美國語文第四冊 第132期：大象（01）
The elephant is the largest of quadrupeds;
大象是四蹄動物當中最大的；
his height is from eight to fourteen feet, and his length, from ten to fifteen feet.
高八到十四英尺，長十到十五英尺。
His form is that of a hog; his eyes are small and lively; his ears are long, broad and pendulous.
大象的外形有點像豬；眼睛小而生動；耳朵又長又寬，向下耷拉著。
He has two large tusks, which form the ivory of commerce, and a trunk, or proboscis, at the end of the nose, which he uses to take his food with, and for attack or defense.
它有兩顆大牙，因此形成了象牙貿(mào)易，大象用長鼻取得食物、攻擊和防衛(wèi)。
His color is a dark ash-brown.
大象的牙是深灰褐色的。
Elephants often assemble in large troops; and, as they march in search of food, the forests seem to tremble under them.
大象經(jīng)常成群聚集在一起；大象覓食走過時，似乎把森林踩在腳下。
They eat the branches of trees, together with roots, herbs, leaves, grain, and fruit, but will not touch fish nor flesh.
大象吃樹枝、草根、草藥、樹葉、谷物和水果，但從不吃魚和肉。
In a state of nature, they are peaceable, mild, and brave; exerting their power only for their own protection or in defense of their own species.
大象愛好和平，性格溫和而勇敢；敢；只有保護自己或族群時才施展自己的威力。
Elephants are found both in Asia and Africa, but they are of different species, the Asiatic elephant having five toes, and the African, three.
盡管在亞洲和非洲都有大象，但是它們的種類不同，亞洲象有五個趾頭，非洲象只有三個趾頭。
These animals are caught by stratagem, and, when tamed, they are the most gentle, obedient, and patient, as well as the most docile and sagacious of all quadrupeds.
捕捉大象需要施展些手段才行，可是馴服后，大象是最溫和、最順從、最有耐心的動物，也是四蹄動物中最聰明的。
They are used to carry burdens, and for traveling.
大象被用來馱重物和騎行。
Their attachment to their masters is remarkable; and they seem to live but to serve and obey them.
大象對主人感情很深，它們的生活似乎就是為主人服務(wù)。
They always kneel to receive their riders or the loads they have to carry.
它們總是跪著讓主人騎上去，或者等人們把貨物放到身上。
The anecdotes illustrating the character of the elephant are numerous.
很多故事都描繪了大象的性格。
An elephant which was kept for exhibition at London, was often required, as is usual in such exhibitions, to pick up with his trunk a piece of money thrown upon the floor for this purpose.
在倫敦展覽的一只大象常常被要求用長鼻拾起扔在地上的錢幣，就像展覽中經(jīng)常做的那樣。
On one occasion a sixpence was thrown, which happened to roll a little out of his reach, not far from the wall.
有一次，一枚六便士的硬幣被扔到地上后，碰巧滾到離墻很近的一個地方。
Being desired to pick it up, he stretched out his proboscis several times to reach it; failing in this, he stood motionless a few seconds, evidently considering how to act.
大象的長鼻伸出去幾次都夠不到，大象一動不動站了幾分鐘，顯然在考慮該怎么辦。
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