12. Cows奶牛

New Words 新單詞

leg (n.)

讀音：[leg]

釋義：腿（名詞）

produce (v.)

讀音：[prəˈdju:s]

釋義：生產；繁殖（動詞）

everywhere (adv.)

讀音：[ˈevriweə(r)]

釋義：到處（副詞）

country / countries

讀音：[ˈkʌntri] /[ˈkʌntriz]

釋義：國家

started (past tense of start) (v.)

讀音：[s'tɑ :tɪd]

釋義：開始（start的過去式）（動詞）

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These days, cows are not wild animals and we are only able to find them on farms. We can see cows on farms in nearly every country in the world. Many farmers keep cows to produce meat for us to eat. Other farmers keep cows so they can produce milk for us to drink. Still others use cows to produce both meat and milk. Because cows are strong animals, they are also able to help farmers with some of the farm work.

現在，奶牛不是野生動物，我們只能在農場裡找得到它們。我們能在世界上幾乎每個國家的農場裡看到奶牛。許多農民養奶牛產肉給我們吃，有些農民養奶牛產奶給我們喝，還有其他農民養奶牛既產肉又產奶。奶牛是強壯的動物，它們還能幫助農民幹一些農活兒。

People first started to keep cows in South Asia. Now we can find cows in Europe, North America, Australia, South America, Africa… everywhere! At first, people only wanted to use cows as work animals and for their milk. They did not kill the cows for their meat until the cows were too old to work. In some countries in Asia, people still do not kill cows.

人們最初在南亞開始養奶牛。如今我們能在歐洲、北美洲、澳洲、南美洲、非洲……所有地方找到奶牛！最初人們只想養奶牛幹活並得到牛奶。當奶牛老到不能幹活時，他們才會宰殺奶牛並得到牛肉。在亞洲的某些國家，人們仍然不可以宰殺奶牛。

Cows in the countries of North America, South America, Europe and Australia look very different to the cows of long ago. These days, cows almost everywhere are much fatter, with very big legs so they can produce more of the meat that people like to eat. They also produce much more milk than the cows of long ago.

在北美洲、南美洲、歐洲和澳洲，這些國家的奶牛和過去的奶牛看起來很不一樣。現在，幾乎每個地方的奶牛都要肥得多，它們有很大的腿，這樣它們就能產出更多人們喜歡吃的肉。它們同樣比以前的奶牛產出更多的奶。

How did this happen? Many years ago, farmers looked for only the best cows – the cows with more meat or that could produce more milk. They put the best male cows with the best female cows. The babies of those cows grew up to produce more meat and milk than other cows. Farmers did this again and again until all the new cows could produce much more meat and milk than the cows of many years ago.

這是怎麼發生的呢？許多年前，農民只尋找最好的奶牛——有更多肉或者能產更多奶的牛。他們用最好的公牛配最好的母牛。那些奶牛的幼崽長大後能比其他牛產出更多的肉和奶。農民一再這樣做，直到所有新出生的奶牛都能比許多年前的奶牛產出更多的肉和奶。

Farmers and other people took the best cows from Europe to farms in Australia, North and South America. The babies of those cows could produce much more meat and milk than cows of long ago. Now we can find cows that can produce a lot of meat and milk almost everywhere in the world.

農民和其他人把最好的奶牛從歐洲帶到澳洲、北美洲和南美洲來放牧。那些奶牛的幼崽長大能比其他奶牛產出更多的肉和奶。現在我們幾乎能在世界各地找到能產很多肉和奶的牛。

Cows like to move around on the ground on their four legs looking for good grass that they can eat. They have thirty-two teeth which are special teeth for eating grass. With those teeth, they are only able to eat grass. Cows are not really able to eat meat.

奶牛喜歡用四肢在地上走動去尋找好草料來吃。它們有三十二顆牙齒，特別適合吃草。長了那些牙齒它們就只能吃草了。奶牛不太能吃肉。

Most cows live to be about twenty years old and start producing baby cows at about one and a half years old. They can be many colors: brown, white, black or red. Some are all one color. Others are many colors.

大多數奶牛活到二十歲左右，在大約一歲半時開始繁殖小牛。它們可以有多種顏色：棕色、白色、黑色或者紅色。有些奶牛隻有一種顏色，有些奶牛有很多顏色。

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Pat and her father are talking about cows.

佩特和她爸爸正在談論奶牛。

Pat

Dad, do you remember last year when I went to visit a farm?

Father

Yes, I do. You had an interesting time there, didn’t you?

Pat

Yes, I did. We went everywhere on the farm and I learned a lot about animals. I was really interested in the cows on the farm

Father

Why were you so interested in the cows?

Pat

I think cows are special animals. They are so quiet and they look so intelligent and kind.

Father

Do you think so? Do you think cows are intelligent and kind animals?

Pat

Yes, I do. If you look into their eyes, you can see how intelligent and kind they are.

Father

Really? Well, if you think that, maybe you should stop eating meat. Most of the meat we eat comes from cows.

Pat

Maybe I will stop eating meat. I don’t like to think of people killing cows just so we can eat their meat.

Father

Do you think you would be able to live without eating meat?

Pat

Yes, I do. In some countries, the people don’t eat much meat. They just eat fruit, vegetables, rice, bread… things like that.

Father

Well, why don’t you try it for a while?

Pat

Yes, I think I will. All right, I’m going to go into the kitchen and ask Mom not to give me any meat for dinner.

Father

Oh, that will make Lee and I very happy.

Pat

Why?

Father

Because we’ll be able to eat all your meat!

佩特

爸爸，你記得我去年去參觀過一個農場嗎？

爸爸

我記得。你在那兒玩兒得很開心，對吧？

佩特

是的。我們去了農場的每個角落，我學習了很多關於動物的知識。我真的對農場上的牛很感興趣。

爸爸

為什麼你對牛這麼感興趣？

佩特

我覺得牛是特別的動物。它們很安靜，它們看起來非常聰明友好。

爸爸

你這麼覺得嗎？你覺得牛是聰明善良的動物？

佩特

是的。如果你看著它們的眼睛，你能看見它們是多麼聰明友好。

爸爸

真的嗎？好吧，如果你那麼想的話，或許你應該停止吃肉。我們吃的大多數肉都來自於牛。

佩特

或許我會停止吃肉。我不喜歡人們為了能吃肉而去宰殺牛。

爸爸

你覺得不吃肉你能活下去？

佩特

是的，我覺得能。在有些國家人們不怎麼吃肉。他們只吃水果、蔬菜、大米、麵包……這類食物。

爸爸

那麼，你為什麼不試一下呢？

佩特

是的，我覺得我會的。好吧，我要去廚房裡叫媽媽晚餐別給我吃任何肉了。

爸爸

噢，那會讓李和我特別開心。

佩特

為什麼？

爸爸

因為我們能吃掉你那整份肉了！

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Questions

1. Where did people first start to use cows?

2. Why do farmers keep cows?

3. Why don’t cows usually eat meat?

4. When do cows start producing babies?

5. What color are cows where you live?

6. Where did Pat go last year?

7. What does Pat think about cows?

8. What do you think about cows?

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