87 Turtles Ancient SymbolModern Survivor

CHAPTER 1 Turtle Basics TURTLES ARE AMONG THE OLDEST ANIMAL SPECIES STILL ALIVE. THEY ARE DEFINITELY THE OLDEST REPTILE. We have evidence of turtles, found in ancient fossils, dating as far back as 220 million years. They are great survivors, but they aren't just one thing. There are about 300 species of turtles, including tortoises. They look similar, and people often use the word "turtle" for both animals, but there are big differences between turtles and tortoises. There are many similarities, too. All turtle species, including sea turtles and tortoises, lay many eggs, and they lay them on land.

海龟是现存最古老的动物之一。 它们绝对是最古老的爬行动物。 我们在古代化石中发现了海龟存在的证据，可以追溯到2.2亿年前。 他们是伟大的幸存者，但他们不只是一件事。 包括陆龟在内，世界上大约有300种海龟。 它们看起来很相似，人们经常用“乌龟”这个词来形容这两种动物，但海龟和陆龟之间有很大的区别。 两者也有很多相似之处。 所有的海龟，包括海龟和陆龟，都产很多蛋，它们把蛋产在陆地上。

Unlike most mammal species, neither turtles nor tortoises care for their young. Once an egg hatches, the baby is on its own! Turtles and tortoises have adapted to habitats on all continents, except Antarctica. Some species live in tropical rainforests, whereas others live in dry savannas. Africa has the widest variety of turtle and tortoise species. The diets of turtles and tortoises have adapted, too. Some eat meat, some eat plants, and some eat plants, animals, and insects. They both store food and water very well. Some species can live a year without eating or drinking!

与大多数哺乳动物不同，海龟和陆龟都不照顾它们的幼崽。 一旦蛋孵出来，宝宝就得靠自己了！海龟和陆龟已经适应了除南极洲以外的所有大陆的栖息地。 一些物种生活在热带雨林中，而另一些物种生活在干燥的稀树草原上。 非洲的龟和陆龟种类最为繁多。 海龟和陆龟的饮食也发生了变化。 有些人吃肉，有些人吃植物，还有一些人吃植物、动物和昆虫。 它们都能很好地储存食物和水。 有些物种可以一年不吃不喝！

CHAPTER 2 Symbols and Significance THE TURTLE IS AN ANCIENT CREATURE. IT IS COUSIN TO THE DINOSAURS THAT ONCE WALKED OUR EARTH. The turtle can help us imagine what our world must have been like before human beings ever lived. This long history, and the fact that turtles and tortoises can be found in almost all parts of the world, may explain why the turtle has played such a significant role in so many cultures, both around the world and throughout history. Turtles are often found in the traditional stories and songs of native people across North America, Asia, Africa, and South America. They are especially popular in China, Japan, Korea, and island cultures of the South Pacific.

海龟是一种古老的生物。 它是曾经在地球上行走的恐龙的近亲。 乌龟可以帮助我们想象在人类出现之前我们的世界是什么样子。 这段漫长的历史，以及几乎在世界上所有地方都能找到海龟和陆龟的事实，也许可以解释为什么海龟在世界各地和历史上的许多文化中都扮演着如此重要的角色。 海龟经常出现在北美、亚洲、非洲和南美土著人的传统故事和歌曲中。 它们在中国、日本、韩国和南太平洋的岛屿文化中特别受欢迎。

But no matter where the story or song comes from, there are interesting similarities in the characteristics of the turtle. It seems that, all around the world, turtle symbolism includes some of the characteristics we most admire in human beings: innocence, patience, strength, steadiness, endurance, protectiveness, order, and wisdom. For example, most people know the fable of the tortoise and the hare, written by the ancient Greek storyteller Aesop. The fable is about a fast but arrogant hare that loses a race to a slow but determined turtle. "Slow and steady wins the race" is the message we take from this story. The message, of course, can be applied to life, too: concentrate on the job in front of you, avoid being careless and over-confident, and you will have success. The turtle can be found in more recent, but equally popular, literary works, too. English fantasy writer Terry Pratchett has written 40 novels in his series Discworld. His books take place on Discworld, a flat planet that sits on the backs of four enormous elephants. These elephants stand on the back of a giant turtle as it swims through space.

但无论这个故事或歌曲来自哪里，海龟的特征都有一些有趣的相似之处。 似乎，在世界各地，乌龟的象征意义包含了我们最欣赏的一些人类特征：天真、耐心、力量、坚定、耐力、保护、秩序和智慧。 例如，大多数人都知道由古希腊小说家伊索写的龟兔赛跑的寓言。 这则寓言讲的是一只跑得快但傲慢的兔子在比赛中输给了一只行动缓慢但意志坚定的乌龟。 “稳扎稳打赢得比赛”是我们从这个故事中得到的信息。 当然，这句话也适用于生活：专注于眼前的工作，避免粗心大意和过度自信，你就会成功。 在更晚近但同样流行的文学作品中也可以找到乌龟。 英国奇幻作家特里·普拉切特在他的《碟形世界》系列中写了40部小说。 他的书发生在碟形世界，一个坐落在四头巨象背上的扁平星球。 这些大象站在一只在太空中游泳的巨龟背上。

The idea of a world resting on elephants standing on the back of a turtle may seem fantastic and unique. But Pratchett did not invent it. He was inspired by a well- known Hindu creation myth (a story about the creation of the universe). In this story, the Earth is supported by elephants standing on the back of a turtle. In fact, this idea is repeated in many other cultures. A turtle holding up the Earth and skies can also be found in Chinese stories. The rounded carapace, or top part of the shell, is a symbol of the heavens, and the plastron, the flat underside of the shell protecting the animal itself, is seen as the Earth.

大象站在乌龟背上的世界似乎是奇妙而独特的。 但普拉切特并没有发明它。 他的灵感来自一个著名的印度教创造神话（一个关于宇宙创造的故事）。 在这个故事中，地球是由站在乌龟背上的大象支撑着的。 事实上，这个想法在许多其他文化中都有重复。 在中国的故事中，也可以看到乌龟撑起大地和天空。 圆形的甲壳，或外壳的顶部，是天堂的象征，而保护动物自身的平坦的外壳底部，被视为地球。

Across the ocean, in the traditional cultures of North America, turtles and tortoises are also viewed as symbols of the creation of the world and the universe. In some of these creation myths, the turtle created Earth by collecting and piling up mud from the bottom of the sea. In others, the quietly reliable turtle offered his strong shell as the base on which all other animals could build their world. The turtle also has other symbolic meanings. Because turtles live so long, they are viewed as a symbol of long life and the wisdom that comes from living for many years. In African children's stories, for example, the tortoise is always the cleverest character and likes to play tricks on others. Even in Western culture today, turtles in cartoons often wear glasses, a sign of being smart or a good student.

在大洋彼岸的北美传统文化中，海龟和陆龟也被视为创造世界和宇宙的象征。 在一些创世神话中，海龟通过收集和堆积海底的泥土创造了地球。 在另一些故事中，这只安静可靠的海龟将其坚固的外壳作为所有其他动物建造世界的基础。 乌龟还有其他的象征意义。 因为海龟的寿命很长，所以它们被视为长寿和长寿智慧的象征。 例如，在非洲儿童的故事中，乌龟总是最聪明的角色，喜欢捉弄别人。 即使在今天的西方文化中，漫画中的乌龟也经常戴着眼镜，这是聪明或好学生的标志。