Beavers were at one time abundant in Europe, but they are now found chiefly in Canada and other parts of North America.  曾经欧洲有大量的海狸,但是现在却主要分布在加拿大和北美洲的其他地区.

The name beaver comes from a word which means builder; and a wonderful little builder he is.  海狸得名于一个意为"建造者"的词,因为海狸也是很棒的建造者.

But he not only builds houses; he is a capital wood-cutter and a skillful engineer as well. 但海狸不仅会造房子,还是重要的伐木者和熟练的工程师.

During summer, each beaver lives by himself in a burrow, which he digs out near a lake or stream. 夏天,海狸在湖或小溪边挖洞,每只海狸都单独住在一个洞穴里.

When winter comes, he quits this retreat, and unites with his fellows to build a winter home.  每当冬季降临,它们就遗弃夏天的住所,和同伴们一起建造冬天的住处.

They generally combine in troops of from two to three hundred;  通常,一群海狸由两到三百只组成；

so that, when the houses are all built, they form a little beaver town. 所以,挖好洞穴之后,洞穴就形成了一个小小的海狸城.

They begin by choosing a good site for their town; sometimes on the bank of a lake or a river, and sometimes on an island.  它们一开始先为小镇寻址；有时候选在湖岸或河岸上,有时在一座岛屿上.

They like a river best, because the running stream helps to carry down the trees they use in building. 它们最喜欢住在河边,因为河水会把木头冲下来为它们所用.

With no tool but their own sharp teeth, they soon cut down a tree.  虽然没有工具,但是它们能用锋利的牙齿很快啃倒一棵树.

If it stands close to the water, the beavers manage very cleverly to cut it down so that it shall fall into the river.  如果树长在河附近,海狸会很聪明地让树倒在水里,

In this way they can get the entire tree floated down the stream.  这样整棵树就会顺流而下.

But if the trees are at some distance, they have to cut them into several pieces, and drag them to the river-side with their teeth. 但是如果树木离河边远,它们就必须把树咬成几段,然后用牙齿拖到河边.

After they have got a supply of trees, the beavers begin their work of building.  有了木材,海狸就开始筑窝了.

The first thing they do is to make a dam across the river.  第一步,它们先在河里用木头做一个水坝,

This stops the current, and forms a deep pond at the riverside. The dam is made of logs and branches firmly fixed into the bed of the stream. 紧紧嵌入河床,阻断水流,在河边形成一个深深的池塘.

The spaces between the posts are filled up with stones and clay, and the whole is made as firm as the little animals can make it.  它们用石头和黏土堵住树木间的缝隙,使水坝尽量坚固.

The trees are dragged with their teeth from place to place, as they are wanted;  它们用牙齿把树木从一个地方拖到它们建住所的地方；

but the stones and clay are carried in an odd way between their fore-paws and their chins. 但是,搬运石头和泥土时,它们用的方法却很奇怪,前爪和下巴并用.