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Do you know where a mule comes from?
你知道騾子是從哪來的嗎？
It is the child of a donkey and a horse.
它是驢和馬的后代。
Mules have strong muscles like horses, but they eat less, can work longer, and are gentler, like donkeys.
騾子有著像馬一樣健壯的肌肉，但是吃的更少，工作更久，并且更溫順，像驢子一樣。
George Washington was the first person in the United States to own mules.
喬治·華盛頓是美國第一個擁有騾子的人。
He had heard that mules made good farm animals and he contacted the US ambassador in Spain to ask about them.
他聽說騾子是很好的農場幫手，所以他聯系了美國的西班牙大使館并向他們咨詢。
In 1785, King Charles III of Spain sent Washington a male donkey as a gift.
在1785年，西班牙國王查爾斯三世送了一頭公驢給喬治·華盛頓當禮物。
That male donkey became the father of the mule industry in the US.
那頭公驢成為了美國騾子產業之父。
Every April, Maury County holds a Mule Day celebration.
每年四月，馬里郡都會舉行騾子節慶祝活動。
Held in Columbia, Tennessee, Mule Day had its beginning as "Breeder's Day" in the 1840s.
在田納西州的哥倫比亞市，騾子節開始于19世紀40年代的“繁殖日”。
Farmers and farm animal breeders would bring their animals to market every April to show, buy, and trade.
農場主和農場里飼養員會帶著他們的動物到市場來展示、購買和交易。
This was an important business before the days of tractors,
在沒有拖拉機的年代，
when many families made a living from farming and mules were used as work animals.
那時大部分家庭還是用牲口來耕地，這是一個很重要產業。
Eventually, tractors began to replace mules, making them less in demand.
最終，拖拉機取代了騾子，騾子的需求量下降。
A parade was added to Mule Day in 1934 to attract more people.
1934年，為了吸引更多的人，騾子節增加了游行。
Over the years other activities have been added and today more than 200,000 people show up each year to watch and participate.
后來幾年，騾子節有了更多的活動。如今，超過二十萬人來參加或者觀看騾子節。
If you visit the Mule Day celebrations,
如果你去參加騾子節，
you might see mule-driving contests, square dances, horse shows, or even tree-cutting competitions.
你會看到騎騾子比賽，廣場舞，馬秀，甚至修剪樹的比賽。
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
請根據你剛剛聽到的文章回答問題22至問題25。
Question 22: What does the speaker say about mules?
問題22：講話者說了關于騾子的什么？
Question 23: What do we learn about the donkey which is said to be the father of the U.S. mule industry?
問題23：我們可以了解據說是美國騾子之父的驢的什么信息？
Question 24: What did farmers usually do on Mule Day in the 1840s?
問題24：在19世紀40年代的騾子節，農民通常做些什么?
Question 25: What made mules less in demand in America?
問題25：是什么導致騾子在美國的需求減少？
