英国学生科学读本 第79期:扎人的刺猬(2)

 　　With these claws the hedgehog can burrow¹ in the earth under the roots of trees, or in old walls; and in such places he often makes his home.

　　凭借这些锋利的工具, 刺猬能够在树根或老墙之下打洞穿行, 通常也都在这些地方安家落户。

　　The hedgehog has no less than thirty-six teeth in his mouth, twenty being in the upper and sixteen in the lower jaw². With these teeth the little animal seizes and crushes the insects on which he chiefly lives.

　　刺猬的嘴巴中至少有三十六颗牙齿, 其中二十颗长在上颚, 另外十六颗分布在下颚。凭借这些牙齿, 刺猬就可以咬住并撕碎捕食到的昆虫。

　　Many people keep a hedgehog in their cellars and kitchens, to get rid of cockroaches³, for he soon eats up these troublesome little insects. The hedgehog also eats earth-worms, snails⁴, and slugs, and does much good in this way. He does a little harm, too, by eating roots and seeds. Hedgehogs kept as pets soon become fond of bread and milk.

　　很多人都会在地窖或厨房中饲养一只刺猬, 因为有了它的存在, 蟑螂这种烦人的昆虫很快就会销声匿迹。刺猬还会捕食蚯蚓、蜗牛以及鼻涕虫, 这对人类来说非常有益。不过它也会干坏事：有时候吞食植物的根部与种子。我们发现, 那些宠物刺猬很快就会喜欢上面包与牛奶。

　　We do not often see the hedgehog in our morning walks, for he does his walking during the night. He sleeps all day, and at night he goes forth⁵ to hunt for insects and other food. He sleeps through all the cold winter, too, lying snugly⁶ coiled up in his nest under the roots of some old tree.

　　我们在清晨散步时很少能够看到刺猬, 因为它习惯在夜间活动。白天, 它休养生息；晚上, 它便出动捕食昆虫或寻觅其他食物。到了寒冷的冬天, 它便躲在老树树根下的小窝中, 蜷成一团, 舒适地享受着整整一个冬天的美梦。

　　The hedgehog has not very keen sight, but he can smell things very well. As he runs after his prey⁷ he makes a squeaking⁸ noise. If you have a tame hedgehog, you must not be surprised when you hear his funny little voice at night just as you are going to sleep.

　　刺猬的视力非常差劲, 不过嗅觉却极为灵敏。当它追捕猎物的时候就会发出吱吱的叫声。如果你饲养了一只宠物刺猬, 那么当你晚上准备睡觉的时候如果听到它发出那种有趣的小动静, 请不要吃惊。

　　Never injure or torment⁹ a hedgehog if you meet one in the lanes or fields. He is doing good by seeking for the insects which would otherwise eat the crops and garden-plants. He also attacks and kills snakes of all kinds, and it is said that he does not fear the bite of poisonous snakes.

　　如果你在小路上或者野地里看到一只刺猬, 请不要伤害或者折磨它。因为它总是在捕食那些可能对庄稼与花草造成危害的昆虫, 它对人类有益。刺猬还会攻击与捕杀各种蛇类, 据说, 就算是被毒蛇咬上一口, 它也根本不会受到伤害。

1 burrow   

vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞

参考例句：

• Earthworms burrow deep into the subsoil.蚯蚓深深地钻进底土。
• The dog had chased a rabbit into its burrow.狗把兔子追进了洞穴。

2 jaw   

n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训

参考例句：

• He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
• A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。

3 cockroaches   

n.蟑螂( cockroach的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At night, the cockroaches filled the house with their rustlings. 夜里，屋里尽是蟑螂窸窸瑟瑟的声音。 来自辞典例句
• It loves cockroaches, and can keep a house clear of these hated insects. 它们好食蟑螂，可以使住宅免除这些讨厌昆虫的骚扰。 来自百科语句

4 snails   

n.蜗牛；迟钝的人；蜗牛( snail的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think I'll try the snails for lunch—I'm feeling adventurous today. 我想我午餐要尝一下蜗牛——我今天很想冒险。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Most snails have shells on their backs. 大多数蜗牛背上有壳。 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 snugly   

adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地

参考例句：

• Jamie was snugly wrapped in a white woolen scarf. 杰米围着一条白色羊毛围巾舒适而暖和。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The farmyard was snugly sheltered with buildings on three sides. 这个农家院三面都有楼房，遮得很严实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

8 squeaking   

v.短促地尖叫( squeak的现在分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者

参考例句：

• Squeaking floorboards should be screwed down. 踏上去咯咯作响的地板应用螺钉钉住。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Can you hear the mice squeaking? 你听到老鼠吱吱叫吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 torment   

n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠

参考例句：

• He has never suffered the torment of rejection.他从未经受过遭人拒绝的痛苦。
• Now nothing aggravates me more than when people torment each other.没有什么东西比人们的互相折磨更使我愤怒。