Much of their time was spent in looking over their new home, 他们的大部分时间都花在看他们的新家上，

creeping first into one room, 先是爬进一个房间，

then into another as if trying to decide which they liked best. 然后又爬进另一个房间，仿佛在努力决定他们最喜欢哪个房间。

Then they would sit on the telephone wire in full view of the bird house, perhaps admiring it, and ready to attack and drive away any other bird which came near. 然后，他们会坐在电话线上，把鸟窝的全貌尽收眼福，或许还会赞叹一番，准备好攻击并赶走任何靠近的鸟儿。

And of course they never neglected their regular work of darting back and forth to catch the insects which they needed for their daily food. 当然，它们也从不忽视日常工作——来回飞掠，捕捉它们日常所需的昆虫。

At last one of the rooms was selected, and the birds began to gather bits of hay to make a nest, 最后，有一间屋子被选中了，鸟儿们开始收集干草搭窝。

and then followed swift visits to the poultry yard for feathers with which to line it. 接着，她又迅速地到家禽饲养场去找羽毛，以便在上面铺上羽毛。

One morning when Duncan opened the door of the henhouse and let out the hens, 一天早晨，邓肯打开鸡舍的门，把母鸡放了出去。

he was surprised and amused to see the swallows swoop down, pluck soft feathers from an indignant old hen, and bear them home in triumph. 他惊讶又高兴地看到燕子俯冲下来，从一只愤怒的老母鸡身上拔下柔软的羽毛，成功带回家。