A Nest Full of Eggs

A Nest Full of EGGS

一窝鸟蛋

Listen. " Cheer-up, cheer-up, cheer-up. " That is the song of a robin. It must be spring! Up in a tree outside my window, a pair of American robins is very busy. They are gathering dry weeds and twigs. They work carefully but quickly. It is almost time.

听，“啾啾!啾啾!”这是知更鸟的歌声，一定是春天来了! 在我家窗外的树上，一对美洲知更鸟正在忙着收集干草和树枝。它们小心翼翼地劳动着，因为下蛋的时候快到了。

The female weaves the weedsand twigs together with bits ofmud that dry like glue. She adds more mud, pressing itwith her breast into a cup shape. Then she lines the bottom ofthe cup with a bed of soft grasses. There. The nest is strong, safe, and snug. Now it is ready.

雌鸟用像半干的胶水一样的湿泥，把杂草和树枝一点一点地编织起来。它又加了一些湿泥，挺着胸脯把湿泥压成杯状。 接着，在底部铺上一层柔软的青草。瞧，鸟巢坚固、安全又舒适。随时可以下蛋了!

Over the next few days, the female robin lays four beautiful blueeggs in the nest. She is sitting on the nest now, keeping the eggswarm. Her mate is close by. He sings loudly, warning other robins tostay away.

接下来的几天，雌鸟在巢里生下了四颗美丽的蓝色鸟蛋。它坐在蛋上面，给它保暖。身边的雄鸟发出嘹亮的歌声，警告其他知更鸟不准靠近。

Inside each egg is a tiny new life. It is growing veryfast. The yellow yolk is its liquid food. The clear albumen, which we call the" white" of an egg, is its watery cushion. Day after day, the mother robin sits on the eggs, patiently waiting.

每颗蛋里都孕育这一个小生命。这个小生命长得很快，卵黄是它的流质食物，清透的明白是水嫩的软垫。每天知更鸟妈妈都坐在蛋上耐心地等待。

After three days, the life beginsto look like a head, a backbone, aheart, and eyes. Already the heartis beating. After five days, a beak, twowings, two legs, and a tail aretaking shape. It is beginning tolook like a baby bird in there. After about eight days, the robin is completely formed, right down to its toes. By the twelfth day, the robinhas grown so big, it is squeezedinside the egg. It has used up allthe food and space.

三天后，这个小生命长出了头、脊椎、心脏和眼睛，心脏已经能跳动了。 五天后，鸟像、两只翅膀、两只脚和一条尾巴也形成了，看起来像只小鸟了。 大约八天后，小知更鸟从头到脚都长齐了。到了第十二天，小知更鸟已经长得很大了，在卵壳里挤成一团，并耗尽了所有的食物和空间。