A zoologist is a scientist whose subject is animals. Not a vet, and not a zoo keeper — though the words look close, and students mix them up all the time.

A zoologistZoologist is是 a scientist whose subject is animals一位以動物為研究對象的科學家Not a vet不是vet獸醫, and not a zoo keeper也不是zoo keeper動物園管理員 — though the words look close雖然這幾個字看起來很像, and students mix them up all the time學生也常常搞混

A vet treats sick animals. A zoo keeper feeds them and cleans their homes. A zoologist studies them: how their bodies work, how they behave, where they live, how one kind of animal is related to another, why a bird sings the song it sings.

A vetVet treats sick animals治療生病的動物A zoo keeperZoo keeper feeds them and cleans their homes負責餵牠們、打掃牠們住的地方A zoologist studies themZoologist研究牠們: how their bodies work牠們的身體怎麼運作, how they behave牠們怎麼行動, where they live住在哪裡, how one kind of animal is related to another某一種動物跟另一種有什麼關係, why a bird sings the song it sings鳥為什麼唱牠唱的那首歌

A zoologist may work in a laboratory, or in a university teaching and writing, or outside in a forest for months watching one group of monkeys. Some zoologists do work at a zoo, which is where the confusion starts, but the job is the studying, not the caring.

A zoologist may work in a laboratoryZoologist可能在實驗室工作, or in a university teaching and writing或是在大學教書、寫論文, or outside in a forest for months watching one group of monkeys也可能在野外的森林裡待上好幾個月，觀察一群猴子Some zoologists do work at a zoo確實有些zoologist在動物園工作, which is where the confusion starts這也是混淆的來源, but the job is the studying, not the caring但他們的工作是研究，不是照顧

The word is neutral and quite formal — it is a job title, the kind of word you meet in a science book, a news report, or a TV nature programme ('zoologist Dr Chen says…'). People do not usually say it about themselves in a friendly chat; they would say 'I study animals' or name the animal: 'I work on frogs.' In everyday talk, English speakers often stretch it and call anyone who knows a lot about animals a zoologist, even without the degree — that is loose but common, and nobody objects.

The word is neutral and quite formal這個字中性又相當正式 — it is a job title是一種職稱, the kind of word you meet in a science book, a news report, or a TV nature programme你會在科普書、新聞報導，或電視自然節目裡看到這種字 ('zoologist Dr Chen says…')（像是「zoologist陳博士說……」）People do not usually say it about themselves in a friendly chat人們平常聊天不太會這樣講自己; they would say 'I study animals'他們會說「我研究動物」 or name the animal: 'I work on frogs.'或直接說研究的動物：「我是做青蛙的」 In everyday talk, English speakers often stretch it在日常對話裡，英語使用者常常把這個字用得更寬鬆 and call anyone who knows a lot about animals a zoologist把任何對動物很懂的人都叫做zoologist, even without the degree即使沒有學位 — that is loose but common, and nobody objects這樣用不嚴謹但很常見，也沒有人會反對