美国小学英语教材6:第31课 山齿鹑家族(2)

 　　Bobwhite heard it and was pleased. He redoubled his calls of bob-white, bob-white, 山齿鹑听到了很高兴，他再次歌唱着布谷，布谷，

　　and listened regularly for the musical white, white, white that came in return from a lady quail¹ down in the thicket². 音乐版的哇，哇，哇会时长听到，叫声是下面灌木丛里雌鹑发出来的。

　　When this calling and answering had gone on for some time, Bobwhite flew away, 叫声的相互回应持续了一段时间，这时山齿鹑飞走了，

　　and his wings made such a whirring sound and struck so fast that this fact alone showed him to be a member of the partridge family. 它的翅膀发出了如同呼呼的声音，煽动翅膀的频率快，仅凭这一点就能证明它是山鹑家族一员。

　　He is the smallest of all the partridges, and is known in parts of the South as the Virginia partridge. 它是所有山鹑中体型最小的，人们知道南方部分地区有弗吉尼亚山鹑。

　　Mrs. Bobwhite and Her Brood³ 山齿鹑女士和她的孩子们

　　At first Bobwhite could not locate the shy little lady quail who had been calling to him from the thicket; 起先，山齿鹑无法找到害羞女士的确切位置，她一直在灌木丛召唤他；

　　but he finally discovered her picking away for dear life at weed seed, 最后他终于找到了，她正在慌忙地摘杂草种子，

　　just as though breakfast was much more to her taste than love-making. 好似早餐比谈情说爱更对她的胃口。

　　For a long time she would take no notice of him, but he strutted⁴ up and down so long that she finally looked up. 很长一段时间她都没有注意到他，公山齿鹑前后踱步了很久，终于雌山齿鹑抬头看了看。

　　Little by little, bobwhite gained her goodwill⁵, until at last she would let him help her scratch for weed seeds. 一点一点，她对他起了好感，她最终允许公山齿鹑帮她寻找杂草种子。

　　They spent a very pleasant forenoon together, and the thing was as good as settled. 它们度过了愉快的上午，这件事情解决了。

　　About ten days later Mr. and Mrs. bobwhite selected a place for their nest. 大约十天后，山齿鹑先生和夫人为它们的巢穴选择了一处地方。

　　It was under the edge of an old fallen log⁶, well screened from view and sheltered from the rain. 地点在掉落的老旧原木的边缘下面，很隐蔽，而且可以遮雨。

　　Each day for more than two weeks Mrs. bobwhite laid an egg in the nest, until the number was sixteen. 两个多星期以来，山齿鹑女士每天都会在巢穴中下蛋，直到达到16个。

1 quail   

n.鹌鹑；vi.畏惧，颤抖

参考例句：

• Cowards always quail before the enemy.在敌人面前，胆小鬼们总是畏缩不前的。
• Quail eggs are very high in cholesterol.鹌鹑蛋胆固醇含量高。

2 thicket   

n.灌木丛，树林

参考例句：

• A thicket makes good cover for animals to hide in.丛林是动物的良好隐蔽处。
• We were now at the margin of the thicket.我们现在已经来到了丛林的边缘。

3 brood   

n.同窝幼鸟一个家庭的孩子；v.孵蛋，闷想

参考例句：

• The hen brought off a brood of young.母鸡孵出了一窝小鸡。
• It is time for hens to brood.该是母鸡孵蛋的时候了。

4 strutted   

趾高气扬地走，高视阔步( strut的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The players strutted and posed for the cameras. 运动员昂首阔步，摆好姿势让记者拍照。
• Peacocks strutted on the lawn. 孔雀在草坪上神气活现地走来走去。

5 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

6 log   

n.记录，圆木，日志；v.伐木，切，航行

参考例句：

• They log for a living.他们以伐木为生。
• And then what do you do with that log?然后你要拿那些记录做什么呢？