新概念英语第四册Lesson 18 Porpoises

Lesson 18
Porpoises²
海豚

First listen and then answer the following question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。

What would you say is the main characteristic of porpoises?

There has long been a superstition³ among mariners⁶ that porpoises will save drowning men by pushing them to the surface, or protect them from sharks by surrounding them in defensive⁷ formation. Marine⁴ Studio biologists have pointed⁸ out that, however intelligent they may be, it is probably a mistake to credit dolphins with any motive⁹ of lifesaving. On the occasions when they have pushed to shore an unconscious human being they have much more likely done it out of curiosity or for sport, as in riding the bow waves of a ship. In 1928 some porpoises were photographer working like beavers¹¹ to push ashore¹² a waterlogged mattress¹³. If, as has been reported, they have protected humans from sharks, it may have been because curiosity attracted them and because the scent¹⁴ of a possible meal attracted the sharks. Porpoises and sharks are natural enemies. It is possible that upon such an occasion a battle ensued, with the sharks being driven away or killed.
Whether it be bird, fish or beast, the porpoise¹ is intrigued¹⁶ with anything that is alive. They are constantly after the turtles, who peacefully submit to all sorts of indignities¹⁷. One young calf¹⁸ especially enjoyed raising a turtle to the surface with his snout and then shoving him across the tank like an aquaplane. Almost any day a young porpoise may be seen trying to turn a 300-pound sea turtle over by sticking his snout under the edge of his shell and pushing up for dear life. This is not easy, and may require two porpoises working together. In another game, as the turtle swims across the oceanarium, the first porpoise swoops²⁰ down from above and butts²² his shell with his belly²³. This knocks the turtle down several feet. He no sooner recovers his equilibrium²⁴ than the next porpoise comes along and hits him another crack. Eventually the turtle has been butted²⁵ all the way down to the floor of the tank. He is now satisfied merely to try to stand up, but as soon as he does so a porpoise knocks him flat. The turtle at last gives up by pulling his feet under his shell and the game is over.
RALPH NADING HILL Window in the Sea

New words and expressions 生词和短语
porpoise
n. 海豚
mariner⁵
n. 水手
shark
n. 鲨鱼
formation
n. 队形
dolphin
n. 海豚科动物
unconscious
adj. 不省人事
beaver¹⁰
n. 海狸
ashore
adv. 上岸
waterlogged
adj. 浸满水的
scent
n. 香味
ensue
v. 接着发生
intrigue¹⁵
v. 引起兴趣
indignity²⁶
n. 侮辱
snout
n. 口鼻部
shove
v. 硬推
aquaplane
n. 驾浪滑水板
oceanarium
n. 水族馆
swoop¹⁹
v. 猛扑
belly
n. 腹部
equilibrium
n. 平衡
butt²¹
v. 碰撞
crack
n. 重击

参考译文
长期以来，海员中流传着一种迷信的说法，认为海豚会把快要淹死的人托到水面，救人性命；或在人们周围列队保护，使他们免遭鲨鱼伤害。海洋摄影室的生物学家指出，无论海豚多么聪明，认为它们有救人的动机可能是错误的。当它们偶尔把一个失去知觉的人推到岸边时，更大的可能是出于好奇或游戏，就像它们追逐被船首犁开的浪花一样。1928年，有人拍摄到了海豚像海狸一样把浸透水的床垫推上岸的情景。正如报道中所说，如果海豚保护人不受鲨鱼侵害，那么它们可能是出于好奇；而鲨鱼可能是闻到了可以美食一顿的香味。海豚和鲨鱼是天然仇敌，双方可能随之发生搏斗，搏斗结果是海豚赶走或咬死鲨鱼。
海豚对凡是活的东西都感兴趣，不管是鸟、是鱼，还是野兽。它们经常追逐海龟，海龟则温顺地忍受着各种侮辱。一只小海豚特别喜欢用鼻子把海龟推到水面，然后像滑水板一样把海龟从水池的这一边推到那一边。几乎每天都可以看到一只小海豚把鼻子顶入一只300磅重的海龟的硬壳下面，拼命地把它翻过来。这并非易事，可能需要两只海豚合伙干才行。在另一场游戏中，当海龟游过水族馆时，第一只海豚从上方猛扑下去，用腹部撞击龟壳。这一下子把海龟撞下去好几英尺。海龟刚恢复平衡，第二只海豚又冲过来猛击一下。这只海龟最终被撞到池底。此时的海龟，只要能站起来就满足了，但它刚站起来，就被一只海豚击倒。海龟终于屈服了，将4条腿缩进壳内。游戏到此结束。

