英国学生科学读本 第47期:人类的朋友(1)

 　　Lesson 47 Our Friend The Dog

　　第47课 狗——人类的朋友

　　Cats usually like the house in which they live better than they like the people who live in it. They will leave a kind mistress¹ and go back to their old homes. But if we are kind to our dogs, they will love us, and will follow us all over the world.

　　猫非常重视生活的屋子环境，相对就不那么重视屋子里的人。猫可能会离开和善的女主人，回到自己原来的住处。不过，我们要是好好地对待自己的狗，狗就会爱我们，跟着我们走到天涯海角。

　　Dogs were once wild animals. Wild dogs are still found in some countries. They hunt in packs, and feed on the flesh of the animals which they kill.

　　狗以前曾经是野生动物。现在的一些地区还能找到野狗。野狗成群地狩猎，以杀死的动物为食。

　　The dog has a long pointed² nose or muzzle³. If a dog's nose feels cold and wet, this shows that he is quite well; when he is ill, his nose feels hot and dry.

　　狗的鼻子又长又尖，学名叫“口鼻部”，狗在健康的时候，鼻尖是又湿又冷的；病了，鼻子就变得又热又干。

　　Under the loose skin of the dog we can feel his strong backbone⁴, and also the muscles or lumps⁵ of flesh by which he moves his legs and all the other parts of his body.

　　狗的皮肤比较松弛，皮肤下面，我们能摸到强壮的脊椎骨，还有大块的肌肉，狗就用这些肌肉，活动四条腿，也活动身体的其余部分。

　　The dog has five toes on each of his fore-feet, but only four toes on each hind-foot. Each toe has a strong nail or claw, with which the dog can scratch and dig in the ground. Perhaps you have seen him digging a hole, and burying in it the bones which he has not finished eating.

　　狗的每条前腿上都有五个脚趾，但是后腿上只有四个脚趾。每个脚趾都长着一个坚硬的“指甲”或者“爪”，狗可以用爪子抓地、刨地。也许你见过狗在地上挖洞，把没吃完的骨头埋在洞里。

　　The cat has sheaths or cases into which it draws back its claws when they are not wanted. The dog has not. For this reason, a dog's claws are never sharp like those of the cat.

　　猫在不用爪子的时候，可以把爪子缩回到“爪鞘”或者“爪套”里面，这个部分的学名是“球套”。狗却没有这个部分，所以狗的爪子始终不会像猫一样锋利。

　　The dog cannot walk so quietly as the cat; for although his feet have soft pads⁶ under the toes, the points of the hard claws strike against the ground, and make a noise when he walks or runs.

　　狗走路的时候，不像猫那么安静，因为狗的脚尽管也有软垫，但也是硬硬的爪尖会碰着地面，狗在走动或者跑动的时候就会发出声音。

1 mistress   

n.（文学用语）使男子为之倾倒的女人，女主人

参考例句：

• Does his wife know he has a mistress?他的妻子知道他有一个情妇吗？
• Is your mistress at home?你家女主人在家吗？

2 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。

3 muzzle   

n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默

参考例句：

• He placed the muzzle of the pistol between his teeth.他把手枪的枪口放在牙齿中间。
• The President wanted to muzzle the press.总统企图遏制新闻自由。

4 backbone   

n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气

参考例句：

• The Chinese people have backbone.中国人民有骨气。
• The backbone is an articulate structure.脊椎骨是一种关节相连的结构。

5 lumps   

n.金丝鸟病，块煤；块( lump的名词复数 )；肿块；傻大个；笨拙的人v.结成块( lump的第三人称单数 )；把…归并在一起（考虑），将人[物]同等对待[分类]

参考例句：

• This oatmeal lumps if you don't stir it well. 如果你不好好搅动，麦片粥会结块的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Break up these large lumps of dirt. 把这些大泥块弄碎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 pads   

n.垫( pad的名词复数 )；发射台；住所；肉趾v.给…装衬垫，加垫子( pad的第三人称单数 )；步行，放轻脚步走

参考例句：

• medicated cleansing pads for sensitive skin 敏感皮肤药物清洗棉
• Elbow pads and knee pads are essential on a skateboard. 滑滑板时带护肘和护膝是必要的。 来自《简明英汉词典》