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那一年是1848年，大群大群的蟋蟀来到我们居住的地方。那是上帝对我们的最后审判，不然怎么解释我们的庄稼被糟蹋，冬天即将来临我们却连生存的希望都渺茫呢？ 我们试了很多种粗暴方法想除掉那些害虫:一些人尝试着火攻， 一些人想淹死它们或是埋掉它们。可是，天哪！看样子什么东西都不能阻止这些蟋蟀的巨大破坏！ 就在我们绝望的时候，一天早上，天空里弥漫着海鸥呀呀的叫声和翅膀扑打的声音。就在我们眼前，成千上万的海鸥出现在大盐湖上空，开始捕食蟋蟀，这简直就是它们的一场盛宴。 那是上帝创造的奇迹！每一天，海鸥都来吃蟋蟀，一直到最后一只也没有剩下。我们的庄稼得救了，我们也度过了即将来临的冬天。 就这样，加利福尼亚海鸥成了犹他州的州鸟。 The Gulls In the year of our Lord 1848，vast swarms of crickets descended upon our settlement. It was a judgment upon us, for how else could you explain the desecration of our crops, the dimming hope of survival for the coming winter? We tried rude methods to destroy the insects ： some attempted to burn the crickets, some tried to drown or bury them. But alas, nothing seemed able to stop the massive destruction of the crickets. Then, when we had lost all hope, the morning sky was filled with the hoarse cry of gulls and the sound of wings. Before our eyes, thousands of gulls descended over the Great Salt Lake and commenced a great feasting upon the crickets. It was a miracle of God. Every day the gulls came to eat the crickets until there were no more crickets left. Our crops were saved and we survived the following winter. This is why the California gull is the Utah state bird. |
