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【英文原文】
Stork An old belief is that the stork is a sign of good luck, because it foretells the birth of a child. Parents often explain the mystery of birth to their young children by saying that they were brought by the stork.
Swallow It is considered a sign of good luck if a swallow builds its nest under the eaves of one's house. Dryden says in his poem, "Swallows are unlucky birds to kill."
Swan Stories say that before a swan dies, it sings beautiful songs. Many great ancient writers, including Plato, Aristotle, Euripides, Cicero, Seneca and others had this false belief. In Othello, Emilia, just before his death, says:
I will play the swan,
And die in music.
In English, the last work produced by an artist, writer, or composer, or the last performance of an actor or singer it often called his or her swan song. For example, Schubert's last and greatest collection of songs is called Swan song, which was written in 1828 before his death.
According to a Greek legend, the soul of Apollo, the god of music and poetry, passed into a swan. So some people say the souls of all good poets passed into swans. For this reason, Shakespeare is called the Swan of Avon; Virgil, the Swan of Mantua; Homer, the Swan of Meander.
