Peru's exotic ''hairless dog,'' which is said to be able to relieve rheumatism and asthma in people, has been elevated to national heritage status under political orders to ensure it never becomes extinct. ''The agriculture ministry with this law will order... the conservation, breeding, and export of the 'Peruvian hairless dog,''' Congress said in a statement in an official newspaper. Health experts say lengthy contact with the dog's unusually warm skin can cure rheumatism and relieve asthma, and ?in a tradition dating the dog's use in ancient Peruvian religious ceremonies ?bring its owner positive energy. The small, wiry canine has earned fame throughout the Andean nation and beyond not only for its bare, muscular body but its large, alert ears, its quizzical look, and its tail that arches upward. Its skin, though warm to the touch, shivers constantly. Historians say the animals, whose numbers have dwindled, have lived in Peru's coastal areas for more than 4,000 years. They can be seen in the art of some of ancient cultures like the Chavin, Vicus, and Sipan peoples.

* Chavin、Vicus及Sipan均为古代秘鲁文明名称。

秘鲁有一种不同寻常的“无毛犬”，据说可以用来治疗人的风湿和哮喘。现在秘鲁政府已经通过行政命令把它提高到国家遗产的地位以确保它不会绝种。国会在一份官方报纸上发表声明说：“农业部将按此法令规范……‘秘鲁无毛犬’的保护、养殖和出口。”健康专家们说，长期与这种狗异常温暖的皮肤接触可以治愈风湿、减轻哮喘，而且按传统的说法——在古代秘鲁的宗教仪式中就已经开始使用这种狗——它能给主人带来活力。这种瘦小结实的狗驰名于这个安第斯山国内外，不仅因为它裸露的强健身体，还因为它巨大而警醒的耳朵、古怪的长相和向上弯的尾巴。它的皮肤虽然摸起来很暖和，但却总是在颤抖。历史学家说这种数目日渐减少的动物已经在秘鲁的海滨地区生活了4,000年以上。在查文、维卡斯和斯班等古代文明的艺术作品中都可以看到它们的身影。

Remarks：狗因其实用价值而受保护；秘鲁的纳斯卡图案（Nazca Lines）是更加重要的文化遗产，但却正因日进斗金的观光事业而遭到破坏。人类的“遗产保护”毕竟脱不了功利的实质。