Animals and Their Languages
动物及其语言
Animals, including insects, do not have a language like ours. They do not talk with each other in words and sentences. But if we watch them, we can see that they do have ways of communicating with each other.
包括昆虫在内的动物没有跟我们一样的语言。它们不用词语或句子交谈，但是如果我们观察它们，它们确实有交流的方式。
Can you see the rabbit's tail? When rabbits see this white tail moving up and down, they run. They know that there is danger. The rabbit has told them something without making a sound. It has given them a signal.
你能见到兔子尾巴吗？当兔子见到这种白尾巴上下摆动的时候，兔子们就四散跑开。它们知道有危险了。那只兔子告诉它们有情况，但是没有发声。它给了它们信号。
Many other animals use this kind of language. When a cobra is angry, it raises its hood and makes itself look fierce. This warns other animals. When a bee has found some food, it goes back to its home. It can't tell other bees where the food is by speaking to them, but it does a little dance in the air. This tells the bees where the food is.
许多其他动物也使用这种语言。当一条眼镜蛇愤怒的时候，它昂起颈部，使自己显得凶猛恐怖，给其他动物以警告。当一只蜜蜂发现某种食物的时候，它飞回蜂房。它不能通过说话告诉别的蜜蜂食物在唧里，但是它在空中飞舞一阵，这就告诉了其他蜜蜂食物在哪里。
Some animals say things by making sounds. A dog barks, for example, when a stranger comes near. A cat purrs when pleased. Some birds make several different sounds, each with its own meaning. Sometimes we human beings speak in the same way. We make sounds like “Oh” or “Ah” when we are frightened or pleased or when we drop something on our toes.
有的动物通过发声来交流。比方说狗，陌生人来的时候会吠叫。猫兴奋时会发出呼噜声。有的鸟发出不同的声音，各有各的用意。有时候我们人类也以同样的方法说话。当我们受到惊吓、感觉高兴或者把东西掉下去砸了脚趾的时候，我们发出像“哦”或“啊”的声音。
But we have something that no other animals have-a large number of words which have the meanings of things, actions, feelings or ideas. We are able to give each other all kinds of different information in words and sentences, which no other animals can do. No other animals have so wonderful a language as we have.
但是，我们有一些东西是别的动物所没有的--大量的词汇，这些词汇表达事物、行动、感情和思想观念的含义。我们能够用词和句子互相传递各种不同的信息，这是别的动物做不到的，没有什么动物具有我们这种绝妙的语言。