英国语文第六册(双语):热带地区(6)
For their perpetual wanderings from branch to branch, Nature has bountifully endowed many of them, not only with robust and muscular limbs and large hands, whose moist palms facilitate the seizure of a bough, but in many cases also with a prehensile tail, which may deservedly be called a fifth hand, and is hardly less wonderful in its structure than the proboscis of the elephant covered with short hair, and completely bare underneath towards the end, this admirable organ rolls around the boughs as though it were a supple finger, and is at the same time so muscular that the monkey frequently swings by it from a branch, like the pendulum of a clock. Scarce has he grasped a bough with his long arms, when immediately coiling his fifth hand round the branch, he springs on to the next; and secure from a fall, he hurries so rapidly through the crowns of the highest trees that the sportsman's bullet has scarce time to reach him in his flight.
它们不停地在树枝间来回游荡，大自然慷慨地赐予它们许多特长，不仅赐予了它们强健有力的四肢和手掌，那湿润的手掌还能帮助它们抓住树枝。它们还有一条能抓能攀的长尾巴，其作用和手相差无异，结构和覆盖着短毛的大象鼻子几乎一样神奇，尾部接近光秃，这条绝妙的尾巴就像一根柔软的手指在树枝上打着卷儿。除此之外，猴儿们还被赐予了结实的肌肉，它们总是可以像钟摆一样在树枝上荡来荡去。它们很少用长胳膊去抓树枝，而是用长尾巴缠住树枝荡到另一根枝丫上，为了不摔下来，它们会再次飞快地穿过最高的树冠，就连运动员的子弹都赶不上它的速度。
Of the beasts of prey that frequent these vast woods, the jaguar is the most formidable, resembling the panther by his spotted skin, but almost equalling the Bengal tiger in size and power. He roams about at all times of the day, swims overbroad rivers, and even in the water proves a most dangerous foe; for when driven to extremities he frequently turns against the boat which contains his assailants, and forces them to seek their safety by jumping overboard. Many an Indian, while wandering through thinly peopled districts, where swampy thickets alternate with open grass plains, has been torn to pieces by the jaguar; and in many a lonely plantation the inhabitants hardly venture to leave their enclosures after sunset, for fear of his attacks.
在经常出没于这片广袤森林的猛兽里美洲虎是最强大的，它们的毛发如同黑豹般长着斑点，体型和力量上却几乎和孟加拉虎相当。它们一整天都在外面游荡，或者在大河里游泳，即使在水里的它们也会是最危险的敌人；因为它们走投无路的时候常常会转而攻击那些载着袭击者的船只并迫使他们跳水寻求安全。有许多印第安人在交杂着沼泽灌丛和开阔草原的人烟稀少之地游荡时被美洲虎撕成碎片；在许多偏僻的种植园里，居民们也总是不敢在太阳下山后离开圈地，因为害怕被美洲虎袭击。
