英国语文第三册 第59期:海狸小城(下)

 All the time they are at work, the beavers² are constantly moving to and fro, trampling³ down the soft clay with their paws⁴,  工作时间，海狸总会走来走去，用爪子踩实软粘土，

and making all as smooth as they can. And it is a curious thing that they do all their work during the night. 并尽可能地使地面光滑。奇怪的是，它们在晚上才会工作。

Every care is taken to make the dam strong; and when any part of it is broken, the beavers never rest till they have mended it.  为了让水坝坚固，它们不敢有丝毫大意；一旦水坝某个部位破裂，它们就会不停息地将其修补完好。

They are ever on the watch; and the Indians, who know this, try to bring them out of their hiding-places by breaking the dam.  它们处处留心；知道这点的印第安人会试图破坏它们的水坝，把它们从藏身之处赶出来。

In this way the poor beavers are often caught, as they rush forth⁵ to mend the breach⁶. 这样，可怜的海狸经常会被捉住，因为它们都涌向前去修补缺口。

When the dam is finished, the beavers begin to build their little town.  水坝建成后，海狸就开始建造它们的小镇。

The houses are made of the same materials as the dam. They are all built on the edge of the pond;  建房子用的材料和筑水坝用的一样。它们把房子都建在池塘边上；

and passages run from them into the ground in all directions. 每个方位都有通道直通地下。

The door of a beaver¹'s house is under the water—generally three or four feet below the surface.  它们房子的门口在水下——通常在水下三至四英尺深。

There is no other opening of any kind.  这是唯一的门口。

All the other passages lead to holes or caves where the beavers can hide themselves from their enemies. 其它所有的通道都通向洞穴，这样它们就能躲避敌人。

Each house holds from ten to twenty beavers. It has two rooms in it, one above the other.  每间房子有两间房，一间在另一间的上面，里面住着十到二十只海狸。

The upper one is where the beavers live. The lower room is used as a place to store their food,  上层房间是海狸们居住的地方，下层则用来储存食物，

which consists chiefly of the bark of the silver-birch and poplar trees.  主要是白桦树和白杨树的树皮。

It is kept under water, safe from the frost, and brought up as it is wanted. 由于存在水下，所以不必担心霜冻，只要想吃，就可以搬上来。

Like the bird and the bee, the beaver builds his house just as God has taught him.  海狸像鸟和蜜蜂一样，天生就懂得筑巢。

He has not reason to guide him in his work. This gift belongs to man alone.  上帝不会在它们筑巢的过程中加以指点，因为这是人类的特权。

But the lower animals are born with the power of doing everything necessary to make themselves safe and comfortable.  但是低级动物天生就有一种能力——它们会尽一切可能保证自身安全和舒适。

This power is called instinct⁷. 这种能力叫做本能。

1 beaver   

n.海狸，河狸

参考例句：

• The hat is made of beaver.这顶帽子是海狸毛皮制的。
• A beaver is an animals with big front teeth.海狸是一种长着大门牙的动物。

2 beavers   

海狸( beaver的名词复数 )； 海狸皮毛； 棕灰色； 拼命工作的人

参考例句：

• In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. 1928年有人把这些海豚象海狸那样把一床浸泡了水的褥垫推上岸时的情景拍摄了下来。
• Thus do the beavers, thus do the bees, thus do men. 海狸是这样做的，蜜蜂是这样做的，人也是这样做的。

3 trampling   

踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯

参考例句：

• Diplomats denounced the leaders for trampling their citizens' civil rights. 外交官谴责这些领导人践踏其公民的公民权。
• They don't want people trampling the grass, pitching tents or building fires. 他们不希望人们踩踏草坪、支帐篷或生火。

4 paws   

n.爪子( paw的名词复数 )；手

参考例句：

• Take your filthy paws off me! 把你的脏手从我身上拿开！
• Take your dirty little paws off me! 别用你的小黑手抓着我。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

6 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

7 instinct   

n.本能，直觉；生性，天性

参考例句：

• We all have a strong survival instinct.每个人都有强烈的求生本能。
• Birds learn to fly by instinct.鸟儿学飞是出于本能。