FISHING WITH BIRDS
用鸟捕鱼
Damin sits on the side of the river cooking a meal, with a large bird on his head.
王大民坐在一条小溪的边煮饭，他头上有一只大鸟。
The bird is a cormorant, and Damin is a fisherman.
这是一只鸬鹚，大民是一个渔夫。
He is over 65 now but still works every day.
他现在超过65岁了，但是每天仍然要工作。
He is thin, and of average height, but he is very fit.
他很瘦，但是依平均的高度，他还是很健康的。
Although he is an elderly man, he is strong enough to control his raft in the river where he lives and works with his cormorants.
虽然他年纪大了，但是他足可以在溪上控制他的筏，那条溪就是他和他的鸬鹚居住和工作的地方。
Cormorants are large black birds.
鸬鹚是一种大黑鸟。
They are good at catching fish, because they can swim well under water.
它们很擅长捕鱼，因为它们能在水下自如地游泳。
Their large feet are used to push them quickly through the water.
它们的大脚帮助推动它们快速地游过水面。
They can dive down 25 metres, and stay under water for up to two minutes.
它们可以潜入水中25米，然后在水下呆2分钟。
Damin does not require nets or a fishing rod to catch fish.
大民不需要网或钓杆去捕鱼。
It is done for him by his 12 cormorants.
这是由他的12只鸬鹚来做。
Daming's fishing trip often begins in the late afternoon.
一般在下午稍晚的时候，大民才出去捕鱼。
He sets off on his bamboo raft with his birds.
大民和他的鸟儿们坐上竹筏出发了。
When he reaches the right place, he stops.
当他到了适当的地方，他就会停下来。
He ties a piece of grass around the neck of each bird, so that it cannot swallow the fish.
在每只鸟的脖子周围系上一根草，因此它不可能吞下鱼。
Then he pushes the birds into the water, and jumps up and down and bangs the water with his pole.
然后大民把鸟推向水里，跳上跳下，并用他的杆子重击水。
The fish are frightened by this.
鱼被这所惊吓。
At night, a light is hung from the front of the raft.
晚上，竹筏前面挂着一盏灯。
This enables Daming to see better, and also attracts the fish.
这可以让大民看得更清楚些，同时也会吸引鱼。
The cormorants swim down and catch the fish, and bring them back to the raft.
鸬鹚向下游去捕鱼，然后把鱼带到竹筏那儿。
The fish are then removed from the birds' mouths by Daming and thrown into a big basket.
然后大民从鸬鹚嘴里拿出鱼，并把它们扔进一个大篮子里。
Later some of the fish are sold, and the rest are divided between Damin's family and the cormorants.
之后，有些鱼会拿去卖掉，剩下的就留给大民家人和鸬鹚。
Cormorant fishing is a traditional Chinese skill, probably more than a thousand years old.
鸬鹚捕鱼是一种传统的中国捕鱼技术，也许有1000多年的历史了。
Damin enjoys his work, and he is teaching his grandson everything he knows.
大民喜欢他的工作，并且他正在教他孙子他所知道的一切。
However, few young people are interested in doing this type of work in the modern world.
然而，在现代，只有少数年轻人对这种工作感兴趣。
In fifty years, perhaps there will be no more cormorant fishermen in the world
五十年后，也许世界上将不会有鸬鹚了。