LESSON 41

THE FISHHAWK

鹗

rough beneath seaside timidly robber
spots osprey often fiercely twenty
compels breast mode hooked

LESSON 41 - 图1

  1. The fishhawk, or osprey, is not so large as the eagle; but he has, like the eagle, a hooked bill and sharp claws.

  2. His color is a dark brown, with black and white spots, and his length is from twenty to twenty-two inches. His breast is mostly white. His tail and wings are long.

  3. The fishhawk is often found sitting upon a tree over a pond, or lake, or river. He is also found by the seaside.

  4. He watches the fish as they swim in the water beneath him; then he darts down suddenly and catches one of them.

  5. When he catches a fish in his sharp, rough claws, he carries it off to eat, and, as he flies away with it for his dinner, an eagle sometimes meets him.

  6. The eagle flies at him fiercely with his sharp bill and claws, and compels the hawk to drop the fish.

  7. Then the eagle catches the fish as it falls, before it reaches the ground, and carries it off.

  8. The poor fish hawk, with a loud cry, timidly flies away. He must go again to the water and catch another fish for his dinner.

  9. Thus you see, that the eagle is a robber. He robs fishhawks, whose only mode of getting a living is by catching fish.

【中文阅读】

1．鹗不像老鹰那么大，但和老鹰一样，有一个钩状的喙和锋利的爪子。

2．它的颜色呈棕黑，身上长着黑白相间的斑点，身长二十至二十二英寸。它的胸脯大部分是白色的，尾巴和翅膀很长。

3．鹗常常坐在池塘、湖泊或河流边的树枝上，它也会出现在海边。

4．它观察着身下水中游动的鱼，突然俯冲，抓住其中的一条。

5．当鹗用锋利而粗暴的爪子抓到一条鱼后，就把鱼带走吃掉。当它带着晚餐飞走时，一只老鹰却正盯着它。

6．老鹰凶猛地向它飞去，用锋利的喙和爪子迫使鹗把鱼扔掉。

7．在鱼落地之前，老鹰接住了并把它叼走。

8．可怜的鹗一边高声地叫着，一边胆怯地飞走了。它必须再次回到水边抓另一条鱼，来做自己的晚餐。

9．你看，鹗唯一的生存模式就是抓鱼。老鹰则是强盗，它从鹗那里抢走了鱼。