美国语文第三册 第38期:蝙蝠

 　　Bats are very strange little animals, having hair like mice,and wings like birds. 蝙蝠是很奇怪的动物，有着像老鼠一样的毛发和像小鸟一样的翅膀。

　　During the day, they live in crevices¹ of rocks, in caves, and in other dark places. 白天，它们都待在岩石裂缝、洞穴以及其他黑暗的地方。

　　At night, they go forth² in search of food; and, no doubt, you have seen them flying about, catching³ such insects as happen to be out rather late at night. 它们经常在夜里出来觅食，毫无疑问，你可能曾经看见过它们飞来飞去地捕捉那些偶尔在深夜出没的昆虫。

　　The wings of a bat have no quills⁴. 蝙蝠的翅膀并没有羽毛，

　　They are only thin pieces of skin stretched upon a framework of bones. 只有薄薄的皮挂在骨架上。

　　Besides this, it may be said that while he is a quadruped, he can rise into the air and fly from place to place like a bird. 除此之外，据说蝙蝠还有两只脚，它也能像小鸟那样在空中飞来飞去。

　　There is a funny fable⁵ about the bat, founded upon this double character of beast and bird, which I will tell you. 基于蝙蝠的这种鸟兽双重特性，还有一个有趣的寓言，我会慢慢告诉你。

　　An owl⁶ was once prowling about, when he came across a bat. 有一次，一只猫头鹰在空中徘徊，这时，它看见了一只蝙蝠。

　　So he caught him in his claws, and was about to devour⁷ him. 于是，它就用爪子抓住了蝙蝠，准备要吞下去。

　　Upon this, the bat began to squeal⁸ terribly; and he said to the owl, "Pray, what do you take me for, that you use me thus?" 就在这时，蝙蝠可怜巴巴地啼哭着对猫头鹰说：“求求你告诉我，你以为我是谁，为什么抓我呢？”

　　"Why, you are a bird, to be sure," said the owl, "and I am fond of birds." “为什么，你是一只鸟，千真万确，”猫头鹰说，“我很喜欢鸟类。”

　　I love dearly to break their little bones. 我最爱做的就是弄断它们的小骨头。

　　"Well," said the bat, "I thought there was some mistake." 蝙蝠说：“好吧，我想你可能真弄错了。”

　　I am no bird. 我不是鸟。

　　Don't you see, Mr. Owl, that I have no feathers, and that I am covered with hair like a mouse? 猫头鹰先生，我并没有羽毛，而且我身上的毛很像老鼠，你没看到吗？

　　"Sure enough," said the owl, in great surprise; "I see it now." “的确如此，”猫头鹰惊讶地说道，“我现在看清楚了。”

　　Really, I took you for a bird, but it appears you are only a kind of mouse. 真的，我以为你是一只鸟呢，但是，从外表看来，你就是一只老鼠。

　　I ate a mouse last night, and it gave me the night mare⁹. 我昨天晚上刚吃了一只老鼠，还让我做了一场噩梦。

　　I can't bear mice! Bah! it makes me sick to think of it. 我再也不吃老鼠了！呸，真让我恶心！

　　So the owl let the bat go. 于是，猫头鹰就放走了蝙蝠。

　　The very next night, the bat encountered another danger. 到了第二天，这只蝙蝠又遇到了危险。

　　He was snapped up by puss, who took him for a mouse, and immediately prepared to eat him. 它被一只花猫逮住了，小花猫把它当成了老鼠，正准备要吃掉它。

　　"I beg you to stop one moment," said the bat. "Pray, Miss Puss, what do you suppose I am?" “求求你，等一下，”这只蝙蝠说，“拜托你告诉我，花猫小姐，你把我当成什么了？”

　　"A mouse, to be sure!"said the cat. "Not at all," said the bat, spreading his long wings. “一只老鼠，千真万确！”花猫说。“根本不是。”蝙蝠说着，立刻伸展开它的翅膀。

　　"Sure enough," said the cat: "you seem to be a bird,though your feathers are not very fine." “果真不是呀，”花猫说，“尽管你的翅膀不那么漂亮，但你看上去真像小鸟。”

　　I eat birds sometimes, but I am tired of them just now, having lately devoured¹⁰ four young robins¹¹; so you may go. 我有时也吃小鸟，但我厌倦小鸟，最近已经吃了四只小知更鸟了；所以，你可以走了。

　　But, bird or mouse, it will be your best policy to keep out of my way here after. 但是，不管你是小鸟，还是老鼠，为了保险起见，从今往后最好别再出现在我面前。

　　The meaning of this fable is, that a person playing a double part may sometimes escape danger; 这则寓言故事的意义是，一个两面玲珑的人有时可能会逃脱危险，

　　but he is always,like the bat, a creature that is disgusting to everybody, and shunned¹² by all. 但他却会像蝙蝠那样遭人厌恶和唾弃。

1 crevices   

n.（尤指岩石的）裂缝，缺口( crevice的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It has bedded into the deepest crevices of the store. 它已钻进了店里最隐避的隙缝。 来自辞典例句
• The wind whistled through the crevices in the rock. 风呼啸着吹过岩石的缝隙。 来自辞典例句

2 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

3 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

4 quills   

n.（刺猬或豪猪的）刺( quill的名词复数 )；羽毛管；翮；纡管

参考例句：

• Quills were the chief writing implement from the 6th century AD until the advent of steel pens in the mid 19th century. 从公元6世纪到19世纪中期钢笔出现以前，羽毛笔是主要的书写工具。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Defensive quills dot the backs of these troublesome creatures. 防御性的刺长在这些讨人厌的生物背上。 来自互联网

5 fable   

n.寓言；童话；神话

参考例句：

• The fable is given on the next page. 这篇寓言登在下一页上。
• He had some motive in telling this fable. 他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

6 owl   

n.猫头鹰，枭

参考例句：

• Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
• I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚，经常半夜后才睡觉。

7 devour   

v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷

参考例句：

• Larger fish devour the smaller ones.大鱼吃小鱼。
• Beauty is but a flower which wrinkle will devour.美只不过是一朵，终会被皱纹所吞噬。

8 squeal   

v.发出长而尖的声音；n.长而尖的声音

参考例句：

• The children gave a squeal of fright.孩子们发出惊吓的尖叫声。
• There was a squeal of brakes as the car suddenly stopped.小汽车突然停下来时，车闸发出尖叫声。

9 mare   

n.母马，母驴

参考例句：

• The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。
• The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。

10 devoured   

吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光

参考例句：

• She devoured everything she could lay her hands on: books, magazines and newspapers. 无论是书、杂志，还是报纸，只要能弄得到，她都看得津津有味。
• The lions devoured a zebra in a short time. 狮子一会儿就吃掉了一匹斑马。

11 robins   

n.知更鸟，鸫( robin的名词复数 )；（签名者不分先后，以避免受责的）圆形签名抗议书（或请愿书）

参考例句：

• The robins occupied their former nest. 那些知更鸟占了它们的老窝。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Benjamin Robins then entered the fray with articles and a book. 而后，Benjamin Robins以他的几篇专论和一本书参加争论。 来自辞典例句

12 shunned   

v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was shunned by her family when she remarried. 她再婚后家里人都躲着她。
• He was a shy man who shunned all publicity. 他是个怕羞的人，总是避开一切引人注目的活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》