VOA慢速英语2010年-Agriculture Report - Burros Can Do Mor

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

A burro is a small donkey. Another way that people say it is BOOR-oh. The name comes from Spanish and, before that, from a Latin term for a small horse. Donkeys are related to horses. Both are part of the equine family.

Burros reach an average height of over a meter. They can weigh more than two hundred twenty-five kilograms. The long-eared animals are often gray with white noses, jaws¹ and undersides. But they can also have coats of red or blue.

Burros are known for their sure footing on mountains while carrying heavy loads. Americans know about them mainly from a history of use as pack animals in Arizona and other areas of the desert Southwest. Gold miners and others imported them to work. Animals that escaped or were freed became the ancestors of burros in the wild today.

But burros are not only good pack animals. They can also help calm and control nervous horses and guard sheep and goats on farms. Robin² Rivello from the American Mustang and Burro Association says burros have even protected farm animals against bears.

People may have the idea that burros and donkeys do not like being told what to do. Experts say the animals are not being stubborn. They just like to take their time to consider what they will do.

In the United States, there are breeders who raise and sell burros. Americans can also adopt a burro removed from the wild by the Bureau of Land Management, a federal agency.

People who get a wild burro need to "gentle" the animal. Gentling means training it to accept the human attention needed for care and grooming⁴.

Burros like to clean each other. These desert animals groom³ themselves with dust. So it is normal for a burro to have some dirt in its coat. A brush can remove hardened mud.

Experts advise owners not to let their burros eat too much. Being overweight can ruin their health.

Robin Rivello says a burro's feet should be cleaned and cared for every six to eight weeks. But she warns owners not to raise the feet as high as with a horse. A burro's legs differ from the legs of a horse. The pain could make the burro kick.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. Go to voaspecialenglish.com for transcripts⁵, MP3s and captioned⁶ videos of our reports. I'm Karen Leggett.
 

1 jaws   

n.口部；嘴

参考例句：

• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
• The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

2 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 groom   

vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁

参考例句：

• His father was a groom.他父亲曾是个马夫。
• George was already being groomed for the top job.为承担这份高级工作，乔治已在接受专门的培训。

4 grooming   

n. 修饰, 美容，（动物）梳理毛发

参考例句：

• You should always pay attention to personal grooming. 你应随时注意个人仪容。
• We watched two apes grooming each other. 我们看两只猩猩在互相理毛。

5 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句

6 captioned   

a.标题项下的； 标题所说的

参考例句：

• This paper reviews the production, development and nationalization of the captioned materials. 本文就铜系合金引线框架材料的生产、发展和国产化进程作一论述。
• Please advise other considerable hotels for this captioned group. 请推荐其它一些高级的旅馆给这一群打标语的人。