新概念英语正版图书购买

1 porpoise   

n.鼠海豚

参考例句：

• What is the difference between a dolphin and porpoise?海豚和和鼠海豚有什么区别？
• Mexico strives to save endangered porpoise.墨西哥努力拯救濒危的鼠海豚。

2 porpoises   

n.鼠海豚( porpoise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A shoal of porpoises are well on the feed. 一群海豚正在吞食。 来自辞典例句
• In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. 1928年有人把这些海豚象海狸那样把一床浸泡了水的褥垫推上岸时的情景拍摄了下来。 来自辞典例句

3 superstition   

n.迷信，迷信行为

参考例句：

• It's a common superstition that black cats are unlucky.认为黑猫不吉祥是一种很普遍的迷信。
• Superstition results from ignorance.迷信产生于无知。

4 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

5 mariner   

n.水手号不载人航天探测器，海员，航海者

参考例句：

• A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner.平静的大海决不能造就熟练的水手。
• A mariner must have his eye upon rocks and sands as well as upon the North Star.海员不仅要盯着北极星，还要注意暗礁和险滩。

6 mariners   

海员，水手（mariner的复数形式）

参考例句：

• Mariners were also able to fix their latitude by using an instrument called astrolabe. 海员们还可使用星盘这种仪器确定纬度。
• The ancient mariners traversed the sea. 古代的海员漂洋过海。

7 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

8 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

9 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

10 beaver   

n.海狸，河狸

参考例句：

• The hat is made of beaver.这顶帽子是海狸毛皮制的。
• A beaver is an animals with big front teeth.海狸是一种长着大门牙的动物。

11 beavers   

海狸( beaver的名词复数 )； 海狸皮毛； 棕灰色； 拼命工作的人

参考例句：

• In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. 1928年有人把这些海豚象海狸那样把一床浸泡了水的褥垫推上岸时的情景拍摄了下来。
• Thus do the beavers, thus do the bees, thus do men. 海狸是这样做的，蜜蜂是这样做的，人也是这样做的。

12 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

13 mattress   

n.床垫，床褥

参考例句：

• The straw mattress needs to be aired.草垫子该晾一晾了。
• The new mattress I bought sags in the middle.我买的新床垫中间陷了下去。

14 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

15 intrigue   

vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋

参考例句：

• Court officials will intrigue against the royal family.法院官员将密谋反对皇室。
• The royal palace was filled with intrigue.皇宫中充满了勾心斗角。

16 intrigued   

adj.好奇的，被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式)；激起…的兴趣或好奇心；“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• You've really intrigued me—tell me more! 你说的真有意思—再给我讲一些吧！
• He was intrigued by her story. 他被她的故事迷住了。

17 indignities   

n.侮辱，轻蔑( indignity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The soldiers who were captured suffered many indignities at the hands of the enemy. 被俘的士兵在敌人手中受尽侮辱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• What sort of indignities would he be forced to endure? 他会被迫忍受什么样的侮辱呢？ 来自辞典例句

18 calf   

n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮

参考例句：

• The cow slinked its calf.那头母牛早产了一头小牛犊。
• The calf blared for its mother.牛犊哞哞地高声叫喊找妈妈。

19 swoop   

n.俯冲，攫取；v.抓取，突然袭击

参考例句：

• The plane made a swoop over the city.那架飞机突然向这座城市猛降下来。
• We decided to swoop down upon the enemy there.我们决定突袭驻在那里的敌人。

20 swoops   

猛扑，突然下降( swoop的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He fixes his eyes on the greyish spine of the old wolf as he swoops down. 他两眼死死盯住老狼灰黑的脊背。 来自汉英文学 - 现代散文
• An owl swoops from the ridge top, noiseless but as flame. 蓦地，山脊上一只夜枭飞扑直下，悄无声响而赫然如一道火光。

21 butt   

n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶

参考例句：

• The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
• He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

22 butts   

笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。
• The house butts to a cemetery. 这所房子和墓地相连。

23 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

24 equilibrium   

n.平衡，均衡，相称，均势，平静

参考例句：

• Change in the world around us disturbs our inner equilibrium.我们周围世界的变化扰乱了我们内心的平静。
• This is best expressed in the form of an equilibrium constant.这最好用平衡常数的形式来表示。

25 butted   

对接的

参考例句：

• Two goats butted each other. 两只山羊用角顶架。
• He butted against a tree in the dark. 他黑暗中撞上了一棵树。

26 indignity   

n.侮辱，伤害尊严，轻蔑

参考例句：

• For more than a year we have suffered the indignity.在一年多的时间里,我们丢尽了丑。
• She was subjected to indignity and humiliation.她受到侮辱和羞辱。