339 - 跑步奇遇 (下)

I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket – unlock, camera, zoom in! Yet even with the help of my camera lens, the creature was still blurry. Just when I was getting slightly disappointed, the tail betrayed its owner. Perhaps because it was so long, it was dangling on the branch, swaying in a casual manner. What animal has such along and thick tail? Before I had the chance to turn to it, it turned around and revealed its face to me - a white stripe across its face and glaring blackeyes. It’s a R-A-C-C-O-O-N!

我从口袋里拿出我的iPhone——解锁，拍照，放大!然而，即使在我的相机镜头的帮助下，这个生物仍然是模糊的。就在我有点失望的时候，它的尾巴背叛了它的主人。也许是因为太长了，尾巴在树枝上晃来晃去，随意地摇摆着。什么动物有这样又长又粗的尾巴呢? 我还没来得及转向它，它就把脸露了出来——脸上有一道清晰的白条纹，黑眼睛闪闪发亮。这是一个浣-熊 !

If you don’t know what a raccoon looks like, I have attached a picture at the end of the story. Raccoon is a medium-sized mammal native to North America. Raccoons have long been dwellers of Vancouver, but as they are nocturnal animals, I have never spotted one climbing such a tall tree when the sun is still out.

如果你不知道浣熊长什么样，我在故事的结尾附上了一张图片。浣熊是一种体型中等的哺乳动物，原产于北美洲。浣熊长期居住在温哥华，但由于它们是夜行动物，我从未见过一只大白天就爬上这么高的树。。

“If there is a raccoon there, there got to be a nest.” The gentleman said. “A nest? You mean there is a family of raccoon up there?” I asked. “No, a bird’s nest.” He replied.

如果那里有浣熊，就一定有个窝。”那位先生说。“窝?你是说上面有一窝浣熊?”我问。“不，是鸟巢。”他回答。

Now I recalled that while I was passing this intersection the previous morning, a group of crows was cawing like crazy. I did not dare to look at them because they seemed quite furious. Of course, they were furious, their babies were at risk! I couldn’t continue to imagine what had happened between the raccoon and the baby crows.

这时我想起来了，昨天早上经过这个十字路口时，有一群乌鸦在疯狂地叫着。我不敢看他们，因为他们似乎很生气。他们当然很生气，因为他们的孩子正处于危险!我无法继续想象浣熊和小乌鸦之间发生了什么。

I gazed at that raccoon again. It gave me a triumphant look on its face. No fear, no guilt. I never really liked crows, but at this moment, I really felt for them…

我又看了看那只浣熊。它脸上带着胜利的表情。没有恐惧，没有内疚。我从来都不喜欢乌鸦，但此时此刻，我真的很同情它们……

Vocabulary

Zoom in: 放大、拉近镜头

Blurry：模糊的

Betray：背叛

Dangle：悬挂着

Sway: 摇摆

Manner：方式

Glaring：发光的、炯炯的

Mammal：哺乳动物

Dweller：居住者、居民

Nocturnal：夜间活动的

Spot：看见、注意到

Nest：巢穴、窝

Caw：乌鸦叫

Furious：愤怒的

Gaze: 盯着看

Triumphant: 胜利的

Feel for: 感同身受