Animal Partners
动物界的伙伴关系 I-13 / 013

What would you do if your back itched in a place you couldn't reach? What if you couldn't get a jar open? You would probably ask someone to help you. Did you know that animals also help each other? Sometimes they form strange partnerships.

Two animals in Africa are partners. They help each other get their favorite food. A small bird called the honey guide likes to eat beeswax. The bird has a good sense of smell. It can find a hive from far away. Its beak is not strong enough to break into the hive, so the honey guide flies off in search of its partner—the ratel.

The ratel is a mammal. It loves honey! It has sharp claws and a tough hide to keep it from getting stung. When the honey guide finds a ratel, it hops and chatters. The ratel follows the honey guide to the hive. The ratel breaks open the hive and eats the honey. Then the honey guide eats the wax and grubs inside. Both animals get what they want. The only loser is the bee!

The crocodile and crocodile bird are also good partners. The crocodile often gets food stuck between its teeth when it is eating. Leeches bite its tongue. When the crocodile bird is around, the crocodile opens its mouth. Sometimes it leaves its mouth open for hours. The bird hops into the crocodile's mouth. It eats the leeches and bits of food. The bird also eats ticks on the crocodile's back. In this partnership, both animals gain something. The crocodile has its back and mouth cleaned. The crocodile bird has dinner.

Words and Phrases

itch [ɪtʃ] 动 发痒

jar [dʒɑ:(r)] 名 罐子

partnership [ˈpɑ:tnəʃɪp] 名 伙伴关系，合作关系

honey guide 导蜂鸟

beeswax [ˈbi:zwæks] 名 蜂蜡

hive [haɪv] 名 蜂巢

beak [bi:k] 名（猛禽、鸟等的）嘴

break into 把……分开

ratel [ˈreɪtəl] 名 蜜獾

mammal [ˈmæml] 名 哺乳动物

sting [stɪŋ] 动 蛰伤，刺伤

hop [hɒp] 动 单脚跳，跳跃

chatter [ˈtʃætə(r)] 动 喋喋不休地说；（动物等）吱吱叫

grub [ɡrʌb] 名 幼虫

crocodile bird 鳄鸟

leech [li:tʃ] 名 水蛭

tick [tɪk] 名 壁虱

Practice

1. When does a honey guide look for a ratel?

A. when it needs protection

B. before it makes its nest

C. when it finds a beehive

2. When does the honey guide eat the beeswax?

A. after the ratel has broken the hive open

B. before looking for the ratel

C. when it first smells the hive

3. When does the crocodile need to have its mouth cleaned?

A. when it is hungry

B. after it has eaten

C. when it is sleeping

4. When does the crocodile hold open its mouth?

A. when it is tired

B. when the crocodile bird is cleaning

C. when it has ticks

译文

动物界的伙伴关系

如果你的后背很痒却又搔不到，该怎么办呢？假如你打不开罐子会怎么做呢？也许你会找人帮忙。你知道动物间也会彼此帮助吗？有时它们会形成一种奇特的伙伴关系。

在非洲，有两种动物是搭档，它们互相帮助彼此得到最喜爱的食物。有一种体型很小的鸟叫导蜂鸟，它们喜欢吃蜂蜡。这种鸟嗅觉很灵敏，能找到距离遥远的蜂巢。但是它的嘴无力剥开蜂巢，所以一旦导蜂鸟找到蜂巢，它就会飞去找它的搭档——蜜獾。

蜜獾是一种哺乳动物，它喜欢蜂蜜！它的爪子很锋利，厚厚的皮则可以防蜂蛰咬。当导蜂鸟找到蜜獾时，它就跳来跳去并吱吱叫个不停，然后蜜獾就会跟着导蜂鸟来到蜂巢所在地。蜜獾打开蜂巢吃里面的蜂蜜，而导蜂鸟则吃蜂巢内的蜂蜡和幼蜂。导蜂鸟和蜜獾各取所需，最倒霉的当然是蜜蜂了！

鳄鱼和鳄鸟也是一对好搭档。鳄鱼进食的时候经常会有食物塞在牙缝中。而进入嘴里的水蛭也会叮咬它的舌头。当鳄鸟在附近的时候，鳄鱼就会张开大嘴，有时可以长达数小时。鳄鸟蹦跳着进入鳄鱼嘴里，吃掉水蛭和鳄鱼嘴里的食物残渣，甚至连鳄鱼背上的壁虱也不放过。在这样的关系中，两种动物都有所得。鳄鱼的背上和嘴里都一干二净，鳄鸟也借此饱餐一顿。

练习

1．导蜂鸟什么时候会去找蜜獾？

A．当它需要保护的时候

B．在它筑巢之前

C．当它发现蜂巢时

2．导蜂鸟何时会进食蜂蜡？

A．在蜜獾把蜂巢分开后

B．在寻找蜜獾前

C．当它一开始嗅到蜂巢所在时

3．鳄鱼何时想让口腔得到清洁？

A．当它饥饿时

B．在它进食后

C．当它睡觉时

4．鳄鱼何时会张开嘴？

A．当它疲倦时

B．当鳄鸟在帮它清洁口腔时

C．当它有壁虱时