【英语时差8,16】乌鸦偷窃
时间：2018-12-27 作者：英语课 分类：英语时差8，16
英语课
Native American stories and legends depict 1 crows as witty 2 and tricky 3.
Modern behaviorists agree; crows are one of the more intelligent bird species. That intelligence allows them to be crafty 4 survivors 5 as well as, to put it bluntly, thieves.
Maybe our interest in the crow comes from our similar habits. Like us, crows can be generous. They are cooperative breeders who mate for life. They live in family groups composed of several generations and young birds help out with chores, including nest building, feeding hatchlings and chasing away predators 6.
Like humans, crows also have a dark side. When food resources are at a premium 7, the have-nots find ways to take from the haves. When crows forage 8 for small bits of food that can be eaten quickly, there isn't a problem with food theft.
Researchers studying Northwestern crows found that when a crow has a large meal, like a crab 9 or clam 10, it becomes a pilfering 11 target. These are not just chance robberies. Crows are always on the lookout 12 for others to rob, and they alter their tactics depending upon whether their victim is related or not.
They are polite to kin 13, sidling up beside them in an effort to get a handout 14. Eventually the related bird will give in and share its food. With non-related individuals, all feeding etiquette 15 is tossed aside.
Robbers are aggressive and intimidate 16 their victims with vocalizations and physical contact to get their way. It's not surprising that crows have fascinated both laymen 17 and scientists for centuries. In some ways they are a reflection of ourselves. We can only hope not to follow their bad examples.
Modern behaviorists agree; crows are one of the more intelligent bird species. That intelligence allows them to be crafty 4 survivors 5 as well as, to put it bluntly, thieves.
Maybe our interest in the crow comes from our similar habits. Like us, crows can be generous. They are cooperative breeders who mate for life. They live in family groups composed of several generations and young birds help out with chores, including nest building, feeding hatchlings and chasing away predators 6.
Like humans, crows also have a dark side. When food resources are at a premium 7, the have-nots find ways to take from the haves. When crows forage 8 for small bits of food that can be eaten quickly, there isn't a problem with food theft.
Researchers studying Northwestern crows found that when a crow has a large meal, like a crab 9 or clam 10, it becomes a pilfering 11 target. These are not just chance robberies. Crows are always on the lookout 12 for others to rob, and they alter their tactics depending upon whether their victim is related or not.
They are polite to kin 13, sidling up beside them in an effort to get a handout 14. Eventually the related bird will give in and share its food. With non-related individuals, all feeding etiquette 15 is tossed aside.
Robbers are aggressive and intimidate 16 their victims with vocalizations and physical contact to get their way. It's not surprising that crows have fascinated both laymen 17 and scientists for centuries. In some ways they are a reflection of ourselves. We can only hope not to follow their bad examples.
1 depict
vt.描画，描绘；描写，描述
- I don't care to see plays or films that depict murders or violence.我不喜欢看描写谋杀或暴力的戏剧或电影。
- Children's books often depict farmyard animals as gentle,lovable creatures.儿童图书常常把农场的动物描写得温和而可爱。
2 witty
adj.机智的，风趣的
- Her witty remarks added a little salt to the conversation.她的妙语使谈话增添了一些风趣。
- He scored a bull's-eye in their argument with that witty retort.在他们的辩论中他那一句机智的反驳击中了要害。
3 tricky
adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的
- I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
- He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。
4 crafty
adj.狡猾的，诡诈的
- He admired the old man for his crafty plan.他敬佩老者的神机妙算。
- He was an accomplished politician and a crafty autocrat.他是个有造诣的政治家，也是个狡黠的独裁者。
5 survivors
幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )
- The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
- survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者
6 predators
n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）
- birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
- The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 premium
n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的
- You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
- Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。
8 forage
n.(牛马的)饲料，粮草；v.搜寻，翻寻
- They were forced to forage for clothing and fuel.他们不得不去寻找衣服和燃料。
- Now the nutritive value of the forage is reduced.此时牧草的营养价值也下降了。
9 crab
n.螃蟹，偏航，脾气乖戾的人，酸苹果；vi.捕蟹，偏航，发牢骚；vt.使偏航，发脾气
- I can't remember when I last had crab.我不记得上次吃蟹是什么时候了。
- The skin on my face felt as hard as a crab's back.我脸上的皮仿佛僵硬了，就象螃蟹的壳似的。
10 clam
n.蛤，蛤肉
- Yup!I also like clam soup and sea cucumbers.对呀！我还喜欢蛤仔汤和海参。
- The barnacle and the clam are two examples of filter feeders.藤壶和蛤类是滤过觅食者的两种例子。
11 pilfering
v.偷窃（小东西），小偷( pilfer的现在分词 )；偷窃（一般指小偷小摸）
- He was caught pilfering. 他行窃时被抓个正着。
- Pilfering has stopped entirely since they put Angus in charge of the stores. 自从他们让安格斯掌管商店以来，小偷小摸就杜绝了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 lookout
n.注意，前途，瞭望台
- You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
- It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。
13 kin
n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的
- He comes of good kin.他出身好。
- She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。
14 handout
n.散发的文字材料；救济品
- I read the handout carefully.我仔细看了这份分发的资料。
- His job was distributing handout at the street-corner.他的工作是在街头发传单。
15 etiquette
n.礼仪，礼节；规矩
- The rules of etiquette are not so strict nowadays.如今的礼仪规则已不那么严格了。
- According to etiquette,you should stand up to meet a guest.按照礼节你应该站起来接待客人。
16 intimidate
vt.恐吓，威胁
- You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
- The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。