2-6 南非的野生动物（在线收听）

Wildlife in South Africa

As you first enter the bush, you'll no doubt be greeted by mischievous apes like the vervet monkey, the chacma baboon, often with a baby on its back. An almost guaranteed sighting in the first few minutes is the awkward looking warthog, scampering¹ along with its tail in the air. You'll have every opportunity to see giraffe, the world's tallest animals which reach as high as 5.2m (17 feet), and a multitude² of antelope roaming the bush. These include the stately kudu with its spiralling horns, the gemsbok whose long straight horns jut³ backward like giant thorns, sable, eland, roan and smaller species like impala, duiker and oribi. With close to 30 different species of antelope, distinguished by their colour, size, horns and the markings etched on their hide, you'll find it useful to have a comprehensive book on game close at hand.

Herds of zebra, including the unique mountain zebra, are also prevalent. Despite their peaceful and sometimes playful energy, zebra have the strength to kick hard with their back legs against attacking lion and other predators which relish⁴ their meat.

Then, there are wild cats like the sleek⁵ yet wicked looking caracal, genet and of course the cheetah differentiated from the leopard by their tear markings along their cheeks and their ability to run as fast as 112km per hour (70 miles per hour).

If Mother Nature⁶ is on your side, you may also come across wild dog, another endangered species, spotted hyena and black jackal. And wallowing in the water holes and dams, you'll spot the ears and eyes of hippopotami which weigh between 200 and 300kg (441 and 661lbs). Alongside these seemingly lazy mammals, crocodiles sun themselves on the sandbanks.

注释：

1.scamper [5skAmpE] vi. 疾走；惊奔

2.multitude [5mQltitju:d] n. 许多

3.jut [dVQt] vi. 突出；伸出

4.relish [5reliF] vt. 品味；饱尝

5.sleek [sli:k] adj. （皮肤、毛发等）油光光的；油亮的

6.Mother Nature （孕育万物的）大自然

南非的野生动物

　　一进入丛林，你肯定会受到淘气的猿猴的“欢迎”，如黑长尾猴、南非大狒狒（背上常驮着个小狒狒）。进入丛林的头几分钟里，你十有八九会看到长相笨拙的疣猪，翘着尾巴惊慌奔走。你准会见到世界最高的动物长颈鹿，它高达5.2米（17英尺）；还会看到成群的羚羊在林中漫步。这些羚羊包括威严的长着螺旋形角的非洲大羚——捻，其又长又直的角向后伸着就像巨刺的好望角大羚羊，还有貂羚、大角斑羚、沙毛羚和体形较小的如黑斑羚、小羚羊和侏羚。羚羊有近30个不同品种，其毛色、个头、角和皮上的斑纹各异，你会发现手头有本野生动物全书会很有用。

　　成群的斑马，包括独特的山地斑马，也都随处可见。尽管它们性情平和，有时还爱玩耍，但对那些袭击它们、想吃它们肉的狮子和其他捕食者，斑马也有用后腿奋起猛踢的力气。

另外，还有野生猫科动物，如皮毛光滑然而长相凶恶的大山猫、麝（香）猫，当然还有猎豹，其与豹的区别就在于它们脸颊上的泪痕状斑纹以及它们高达每小时112公里（70英里）的高速奔跑能力。

　　如果大自然垂青你，你可能还会看见野犬（另一濒危物种）、斑点鬣狗和黑背豺。你还会看到在池塘和水库中打滚的河马露出的耳朵和眼睛，它们重200到300公斤（441到661磅）。在这些看似懒洋洋的哺乳动物旁边，还有鳄鱼躺在沙滩上晒太阳。