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LESSON 62 The parrot
第六十二課 鸚鵡
Parrots abound in the forests of South America. They live where there is summer all the year round, where the leaves are always green, and the flowers are always blooming. There the bright little humming-bird may be seen darting about in the sunshine. And at night the firefly flits to and fro, shining like a tiny star.
鸚鵡在南美洲的森林比比皆是。他們在那里生存，一年四季都是夏天,樹葉總是綠色的,花兒總是盛開著的。在那里，小小的蜂鳥有時候會在陽光中飛來飛去。晚上的時候，螢火蟲飛來飛去，就像一顆亮晶晶的小星星。
The parrot makes his home in the forest, because he can find shade there in the heat of the day. If you were going through the forest, you would hear such a noise and chattering in the boughs over your head, that you would wonder what was the matter. If you looked up, you would see a great many parrots sitting on the boughs.
鸚鵡在森林里面筑巢，因為在白天天氣炎熱的時候，森林里面有樹蔭。當你在森林中穿行的時候，你就會聽到頭頂的樹枝上傳來的嘰嘰喳喳的聲音，你就會想這是怎么回事。抬頭一看，就會發現樹枝上有許多鸚鵡。
Parrots feed chiefly on fruit and seeds; and plenty of fruit grows in the forest for them to eat. They are very fond of the wild cherry, especially of the stone. They drive their hard, strong bill into it, and get the kernel out in a minute.
鸚鵡主要以水果和種子為食；森林里面的果實完全可以滿足他們的食物需求。他們非常喜歡野櫻桃，尤其是櫻桃核。他們用力啄櫻桃，將喙插入里面，在一分鐘之內就能吃到櫻桃核。
The bill of the parrot seems made on purpose to enable him to crack these stones. It is very sharp, and is hooked at the end. In fact, his bill is his knife, and his foot is his fork. He can hold anything he likes in his foot. It is as useful to him as your hand is to you.
鸚鵡的喙似乎就是專門用來剝開這些果核用的。鸚鵡喙非常的鋒利，末尾成勾狀。實際上，他的喙就是他的刀子，腳就是叉子。他可以用腳來抓住任何他喜歡的東西。他的腳就像你的手一樣有用。
The toes of the parrot are as distinct from each other as your fingers are; and the joints are so supple that he can bend them about in any way he pleases. If it were not for his foot, he could never climb the trees as he does. He hooks himself on to a branch overhead by his bill. Then he lays hold of a bough with his foot, and pulls himself up. He goes on climbing in this way till he gets to the top of the tree.
鸚鵡的腳趾就像你的手指一樣，各不相同。而且腳趾的關節非常的靈活，可以按照他的喜好任意彎曲。如果他沒有腳的話，那他就不可能像現在這樣爬上樹了。他用喙把自己掛在頭頂的樹枝上面。然后他用腳抓住樹枝，最后把自己拽上去。他就是這樣一路爬到樹的頂部的。
Parrots are very fond of bathing. They fly about till they find some clear pool or stream. Then they enjoy themselves very much indeed. They dip into the water, and splash it all over their feathers. When they are tired of bathing, they sit in the sun and dress their feathers till they are dry.
鸚鵡非常喜歡洗澡。他們會在空中盤旋著找到清澈的水池或者溪流。然后他們就在那里面盡情洗澡。他們在水中浸一下，水花濺濕了他們渾身的羽毛。他們洗澡洗累了之后，他們就站在陽光下，曬干自己的羽毛。
In the middle of the day, the heat becomes very great. Then the parrots fly into the deepest shade they can find. They perch on the trees and go to sleep. The chattering ceases, and the forest is still. But in the evening, when the sun is down, they wake up, and are as noisy and as lively as ever.
在正午的時候，氣候非常炎熱。這時候，鸚鵡就會飛進森林中他們能找到的最涼快的地方避暑。他們在樹上棲息睡覺。嘰嘰喳喳的聲音逐漸消失，森林一片寂靜。但是到了晚上，太陽下山之后，他們就醒了，嘰嘰喳喳的聲音又開始像之前一樣活躍了。
They sup, as they breakfasted, upon the kernels of the fruits; and then they go to the water to bathe once more. Again follows the business of pluming their feathers; and after this they go to rest for the night. But they do not roost in the branches where they took their mid-day nap. Their sleeping-room is a hollow in a tree, scooped out by the woodpecker.
他們啄一下果核，就像是在吃早餐一樣。然后他們就再次去水中洗澡。接著又開始擺弄自己的羽毛，然后晚上又去休息。但是他們不會在中午棲息的樹枝上睡覺。他們睡覺的地方是被啄木鳥挖的一個樹洞。
As many parrots go in as the hollow will contain. The rest hook themselves to the bark by their claws and bills, and hang there during the night.
樹洞里面住滿了鸚鵡。其他沒擠進樹洞的鸚鵡，在晚上，就會用爪子和喙把自己掛在樹上睡覺。
The parrot lays her eggs in these hollow trees. She does not make a nest, but is content with the soft rotten wood; and the whole flock lay their eggs together in the same tree.
鸚鵡會在樹洞中下蛋。她不會筑巢，但是柔軟腐爛的樹木就已經讓她感到滿足了。整群鸚鵡都會在同一棵樹里面下蛋。
QUESTIONS
問題
Where do parrots abound? How long does summer last there? Where does the parrot make his home? Why? What is his chief food? For what purpose does his bill seem to have been made? What has he for a fork? How does he use his bill in climbing? What do the parrots do in the heat of the day? What is the last thing they do before going to rest at night? What is their sleeping-room? Where do they lay their eggs?
哪里有大量的鸚鵡?在這里夏天有多長時間?鸚鵡在哪里安家?為什么?它的主要食物是什么?它的喙長成那樣是為了什么?什么是他的叉子?他如何使用他的爪子爬樹?鸚鵡在炎熱的天氣下會做什么?在晚上休息前，他們做的最后的一件事是什么?他們睡覺的地方是什么樣子的?他們在哪里下蛋?
