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After this, there were no disasters in the quail family for nearly two months.
這件事情過后，近兩周鵪鶉家族都沒有出現任何災難。
The August moon hung large and bright above the eastern hills. There was the smell of ripening fruit and corn on the summer night air;
八月的太陽懸掛在高處，照亮了東邊的山峰，夏天的晚上，你可以聞到水果熟透和玉米的味道；
the cricket and the katydid were singing in the grass. Down from the deep woods came Mr. Raccoon,
蟋蟀和蟈蟈兒在草叢中唱歌，茂密的草叢中來了一個浣熊先生，
shuffling along across the pasture like a little bear. Soon a fresh puff of night wind brought him a most exciting scent.
像一只小熊一樣穿過牧場，并發出刷刷的聲音，不過一會，一陣清新的晚風拂過，這個味道讓它興奮不已。
He knew it quite well. It was that of a bevy of quail in hiding.
他非常清楚，暗處有一群鵪鶉。
The old raccoon knew just how they stood in that circular bunch with their tails all together and their heads looking outward,
老浣熊知道它們站在環形樹叢中，尾巴聚攏在一起，頭向外看，
that they might face in every direction. He flattened himself to the ground and crept forward almost as still as a cat.
或許它們朝著所有方向看去，它趴在地面上，像貓一樣寂靜無聲地匍匐前進。
Now he was no longer like a clumsy little bear; he was a cautious hunter.
它不再是笨手笨腳的小熊了，他是一只小心謹慎的獵手。
Once he heard the bevy stirring in their sleep; then he lay very still and waited until the mother bird's creets
當它聽到熟睡中的鵪鶉開始躁動，它躺在地上靜止不動，等待鵪鶉媽媽的咔咔聲，
and the soft peeps of the chickens had ceased.
和幼崽們微弱的唧唧聲褪去。
He now crept forward again. Nearer and nearer he drew, going more cautiously with each step,
它繼續匍匐前進，隨著距離拉近，它的每一步更加小心翼翼，
until at last lie was within springing distance.
直到趴在起跳距離內。
He then flattened himself out on the ground, strained all his muscles until they were like steel,
它平躺在地，拉緊所有肌肉，要讓肌肉變成鋼鐵，
and with a sudden motion sprang full in the midst of the sleeping bevy.
在鵪鶉熟睡中，它突然猛地一躍。
Click, click, click, went his jaws, snapping like lightning in every direction.
吱吱吱，它在咀嚼，好像從各個方向射出的閃電。
There was the sudden whir of many wings and a chorus of squeaks, peeps, and squawks from a dozen birds;
突然翅膀狂亂飛舞，十二只鵪鶉發出嘰嘰喳喳嘈雜的聲音；
and in three seconds' time the bevy was gone with the exception of two wounded birds who fluttered feebly in the grass.
三秒鐘之內，鵪鶉群消失了，僅留下兩只在草叢中無力翻騰，受傷的鵪鶉。
But a bite apiece from Mr. Raccoon soon stopped their fluttering.
浣熊先生各咬了他們一下，他們最終停止了翻騰。
