美国语文第四册 第115期:长颈鹿(1)

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　　It is of singular shape and size, and bears some resemblance both to the camel and the deer. 是一种外形和尺寸独特的动物，与骆驼和鹿都有相似的特征。

　　The mouth is small; the eyes are full and brilliant; the tongue is rough, very long, and ending in a point. 口部很小；眼睛又圆又亮；舌头粗糙，而且很长，舌尖很尖。

　　The neck is long and slender, and, from the shoulder to the top of the head, it measures between seven and eight feet; 脖子细长，从肩到头顶有七到八英尺；

　　from the ground to the top of the shoulder, it is commonly ten or eleven feet; 自地面到肩，一般有十或十一英尺；

　　so that the height of a full-grown giraffe is seventeen or eighteen feet. 因此一个成年的长颈鹿的高度是十七或十八英尺。

　　The hair is of a deep brown color in the male, and of a light or yellowish brown in the female. 雄长颈鹿的毛是深灰色的，而雌长颈鹿的毛是淡褐色或黄褐色的。

　　The skin is beautifully diversified¹ with white spots. 长颈鹿的皮肤上有漂亮的白点。

　　They have short, blunt horns, and hoofs² like those of the ox. 长颈鹿的角是短的，并不尖锐，蹄子和牛的相似。

　　In their wild state, they feed on the leaves of a gum-bearing tree peculiar³ to warm climates. 野生状态的长颈鹿吃含树胶的树叶，这种树是气候温暖的地方特有的。

　　The giraffe, like the horse and other hoofed⁴ animals, defends itself by kicking; 像马或其他有蹄类动物一样，长颈鹿用踢腿来保护自己；

　　and its hinder limbs are so light, and its blows so rapid, that the eye can not follow them. 长颈鹿的后肢非常灵巧，踢的时候快得我们的眼睛都跟不上。

　　They are sufficient for its defense⁵ against the lion. 这使长颈鹿甚至可以和狮子对抗。

　　It never employs its horns in resisting the attack of an enemy. 长颈鹿从来不用角来对付敌人。

　　Its disposition⁶ is gentle, and it flees to its native forest upon the least alarm. 它脾气温和，得到轻微的警报就会跑回森林。

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