美国语文第二册 第29期:老虎

 LESSON 32 第32课

lion  狮子

body  身体

stripes  条纹

delight  情趣

English 英语

prey¹  猎物

tiger  老虎

collar  领

tigress  母老虎

frightful² 可怕

seize  抢占

chain 链 

unlike  不同

swiftest  最快的

animals 动物

roar  吼

giant  巨人

slightest  丝毫

officers  人员

whiskers 晶须

THE TIGER 老　虎

The tiger is a giant cat. His body is nearly covered with black stripes. 老虎像只巨大的猫。它的身上长有黑色条纹。

Unlike the lion, he runs so fast that the swiftest horse can not overtake him.  和狮子不同的是，它跑得很快， 连跑得最快的马也赶不上它。

He goes over the ground by making bounds or springs, one after another. 它一次接一次地跳跃飞奔，越过大地。

By night, as well as by day, the tiger watches for his prey.  在夜里，和白天一样，老虎守候着它的猎物。

With a frightful roar, he will seize a man, and carry him off. 随着一声可怕的大吼，它可以抓住一个人，并致他于死。

Have you ever thought what use whiskers are to cats?  你想过猫是如何使用其胡须的吗？ 

Lions have great whiskers, and so have tigers and all other animals of the cat kind. 和老虎及其他猫科动物一样，狮子也有很长的胡须。

Whenever you find an animal with whiskers like the cat's, you may be sure that animal steals softly among branches and thick bushes. 一旦你找到了一只长着和猫一样的胡须的动物， 你可能会发现，他们常常安静地藏在树枝和茂密的灌木丛里。

By the slightest touch on the tiger's whiskers, he knows when there is anything in his road. 借助胡须上轻微的触觉，老虎能知晓何时会有东西出现在他的周围。

A few years ago, some English officers went out to hunt.  几年前，一些英国官员外出打猎。

When coming home from their day's sport, they found a little tiger kitten. 当他们结束白天的狩猎回家时，他们发现了一只小老虎。

They took it with them and tied it, with a collar and chain, to the pole of their tent.  他们把它捉住，用衣带和锁链绑在帐篷的杆子上，

It played about, to the delight of all who saw it. 被所有看到它的人戏弄。

One evening, just as it was growing dark, they heard a sound that frightened them greatly.  一天夜里，他们听到了一阵令他们十分恐惧的声音。

It was the roar of a tiger. 那是老虎的吼声。

The kitten pulled at the chain, and tried to break away.  小老虎正在挣脱锁链，试图逃跑。

With a sharp cry, it answered the voice outside. 一阵急促的叫声过后，外面传来了应和声。

All at once, a large tigress bounded into the middle of the tent.  突然，一只大母老虎跳进帐篷中。

She caught her kitten by the neck, and broke the chain which bound it. 它用脖颈吻了吻她的孩子，撕开了绑着的锁链。

Then turning to the door of the tent, she dashed away as suddenly as she had come. 然后，它转身回到帐篷门口，和来时一样迅速地跑掉了。

1 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

2 frightful   

adj.可怕的；讨厌的

参考例句：

• How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊！
• We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。