The Carpenter Beaver

The Carpenter Beaver

木匠海狸

Along time ago, many beavers lived in Scotland. But their fur became very popular for making coats, and people thought beavers tasted delicious. They hunted all the beavers until they were gone. That happened over four hundred years ago. Today scientists are worried that the beavers have not returned. So they have decided to learn more about the beaver’s habitat.

很久以前，苏格兰生活着许多海狸。 但是海狸的皮毛非常受欢迎，人们认为海狸很好吃。 他们捕杀所有的海狸，直到它们消失。那发生在四百多年前。 如今，科学家们担心海狸回不来。 所以他们决定更多地了解海狸的栖息地。

Habitat means the natural place where an animal lives. If scientists know more about how beavers live, they can encourage beavers to return to Scotland. When a beaver turns three years old, it leaves its family and swims downriver to build a new home. A beaver’s home is called a lodge. It looks like a big pile of sticks, but it is actually a carefully designed house.

栖息地是指动物生活的自然环境。 如果科学家们更多地了解海狸的生活方式，他们就可以鼓励海狸返回苏格兰。 当海狸满三岁的时候，它就会离开它的家庭，游到下游去建一个新家。 海狸的家被称为“小屋”。它看起来像一大堆树枝，但实际上是一个精心设计的房子。

Beaver lodges are made of small tree branches and mud that are piled in the shape of an upside down bowl. Most lodges are two to three meters high, three to six meters wide, and full of tunnels. Some tunnels lead to the rooms inside where the beavers live. Other tunnels store food. There are also secret tunnels that confuse predators—so hungry animals don’t make beaver soup for dinner!

海狸的小屋是用小树枝和泥土堆成倒置的碗状。 大多数小屋高2 ~ 3米，宽3 ~ 6米，坑道密布。 一些隧道通向海狸居住的房间。其他隧道储存食物。 这里也有迷惑捕食者的秘密通道——所以饥饿的动物不会把海狸汤当晚餐!

Beavers build their lodges in streams, and the entrance is always underwater so that it is hard to find. For a long time, scientists were confused about the size of a beaver lodge. Most beaver families have a mom, a dad, and one to four babies, which are called kits. Why did they need so much room? After watching beavers for a long time, scientists found two answers to their question.

海狸在溪流中筑巢，入口总是在水下，所以很难找到。 在很长一段时间里，科学家们对海狸小屋的大小感到困惑。 大多数海狸家庭都有一个妈妈，一个爸爸和一到四个宝宝，这些宝宝被称为幼崽。 为什么他们需要这么大的空间?在观察海狸很长一段时间后，科学家们找到了这个问题的两个答案。

First, beavers build big homes because they need thick walls to keep out predators. Second, beavers need a place to store their food. Since beavers do not hibernate, they need a warm, safe place and lots of food when the weather gets cold. In the north many lakes turn to ice in the winter. The ice often traps beavers inside their lodge,

首先，海狸建造大房子是因为它们需要厚厚的墙壁来阻挡捕食者。 其次，海狸需要一个储存食物的地方。 由于海狸不冬眠，当天气变冷时，它们需要一个温暖、安全的地方和大量的食物。 在北方，许多湖泊在冬天结冰。冰经常把海狸困在它们的窝里，