

But a change of heart by one student leader who contacted Farm Sanctuary led to a chain reaction which resulted in two sheep and three goats being spared. Phry and Shawn sheep have joined our Southern California Shelter, while Pam, Kevin, and Bruce goats have a new home at Sage Mountain Sanctuary—a member of our Farm Animal Adoption Network.

所幸的是一名学生干部改变了主意，主动联系了农场动物庇护所（Farm Sanctuary）组织，从而引发了一场连锁反应，最终促成两只绵羊和三只山羊的重获自由。“弗里”和“肖恩”（绵羊）落户我们的南加州收容所（Southern California Shelter），而“帕姆”、“凯文”和“布鲁斯”（山羊）在圣人山庇护所（Sage Mountain Sanctuary）有了自己的新家──这个庇护所也是属于我们的农场动物收养网络的一员。

While this is the largest group of students who have relinquished their animals to Farm Sanctuary at once, the decision is not unprecedented. In 2015, another Fullerton student named Bruno made waves upon leaving his high school’s FFA program and sending his beloved pig, Lola, to our shelter.

虽然此次是最大一群学生一次将他们饲养的动物转让给农场动物庇护所，但这样的决定还不是头一回。2015年，富勒顿联合中学有一位名字叫布鲁诺（Bruno）的学生退出了本校的FFA计划，将自己饲养的心爱的猪“萝拉”（Lola）送到了我们的动物收容所，并由此在人们当中引起了掀然大波。

Many FFA participants discover that alternatives to slaughter exist too late. But the word is spreading; inspired by their classmates’ decisions, an increasing number of students are seeking other options.

许多参与FFA计划的学生发觉替代屠宰的方案来得太晚了。但是这个好消息正在传播开来；看到同学们的勇敢决定之后，越来越多的学生受到了极大鼓舞，也在积极寻求避免宰杀动物的其他解决办法。

As a condition for rescuing and caring for the animals they raised, we ask that students who wish to relinquish their animals terminate their involvement in FFA animal husbandry projects. It is important that rescue work be more than just a safety net and that we discourage students from repeatedly buying into these systems. This would only encourage the continuation of practices which commodify animals.

为了营救和照顾学生原来饲养的动物，作为一项条件，我们要求那些希望转让动物的学生们停止参与FFA动物饲养项目。清楚地认识到以下两点很重要：救助工作不只是为动物提供安全保障，同时我们也劝诫学生不要再支持那些计划。否则，这样做只会助长人们继续将动物商品化的做法。

Fortunately, it is possible for students to have enriching experiences within organizations like FFA, without harming animals. Animal husbandry is just one of several tracts such programs offer; learning about plant-based agriculture, or developing alternative farming systems, for example, are additional possibilities.

幸运的是，根本用不着伤害动物，学生们同样也可以拥有参加美国未来农场主协会这样的组织所获得的丰富经验。动物饲养只是属于那些计划设立的一部分项目；而通过学习植物性农业、发展替代性农作制度、等等，可以发掘更多的潜能。

The five Fullerton students are now approaching the world with a different outlook: Farm animals are sentient beings who deserve a life free from harm. Thanks to these students’ willingness to challenge tradition in order to follow their own hearts, Phry, Shawn, Pam, Kevin, and Bruce now have that chance.

那五名富勒顿联合中学的学生现在以崭新的观念对待全世界：农场动物一样是有情众生，应当过着没有伤害的生活。这些学生们为了遵循自己内心的召唤，心甘情愿去挑战传统习俗，“弗里”、“肖恩”、“帕姆”、“凯文”和“布鲁斯”如今才有了这样自由生活的机会。