ANALYTICAL ENGLISH 解析英語(常春藤)
A bird that can’t fly, but somehow runs a nation (2/2) 不會飛卻是國鳥級 你說奇異不奇異？（下）
By 常春藤解析英語 Miiky Chocline
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日）
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang
The kiwi is about the size of a chicken and is full of surprises. Kiwi pairs are famously loyal and often mate for life. They share the same burrow and raise their chicks together. Even more astonishing is the size of the kiwi’s egg. A single egg can weigh about 20 percent of the mother’s body weight. To put that in perspective, it would be like a human giving birth to a four-year-old child.
Photo: AdobeStock 照片：AdobeStock
After the mother lays the egg, the father takes responsibility for most of the incubation. Because of this devoted, stay-at-home fatherhood, New Zealanders use the term “Kiwi husband” to describe a man who is family-oriented.
The kiwi’s importance to New Zealand extends further. During World War I, New Zealand soldiers were nicknamed “Kiwis” because the bird appeared on their uniforms. The nickname later came to refer to all New Zealanders. The nation’s military honors this flightless creature even today. The Royal New Zealand Air Force features a kiwi in its official roundel, which might seem funny given that the bird itself cannot fly.
Unfortunately, habitat loss and introduced predators have caused kiwi populations to fall sharply over the decades. The kiwi is now a protected species, and dedicated conservation programs across New Zealand are working hard to increase its numbers. For a bird that cannot fly, it has come too far to disappear.
Photo: Ivy English 照片：常春藤解析英語
奇異鳥的大小跟雞差不多，還充滿了驚喜。奇異鳥夫妻以忠誠聞名，常常是終身保持同一配偶。牠們住在同一個巢穴中，共同養育雛鳥。奇異鳥蛋的大小更為驚人。一顆蛋的重量可以達母鳥體重約20%。客觀來看，就像是人類要生下四歲孩童。
鳥媽媽下蛋後，鳥爸爸會承擔起大部分的孵育責任。因為這樣全心投入、家庭主夫的角色，紐西蘭人使用Kiwi husband（編按：Kiwi用以指人的時候，K必須大寫）這個詞來形容愛家好男人。
奇異鳥對紐西蘭的重要性不止於此。一戰時，紐西蘭士兵因為制服上有奇異鳥而被暱稱為Kiwis。這個綽號後來演變為指稱所有紐西蘭人。至今，該國的軍隊仍向這隻不會飛的生物表達敬意。紐西蘭皇家空軍的官方圓標上有一隻奇異鳥，考慮到這種鳥本身並不會飛，這點可能滿有趣的。
遺憾的是，棲地喪失與外來掠食者的引入導致奇異鳥的數量在過去幾十年急遽下降。奇異鳥現在是受保護的物種，全紐西蘭專門針對奇異鳥的保育計畫正在努力增加其數量。對不會飛的鳥兒來說，牠們一路走來歷經漫長歲月，實在不該就此消失。
What Did You Learn?
1. What led New Zealanders to use the term “Kiwi husband”?
(A) The kiwi’s lifelong loyalty to its mate.
(B) The male kiwi’s role in caring for the egg.
(C) The female kiwi’s ability to lay an unusually large egg.
(D) The kiwi’s appearance on New Zealand’s military uniforms.
2. Why does the author conclude the passage by saying “For a bird that cannot fly, it has come too far to disappear”?
(A) To show that the kiwi is an important symbol worth protecting.
(B) To emphasize that the kiwi’s difficulties should be valued more.
(C) To argue that the kiwi can protect itself without conservation efforts.
(D) To suggest moving the kiwi to safer environments outside New Zealand.
答案： 1. B 2. A
Words in Use
1. loyal a. 忠誠的，忠心的
A loyal friend will stand by you when everyone else has left.
當其他人都已離去，忠誠的朋友會陪在你身邊。
2. astonishing a. 驚人的
Kent’s quick progress in learning English is astonishing.
肯特學英文迅速進步，很驚人。
3. perspective n. 觀點
put sth. in/into perspective 客觀來看某事物，把某事物放在正確的比較基準下看
Peggy was upset about the comment, but to put it in perspective, it was just one opinion.
佩姬因為那個評論而難過，但客觀來看，那只是其中一個看法而已。
4. devoted a. 全心全意的
The devoted volunteers spent a lot of time helping people in need.
這些盡心盡力的志工花了許多時間援助需要幫助的人。
5. extend vi. 延伸，延續
The fashion celebrity’s influence extends across the whole industry.
那位時尚名人的影響力遍及整個產業。
Practical Phrases
1. mate for life （動物）終身保持同一配偶
Penguins often mate for life and return to the same partner each breeding season.
企鵝常終身保持同一配偶，每個繁殖季都會回到同一個伴侶身邊。
2. give birth to. . . 生下……（孩子）
Elephants usually give birth to one calf at a time.
大象通常一次只生一隻小象。
3. take responsibility for. . . 承擔起……責任，為……負責
The company took responsibility for the incident and issued an apology.
該公司對那起事件負責，並發表道歉聲明。
4. refer to. .. 意指∕指的是……
On this map, the tent icons refer to designated camping areas.
在這張地圖上，帳篷的圖示意指指定的露營區。
5. given that + S + V 考慮到∕有鑑於……
Leo did an excellent job on the presentation, given that he only had two hours to prepare.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.