大家好，hello，今天这一节，我们讲的是关于[the mother duck 鸭子妈妈]、[the queen 鸭女王]、还有 [an ugly duckling 丑小鸭]的故事。

在上一节课里， 鸭子妈妈决定还是多花几天时间孵蛋，终于把最大的那个蛋给孵化出来。通过下池塘测试，她发现这只丑小鸭会游泳，所以肯定不是小火鸡，放心了，决定把所有孩子介绍给农场的邻居们。

地点：the farmyard 农家院子。

《THE UGLY DUCKLING》

我们带着问题听下面的故事，第一个问题：为什么 the mother duck 对那只老母鸭说 your grace?
第二个问题： 为什么有一只鸭子要把the ugly duckling 赶出去？

我们来听故事。

• When they reached the farmyard 当他们进到农家院子里时,
• there was a great disturbance 这里正发生激烈的争吵,
• two families 两个家庭
• were fighting for an eel’s head 在争夺一个鳗鱼头,
• which, after all, was carried off by the cat 这东西，归根到底，还是那只猫丢下的.

• “See, children 你们看，孩子们,
• that is the way of the world 这就是我们这个真实的世界,” said the mother duck 鸭妈妈说,
• whetting her beak 她磨了磨自己的喙,
• for she would have liked the eel’s head herself 因为她自己其实也蛮想要那个鳗鱼头的.
• “Come, now 跟我来吧, use your legs 抬腿走路,
• and let me see how well you can behave 让我看看谁最帅.
• You must bow your heads prettily to that old duck yonder 记得低头，优雅地对远处那个鸭婆婆，鞠躬;
• she is the highest born of them all 她可是她们之中血统最高的,
• and has Spanish blood 她还有西班牙血脉呢,
• therefore 所以,
• she is well off 她也很有钱.
• Don’t you see 你们看到没？
• she has a red flag tied to her leg 她的腿上绑着个红色的旗子,
• which is something very grand 那可是了不得的东西,
• and a great honor for a duck 对咱们鸭子来说，那是一种巨大的荣耀;
• it shows that every one is anxious not to lose her 它表示，所有人都很小心，害怕失去她,
• as she can be recognized both by man and beast 因为她可以被人类接受，也可以被兽类接受.
• Come now 跟我来, don’t turn your toes 别缩手缩脚的,
• a well-bred duckling 一只良种小鸭
• spreads his feet wide apart 会把他的脚掌充分打开,
• just like his father and mother 就象他的爹妈,
• in this way 就这样;
• now 现在 bend your neck 低下脖子,
• and say ‘quack .’”说 呱呱

• The ducklings did as they were bid 小鸭子们按照妈妈的指示做了,
• but the other duck stared 但是鸭群中有一只鸭子，一直在盯着他们看,
• and said 它说道,
• “Look 快看, here comes another brood 这里来了一个新种,
• as if there were not enough of us already 好像我们这里的品种还不够多似的!
• and what a queer looking object one of them is 大伙儿快瞧，他们中还有一个长得怪模怪样的家伙;
• we don’t want him here 我们不欢迎它,”
• and then one flew out 这时候，有一只鸭子飞了出来
• and bit him in the neck 在丑小鸭的脖子上狠狠地啄了一下.

• “Let him alone 你离他远点,” said the mother 鸭妈妈说;
• “he is not doing any harm 他又没招你惹你.”
• “Yes, but he is so big and ugly 它是没有招惹我，可你瞧他这样，又大有丑,”
• said the spiteful duck 那只凶鸭子说，
• “and therefore 因此 he must be turned out 他必须得走.”
• “The others are very pretty children 其他都是很漂亮的孩子,”
• said the old duck with the rag on her leg 那只腿上绑着布条的老鸭子说,
• “all but that one 就只有一只;
• I wish his mother 我希望他的母亲 could improve him a little 把他打扮得漂亮一点.”

• “That is impossible, your grace 那是不可能的，陛下,”
• replied the mother 妈妈回答;
• “he is not pretty 他是不漂亮;
• but he has a very good disposition 但是他性格顶好,
• and swims as well 并且游泳也是有模有样的，
• or even better than the others 甚至比其他鸭子还游得好.
• I think 我觉得 he will grow up pretty 他长大后就会变得漂亮了,
• and perhaps be smaller 另外，说不定。。。会变小一些;
• he has remained too long in the egg 他在蛋里呆的时间太长了,
• and therefore 因此
• his figure is not properly formed 他的个子发育得不是很正常;”
• and then she stroked his neck 然后她摸了摸儿子的脖子
• and smoothed the feathers 理了理儿子的羽毛,
• saying 说道,
• “It is a drake 他是一只公鸭,
• and therefore not of so much consequence 所以长相并不是那么要紧.
• I think 我认为 he will grow up strong 他会长得很强壮,
• and able to take care of himself 并且可以照顾自己.”

《THE UGLY DUCKLING》《丑小鸭》第三集：鸭妈妈为儿子争辩

今天英语课开始提到的两个问题，我们现在来讨论一下。Question 1：
为什么 the mother duck 对那只老母鸭说 your grace?.
And my answer is:
因为那只老母鸭是这个鸭子社会里的女王，血统最高，英语里，叫女王为 your grace。

Question 2:
为什么有一只鸭子坚持要把the ugly duckling 赶出去？,
my answer is:
因为 the ugly duckling 长得与众不同，而且很丑，任何一个社会，总有一些成员不喜欢那些与众不同的同伴。人类社会也是一样。

Question from 上一节课:
为什么 the duck mother 相信丑小鸭就是她自己的孩子？，
答案是：
因为 the duck mother 看到丑小鸭可以游泳。