美国小学英语教材5:第69课 荒原:野生动物保护区(3)

 All that wild life seems to want is a bare chance. 野生动物想要的一切不过是一个微茫的机会。

They cannot occupy and increase in the face of rifles, traps, and shotguns; neither could man. 面对步枪、陷阱和猎枪，他们不能安家繁衍；即使是人类在这样的情况下也做不到。

But they are swift and brave, and will return when the chance of getting killed is lessened¹, even slightly. 但是它们敏捷而勇敢，当被杀的机会减少时，哪怕只有一点点生存机会。它们也会回来。

What has happened in this wild valley of Pennsylvania would lead us to believe that there should be no such thing as waste land. 在宾西法尼亚这个荒凉的山谷里所发生的一切会让我们认为不应该有荒原这种东西。

Whatever places man is too proud or too lazy to occupy, wild creatures will humbly² rejoice in. 无论人类在什么地方因太骄傲或太懒惰而无法安家，野生动物都会谦逊地享受其中。

It frequently happens that a place which is attractive to wild life can be made even more attractive by a little: intelligent planning on the part of the land-owner. 一个对野生动物有吸引力的地方，往往可以通过土地所有者的聪明规划，变得更有吸引力。

Such a place is a duck preserve near Oakley, South Carolina, J some thirty miles up the' Cooper River. 南卡罗来纳州奥克利市附近的一个鸭子保护区就是这样的地方。

On both sides of the river are waste rice fields, long since abandoned. 河两岸都是废弃的稻田，早已荒废。

Those fields, now grown to marsh³ and duck oats instead of to rice, are thronged⁴ by thousands of wild ducks who joyously⁵ feast there. 那些田地现在变成了沼泽和鸭燕麦，成千上万的野鸭聚集在那里欢宴。

They tip up in the warm shallow ' water, and hail all passing flocks with the glad tidings I that the true paradise for wild fowl⁶ has at last been discovered. 它们在温暖的浅水中翻腾，向过往的羊群欢呼，告诉它们一个好消息:终于找到真正的野禽天堂了。

In these days of hunters and improved firearms I such a sight is amazing. 在这个有猎人和先进武器的时代，这样的景象太神奇了。

 

1 lessened   

减少的，减弱的

参考例句：

• Listening to the speech through an interpreter lessened its impact somewhat. 演讲辞通过翻译的嘴说出来，多少削弱了演讲的力量。
• The flight to suburbia lessened the number of middle-class families living within the city. 随着迁往郊外的风行，住在城内的中产家庭减少了。

2 humbly   

adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地

参考例句：

• We humbly beg Your Majesty to show mercy. 我们恳请陛下发发慈悲。
• "You must be right, Sir,'said John humbly. “你一定是对的，先生，”约翰恭顺地说道。

3 marsh   

n.沼泽，湿地

参考例句：

• There are a lot of frogs in the marsh.沼泽里有许多青蛙。
• I made my way slowly out of the marsh.我缓慢地走出这片沼泽地。

4 thronged   

v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mourners thronged to the funeral. 吊唁者蜂拥着前来参加葬礼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The department store was thronged with people. 百货商店挤满了人。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 joyously   

ad.快乐地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She opened the door for me and threw herself in my arms, screaming joyously and demanding that we decorate the tree immediately. 她打开门，直扑我的怀抱，欣喜地喊叫着要马上装饰圣诞树。
• They came running, crying out joyously in trilling girlish voices. 她们边跑边喊，那少女的颤音好不欢快。 来自名作英译部分

6 fowl   

n.家禽，鸡，禽肉

参考例句：

• Fowl is not part of a traditional brunch.禽肉不是传统的早午餐的一部分。
• Since my heart attack,I've eaten more fish and fowl and less red meat.自从我患了心脏病后，我就多吃鱼肉和禽肉，少吃红色肉类。