LESSON 32

THE TIGER

老　虎

1. The tiger is a giant cat. His body is nearly covered with black stripes.

2. Unlike the lion, he runs so fast that the swiftest horse can not overtake him. He goes over the ground by making bounds or springs, one after another.

3. By night, as well as by day, the tiger watches for his prey. With a frightful roar, he will seize a man, and carry him off.

4. Have you ever thought what use whiskers are to cats? Lions have great whiskers, and so have tigers and all other animals of the cat kind.

5. Whenever you find an animal with whiskers like the cat's, you may be sure that animal steals softly among branches and thick bushes.

6. By the slightest touch on the tiger's whiskers, he knows when there is anything in his road.

7. A few years ago, some English officers went out to hunt. When coming home from their day's sport, they found a little tiger kitten.

8. They took it with them and tied it, with a collar and chain, to the pole of their tent. It played about, to the delight of all who saw it.

9. One evening, just as it was growing dark, they heard a sound that frightened them greatly. It was the roar of a tiger.

10. The kitten pulled at the chain, and tried to break away. With a sharp cry, it answered the voice outside.

11. All at once, a large tigress bounded into the middle of the tent. She caught her kitten by the neck, and broke the chain which bound it.

12. Then turning to the door of the tent, she dashed away as suddenly as she had come.

【中文阅读】

1．老虎像只巨大的猫。它的身上长有黑色条纹。

2．和狮子不同的是，它跑得很快，连跑得最快的马也赶不上它。它一次接一次地跳跃飞奔，越过大地。

3．在夜里，和白天一样，老虎守候着它的猎物。随着一声可怕的大吼，它可以抓住一个人，并致他于死。

4．你想过猫是如何使用其胡须的吗？和老虎及其他猫科动物一样，狮子也有很长的胡须。

5．一旦你找到了一只长着和猫一样的胡须的动物，你可能会发现，他们常常安静地藏在树枝和茂密的灌木丛里。

6．借助胡须上轻微的触觉，老虎能知晓何时会有东西出现在他的周围。

7．几年前，一些英国官员外出打猎。当他们结束白天的狩猎回家时，他们发现了一只小老虎。

8．他们把它捉住，用衣带和锁链绑在帐篷的杆子上，被所有看到它的人戏弄。

9．一天夜里，他们听到了一阵令他们十分恐惧的声音。那是老虎的吼声。

10．小老虎正在挣脱锁链，试图逃跑。一阵急促的叫声过后，外面传来了应和声。

11．突然，一只大母老虎跳进帐篷中。它用脖颈吻了吻她的孩子，撕开了绑着的锁链。

12．然后，它转身回到帐篷门口，和来时一样迅速地跑掉了。