美国语文第五册 第256期:种子的传播与种植(5)

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　　I got, with the aid of a rake, many quarts of these nuts as late as the tenth of January;  待到翌年1月10日，我用钉耙还从林子里挖出好几夸脱栗子，

　　and though some bought at the store the same day were more than half of them moldy¹,  而恰好那天我从店里也买回一些栗子，可多半已霉坏变质。

　　I did not find a single moldy one among those which I picked from under the wet and moldy leaves,  v而恰好那天我从店里也买回一些栗子，可多半已霉坏变质。

　　where they had been snowed on once or twice. Nature knew how to pack them best.  栗子极易变质，大自然擅长保鲜之术，

　　They were still plump and tender. Apparently² they do not heat there, though wet. In the spring they are all sprouting³. 只要落叶濡湿，温度适宜，冬去春来，栗子便争先恐后露出胚芽。

　　Occasionally, when threading the woods in the fall, you will hear a sound as if some one had broken a twig⁴,  秋季穿过树林，或许听见类似有人折断树枝的窸窣，

　　and, looking up, see a jay pecking at an acorn⁵,  抬头望去，原来是只正在啄食橡果的松鸦，

　　or you will see a flock of them at once about it, in the top of an oak, and hear them break it off.  可能亦有成群松鸦在树梢上下翻飞啄食，窸窣声声不断。

　　They then fly to a suitable limb, and placing the acorn under one foot,  倏尔，它们又飞到其他树梢，

　　hammer away at it busily, making a sound like a woodpecker’s tapping,  一只爪子踩着橡实不停敲打，发出类似啄木鸟的笃笃声，

　　looking round from time to time to see if any foe⁶ is approaching,  时而左顾右盼，留意是否有敌人悄悄逼近。鸟儿很快啄到了果肉，

　　and soon reach the meat, and nibble⁷ at it, holding up their heads to swallow while they hold the remainder very firmly with their claws.  先是小口啄食，继尔仰头吞咽，爪子还紧紧抓着残剩果肉，

　　Nevertheless, it often drops to the ground before the bird has done with it.  尚有些橡实鸟喙未动，就已掉落地上。

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