7. Snakes蛇

New Words新單詞

ears

讀音：[ɪə(r)z]

釋義：耳朵

South America

讀音：[saʊθ] [ə'merɪkə]

釋義：南美洲

bite (v+n)

讀音：[baɪt]

釋義：咬（動詞、名詞）

move

讀音：[muːv]

釋義：移動

fifty

讀音：['fɪfti]

釋義：五十

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There are many different kinds of snakes and they come in all sizes and colors. They live in many parts of the world, but they do not like to live in cold places. Most of the world’s snakes live in Africa, Asia and South America.

蛇有許多不同種類，它們大小、顏色各不相同。它們生活在世界上的許多地方，但不喜歡生活在寒冷的地方。世界上的大多數蛇都生活在非洲、亞洲以及南美洲。

The world’s biggest snake lives in South America. That snake is bigger than all other snakes. It is very strong and can hunt, kill and eat animals as big as young monkeys.

世界上最大的蛇生活在南美洲。那種蛇比其他任何蛇都要大。它非常強壯，能捕殺併吞食小猴子那麼大的動物。

Most snakes have teeth and will bite people if people come too near to them. The bite of some snakes can kill people. Those snakes are very dangerous and we should keep away from them. Those snakes are very dangerous, but most snakes are not dangerous to people. Some people even keep snakes as pets, and in some parts of the world, people eat snakes.

大多數蛇都有牙齒，如果人類距離它們太近，它們還會咬人。有些蛇咬一口可以咬死人。那些蛇非常危險，我們應該遠離它們。那些蛇非常危險，但是大多數蛇對人類來說並不危險。有些人甚至把蛇當寵物養，而且在世界上有些地區，人們會吃蛇。

Snakes hunt, kill and eat small animals like birds, rats and young chickens. They can also take the eggs of animals like ducks and chickens. Snakes cannot run like other animals, but they can move very quickly. They can move around in grass, in tall trees and even in water.

蛇能捕殺併吞食鳥、老鼠還有小雞這樣的小動物。它們也會吞食鴨子和雞這些動物的蛋。蛇不能像其他動物一樣奔跑，但是它們移動速度非常快。它們能在草地上、樹上甚至水裡來去自如。

If we look at the head of a snake, we will see that it does not have ears. Snakes have no ears so they cannot hear, and some snakes do not have eyes.

如果我們看看蛇的腦袋，我們會看見它沒有耳朵。蛇沒有耳朵所以它們聽不見，有一些蛇沒有眼睛。

Young snakes come from eggs. An adult female can have as many as forty or fifty eggs at a time. After young snakes come out from their eggs, they do not need their mother to look after them. Young snakes can move around to look for food and they grow very quickly. Snakes can live for about twenty to thirty years.

小蛇是從蛋裡孵出來的。一條成年雌蛇一次可以產下四五十顆蛋。小蛇從蛇蛋孵出來之後不需要蛇媽媽照顧它們。小蛇可以四處爬行尋找食物，它們長得很快。蛇可以存活二三十年。

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Lee and his mother are talking about snakes.

李和他媽媽正在談論蛇。

Lee

Mom, do you know what we learned at school today?

Mom

No, Lee. What did you learn?

Lee

We learned that snakes don’t have ears.

Mom

Really? If they don’t have ears, how can they hear?

Lee

They can’t. Snakes can’t hear because they don’t have ears. There are even some snakes that don’t have eyes.

Mom

Really? That is interesting, isn’t it?

Lee

Yes. And there is one snake in South America that can hunt, kill and eat animals like monkeys.

Mom

Really?

Lee

Yes. I think maybe that snake can eat people, too.

Mom

I don’t think so, Lee. Snakes can bite people, and the bite of some snakes can kill people, but I don’t think any snakes can eat people – people are too big.

Lee

You know Mom, some people keep snakes as pets. Can I have a pet snake, Mom? Can I… please?

Mom

Oh, Lee. Of course you can’t. You asked your father that last year. Don’t you remember what he said?

Lee

Yes. He said I couldn’t have a snake in the house. But what about outside? I could keep it in the garden. It could live in one of the trees. Then we could watch it move around in the tree.

Mom

Oh, Lee. Why can’t you be happy with pets like cats, dogs, fish and birds? Why do you have to think about snakes and rats? Nobody likes to keep those animals as pets.

Lee

Some people do. Some people keep snakes as pets. We learned that today at school.

Mom

Well, you can’t! You can’t have a snake as a pet!

Lee

Oh, go on Mom… please!

Mom

No, Lee! You cannot have a snake as a pet! And don’t ask me again!

李

媽媽，您知道我們今天在學校學了什麼嗎？

媽媽

不知道，李。你學了什麼？

李

我們學了蛇沒有耳朵。

媽媽

真的嗎？要是它們沒有耳朵，那它們怎麼能聽見呢？

李

它們聽不見。蛇聽不見因為它們沒有耳朵。有些蛇甚至沒有眼睛。

媽媽

真的嗎？這真有趣，不是嗎？

李

是的。南美洲有一種蛇可以捕殺併吞食猴子這樣的動物。

媽媽

真的嗎？

李

是的。我想可能蛇連人也能吃。

媽媽

我不這麼認為，李。蛇能咬人，有些蛇咬一口可以咬死人，但是我不認為有什麼蛇能吃人——人太大了。

李

你知道，媽媽。有些人把蛇當寵物。我能養寵物蛇嗎，媽媽？可以嗎……求求你了？

媽媽

噢，李。你當然不能。去年你就問過你爸爸。你不記得他怎麼說的嗎？

李

記得。他說我不能在家裡養蛇。但是養在屋子外面呢？我可以把它放在花園裡。它可以住在樹上。我們可以看到它在樹上爬行。

媽媽

噢，李。你為什麼就不能養養貓、狗、魚還有鳥這樣的寵物呢？為什麼你總是想著蛇和老鼠？沒有人喜歡把它們當寵物飼養。

李

有些人會的。有些人把養蛇當作寵物飼養。我們在學校裡學到的。

媽媽

好吧，你不可以！你不可以把蛇當寵物養！

李

噢，不，媽媽……求你了！

媽媽

不，李！你不能養蛇當作寵物！不要再問我了！

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Questions

1. Where does the biggest snake live?

2. What do snakes eat?

3. Do snakes have ears?

4. How many young can female snakes have?

5. How long do snakes live?

6. Does Lee’s mother like snakes?

7. What about you?

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