“You seem to have found it so,” I answered. “You and the rook, I take it, are just the two of our birds which have lost nothing and gained much by man’s presence in our island.”
“I believe you,” said the sparrow, cocking his head on one side. He seemed ill to recognize the solemnity of being interviewed, which to the human subject is like having your photograph taken, combined with a compound visit to the dentist. “We are a dominant2 race, you see; that’s just where it is. We have adapted ourselves to the environment. Birds like jays and hawfinches, now, are too shy and retiring: as civilization advances, they retreat and skulk3 and can’t march with the age; but we and the rooks, we take advantage of every increase of human population to redouble our numbers. As fast as cultivation4 grows, we grow; man exists to provide us with food and shelter.”
“Then you think your race has increased, and is still increasing?” I asked.
“Not a doubt of it, my dear sir. We have multiplied enormously. Before the age of tillage, we were probably a small and unimportant group, no more conspicuous5 or remarkable6 in any way than the wretched little siskins, or the grasshopper-warblers. But as cultivation develops, we develop, if you will excuse my Latin, pari passu. (Oh, yes, I know Latin well, because a near cousin of mine is the Passer Itali?.) However, as I was going to say when you interrupted me with a question, we have spread about everywhere that grain will grow in Europe. That’s because we are bold, courageous7 birds, not afraid of every passing object we see, like the bluethroats and the creepers; while at the same time we are cautious, quick, eager, and wary8, and get out of the way of danger at a moment’s notice. My own opinion is that even in Europe we must have been a mere9 handful of birds before cultivation spread, and that since that time we have pushed ourselves by our energy and enterprise into a leading position. About great cities alone, we may be reckoned by our myriads10; and then, just look at our colonial expansion!”
“You have emigrated largely, I believe,” I said, “to America and the Colonies?”
“Bless my soul, yes; we have followed European civilization almost everywhere. We allow mankind to go ahead of us for a few years, just to prepare the way, and get our corn and oats into working order; and then we gain a foothold in the newly acquired lands, and naturally oust11 the uncivilized natives. We have annexed12 America, and are killing13 out inferior types in many other regions. What do I mean by inferior types? Why, non-sparrows, of course; such lower grades, don’t you know, as Australians and New Zealanders.”
“Excuse my asking a delicate question, but do you do much damage, from the farmer’s point of view, to the crops and the gardens? You see, we men have a narrow-minded way of regarding these things from a somewhat restricted human standpoint.”
The sparrow gazed at me hard out of the corner of his eye. “Well, I don’t want it put in print,” he said confidentially14, “for farmers are so unreasonable15; but I will admit that at certain times of the year we do pick up a good many seeds out of fields and gardens. But then, consider how many insects we help to eat up. Why, I lived for a week last year upon aphides—what the farmers call bean-bugs. We must be philosophical16, my dear sir; we must be philosophical. There’s a give-and-take in these affairs, you may depend upon it.”
He ruffled17 his neck as he spoke18, and I observed it was marked by a conspicuous black band I had never before noticed.
“That’s a pretty cravat19 of yours,” I interposed, just to change the subject.
“Yes, it is pretty,” he admitted, swelling20 himself out a bit as he said it. “Our women don’t have them, you know, nor the young ones either. This beautiful decoration is the peculiar21 glory and special distinction of the adult cock-sparrow.” And anything cockier than he looked at that moment it would be hard to imagine.
It occurred to me as he spoke that I had seldom seen a slenderer form of masculine adornment22 on which to pride one’s self, till I suddenly recollected23 that a black moustache on a human face must be as relatively24 inconspicuous to any other species; and I have never noticed that the possessors of well-grown black moustaches under-rated their importance.
“You have a large family, I believe,” I remarked, as he chirped25 to his mate cheerily.
“Oh, several of them,” he answered with a nonchalant air; “sometimes as many as three yearly. We are a dominant race, you know, and we don’t always trouble to build our own nests; we just drive out a house-martin, or take possession of a sand-martin’s burrow26 in a cutting. Arbitrary, did you say? Oh, well, you see, we are sparrows; and, of course, we can make a much better use of them. Poor devils of martins, they have to go elsewhere, and house themselves as best they may—the survivors27, that is to say, for a good many of them get killed and torn to pieces in the process of readjustment. They’re such savages28, you see; we’re obligea to be sharp with them. Why, I’ve known a horde29 of house-martins fight in defence of their wretched mud hovels till we were compelled to exterminate30 them. Well, I’m off now; ta-ta! Mind you send me a copy of your paper with this interview. And oh, by the way, if you describe my wife, just make the most you can of that pale streak31 over her eye, will you? It is all she has to be proud of, poor thing. She’s not as distinguished-looking as I am, of course; but let her down gently, please; do let her down gently.”
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1
civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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dominant
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| adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因 | |
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skulk
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| v.藏匿；潜行 | |
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cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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myriads
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| n.无数，极大数量( myriad的名词复数 ) | |
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oust
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| vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐 | |
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annexed
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| [法] 附加的，附属的 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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confidentially
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| ad.秘密地，悄悄地 | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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philosophical
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| adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的 | |
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ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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cravat
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| n.领巾，领结；v.使穿有领结的服装，使结领结 | |
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swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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adornment
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| n.装饰；装饰品 | |
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recollected
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| adj.冷静的；镇定的；被回忆起的；沉思默想的v.记起，想起( recollect的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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relatively
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| adv.比较...地，相对地 | |
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chirped
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| 鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的过去式 ) | |
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burrow
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| vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞 | |
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survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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horde
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| n.群众，一大群 | |
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exterminate
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| v.扑灭，消灭，根绝 | |
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streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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