13. Buffaloes水牛

New Words新單詞

buffalo / buffaloes

讀音：[ˈbʌfələʊ] /[ˈbʌfələʊz]

釋義：水牛；野牛

few

讀音：[fju:]

釋義：很少；幾乎沒有

especially

讀音：[ɪˈspeʃəli]

釋義：尤其地

large

讀音：[lɑ:dʒ]

釋義：大的

safe

讀音：[seɪf]

釋義：安全的

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Most buffaloes live in parts of Africa, North America and some parts of Asia. We don’t find them in Europe, South America or Australia. These days, only a few buffaloes still live in the wild. Most live on farms, especially rice farms in Asia. A few still live in the wild in Africa, but not as many as before.

大多數水牛生活在非洲的部分地區、北美洲和亞洲的一些地方。我們在歐洲、南美洲或澳大利亞都找不到它們。現如今，只有少數水牛仍然生活在野外。大多數水牛生活在農場裡，尤其是亞洲的稻田。少數水牛仍然生活在非洲的野外，但是數量沒有以前那麼多。

The buffaloes which live in countries in Africa and Asia are called ‘water buffaloes’. They are large animals with strong legs and are able to move well in water. An adult male buffalo can be two meters tall! Because of their size and because they are able to move so well in water, farmers sometimes use them on their farms. The buffaloes help with the work on the farms, especially in countries where they grow a lot of rice.

生活在非洲和亞洲國家的牛被稱為“水牛”。水牛是大型動物，四肢強健有力，能夠在水中自由行走。一頭成年公水牛可以高達兩米！因為它們體型高大而且能夠在水中自由行走，農民有時候會用水牛幹農活。水牛能幫忙幹農活，特別是在大量種植水稻的國家。

Farms, especially rice farms, use a lot of water and the buffaloes can move around in the water helping the farmer make the ground good for growing rice. Because of this, buffaloes in Asia are quite expensive, especially strong female buffaloes. Female buffaloes are usually more expensive than male buffaloes because every few years they are able to produce a few more young buffaloes.

農場特別是稻田需要大量用水灌溉，水牛能夠在水中行走並幫助耕田以便農民種植水稻。因此，亞洲的水牛相當昂貴，特別是強壯的母水牛。母水牛往往比公水牛更貴，因為每隔幾年母水牛就能繁殖幾隻小牛。

Farmers not only use buffaloes to help with the farm work but, like cows, they also use them to produce meat to eat or sell. The farmers use them to produce meat, but they don’t use them to produce milk.

農民不僅用水牛來幫忙幹農活，他們還宰殺水牛後吃牛肉、賣牛肉，就像養奶牛一樣。農民可以養水牛產肉，但不能用它們產奶。

The buffaloes in Asia are not dangerous. They do not bite and are quite safe for people to work with. They are usually safe for children to be near. Because they are so safe, children who live on farms in many countries in Asia like to play with the buffaloes on their farms.

亞洲的水牛並不危險。它們不咬人，和人在一起幹活很安全。通常情況下，孩子們靠近水牛很安全。由於它們安全可靠，許多亞洲國家在農場上生活的孩子們喜歡和水牛一起玩。

The buffaloes in Africa are different. Those buffaloes are not safe. They are very dangerous. If those buffaloes get angry, they can even kill people! Farmers in Africa don’t usually use them on their farms, but they sometimes hunt and kill them for their meat.

非洲的水牛則不同，它們並不安全，反而十分危險。如果非洲水牛發怒，它們甚至可以撞死人！非洲的農民往往不用水牛幹農活，可是他們有時候會捕殺水牛來吃牛肉。

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Pat and her mother are talking about buffaloes

佩特和她媽媽正在談論水牛

Pat

Hello, Mom.

Mom

Hello, Pat. Did you have a good day in school today? What did you learn?

Pat

Today we learned about buffaloes.

Mom

Really? Was it interesting? What did you learn?

Pat

We learned that, these days, there are not so many buffaloes living in the wild. There are just a few in Africa.

Mom

So where do most buffaloes live?

Pat

Most of them live in Asia, especially in countries that have a lot of rice farms.

Mom

Why is that?

Pat

Because farmers in those countries use buffaloes to help with the farm work.

Mom

Oh, so buffaloes are able to work like people.

Pat

Yes, especially the very large ones. The large buffaloes can be very strong.

Mom

Really?

Pat

Yes, but even the large buffaloes in Asia are not dangerous. They are very safe animals. They don’t bite or hurt people in any way.

Mom

I see. And are the mother buffaloes good at looking after and protecting their babies?

Pat

Yes, I think so. Baby buffaloes drink their mothers’ milk – the same as cows.

Mom

So which do you like best – buffaloes or cows?

Pat

Oh, I still like cows best. They are not as large as buffaloes, but I think they are nicer and more intelligent than buffaloes. I just love to get near to cows and look into their big, beautiful eyes!

佩特

您好，媽媽。

媽媽

你好，佩特。你今天在學校過得愉快嗎？你學了什麼？

佩特

今天我們學習了關於水牛的知識。

媽媽

真的嗎？有趣嗎？你學會了什麼？

佩特

我們認識到現如今在野外生存的水牛不多了，僅僅在非洲有少量水牛。

媽媽

那麼大多數水牛生活在什麼地方呢？

佩特

大多數水牛生活在亞洲，尤其是在有很多稻田的國家。

媽媽

為什麼呢？

佩特

因為那些國家的農民用水牛幫忙幹農活。

媽媽

哦，所以水牛能夠像人一樣幹活。

佩特

是的，特別是很大的水牛。大水牛非常有勁。

媽媽

真的嗎？

佩特

是的，不過亞洲的大水牛並不危險。它們是很安全的動物。它們怎麼樣都不咬人或傷人。

媽媽

我明白了。水牛媽媽會照顧並保護它們的小水牛嗎？

佩特

是的，我覺得是的。小水牛喝水牛媽媽的奶水——和奶牛一樣。

媽媽

那麼你最喜歡哪種牛呢——水牛還是奶牛？

佩特

哦，我還是最喜歡奶牛。它們長得沒有水牛大，可是我覺得它們比水牛更溫順、更聰明。我喜歡靠近奶牛，看著它們美麗的大眼睛。

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Questions

1. Where can we find buffaloes?

2. What kind of farms do buffaloes live on?

3. How large can some buffaloes be?

4. Why are female buffaloes expensive?

5. Which kinds of buffaloes are not safe?

6. What do baby buffaloes eat?

7. Are there buffaloes where you live?

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