LESSON 9 THE BEAVER 海狸
1.The beaver is found chiefl y in North America.It is about three and a half feet long, including the fl at, paddle-shaped tail, which is a foot in length.
2.The long, shining hair on the back is chestnut-colored, while the fi ne, soft fur that lies next the skin, is grayish brown.
3.Beavers build themselves most curious huts to live in, and quite frequently a great number of these huts are placed close together, like the buildings in a town.
4.They always build their huts on the banks of rivers or lakes, for they swim much more easily than they walk, and prefer moving about in the water.
5.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.
6.These dams are made chiefly of mud, and stones, and the branches of trees.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.
7.Their huts are made of the same material as the dams, and are round in shape.The walls are very thick, and the roofs are fi nished off with a thick layer of mud, sticks, and leaves.
8.They commence building their houses late in the summer, but do not get them fi nished before the early frosts.The freezing makes them tighter and stronger.
9.They obtain the wood for their dams and huts by gnawing through the branches of trees, and even through the trunks of small ones, with their sharp front teeth.They peel off the bark, and lay it up in store for winter food.
10.The fur of the beaver is highly prized.The men who hunt these animals are called trappers.
11.A gentleman once saw five young beavers playing.They would leap on the trunk of a tree that lay near a beaver dam, and would push one another off into the water.
12.He crept forward very cautiously, and was about to fi re on the little creatures; but their amusing tricks reminded him so much of some little children he knew at home, that he thought it would be inhuman to kill them.So he left them without even disturbing their play.
【中文阅读】
1.海狸主要生活在北美地区。海狸大约三英尺半长，其中如浆一样的平坦尾巴就约一英尺长。
2.海狸后背上长长的光亮毛发是栗子色的，而紧靠皮肤的精美细柔皮毛则是灰棕色的。
3.海狸为自己建造的居所大多数奇形怪状，并且常常是很多小屋相邻，就像城市里的大楼一样。
4.它们总是将住所建造在河堤或湖边，因为它们在水中游泳比陆地上行走更方便一些，所以它们更喜欢在水中活动。
5.当它们在潺潺的小溪边建造自己的巢穴时，往往会建造一个跨越小溪的大坝，目的是按照自己的意愿保持水流的高度。
6.这些大坝主要由泥土、石头和树枝构成。有时候，它们建造的水坝足有六七百英尺长，如此完美的建筑，看上去更像是人类的杰作，而不是出自这些默不作声的小动物们之手。
7.它们的小屋和大坝都是由同样的材料建造而成的。小屋形状是圆的，墙壁非常厚实，屋顶则由一层厚厚的泥土、树棍和树叶组成。
8.它们常常在夏末开始建造小屋，但在霜冻来临前不会完工，因为霜冻会使小屋更加结实牢固。
9.为了得到修建大坝和小屋的木头，海狸用尖尖的前牙噬咬大树的细枝，有时候甚至还会咬断小树的树干。它们剥掉树皮，作为冬天备用的食物。
10.海狸的皮毛非常珍贵。猎杀这类动物的人被称为狩猎者。
11.曾经有一位先生，亲眼目睹了五只小海狸在玩耍。它们在自己建造的水坝附近嬉戏，大家都想跳过一棵大树的树干，于是相互推搡着想让另外一个掉进水里。
12.那位先生很小心地匍匐前进，随时准备射杀这些小动物，但是它们那些有趣的游戏使他想起了家中的孩子们。他心中想道：射杀这些动物是不人道的。因此，他悄悄地离开了，甚至没有打搅小海狸们的嬉闹玩耍。