美国小学英语教材3:第58课 兔子的尾巴为什么短(1)

 Why the Rabbit's Tail Is Short 兔子的尾巴为什么短

Do you like to read about the tricks animals play on each other? 你喜欢读有关狡猾的动物互相捉弄的故事吗？

Friend Rabbit thought he was playing a good joke on Friend Alligator¹. But he suddenly changed his mind. 兔子以为他在和短吻鳄朋友开玩笑，但他突然改变了想法。

Once upon² a time the rabbit's tail was long, but now it is short. This is what happened many, many years ago. 很久以前兔子的尾巴很长，但现在却很短，这是许多许多年前发生的事情。

A rabbit one day sat by a swamp³, looking at the green plants on the other side. 一天一只兔子坐在一块沼泽旁，看着对岸的绿色植物。

They were the only things to eat that he could see. 它们是他看到的唯一能吃的东西。

Oh, how he wanted to cross the swamp and get the nice juicy⁴ plants. But he could not swim. 啊，他多想穿过沼泽，吃上那美味水灵的植物啊！但是他不会游泳。

Just then a lazy old alligator put his nose above the water, "I might ask him to take me across," said the rabbit to himself, 就在这时一只慵懒的老短吻鳄把鼻子露出了水面，我可以让他带我过去，兔子自言自语的说，

"But I am afraid that he is too proud to carry me, because he can walk and swim, too. 但恐怕他太过骄傲了，不愿意带我过去，因为他即会走也会游。

Perhaps I can get across the swamp by playing a trick on him. I will try it." 或许我可以耍个花招，让他带我穿过这个沼泽，我来试试。

"You look warm, Friend Rabbit," said the alligator. "Why don't you come into the water? It is cool here." 兔子朋友，你看起来挺热的。短吻鳄说，为什么不下到水里来呢？水里面很凉快。

Now the alligator knew very well that the rabbit could not swim. 其实短吻鳄十分清楚，兔子根本不会游泳。

"I am not warm at all," said the rabbit, "but I am a little hungry. 我根本就不热，只是有点饿，兔子说。

You see, there are a great many rabbits in the world. There are hundreds and hundreds of them. 你看世界上有那么多的兔子，简直是成百上千。

It takes many, many green leaves to feed us. 喂饱我们需要许多许多的绿叶子。

Oh, yes! Friend Alligator, we are a very large family. There are many more rabbits than alligators⁵." 哦，对了，短吻鳄朋友，我们是一个非常大的家族，兔子比短吻鳄多太多了。

1 alligator   

n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼)

参考例句：

• She wandered off to play with her toy alligator.她开始玩鳄鱼玩具。
• Alligator skin is five times more costlier than leather.鳄鱼皮比通常的皮革要贵5倍。

2 upon   

prep.在……上面

参考例句：

• I hope that fortune may smile upon you.我希望幸运之神会向你微笑。
• I rely upon you to finish the work on time.我相信你会准时完成这项工作的。

3 swamp   

n.沼泽，湿地；v.淹没，陷于沼泽

参考例句：

• The swamp teems with mosquitoes.这片沼泽地蚊子多极了。
• The water in the swamp is foul.沼泽中的水很臭。

4 juicy   

adj.多汁的

参考例句：

• The flesh of the peach was sweet and juicy.桃子的果肉甜而多汁。
• These pears are very juicy.这种梨含的水分很多。

5 alligators   

n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Two alligators rest their snouts on the water's surface. 两只鳄鱼的大嘴栖息在水面上。 来自辞典例句
• In the movement of logs by water the lumber industry was greatly helped by alligators. 木材工业过去在水上运输木料时所十分倚重的就是鳄鱼。 来自辞典例句