鸽子的奇妙世界

　　[第1～4段译文]

　　万籁俱寂的夜晚。除了一名哨兵在站岗放哨，所有士兵都在梦乡。突然一道闪光，枪声四起！他们遭到攻击了！数百名敌军士兵冲向了他们。除非获得救援，否则他们全都会被杀死。他们该怎么办？

　　一名军官飞快地在一张小纸片上写道："受袭！速援！"

　　他把纸片卷起来，放进一个小盒子里，然后伸手探入一个笼子，捉出一只鸟来。他将信系在它的腿上后，便松开了鸟儿。它立刻飞向天空，消失在黑暗中。

　　这只鸟会及时到达吗？他们会得救吗？

　　　Though it may seem hard to believe, the bird the officer uses is the same bird often seen in public parks⑭ - the pigeon.Pigeons have a wonderful sense of direction⑮ and can find their way home over long distances.Indeed⑯， pigeons have been known to fly home from as far away as 1,800 kilometres.That is why pigeons have been used since ancient times⑰ to carry the news or even the mail⑱.However, it was in war that they found their greatest use⑲.During both World War Ⅰ and Ⅱ， pigeons were employed⑳ by armies to carry messages to and from the front lines, saving the lives of many soldiers and even helping win some important victories\s\up1(21(21).

　　How do pigeons find their way? Pigeons appear to have a compass\s\up1(22(22) inside them that tells them which way is north\s\up1(23(23). How this compass works\s\up1(24(24) remains\s\up1(25(25) a mystery.Of course, since a compass alone is not enough to find\s\up1(26(26) one's way, they also appear to use their sight and even their sense of smell to tell\s\up1(27(27) them which way they should go\s\up1(28(28).Unlike\s\up1(29(29) humans, they never get lost\s\up1(30(30) and can always find their way home. 　　⑭though引导让步状语从句；the officer uses is the ...parks是省略了关系代词that/which的定语从句，修饰bird；seen in public parks是过去分词短语作后置定语。

　　⑮a sense of direction方向感

　　⑯indeed adv.的确；确实　⑰ancient times古代，上古时代

　　⑱why引导表语从句，注意：在That is why ...句型中why后接结果。

　　⑲it was in war that they found their ...是强调句型。

　　⑳employ/Im'plɔI/vt.使用；雇用

　　\s\up1(21(21)saving ...soldiers与helping ...victories是现在分词短语作结果状语。

　　\s\up1(22(22)compass/'kʌmpəs/n.罗盘；指南针

　　\s\up1(23(23)that ...north是that引导的定语从句，修饰a compass; which way is north是which引导的宾语从句。

　　\s\up1(24(24)How this compass works是how引导的主语从句。

　　\s\up1(25(25)remain link­v.仍然是，保持不变

　　\s\up1(26(26)be (not) enough to do sth.(不)足够做某事

　　\s\up1(27(27)tell vt.分辨出；辨别

　　\s\up1(28(28)which way they should go是which引导的宾语从句。

　　\s\up1(29(29)unlike/ˌʌn'laIk/prep.不像；与......不同　

　　\s\up1(30(30)get lost迷路