国家地理:Penguin Safari 企鹅远行

Penguins² have their own waterproof³ down survival suits. They replace their feathers each year in one short burst. Indeed, Kings completely replace every single feather. New feathers grow through underneath⁴ to push out the old and there is lots of them. Penguin¹ feathers are three to four times more densely⁵ 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 belly⁶ 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 picturesque⁷ Cobblers cove⁸, warm winds are blowing ashore⁹. And new arrivals are pop-singing from short trips to catch fish just offshore¹⁰. 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 triangular¹¹ 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 safari¹², 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 rivalry¹³. 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 erected¹⁴ 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 Christian¹⁵, Moslem¹⁶, 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

1 penguin   

n.企鹅

参考例句：

• The penguin is a flightless bird.企鹅是一种不会飞的鸟。
• He walked with an awkward gait like a penguin.他走路的步子难看得就像企鹅。

2 penguins   

n.企鹅( penguin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why can penguins live in cold environment? 为什么企鹅能生活在寒冷的环境中？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Whales, seals, penguins, and turtles have flippers. 鲸、海豹，企鹅和海龟均有鳍形肢。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 waterproof   

n.防水材料；adj.防水的；v.使...能防水

参考例句：

• My mother bought me a waterproof watch.我妈妈给我买了一块防水手表。
• All the electronics are housed in a waterproof box.所有电子设备都储放在一个防水盒中。

4 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

5 densely   

ad.密集地；浓厚地

参考例句：

• A grove of trees shadowed the house densely. 树丛把这幢房子遮蔽得很密实。
• We passed through miles of densely wooded country. 我们穿过好几英里茂密的林地。

6 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

7 picturesque   

adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的

参考例句：

• You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
• That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。

8 cove   

n.小海湾，小峡谷

参考例句：

• The shore line is wooded,olive-green,a pristine cove.岸边一带林木蓊郁，嫩绿一片，好一个山外的小海湾。
• I saw two children were playing in a cove.我看到两个小孩正在一个小海湾里玩耍。

9 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

10 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

11 triangular   

adj.三角（形）的，三者间的

参考例句：

• It's more or less triangular plot of land.这块地略成三角形。
• One particular triangular relationship became the model of Simone's first novel.一段特殊的三角关系成了西蒙娜第一本小说的原型。

12 safari   

n.远征旅行(探险、考察)；探险队，狩猎队

参考例句：

• When we go on safari we like to cook on an open fire.我们远行狩猎时，喜欢露天生火做饭。
• They went on safari searching for the rare black rhinoceros.他们进行探险旅行，搜寻那稀有的黑犀牛。

13 rivalry   

n.竞争，竞赛，对抗

参考例句：

• The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。
• He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。

14 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

15 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

16 Moslem   

n.回教徒，穆罕默德信徒；adj.回教徒的，回教的

参考例句：

• Moslem women used to veil their faces before going into public.信回教的妇女出门之前往往用面纱把脸遮起来。
• If possible every Moslem must make the pilgrimage to Mecca once in his life.如有可能，每个回教徒一生中必须去麦加朝觐一次。