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LESSON 9
第9課
prefer
更喜歡
trapper
設陷阱捕獸者
forward
向前
material
材料
disturbing
令人不安的
dumb
愚蠢的
chiefly
主要是
gnawing
咬
America
美國
cautiously
小心翼翼的
height
高度
purpose
目的
tighter
更嚴格的
reminded
提醒
frequently
經常地
obtain
獲得
curious
好奇的
inhuman
不人道的
including
包括
constructed
構造
THE BEAVER
海 貍
The beaver is found chiefly in North America.
海貍主要出現在北美地區，
It is about three and a half feet long, including the flat, paddle-shaped tail,which is a foot in length.
包括如槳一樣平坦的尾巴在內，身體總長約3.5英尺，僅它的尾巴就有一英尺長。
The long, shining hair on the back is chestnut-colored, while the fine, soft fur that lies next the skin, is grayish brown.
它身后長長的光亮毛發是栗子色的，而緊靠皮膚的精美細柔皮毛則是略帶淺灰的棕色。
Beavers build themselves most curious huts to live in,
海貍為自己建造的居所大多奇形怪狀，
and quite frequently a great number of these huts are placed close together, like the buildings in a town.
而且經常是大批海貍比鄰而居，就像城市里的建筑物一樣。
They always build their huts on the banks of rivers orlakes, for they swim much more easily than they walk, and prefer moving about in the water.
它們總喜歡將自己的住所建造在河堤或湖邊。因為它們在水中比在岸上行走更容易些，所以它們更喜歡在水中移動。
When they build on the bank of a running stream, they make a dam across the stream for the purpose of keeping the water at the height they wish.
當它們在潺潺的小溪邊構建自己的巢穴時，往往會建造一條跨越溪流的大壩，目的是為了按照自己的意愿保證水流的高度。
These dams are made chiefly of mud, and stones, and the branches of trees.
這些大壩主要是由泥土、石頭和樹枝構成。
They are sometimes six or seven hundred feet in length, and are so constructed that they look more like the work of man than of little dumb beasts.
有時，它們建造的水壩足有六七百英尺長，如此完美的建筑，看起來更像是人類的杰作，絕非出自這些默不作聲的小動物之手。
Their huts are made of the same material as the dams,and are round in shape.
它們的小屋和水壩都是由同樣的材料建造而成，形狀也都是圓形的。
The walls are very thick, and the roofs are finished off with a thick layer of mud, sticks, and leaves.
墻壁非常厚實，屋頂則由厚而稠的泥土、枝條和樹葉組成。
They commence building their houses late in the summer,but do not get them finished before the early frosts.
它們常常在夏末開始建造自己的小屋，但是并不會在冰凍初期結束這個工程。
The freezing makes them tighter and stronger.
霜凍會使它們的房屋更加結實牢固。
They obtain the wood for their dams and huts by gnawing through the branches of trees,
海貍用自己那尖而長的前牙不斷地噬咬大樹的細枝，
and even through the trunks of small ones, with their sharp front teeth.
它們甚至還會咬斷小樹的主干，從而為自己的小屋和水壩儲存木材。
They peel off the bark,and lay it up in store for winter food.
它們會剝掉樹皮，作為冬天的食物以備后用。
The fur of the beaver is highly prized.
海貍的皮毛極其珍貴。
The men who hunt these animals are called trappers.
獵殺這類動物的人都被稱做獵人。
A gentleman once saw five young beavers playing.
曾經有一位先生，親眼看到過五只小海貍在玩耍。
They would leap on the trunk of a tree that lay near a beaver dam, and would push one another off into the water.
它們在自己建造的水壩附近嬉戲，大家都想跳過一根樹干，于是彼此推搡著想讓另外一個掉進水里。
He crept forward very cautiously, and was about to fire on the little creatures;
那位先生很謹慎地匍匐前進，隨時準備襲擊這些小生命；
but their amusing tricks reminded him so much of some little children he knew at home,
但是它們那有趣的把戲又使他想起了自己家中的小孩子，
that he thought it would be inhuman to kill them.
心里暗自尋思如此獵殺海貍是不人道的。
So he left them without even disturbing their play.
于是，他悄悄地離開了，并沒有打擾海貍們的嬉戲玩耍。
