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All the time they are at work, the beavers are constantly moving to and fro, trampling down the soft clay with their paws, and making all as smooth as they can. And it is a curious thing that they do all their work during the night.
工作時間，海貍總會走來走去，用爪子踩實軟粘土，并盡可能地使地面光滑。奇怪的是，它們在晚上才會工作。
Every care is taken to make the dam strong; and when any part of it is broken, the beavers never rest till they have mended it. They are ever on the watch; and the Indians, who know this, try to bring them out of their hiding-places by breaking the dam. In this way the poor beavers are often caught, as they rush forth to mend the breach.
為了讓水壩堅固，它們不敢有絲毫大意；一旦水壩某個部位破裂，它們就會不停息地將其修補完好。它們處處留心；知道這點的印第安人會試圖破壞它們的水壩，把它們從藏身之處趕出來。這樣，可憐的海貍經常會被捉住，因為它們都涌向前去修補缺口。
When the dam is finished, the beavers begin to build their little town. The houses are made of the same materials as the dam. They are all built on the edge of the pond; and passages run from them into the ground in all directions.
水壩建成后，海貍就開始建造它們的小鎮。建房子用的材料和筑水壩用的一樣。它們把房子都建在池塘邊上；每個方位都有通道直通地下。
The door of a beaver's house is under the water—generally three or four feet below the surface. There is no other opening of any kind. All the other passages lead to holes or caves where the beavers can hide themselves from their enemies.
它們房子的門口在水下——通常在水下三至四英尺深。這是唯一的門口。其它所有的通道都通向洞穴，這樣它們就能躲避敵人。
Each house holds from ten to twenty beavers. It has two rooms in it, one above the other. The upper one is where the beavers live. The lower room is used as a place to store their food, which consists chiefly of the bark of the silver-birch and poplar trees. It is kept under water, safe from the frost, and brought up as it is wanted.
每間房子有兩間房，一間在另一間的上面，里面住著十到二十只海貍。上層房間是海貍們居住的地方，下層則用來儲存食物，主要是白樺樹和白楊樹的樹皮。由于存在水下，所以不必擔心霜凍，只要想吃，就可以搬上來。
Like the bird and the bee, the beaver builds his house just as God has taught him. He has not reason to guide him in his work. This gift belongs to man alone. But the lower animals are born with the power of doing everything necessary to make themselves safe and comfortable. This power is called instinct.
海貍像鳥和蜜蜂一樣，天生就懂得筑巢。上帝不會在它們筑巢的過程中加以指點，因為這是人類的特權。但是低級動物天生就有一種能力——它們會盡一切可能保證自身安全和舒適。這種能力叫做本能。
QUESTIONS
問題
Where are beavers now chiefly found? What does the name beaver mean? Where does the beaver live in summer? What do they do in winter? Why do they like the bank of a river best? How do they cut down trees? What is the first thing they build? What is the use of this? Where are their houses built? Where is the door made? How many live in one house? How many rooms are in each house? What is the use of each? What is their food?
現在海貍主要分布在哪些地區？海貍的名字有什么含義？夏天海貍住在哪里？冬天它們會有何作為？它們為什么最喜歡在河岸上筑巢？它們怎么砍樹？它們最先建造什么？最先建的東西有什么用？它們把房子建在哪里？房子門口在哪里？一個洞穴住多少只海貍？每個洞穴里有多少房間？每間房的用處是什么？它們吃什么？
