LESSON 50 The jaguar

五十课 美洲虎

The jaguar has his home in the New World. He lives in the great forests of South America.

美洲虎分布在新世界，住在南美洲的大森林里。

His skin is covered with dark spots, something like the leopard's, and he may be called the leopard of America.

美洲虎身上覆盖着黑点，这与美洲豹身上的黑点类似。人们也称其为住在美洲的美洲豹。

The favourite food of the jaguar is the flesh of the monkey; but he finds it no easy task to catch the nimble monkeys.

美洲虎最爱吃猴子的肉，但要抓住敏捷的猴子谈何容易。

Sometimes, however, he finds them sleeping high up on the trees; and then he steals among them before they are aware that he is near.

然而，有时候，猴子们在高高的树上沉睡时，美洲虎会悄悄靠近，等猴子们意识到危险，美洲虎已经得到美味了。

A few strokes of his terrible paw soon dashes some of them to the ground. The jaguar then descends, to feast at his leisure.

它只要挥几下令人胆寒的爪子，就能把一些猴子打落在地，随后它会从树上跳下，享用大餐。

Travellers in the forests often hear the fierce roar of the jaguar, mingled with the yells of the monkeys. These sounds tell of the deadly work that is going on among the trees.

游客们经常能在森林里听到美洲虎的咆哮，夹杂着猴子的尖叫。这些声音表明，在某棵树上又有猴子成为美洲虎的盘中餐。

The jaguar also feeds on other animals, and is strong enough to kill a deer or a horse.

美洲虎也吃其它动物，它很强，能杀死一只鹿或一匹马。

If any animal pursued by the jaguar should take to the water, that makes no difference to him. He plunges into the water after it, and soon seizes his prey.

如果美洲虎追捕的动物跳进水里，那也是跑不掉的。它会跳进水里继续追捕，很快就能抓住猎物。

The jaguar is also fond of fish, and watches for them by the river-side.

美洲虎也喜欢吃鱼，经常在岸边潜伏。

As soon as a fish comes within reach, he strikes it with his paw, and with his sharp claws he throws it on the bank.

只要有鱼在它的攻击范围内，他就会用爪子攻击，将鱼抛到岸上。

He catches birds too; and so quick are his movements, that he will bound within reach of a bird, and strike it down before it has time to escape.

美洲虎也能捕鸟。它动作非常迅捷，跳起攻击在范围内的鸟，而小鸟没有机会逃走。

QUESTIONS

问题

Where does the jaguar live? What other animal is he like? What is his favourite food? How does he best succeed in catching them? What other animals does the jaguar feed on? What does he do if his prey takes to the water? How does he catch fish? What else does he catch? How?

美洲虎住在哪里？美洲虎长得像其它什么动物？它最爱吃什么？它如何成功的捕获猎物？它还吃什么其它动物？如果猎物跳入水里，它会怎么做？它怎么捕鱼？它还会捕什么？怎么捕？