Fact and Opinion 事实与意见

Cats are the most popular pets in Hong Kong.

猫是香港最受欢迎的宠物。

There are about 400,000 pet cats in the city, and this number comes from a government survey.

全港约有四十万只宠物猫，这个数字来自政府调查。

Cats sleep twelve to sixteen hours a day, and they can see well in the dark.

猫每天睡十二至十六小时，而且在黑暗中也能看得清楚。

These are facts, because we can prove them with numbers or simple tests.

这些都是事实，因为我们可以用数字或简单测试来证明。

Cats are independent animals that do not need to be walked every day.

猫是独立的动物，不需要每天散步。

However, some statements are opinions, not facts.

不过，有些陈述是意见，不是事实。

“Cats are definitely the best pets” is an opinion, because it shows what the writer believes rather than what we can prove.

「猫一定是最好的宠物」是意见，因为它表达的是作者相信的事，而不是我们能证明的事。

“They are clean and quiet” sounds true, but many owners would disagree about the noise.

「牠们干净又安静」听起来是真的，但很多主人会对噪音问题不同意。

An opinion is subjective; it belongs to one person.

意见是主观的，只属于一个人。

A fact is objective, because it is true for everyone and can be checked by anyone.

事实是客观的，因为它对所有人都成立，任何人都可以查证。

When you read an advertisement or an article, look for evidence.

阅读广告或文章时，要寻找证据。

Ask yourself: can this claim be proved by a study or an expert?

问问自己：这个说法能否由研究或专家证明？

If not, it may be an opinion.

如果不能，它可能只是意见。

Writers sometimes show bias, which means they present only one side of the story.

作者有时会流露偏见，即只呈现故事的其中一面。

“Everyone should have a cat” is a strong opinion, not a fact.

「人人都应该养猫」是强烈的意见，不是事实。

Remember: numbers, dates and records can usually be checked, so they often point to facts.

记住：数字、日期和纪录通常可以查证，所以往往指向事实。

Smart readers separate facts from opinions instead of believing every sentence they read.

聪明的读者会把事实和意见分开，不会盲目相信读到的每一句话。