美国小学英语教材5:第84课 松毛虫(3)

 The scales, soft as velvet¹ to the touch and carefully laid one upon the other, form a roof that protects the eggs. 鳞片摸起来像天鹅绒一样柔软，小心翼翼地把一个鳞片放在另一个鳞片上，形成了一个屋顶来保护蛋。

Not a drop of rain or dew can get underneath² it. 没有一滴雨水或露珠能钻到它下面。

Where did this soft covering come from? From the mother moth³; she has stripped a part of her body for her children. 这种柔软的覆盖物是从哪里来的？从母蛾处；她为孩子们剥去了一部分身体。

Like the eider duck, she has made a warm overcoat for her eggs out of her own soft down. 像绒鸭一样，她用自己的软毛为卵做了一件暖和的大衣。

If one removes the scaly⁴ fleece with pincers, the eggs appear, looking like little white, shiny beads⁵. 如果你用钳子去除掉有鳞的绒毛，蛋就会出现，看起来像白色的闪亮小珠子。

There are about three hundred of them in one cylinder⁶. 一个圆筒里大约有300个。

Quite a family for one mother! 对一个母亲来说，这真是一个大家庭！

They are beautifully placed, and remind one of a tiny ear of Indian corn. 它们摆放得很漂亮，让人想起印第安玉米的小穗。

Nobody, young or old, could help exclaiming, on seeing the pine moth’s pretty little spike⁷ of eggs, “How handsome!” 不管是年轻人还是老年人，看到松毛虫漂亮的小蛋钉，都忍不住惊叫道:“多么漂亮啊!”

 

1 velvet   

n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的

参考例句：

• This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
• The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。

2 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。

3 moth   

n.蛾，蛀虫

参考例句：

• A moth was fluttering round the lamp.有一只蛾子扑打着翅膀绕着灯飞。
• The sweater is moth-eaten.毛衣让蛀虫咬坏了。

4 scaly   

adj.鱼鳞状的；干燥粗糙的

参考例句：

• Reptiles possess a scaly,dry skin.爬行类具有覆盖着鳞片的干燥皮肤。
• The iron pipe is scaly with rust.铁管子因为生锈一片片剥落了。

5 beads   

n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链

参考例句：

• a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
• Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

6 cylinder   

n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸

参考例句：

• What's the volume of this cylinder?这个圆筒的体积有多少？
• The cylinder is getting too much gas and not enough air.汽缸里汽油太多而空气不足。

7 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。