| 国家地理:Penguin Safari 企鹅远行 |
| 文章来源： 文章作者： 发布时间：2007-08-01 字体： [大 | 中 | 小] |
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Penguins have their own waterproof down survival suits. They replace their feathers each year in one short burst. Indeed, Kings completely replace every single feather. New feathers grow through underneath to push out the old and there is lots of them. Penguin feathers are three to four times more densely packed than those of the average flying bird. As spring takes the chill from the air, members of the colony display different stages. Some are changing feathers before they can go fishing; others are already in their new suits and start a court. Their brassy coats advertise their availability and interest.
Hungry chicks are only thinking about food, they follow any adult returning from the sea with a belly full of fish. They will soon gain the strength for their first voyage to sea. We can safely leave the Kings to meet our second penguin stars.
Over the picturesque Cobblers cove, warm winds are blowing ashore. And new arrivals are pop-singing from short trips to catch fish just offshore. Gentoo penguins, there is a high-speed approach. They snatch a breath every time they are out of the water. Our second penguin personality spots triangular white patch behind the eye, a bright orange bill and a spatter of white on the back of the head.
Gentoo actually means a pagan in Hindustan. It's a mystery why this word applies to a bird. Gentoos have a long climb ahead to their nesting colony. A penguin walkway stretches off into the distance. In fact, these birds make their way a whole 500 yards uphill to reach their sheltered spots.
Pygoscelis is their Latin family name. It means brush-tailed. Gentoos sweep the ground with one of the longest tails of any of the 17 species of penguin. Their living nest is as far as a mile from the coast. Of the three penguins on our safari, Gentoos construct the biggest nests. They can be almost 8 inches above the ground and 18 inches across. In gentoo's society, there seems to be an awful lot of rivalry. They try to build their nests as big as possible. The hard-working birds go up into the tussock grass to bring back nesting materials. The lazy ones simply steal construction materials from their neighbors. This little thief is so house-proud, he's erected the biggest residence in this suburb. When the neighbors return, the perpetrator looks like he is pretending nothing suspicious is going on.
brassy: Cheap and showy; flashy. 浮华的价廉而炫耀的
picturesque: of, suggesting, or suitable for a picture 如画的
pagan: One who is not a Christian, Moslem, or Jew; a heathen. 异教徒
Hindustan: 印度
safari: An overland expedition, especially one for hunting or exploring in eastern Africa. 探险
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