14. Turtles海龜

New Words新單詞

turtle

讀音：[ˈtɜ:tl]

釋義：龜；海龜

swim

讀音：[swɪm]

釋義：游泳

attack (v+n)

讀音：[əˈtæk]

釋義：攻擊，進攻（動詞、名詞）

itself

讀音：[ɪtˈself]

釋義：它自己；它本身

body

讀音：[ˈbɒdi]

釋義：身體

eighty

讀音：[ˈeɪti]

釋義：八十

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We can find turtles nearly everywhere in the world, especially in waters around hot countries. Like snakes and some other animals, turtles can live both in and out of water. Turtles can swim quite well, and some turtles spend nearly all their time swimming around and only come out of the water to lay their eggs.

我們幾乎可以在世界各地找到海龜，尤其是在熱帶國家周圍的水域。如同蛇和一些其他動物，海龜可以在水中和陸地上生存。海龜善於游水，有些海龜幾乎把所有的時間都花在游水上，只有在產卵的時候才從水裡出來。

Turtles can be many different sizes. Some are very small – only about ten centimeters long. Some are over one meter long, and a few can be up to two meters long!

海龜有不同的大小。有些很小——只有大約十釐米長。有些海龜長一米多，少數海龜可以長達兩米！

Turtles have four legs, a body and a head. The body has a special part that can protect the turtle from attack. This part sits on top of the turtle’s body and looks a little like a house the turtle can take everywhere it goes. If another animal attacks the turtle, the turtle can protect itself by going into its ‘house’. Then the animal that wants to attack the turtle cannot see the turtle’s head, body or legs.

海龜有四條腿、一個身體和一個頭。海龜的身體有一個特別之處，能夠保護海龜免受攻擊。海龜身上的龜殼看起來有點像房子，海龜去哪兒都揹著它。如果其他動物攻擊海龜，海龜就把自己縮進“房子”裡來保護自己。這樣一來，想要攻擊海龜的動物就看不到海龜的頭、身體或四肢了。

When a female turtle comes out of the water to lay its eggs, first it has to find a safe place. Then it uses its strong back legs to make a place in the ground where it can lay its eggs. After the female lays her eggs in the ground, she goes back into the water and swims away. She does not stay to look after the eggs or the baby turtles that will come out of the eggs. Female turtles can lay as many as seventy or eighty eggs at a time.

當母龜從水裡出來產卵時，首先它得找一個安全的地方。然後它用強壯的後腿在地上刨出一個坑，在此它就可以產卵了。母龜在地上產卵後就會回到水裡遊走。它不會留下來照看龜蛋或破殼而出的小海龜。母龜一次可以產下多達七八十枚卵。

The baby turtles come out of the eggs after forty to eighty days. This is a dangerous time for the young turtles. A baby turtle is not able to protect itself, so it tries to get into the water so it can swim away. At that time, before they get into the water, birds and snakes can attack and eat the baby turtles. If the baby turtles can get into the water, they will be much safer. Only a few of those baby turtles will live long enough to get into the water and grow to be adult turtles. Adult turtles can live to be sixty, seventy or even older!

四十到八十天後，小海龜破殼而出。對小海龜來說，這是危險的時刻。小海龜不會保護自己，所以它得儘量回到水裡遊走。在它們回到水裡之前的這段時間，鳥和蛇會攻擊小海龜併吞下它們。如果小海龜能夠回到水裡，它們就會安全得多。只有少數小海龜可以活著回到水裡並長大成年。成年海龜可以活到六、七十歲或者更長壽！

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Lee and his father are talking about turtles.

李和他爸爸正在談論海龜

Lee

Dad, can we get some turtles?

Dad

Turtles? What do you want turtles for?

Lee

I want to keep them as pets. I want to be able to play with them.

Dad

I don’t think turtles know how to play. How many turtles do you want to get?

Lee

Not many, just a few. Maybe three or four.

Dad

I’ll tell you what, Lee – I’ll try and get you one turtle.

Lee

Only one?

Dad

Yes, and you’ll have to look after it carefully. You’ll have to be sure it can always find water to swim in.

Lee

Why? Can’t it just stay in the garden?

Dad

No, it can’t. On very hot days, turtles have to find some water to swim in. And you’ll have to give it its food. It won’t be able to find food for itself around here.

Lee

All right. Every day I’ll give my turtle some fruit to eat.

Dad

And you’ll have to be careful to keep it safe. Don’t let the cat and dog get too near to it.

Lee

Why? Do you think they would attack my turtle?

Dad

Maybe. When you have pets Lee, you have to know very well how to look after them.

Lee

I know that, Dad. I love all our pets. I love them because they are part of our family.

Dad

Really?

Lee

Yes. I’m always kind to our family and our pets.

Dad

What about your sister, Pat? Are you always kind to her?

Lee

My sister? Oh, I don’t know about that! That’s different!

李

爸爸，我們可以買幾隻海龜嗎？

爸爸

海龜？你要海龜做什麼？

李

我想養海龜做寵物。我想要和海龜玩。

爸爸

我想海龜不知道怎樣玩。你想要幾隻海龜？

李

不多，只要幾隻。也許三四隻。

爸爸

告訴你，李——我會盡量給你買一隻海龜。

李

只有一隻？

爸爸

是的，你得仔細照顧它。你得保證它總能找到有水的地方游泳。

李

為什麼？它不能就待在花園裡嗎？

爸爸

不，它不能。當天氣很熱時，海龜必須找到有水的地方游泳。你還得給它餵食。它自己在我們家附近找不到食物。

李

好吧。我每天都會給我的海龜喂水果吃。

爸爸

你還得小心保證它的安全。不要讓貓或狗太靠近它。

李

為什麼？您覺得它們會攻擊我的海龜嗎？

爸爸

也許吧。李，你養寵物的時候，必須清楚如何照顧它們。

李

我知道，爸爸。我愛我們家的寵物。我愛它們，因為它們是我們家的家庭成員。

爸爸

真的嗎？

李

是的。我一直善待我們的家人和寵物。

爸爸

你的妹妹佩特呢？你一直善待她嗎？

李

我的妹妹？哦，我不知道！那可不同！

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Questions

1. Do turtles lay their eggs in water?

2. How large are the biggest turtles?

3. Which animals can attack baby turtles?

4. How many eggs can female turtles lay?

5. How long can some turtles live?

6. How many turtles does Lee want?

7. Is Lee always kind to his sister?

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