英国语文第二册 第8期:天鹅

 　　LESSON 8 The swan 第八课 天鹅

　　The tame¹ swan is a very gentle bird. It likes to swim on streams and ponds. 顺从的天鹅是很温和的鸟类。它喜欢在溪流和池塘里边游泳。

　　When it is young it is gray, and not at all a pretty bird; but when it is full-grown it is as white as snow. 他们小时候是灰色的，并且是那种一点儿也不好看的鸟；但是当他们长大后，他们就会像雪一样白。

　　Look at the swan in the picture. See how graceful² it is as it sails along. 看看照片里那只天鹅。看看他们独自航行时有多么的优雅。

　　Among the bushes and high grass near the water the swan builds its nest. 天鹅会将巢筑在离水边很近的灌木和高高的草中间。

　　It is made of dry sticks or rushes, and is placed on the ground. Here the swan lays its eggs. 巢是用干树枝和毛片组成的，并且被放置于地面。天鹅会在上面孵蛋。

　　As soon as the young ones are hatched³, away the little creatures run to the water! 当小天鹅被俘化出来，这些小生物就迫不及待的冲进水里！

　　They need no school and no teaching⁴, for God has made them so that they can swim at once, as well as the old birds. 他们不需要别人传授，他们天生就能游泳，而且跟老鸟游得一样好。

　　Did you ever see the feet of a swan? They are made for swimming. 你见过天鹅的脚掌吗？他们就是为游泳而生的。

　　All birds that love the water, and swim in it, have web-feet. 所有喜欢水的鸟儿们，并且会游泳的，都有蹼足。

　　Swans have web-feet, and so have ducks, and a number of other birds. 天鹅有蹼足，鸭子也有，并且其他很多鸟类都有。

　　They can all swim well; but hens and chickens and sparrows cannot swim at all, for they have not web-feet like the swan and the duck. 他们都能游的很好；但是鸡和麻雀就完全不能游泳，因为他们不像天鹅和鸭子一样有蹼足。

　　The swan has a long neck; and by means of it, it can reach its food without diving as ducks do. 天鹅有长长的脖子；并且通过它，天鹅可以不用潜下水就能得到食物就像鸭子一样。

　　The swan feeds on the seeds, leaves, and roots of water-plants. 天鹅以种子，树叶和水生植物的根为生。

1 tame   

adj.驯服的，柔顺的，乏味的；v.驯养，使...驯服

参考例句：

• His job is to tame lions.他的工作是驯狮。
• He is so tame that he agrees with everybody.他很随和，总是顺从他人的意见。

2 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

3 hatched   

孵化( hatch的过去式和过去分词 )； 孵出，破壳而出； 秘密策划，（尤指）密谋； 使（小鸟、小鱼、小虫等）孵出

参考例句：

• Silkworms are fed mulberry leaves after they have hatched. 蚕孵出后食桑叶。
• Ten out of the set of twelve were hatched. 一窝十二个蛋孵出了十个。

4 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。