11. Owls貓頭鷹

New Words 新單詞

owl (n.)

讀音：[aʊl]

釋義：貓頭鷹（名詞）

Europe(n.)

讀音：[ˈjʊərəp]

釋義：歐洲（名詞）

intelligent (adj.)

讀音：[ɪnˈtelɪdʒənt]

釋義：聰明的（形容詞）

able to

讀音：[ˈeibl tu:]

釋義：能，會

seventy (num.)

讀音：[ˈsevnti]

釋義：七十（數字）

smallest(adj.)

讀音：['smɔ:lɪst]

釋義：最小的（形容詞）

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Owls live all over the world. They live in Asia, Africa and South America. They also live in Australia, North America and Europe.

貓頭鷹生活在世界各地。它們生活在亞洲、非洲和南美洲。它們也生活在澳洲、北美洲和歐洲。

In North America and Europe, many people think of owls as good and intelligent birds. It is different in some other parts of the world. In some places, people think of owls as bad and dangerous.

在北美洲和歐洲，許多人認為貓頭鷹是又好又聰明的鳥。這在世界其他一些地方就不一樣了。在某些地方，人們認為貓頭鷹又壞又危險。

We do not usually see owls in the day because at that time they are sleeping. They are able to sleep standing up in tall trees and only fly around at night. Owls are able to fly around at night because they have very good eyes. At night, they fly around hunting for insects and small animals like rats and baby chickens. When they are flying, owls are able to move their wings very quietly. Because of this, the animals they are hunting cannot hear them coming.

我們不常在白天看見貓頭鷹，因為那時它們在睡覺。它們能在高高的樹上站著睡覺，只在夜晚到處飛翔。貓頭鷹能夠在夜晚到處飛翔是因為它們視力敏銳。在夜裡，它們到處飛翔去捕捉昆蟲以及老鼠和小雞這樣的小型動物。當它們飛翔的時候，貓頭鷹能很快地扇動它們的翅膀。因此，它們捕捉的動物聽不見它們的到來。

Owls are very good at hunting because they move so quietly and because of their very good eyes and ears. They are able to hear much better than other animals. Because they can hear so well, they can hear small animals moving around on the ground. They can hear small animals from very, very far away.

貓頭鷹非常善於捕獵，因為它們行動很迅速，而且它們的視力和聽覺非常敏銳。它們能比其他動物聽得更清楚。正因它們聽力敏銳，它們能聽見小型動物在地上活動。它們能在非常非常遠的地方聽見小型動物。

Most kinds of owls are brown and white in color and come in different sizes. The smallest can be just twelve or thirteen centimeters tall, the tallest can be sixty or even seventy centimeters.

大多數種類的貓頭鷹的顏色是棕白相間，而且大小不同。最小的可以只有十二或十三釐米高，最高的可以有六十或甚至七十釐米高。

Female owls lay two to three eggs at a time. While the female is waiting to lay her eggs, she is not able to hunt for food. At that time, the male owl hunts for food and brings it to the female owl.

雌性貓頭鷹一次下兩三個蛋。當雌性貓頭鷹在等待下蛋時，它是不能捕食的。在那時，雄性貓頭鷹會捕食並帶回去給雌性貓頭鷹。

After the baby owls come out of their eggs, both the mother and father owl go off to hunt for food for the young owls. Baby owls need to eat a lot of food because they grow very quickly. Baby owls grow to nearly adult size in just four weeks!

小貓頭鷹從蛋裡孵出來後，貓頭鷹父母會外出為小貓頭鷹捕食。小貓頭鷹需要吃很多食物，因為它們長得非常快。小貓頭鷹只用四周時間就能長到成年貓頭鷹大小！

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Lee and Pat are talking about owls.

李和佩特正在談論貓頭鷹。

Lee

School was interesting today, wasn’t it?

Pat

Yes, it was. It was interesting learning all about owls. I learned a lot!

Lee

I know - let’s get an owl! Let’s get an owl and keep it in our garden. It can live in one of the tall trees.

Pat

Lee, people don’t keep owls as pets. They are not like parrots. All owls are wild birds. It’s best for them to live in the forests.

Lee

Not always. The teacher told me that, in Asia, some farmers keep owls on their farms.

Pat

Really? Why do they do that?

Lee

So the owls can protect the food the farmers grow. They are able to hunt and kill rats and other animals that eat the food the farmers grow.

Pat

Really? That’s interesting. I don’t think farmers in Europe or America do that.

Lee

If we keep an owl here, we will be able to protect it and bring it food every day.

Pat

But there are no other owls in the trees around here.

Lee

So?

Pat

So if we have a female owl, it won’t be able to find a male owl.

Lee

So?

Pat

And if we have a male owl, it won’t be able to find a female owl.

Lee

So?

Pat

So our owl would not be able to make baby owls. Owls have to have babies. If they are not able to make babies, they will not be happy.

Lee

Well then, let’s get two owls. Let’s get a male and a female.

Pat

Where? Where do you think you can get owls from? They don’t sell them in shops you know.

Lee

Oh yes, that’s right. I didn’t think of that.

Pat

You know, Lee… sometimes I think you are not so intelligent.

李

今天學校很有趣，不是嗎？

佩特

是的。學習所有關於貓頭鷹的知識很有趣。我學了很多！

李

我知道——我們養一隻貓頭鷹吧！我們養一隻貓頭鷹，把它養在我們的花園裡。它可以生活在其中一棵高大的樹上。

佩特

李，人們不養貓頭鷹作寵物。它們不像鸚鵡。所有的貓頭鷹都是野生鳥類。它們最好生活在森林裡。

李

並不總是這樣。老師告訴我，在亞洲，有些農民在他們的農場上養貓頭鷹。

佩特

真的嗎？他們為什麼要那樣做？

李

那樣貓頭鷹就能保護農民種植的糧食。它們能捕殺老鼠和其他吃農民種植的食物的動物。

佩特

真的嗎？那很有趣。我覺得歐洲或者美洲的農民不會那樣做。

李

如果我們在這兒養一隻貓頭鷹，我們就得保護它並每天給它餵食。

佩特

但是周圍的樹上沒有其他的貓頭鷹。

李

所以呢？

佩特

所以如果我們有一隻雌性貓頭鷹，它將沒法找到一隻雄性貓頭鷹。

李

所以呢？

佩特

而如果我們有一隻雄性貓頭鷹，它就沒法找到一隻雌性貓頭鷹。

李

所以呢？

佩特

所以我們的貓頭鷹將沒法生出貓頭鷹寶寶。貓頭鷹得有寶寶。如果它們沒法生寶寶，它們將會不開心的。

李

那麼，我們養兩隻貓頭鷹。我們養一隻公的一隻母的。

佩特

從哪兒？你覺得你從哪兒能弄到貓頭鷹？你知道人們不在商店裡出售它們的。

李

噢對，說得對。我沒想到那一點。

佩特

你知道的，李……有時我覺得你沒那麼聰明。

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Questions

1. Do you think owls look intelligent?

2. How do owls sleep?

3. When do they hunt?

4. Are owls able to hear well?

5. How many eggs do female owls lay?

6. Why do some farmers in Asia keep owls?

7. Who wants to get an owl?

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