英國語文第六冊(cè)(雙語):熱帶地區(qū)(5)

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Sometimes, on a higher spot of ground, a clump of trees forms an island worthy of Eden. A chaos of bush-ropes and creepers flings its garlands of gay flowers over the forest, and fills the air with the sweetest odours. Numerous birds, rivalling in beauty of colour the flowers of these hanging gardens, animate the banks of the lagoon; gaudy macaws perch on the loftiest trees; humming-birds dart with lightning speed from flower to flower-now hovering for an instant before you, as if to allow you to admire their surpassing beauty—now vanishing again with the rapidity of thought. But, as if to remind one that death is not banished from this scene of Paradise, a dark-robed vulture screeches through the woods; or an alligator, like a black log of wood or a sombre rock, rests on the dormant waters.

高處被叢叢樹木點(diǎn)綴的島嶼時(shí)而像伊甸園那樣充滿魔力。雜亂的灌木和藤蔓托著鮮艷的花兒向上直穿森林蒼穹，空氣中四處彌漫著香甜的味道。數(shù)不清的各色鳥兒們和空中花園的花兒們爭相竟美，這一切令瀉湖兩岸充滿生機(jī)。色彩艷麗的的金剛鸚鵡落在最高處的樹枝上休憩，蜂鳥們則以閃電般的速度在花兒間穿梭，時(shí)而在旅行者面前盤旋片刻，像在特意許你片刻時(shí)光來欣賞它的絕倫之美，過后又以迅雷眼耳之勢(shì)從眼前消失。然而，當(dāng)視線里出現(xiàn)黑袍禿鷲在樹林里尖叫，或是有短吻鱷像根黑圓木或陰沉的巖石般在平靜的水里閉目養(yǎng)神，又像是在提醒死亡的無處不在，即使是在美麗的伊甸園里。

In these boundless forests the monkeys form much the greater part of the mammalian inhabitants; for each species, though often confined within narrow limits, generally consists of a large number of individuals. The various arboreous fruits which the savage population of these immeasurable wilds is unable to turn to advantage, fall chiefly to their share; many of them also live upon insects. They are never seen in the open savannas, as they never touch the ground unless compelled by the greatest necessity. The trees of the forests furnish them with all the food they require; it is only in the woods that they feel "at home," and secure against the attacks of mightier animals: why then should they quit them for less congenial haunts?

在這些一望無際的森林里，猴子是眾多定居者里數(shù)量最多的哺乳動(dòng)物。雖然每種物種的活動(dòng)范圍有限，但它們往往數(shù)量龐大。各種樹上結(jié)下的碩果是生活在這片廣闊荒野上的兇殘種群無法享用到的，但是卻成了猴子們的主食，昆蟲也是猴子們的食物來源之一。它們從不迷戀開闊的大草原，除非迫不得已，否則它們不會(huì)到地面上活動(dòng)，因?yàn)樯L在森林里的樹木為他們提供了所需的所有食物，森林才是他們的家，在森林里度日才不會(huì)被更強(qiáng)大的動(dòng)物襲擊。然而，為什么他們會(huì)離開森林去到不那么宜居的地方呢？