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Dogs have been man’s best friend for thousands of years, a source of companionship and loyalty since the Stone Age. 几千年以来，狗狗都是人类最好的朋友，从石器时代开始就是人类忠诚的陪伴。 Now scientists suspect they have discovered the root of the relationship - a dog really does understand his master’s voice. 如今，科学家们猜测他们找到了友谊的根源——狗狗真的能听懂他的主人在说什么。 Researchers have found that pet dogs process language in a similar way to humans. 研究者发现，宠物狗的语言处理和人类有一定相似度。 They learn to recognise the words that are spoken - the groups of consonantsand vowelsthat make up spoken commands. 他们会学着去辨认主人的话——这些由一系列辅音和元音组成的口头命令。 But tests suggest they also notice the more subtle aspects of human communication - the emotional tone, intonation and volume changes that influence the meaning of language. 不过试验表示，他们也发现了人类交流上一些微妙的方面——情绪基调、声调和音量会对语言的意思产生影响。 Scientists at Sussex University think this is because dogs process language in the same way as we do. 苏塞克斯大学的研究者们认为，狗狗的语言在某种意义上和我们是一样的。 | 
