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LESSON 50 The jaguar
五十課 美洲虎
The jaguar has his home in the New World. He lives in the great forests of South America.
美洲虎分布在新世界，住在南美洲的大森林里。
His skin is covered with dark spots, something like the leopard's, and he may be called the leopard of America.
美洲虎身上覆蓋著黑點，這與美洲豹身上的黑點類似。人們也稱其為住在美洲的美洲豹。
The favourite food of the jaguar is the flesh of the monkey; but he finds it no easy task to catch the nimble monkeys.
美洲虎最愛吃猴子的肉，但要抓住敏捷的猴子談何容易。
Sometimes, however, he finds them sleeping high up on the trees; and then he steals among them before they are aware that he is near.
然而，有時候，猴子們在高高的樹上沉睡時，美洲虎會悄悄靠近，等猴子們意識到危險，美洲虎已經得到美味了。
A few strokes of his terrible paw soon dashes some of them to the ground. The jaguar then descends, to feast at his leisure.
它只要揮幾下令人膽寒的爪子，就能把一些猴子打落在地，隨后它會從樹上跳下，享用大餐。
Travellers in the forests often hear the fierce roar of the jaguar, mingled with the yells of the monkeys. These sounds tell of the deadly work that is going on among the trees.
游客們經常能在森林里聽到美洲虎的咆哮，夾雜著猴子的尖叫。這些聲音表明，在某棵樹上又有猴子成為美洲虎的盤中餐。
The jaguar also feeds on other animals, and is strong enough to kill a deer or a horse.
美洲虎也吃其它動物，它很強，能殺死一只鹿或一匹馬。
If any animal pursued by the jaguar should take to the water, that makes no difference to him. He plunges into the water after it, and soon seizes his prey.
如果美洲虎追捕的動物跳進水里，那也是跑不掉的。它會跳進水里繼續追捕，很快就能抓住獵物。
The jaguar is also fond of fish, and watches for them by the river-side.
美洲虎也喜歡吃魚，經常在岸邊潛伏。
As soon as a fish comes within reach, he strikes it with his paw, and with his sharp claws he throws it on the bank.
只要有魚在它的攻擊范圍內，他就會用爪子攻擊，將魚拋到岸上。
He catches birds too; and so quick are his movements, that he will bound within reach of a bird, and strike it down before it has time to escape.
美洲虎也能捕鳥。它動作非常迅捷，跳起攻擊在范圍內的鳥，而小鳥沒有機會逃走。
QUESTIONS
問題
Where does the jaguar live? What other animal is he like? What is his favourite food? How does he best succeed in catching them? What other animals does the jaguar feed on? What does he do if his prey takes to the water? How does he catch fish? What else does he catch? How?
美洲虎住在哪里？美洲虎長得像其它什么動物？它最愛吃什么？它如何成功的捕獲獵物？它還吃什么其它動物？如果獵物跳入水里，它會怎么做？它怎么捕魚？它還會捕什么？怎么捕？
