17 Beaver's Tail

Beaver's Tail written by Pam Holden illustrated by Lamia Aziz

《海狸的尾巴》，作者帕姆·霍尔顿，插画拉米亚·阿齐兹

A long time ago, Beaver had a long soft tail. He thought it was the best tail of all the animals. He asked his friend Eagle, "Don't you wish your tail was just like mine?" "No," answered Eagle. "Then I wouldn't be able to fly up high into the sky. I like my own tail best."

很久以前，海狸有一条又长又软的尾巴。 他认为这是所有动物中最好的尾巴。 他问他的朋友老鹰:“你不希望你的尾巴像我的一样吗?”“不，”老鹰回答。 “那样我就不能飞到高空中了。 我最喜欢自己的尾巴。”

Next, Beaver turned to Turtle and Rabbit, and asked the same thing. Turtle answered, "No, I would look so silly with that tail coming out of my shell. I am round and your tail is long. It would drag across the ground. I like my own tail best." Rabbit answered, "No, I would not be able to hop very fast at all with that tail. My tail is little and your tail is long. I like my own tail best."

接着，海狸转向乌龟和兔子，问了同样的问题。 乌龟回答说:“不，如果尾巴从壳里伸出来，我会看起来很傻。 我是圆的，你的尾巴是长的。 它会拖过地面。 我最喜欢自己的尾巴。”兔子回答说:“不行，有了这条尾巴，我根本跳不快。 我的尾巴小，你的尾巴长。 我最喜欢自己的尾巴。”

Beaver went back to work, cutting down trees. While he was working, he was thinking about what Eagle, Turtle, and Rabbit had said. Beaver was deep in thought. While he thought about them, he didn't watch the tree he was working on.

海狸又回去工作了，砍树。 当他工作的时候，他在想老鹰、乌龟和兔子说的话。 海狸陷入了沉思。 当他想着他们的时候，他没有注意他正在工作的树。

Beaver cut too far into the tree. Beaver did not notice the tree begin to move. Beaver didn't notice the tree begin to sway. Beaver did not hear the tree CRACK! Suddenly, the tree fell down onto him. Beaver's long soft tail was stuck under the tree! Beaver wasn't able to get it out.

海狸把树砍得太深了。 海狸没有注意到树开始移动了。 海狸没有注意到树开始摇晃了。 海狸没有听到树裂开的声音!突然，树倒在他身上。 海狸又长又软的尾巴卡在树下了!海狸没能把它弄出来。

Beaver began to pull as hard as he could to move his stuck tail out from under the tree. He took hold of his long soft tail, and he pulled and pulled. Beaver tried and tried. It took a very long time but at last, his tail was out. When Beaver looked at his tail, he saw that it was flat and hard now. His long soft tail was gone!

海狸开始拼命地拉，想把它那被卡住的尾巴从树下拔出来。 他抓住自己柔软的长尾巴，拉啊拉啊。 海狸试了又试。花了很长时间，但最后，他的尾巴出来了。 海狸看了看自己的尾巴，发现它现在又平又硬了。 它又长又软的尾巴不见了!