Lesson 18 Porpoises海豚
First listen and then answer the following question.聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
What would you say is the main characteristic of porpoises?
There has long been a superstition among mariners that porpoises will save drowning men by pushing them to the surface, or protect them from sharks by surrounding them in defensive formation. Marine Studio biologists have pointed out that, however intelligent they may be, it is probably a mistake to credit dolphins with any motive of lifesaving. On the occasions when they have pushed to shore an unconscious human being they have much more likely done it out of curiosity or for sport, as in riding the bow waves of a ship. In 1928 some porpoises were photographer working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. If, as has been reported, they have protected humans from sharks, it may have been because curiosity attracted them and because the scent of a possible meal attracted the sharks. Porpoises and sharks are natural enemies. It is possible that upon such an occasion a battle ensued, with the sharks being driven away or killed.
長期以來，海員中流傳著一種迷信的說法，認為海豚會把快要淹死的人托到水面，救人性命；或在人們周圍列隊保護，使他們免遭鯊魚傷害。海洋攝影室的生物學家 指出，無論海豚多么聰明，認為它們有救人的動機可能是錯誤的。當它們偶爾把一個失去知覺的人推到岸邊時，更大的可能是出于好奇或游戲，就像它們追逐被船首 犁開的浪花一樣。1928年，有人拍攝到了海豚像海貍一樣把浸透水的床墊推上岸的情景。正如報道中所說，如果海豚保護人不受鯊魚侵害，那么它們可能是出于 好奇；而鯊魚可能是聞到了可以美食一頓的香味。海豚和鯊魚是天然仇敵，雙方可能隨之發生搏斗，搏斗結果是海豚趕走或咬死鯊魚。
Whether it be bird, fish or beast, the porpoise is intrigued with anything that is alive. They are constantly after the turtles, who peacefully submit to all sorts of indignities. One young calf especially enjoyed raising a turtle to the surface with his snout and then shoving him across the tank like an aquaplane. Almost any day a young porpoise may be seen trying to turn a 300-pound sea turtle over by sticking his snout under the edge of his shell and pushing up for dear life. This is not easy, and may require two porpoises working together. In another game, as the turtle swims across the oceanarium, the first porpoise swoops down from above and butts his shell with his belly. This knocks the turtle down several feet. He no sooner recovers his equilibrium than the next porpoise comes along and hits him another crack. Eventually the turtle has been butted all the way down to the floor of the tank. He is now satisfied merely to try to stand up, but as soon as he does so a porpoise knocks him flat. The turtle at last gives up by pulling his feet under his shell and the game is over.
海豚對凡是活的東西都感興趣，不管是鳥、是魚，還是野獸。它們經常追逐海龜，海龜則溫順地忍受著各種侮辱。一只小海豚特別喜歡用鼻子把海龜推到水面，然后 像滑水板一樣把海龜從水池的這一邊推到那一邊。幾乎每天都可以看到一只小海豚把鼻子頂入一只300磅重的海龜的硬殼下面，拼命地把它翻過來。這并非易事， 可能需要兩只海豚合伙干才行。在另一場游戲中，當海龜游過水族館時，第一只海豚從上方猛撲下去，用腹部撞擊龜殼。這一下子把海龜撞下去好幾英尺。海龜剛恢 復平衡，第二只海豚又沖過來猛擊一下。這只海龜最終被撞到池底。此時的海龜，只要能站起來就滿足了，但它剛站起來，就被一只海豚擊倒。海龜終于屈服了，將 4條腿縮進殼內。游戲到此結束。
New words and expressions 生詞和短語
porpoise
n. 海豚
mariner
n. 水手
shark
n. 鯊魚
formation
n. 隊形
dolphin
n. 海豚科動物
unconscious
adj. 不省人事
beaver
n. 海貍
ashore
adv. 上岸
waterlogged
adj. 浸滿水的
scent
n. 香味
ensue
v. 接著發生
intrigue
v. 引起興趣
indignity
n. 侮辱
snout
n. 口鼻部
shove
v. 硬推
aquaplane
n. 駕浪滑水板
oceanarium
n. 水族館
swoop
v. 猛撲
belly
n. 腹部
equilibrium
n. 平衡
butt
v. 碰撞
crack
n. 重擊
Notes on the text課文注釋
1 however intelligent they may be, 不管它們有多聰明，這是一個讓步狀語從句。
2 as in riding the bow waves of a ship, 就像他們追逐被船首 犁開的浪花一樣。
3 If , as has been reported, they have protected humans from sharks...
as 是關系代詞，代替they have protected humans from sharks.
4 Whether it be bird,fish or beast...
這是一個讓步狀語從句，用的是虛擬語氣形式。
5 for dear life,拼命地。
Lesson 18 課后練習和答案Exercises and Answer
