All the time they are at work, the beavers are constantly moving to and fro, trampling down the soft clay with their paws, and making all as smooth as they can. And it is a curious thing that they do all their work during the night.

工作时间，海狸总会走来走去，用爪子踩实软粘土，并尽可能地使地面光滑。奇怪的是，它们在晚上才会工作。

Every care is taken to make the dam strong; and when any part of it is broken, the beavers never rest till they have mended it. They are ever on the watch; and the Indians, who know this, try to bring them out of their hiding-places by breaking the dam. In this way the poor beavers are often caught, as they rush forth to mend the breach.

为了让水坝坚固，它们不敢有丝毫大意；一旦水坝某个部位破裂，它们就会不停息地将其修补完好。它们处处留心；知道这点的印第安人会试图破坏它们的水坝，把它们从藏身之处赶出来。这样，可怜的海狸经常会被捉住，因为它们都涌向前去修补缺口。

When the dam is finished, the beavers begin to build their little town. The houses are made of the same materials as the dam. They are all built on the edge of the pond; and passages run from them into the ground in all directions.

水坝建成后，海狸就开始建造它们的小镇。建房子用的材料和筑水坝用的一样。它们把房子都建在池塘边上；每个方位都有通道直通地下。

The door of a beaver's house is under the water—generally three or four feet below the surface. There is no other opening of any kind. All the other passages lead to holes or caves where the beavers can hide themselves from their enemies.

它们房子的门口在水下——通常在水下三至四英尺深。这是唯一的门口。其它所有的通道都通向洞穴，这样它们就能躲避敌人。

Each house holds from ten to twenty beavers. It has two rooms in it, one above the other. The upper one is where the beavers live. The lower room is used as a place to store their food, which consists chiefly of the bark of the silver-birch and poplar trees. It is kept under water, safe from the frost, and brought up as it is wanted.

每间房子有两间房，一间在另一间的上面，里面住着十到二十只海狸。上层房间是海狸们居住的地方，下层则用来储存食物，主要是白桦树和白杨树的树皮。由于存在水下，所以不必担心霜冻，只要想吃，就可以搬上来。

Like the bird and the bee, the beaver builds his house just as God has taught him. He has not reason to guide him in his work. This gift belongs to man alone. But the lower animals are born with the power of doing everything necessary to make themselves safe and comfortable. This power is called instinct.

海狸像鸟和蜜蜂一样，天生就懂得筑巢。上帝不会在它们筑巢的过程中加以指点，因为这是人类的特权。但是低级动物天生就有一种能力——它们会尽一切可能保证自身安全和舒适。这种能力叫做本能。

QUESTIONS

问题

Where are beavers now chiefly found? What does the name beaver mean? Where does the beaver live in summer? What do they do in winter? Why do they like the bank of a river best? How do they cut down trees? What is the first thing they build? What is the use of this? Where are their houses built? Where is the door made? How many live in one house? How many rooms are in each house? What is the use of each? What is their food?

现在海狸主要分布在哪些地区？海狸的名字有什么含义？夏天海狸住在哪里？冬天它们会有何作为？它们为什么最喜欢在河岸上筑巢？它们怎么砍树？它们最先建造什么？最先建的东西有什么用？它们把房子建在哪里？房子门口在哪里？一个洞穴住多少只海狸？每个洞穴里有多少房间？每间房的用处是什么？它们吃什么？