WHAT MOTHER PARTRIDGE TAUGHT HER BABIES
鹧鸪妈妈教给孩子们的东西
The sun was hot now, and there was an open place to cross on the way to the water. So the mother spread out her tail like a fan, and gathered the little things in the shadow under it. In this way, she kept off all danger of sunstroke until they reached the bushes by the stream.
现在太阳很烈，到水边需要穿过一片空地。于是鹧鸪妈妈把尾巴展成扇子状，把孩子们聚到它的阴影下面。这样，她能避开中暑的所有危险，直到到达溪边的灌木丛里。
Here a cotton-tail rabbit leaped out and gave them a great scare. But he was an old friend; and one of the many things the little partridges learned that day was that Bunny always wants to live in peace with his neighbors.
这时，一只白尾灰兔跳了出来，吓了他们一大跳。但他是个老朋友了。小鹧鸪们那天学到的许多东西中，有一件就是兔子总想和邻居和睦相处。
And then came the drink, the purest of running water. At first the little fellows didn't know how to drink, but they watched their mother, and soon learned to drink as she did.
随后他们到了饮水的地方，也就是最纯净的活水那里。起初，小家伙们不知道怎么喝水，但他们看了妈妈的做法后，不久就学会像她一样喝水了。
There they stood in a row along the edge of the brook, twelve little brown-and-golden balls on twenty-four little pink-toed feet, with twelve sweet little golden heads bowing and drinking.
他们排成一排站在小溪边，就像12颗棕金色的小球长着24只带粉红脚尖的小脚，12颗可爱的小金头一弯一弯地喝着水。
Then Mother Partridge led her brood to the meadow. Here there was a great grassy hump, which she had seen some time before.
然后，鹧鸪妈妈带着她的孩子们来到草地上。这儿有一个大草包，她以前见过。
This was an ants' nest. The mother stepped on top of it, and then gave half a dozen rakes with her claws. The ant-hill was broken open and its insides scattered.
它是蚂蚁的巢穴。鹧鸪妈妈踩到它上面，用爪子耙了六下。蚁丘被打破了，里面的东西散落一地。
