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Pumas are large, cat-like animals
美洲狮是一种体形似猫的大动物
which are found in America.
产于美洲
When reports came into London Zoo
当伦敦动物园接到报告说
that a wild puma had been spotted 45 miles south of London,
在伦敦以南45英里处发现一只美洲狮时
they were not taken seriously.
这些报告并没有受到重视
However,
可是
as the evidence began to accumulate,
随着证据越来越多
experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate,
动物园的专家们感到有必要进行一番调查
for the descriptions given by people
因为凡是声称见到过美洲狮的人们
who claimed to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar.
所描述的情况竟是出奇地相似
The hunt for the puma began in a small village
搜寻美洲狮的工作是从一座小村庄开始的
where a woman picking blackberries saw 'a large cat'
那里的一位妇女在采摘黑莓时看见一只大猫
only 5 yards away from her.
离她仅5码远
It immediately ran away when she saw it,
她刚看见它 它就立刻逃走了
and experts confirmed
专家证实
that a puma will not attack a human being
美洲狮除非被逼得走投无路
unless it is cornered.
是决不会伤人的
The search proved difficult,
事实上搜寻工作很困难
for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning
因为常常是早晨在甲地发现那只美洲狮
and at another place 20 miles away in the evening.
晚上却在20英里外的乙地发现它的踪迹
Wherever it went,
无论它走到哪儿
it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits.
一路上总会留下一串死鹿及死兔子之类的小动物
Paw prints were seen in a number of places
在许多地方看见了爪印
and puma fur was found clinging to bushes.
灌木丛中也发现了粘在上面的美洲狮毛
Several people complained of 'cat-like noises' at night
有人抱怨说夜里听见了像猫一样的叫声
and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree.
一位商人去钓鱼 看见那只美洲狮在树上
The experts were now fully convinced
专家们如今已经完全肯定
that the animal was a puma,
那只动物就是美洲狮
but where had it come from?
但它是从哪儿来的呢
As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country,
由于全国动物园没有一家报告丢了美洲狮
this one must have been in the possession of a private collector
因此那只美洲狮一定是某位私人收藏豢养的
and somehow managed to escape.
不知怎么设法逃出来了
The hunt went on for several weeks,
搜寻工作进行了好几个星期
but the puma was not caught.
但始终未能逮住那只美洲狮
It is disturbing to think
想到
that a dangerous wild animal
在宁静的乡村里有一头危险的野兽继续逍遥流窜
is still at large in the quiet countryside.
真令人担心
