如果我们要以现今的价格买公牛，为什么不想办法保证这批公牛携带我们想要的基因，让它可以代表其品种内最优秀的公牛？

If we are going to buy bulls at today’s prices, why not make sure that the bullsare carrying the genes we want and represent the top bulls within the breed?

      如果你想预约检查公牛或者期望更好地理解与后代期望差（EPDs）相关的大量数据，我们诚邀您来电。即使有时EPDs不难理解，但其海量的数据还是让人头疼 ，甚至难以招架。

Hereis an invitation. Just call if you want to schedule an appointment to review orbetter understand the numerous numbers associated with expected progenydifferences (EPDs). Even when well understood, the EPD numbers canbe daunting, even overwhelming.

      浏览依托于分析和罗列数据的各个品种协会的网页已经很令人困扰了，还要从无数的浏览器中找到并且下载所需数据，无疑更是令人感到挫败。但是，不要因此放弃，因为数据实在太宝贵，我们一定要利用起来。

Navigating the Web pages of the breed associations that are entrusted to analyze andpresent the data can be daunting and trying to locate and download the data on numerous devices may add to the frustration. However, don’t give up because thedata is far too valuable to not use the numbers.

      在进行有关如何访问和利用EPDs的课程教学时，我想起并不是每个人都喜欢使用数据的。然而，这并不能否定利用数据的必要，自己不喜欢就寻求帮助吧。

While teaching sessions on how to access and use EPD data, I am reminded that numbersare not something everyone is comfortable using. However, that does not negatethe need to use them, so just ask for help.

      在利用数据时，专注是重要的一项，我们还需要多一点耐心和应变能力。

Focusis a good term. Perhaps we can add to that the words patience and someresilience.

      当查阅公牛销售目录时，我们要学会找到公牛的注册号。公牛的注册号和汽车或卡车的车辆识别号码（VIN）没有什么不同。实际上，如果一个人要申请汽车或卡车贷款时，VIN是必需的。在购买汽车或卡车时，能够利用VIN就能获得该车所有的可用数据，何乐不为呢？

As one starts to review bull salecatalogs, learn to look for the bull’s registration number. The bull’sregistration number is no different than a vehicle identification number (VIN)for a car or pickup. In fact, if one was to apply for a car or pickup loan, theVIN number is required. When purchasing a car or pickup, why not use the VINnumber to obtain all the available data that applies to the vehicle?

      公牛的注册号也是如此。公牛注册后，相应的品种协会将记录该公牛所有提交的数据，并会相当便利地为大家提供这些信息。任何互联网搜索引擎都可以找到适用于你的目标公牛的品种协会网站，所以我们只要找到并点击打开该网页即可。

The same is true for the registrationnumber of the bull. The appropriate breed association will have all thesubmitted data on that bull and will provide the information fairly easily. AnyInternet search engine will locate the breed association website that appliesto your bull, so find it, click on it and open up the Web page.

一般，我们可以迅速找到一个用来输入公牛注册号的数据搜索框或选项卡。输入后点击提交就能看到该公牛的报告。在利用VIN搜索汽车时，人们有时会发现，汽车行驶总里程数远比自己想象的多，或是卖家隐瞒了汽车曾发生的事故。

Generally, one can find out fairlyquickly a data search function or tab to enter the registration number. Enterit, click on submit and read the report. In the case of VIN numbers, one mayfind out that the vehicle has traveled a lot farther than you thought it had orperhaps experienced some mishaps that may have not been mentioned by theseller.

      公牛登记号码提供了类似于VIN的功能，协会将提供公牛拥有者的相关信息，公牛的系谱，生产性能和其他相关信息。在“如何利用数据来买公牛”研讨会上，当学员们意识到公牛的可利用信息多么丰富时，他们变得非常热情。

Bull registration numbers provide asimilar function because the association will provide the relevant data on thebull’s owner(s), pedigree, performance and other associated information. Duringthe “How to buy bulls by the numbers” workshop sessions, participants generallybecome very intense once they realize just how much of a bull’s information isavailable.

      有几个协会网站甚至允许同时进入多头公牛的数据列表，而且相应的信息可以打印成一张表。这种操作没有延迟，只要看一下屏幕，按下打印按钮，就能生成一个自定义的公牛销售目录。

Several associations even allow forlists of bulls to be entered at one time and the appropriate information willbe printed for the entire list. There is no delay, so look at the screen or hitthe print button to generate a customized bull sale catalog.

      安格斯牛网站上有一项功能，即可以绘制公牛个体EPDs的图像。这使人们能快速评估特定公牛的预计的EPDs。

The Angus website actually has afunction that will graph the individual EPDs for a bull. This will allow you toquickly evaluate what the predicted EPDs are for a particular bull.

      研讨会中，查阅过网站，介绍过各种信息后，讨论很快转移到使用百分位排名形式来呈现公牛等级这一话题上。然而，对于一头给定的公牛来说，了解其每一个性状的EPDs的百分位排名很困难，因此我们只选择一部分性状，查看公牛在这些性状上的排名。

During the workshops and after reviewingthe website and the various information presented, the discussion soon moved tothe concept of listing or presenting the bull’s ranking by using percentiles.However, understanding percentile rankings for each EPD trait for a given bullis difficult, so select a few traits and review how the bull ranks.

      在研讨会期间，我利用了初生重，断奶重，周岁重，大理石花纹和肋间眼肌面积的EPDs。这五个EPDs表示出与一个肉牛群体中牛肉产量相关的5个基本函数。换句话说，胴体品质高，牛肉产量才会高。

During the workshops, I used birthweight, weaning weight, yearling weight, marbling and rib eye area EPDs. Thesefive EPDs represent five very basic functions related to output within a beefherd. In other words, growth along with a decent carcass.

      现在，我们就要在选定的品种协会网站上查阅每头公牛的个体性状的表型值，以及公牛在该品种内其EPDs的百分位排名。有时，这些数值在目录中有显示，但很少是现成的。

Now check each bull’s individual traitvalue and see how the bull ranks within the breed by using the EPD percentiletable on the chosen breed association’s website. Sometimes these values areprinted in the catalog, but seldom are they readily available.

      汽车经销商会告诉你一辆汽车的额定功率为每加仑汽油跑几英里（MPG），通常你询问完某辆车的额定功率后，你还要再询问一次这辆车如何在MPG上优于竞争对手。我们买公牛时也应该这么做，在比较中，看看同一品种内不同的牛在我们所关注的多种性状上的排名。

Car dealers will tell you the miles pergallon (MPG) that a particular car is rated at, but usually you will have toask twice how the car’s MPG rates against a competing car. That is exactly thequestion we are asking about a bull. In this case, we are comparing bulls andasking how they rate within the breed for the various traits we are interestedin buying.

      实质上，通过研究公牛目标表型的表型值，我们已经研究并看中了几头公牛。所以，如果我们要以现今的价格买公牛，为什么不想办法保证这批公牛携带我们所想要的基因，让它可以代表其品种内最优秀的公牛？基因信息完全可以由百分表所提供。

In essence, we have studied and admiredthe phenotype of several bulls that meet our desired appearance, so if we aregoing to buy bulls at today’s prices, why not make sure that the bulls arecarrying the genes we want and represent the top bulls within the breed? Thatis what the percentile tables provide. However, lots of numbers lead toconfusion, so don’t forget my invitation. If confused about the numbers, callLee at (701) 567-1105 to schedule a review of your bull’s numbers.