英国语文第二册 第30期:北极熊

 　　LESSON 30 The white bear 第三十课 北极熊

　　In the cold North there is always snow on the ground.  在寒冷的北极常年冰雪覆盖。

　　Even in summer it is very cold, as great blocks of ice float about in the sea. 即使在夏天气温也很低，因为到处可见漂浮在海上的巨大冰块。

　　Here is the home of the Polar Bear.  北极熊正是安居于此。

　　He does not mind the cold; for God has given him a coat of thick fur to keep him warm.  因为上帝赐的一件厚厚的毛皮大衣，他不畏寒冷。

　　He enjoys the sharp air as much as you do the warm sunshine. 他漫步于凛冽的寒风中好似沐浴在温暖的阳光下。

　　He never slips on the ice, as you do; for the soles¹ of his feet are covered with long hair.  和人类不同，因脚底覆满长毛他从不会在冰面上滑倒。

　　He walks as softly² as if he had a pair of fur boots on. 他走路轻盈，就好像蹬有一双皮靴子。

　　The bear lives near the sea; for he likes to swim in the water.  北极熊临海而居，因为他喜欢在水里嬉戏玩耍。

　　And there, too, he generally finds plenty to eat.He is very fond of catching³ a seal for his dinner.  在那里，有很多食物尤其是他喜欢吃的海豹。

　　He roams⁴ over the ice till he comes to a place where he sees that the ice is melted. 他在冰上转悠直到发现有冰块消融的地方。

　　He knows that this is a likely place for a seal to pop up its head.  他知道海豹很可能从这里上来透气。

　　So he sits down and watches.By-and-by, up comes the round head of the seal.  于是他坐下来观望，不一会，一个圆圆的脑袋便伸了出来。

　　The bear pounces⁵ upon it.  熊猛扑上去，

　　He drags the seal out of the water, tears it to pieces, and eats it. 他把海豹从海里拖出来，撕成碎片后开始享用。

　　Sometimes he dives into the water after a fish, and is so quick, that he catches it before it can escape.  有时他会潜入水中追鱼，在鱼还没反应过来时就将其抓住。

　　Sometimes he comes upon a bit of dead whale, and thinks it a great treat. 有时他也会发现一条死鲸鱼，觉得是一顿大餐。

　　When he cannot find food on the coast, he goes to some spot where the snow has melted, and feeds on berries⁶.  当他在岸上找不到食物时，他就会去找冰雪消融的地方挖些浆果为食。

　　If he is very hungry indeed, he is glad to eat even the sea-weed on the shore. 如果他真的特别饿，吃到海边的水草对他来说也是一件高兴事。

1 soles   

n.鞋底( sole的名词复数 )；有…底的 -soled；脚掌；鳎（可食用比目鱼）

参考例句：

• The soles are made of leather. 鞋底是皮革做的。
• The grit beneath her soles grated harshly on the wooden deck. 粘在她鞋底的沙砾蹭在木甲板上发出刺耳的声音。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 softly   

adv.柔和地，静静地，温柔地

参考例句：

• He speaks too softly for her to hear.他讲话声音太轻，她听不见。
• She breathed her advice softly.她低声劝告。

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 roams   

随便走( roam的第三人称单数 )； 漫步； 眼睛或手 （缓慢地）扫遍； 摸遍

参考例句：

• The moon, like a queen, roams her realms of blue. 月亮像女王一样在蓝天漫游。
• He sits on the back a turtle, roams on the water a carefree expression. 这幅画北海真人，坐跨于灵龟之上，在水上遨游，神情洒脱自然。

5 pounces   

v.突然袭击( pounce的第三人称单数 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击）

参考例句：

• The attacker thinks it's still part of the lizard and pounces on it. 攻击者认为那仍然是蜥蜴身体的一部分，向它猛扑过去。 来自互联网

6 berries   

n.浆果( berry的名词复数 )；（葡萄，番茄等）浆果；干果仁；干种子

参考例句：

• Birds feed on nuts and berries in the winter. 鸟类靠坚果和浆果过冬。
• We went here and there looking for berries. 我们四处寻找浆果。 来自《简明英汉词典》