美國語文第五冊 第256期：種子的傳播與種植（05）
One winter, when the crop had been abundant,
有年冬天，適逢栗樹豐年，
I got, with the aid of a rake, many quarts of these nuts as late as the tenth of January;
待到翌年1月10日，我用釘耙還從林子里挖出好幾夸脫栗子，
and though some bought at the store the same day were more than half of them moldy,
而恰好那天我從店里也買回一些栗子，可多半已霉壞變質(zhì)。
I did not find a single moldy one among those which I picked from under the wet and moldy leaves,
v而恰好那天我從店里也買回一些栗子，可多半已霉壞變質(zhì)。
where they had been snowed on once or twice. Nature knew how to pack them best.
栗子極易變質(zhì)，大自然擅長保鮮之術(shù)，
They were still plump and tender. Apparently they do not heat there, though wet. In the spring they are all sprouting.
只要落葉濡濕，溫度適宜，冬去春來，栗子便爭先恐后露出胚芽。
Occasionally, when threading the woods in the fall, you will hear a sound as if some one had broken a twig,
秋季穿過樹林，或許聽見類似有人折斷樹枝的窸窣，
and, looking up, see a jay pecking at an acorn,
抬頭望去，原來是只正在啄食橡果的松鴉，
or you will see a flock of them at once about it, in the top of an oak, and hear them break it off.
可能亦有成群松鴉在樹梢上下翻飛啄食，窸窣聲聲不斷。
They then fly to a suitable limb, and placing the acorn under one foot,
倏爾，它們又飛到其他樹梢，
hammer away at it busily, making a sound like a woodpecker’s tapping,
一只爪子踩著橡實不停敲打，發(fā)出類似啄木鳥的篤篤聲，
looking round from time to time to see if any foe is approaching,
時而左顧右盼，留意是否有敵人悄悄逼近。鳥兒很快啄到了果肉，
and soon reach the meat, and nibble at it, holding up their heads to swallow while they hold the remainder very firmly with their claws.
先是小口啄食，繼爾仰頭吞咽，爪子還緊緊抓著殘剩果肉，
Nevertheless, it often drops to the ground before the bird has done with it.
尚有些橡實鳥喙未動，就已掉落地上。
