英国语文第四册 第31期:缝叶莺(下)

It is hidden from the prying eyes of the forest robbers; and here the young brood are hatched in safety.

缝叶莺的巢隐藏地很好，成功的避开了森林里强盗的窥视；在这里，雏鸟安全地孵化出来。

You may see them put out their heads when they are expecting their mother back with an insect or a worm for their food.

当雏鸟们期盼鸟妈妈嘴里叼着小虫飞回来，喂它们美食时，它们就会从巢中伸出小脑袋。

But at the slightest sound of danger, in they draw them,

但即便是最轻微的危险声响，它们都会立刻缩进去，

and then there seems to be nothing but the leaf hanging with the other leaves upon the bough.

好像什么都没有了，就只有悬挂在枝头的这片树叶和其它叶子。

Another little bird, called the Indian sparrow, is equally ingenious.

另一类小鸟叫做印度麻雀，同样很有创造性。

She builds her nest on the highest tree she can find, and if it overhangs a river so much the better.

它把窝筑在能找到的最高的树上，如果鸟窝能高悬于河上，那就更好了。

She makes it of grass, which she weaves like cloth, and fashions it into the shape of a bottle.

鸟窝以青草为材料，印度麻雀把这些青草像布料一样编织在一起，呈瓶子状，时尚又漂亮。

It contains several apartments, and the entrance is at the bottom.

这样的鸟窝建有几层寓所，入口处就在瓶子的底部。

The oddest thing about this nest is, that the bird is said to light up her rooms with fire-flies,

关于这种鸟巢最奇特的地方是，据说鸟儿会用黏土把萤火虫粘在鸟窝的壁上，

which she sticks to the walls by pieces of clay!

这样萤火虫就能照亮各个房间了。

One naturalist thinks she must bring them home for food;

一个博物学家认为，印度麻雀一定是把萤火虫带回家当做美餐；

and another supposes that she places them there to dazzle the eyes of the bats,

另一种假设是，它将熠熠闪光的萤火虫放在那里，让夜间捕食的蝙蝠眼花缭乱，

that would gladly prey upon her young ones if they could.

以防止蝙蝠们捕食它的雏鸟。