【精英翻譯】的部落格

As Graceful as a Swan? The Facts about Swans

如天鵝般優雅？顛覆你對天鵝的想像

精英翻譯社轉自https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0058/356047/web/

Most people think of swans as graceful, romantic creatures. These beautiful birds have influenced countless works of art. Songs, ballets, and even sayings have been influenced by them. But do swans actually live up to their reputation?

大多數人認為天鵝是優雅、浪漫的生物。這些美麗的鳥影響了無數的藝術品。歌曲、芭蕾舞，甚至連俗語都受到牠們的影響。但天鵝的聲譽真的名符其實嗎？

Swans are seen as a symbol of love. It’s true that swans mate for life, but the reason for this is not their feelings for each other. Swan pairs stay together to increase the number of their young. Sticking together also helps swans stay safe and saves them the trouble of searching for a new partner every mating season. Maybe they aren’t so romantic after all.

天鵝被視為愛情的象徵。天鵝終身維持同一配偶是真的，但原因並不是牠們對彼此的感情。天鵝成雙成對在一起是為了增加幼鳥的數量。形影不離也有助於天鵝保持安全，並省去牠們每個交配季節都要尋找新伴侶的麻煩。歸根究柢，牠們也許沒那麼浪漫。

The large, white birds are also described as graceful, which has given rise to the saying “as graceful as a swan.” Swans may look graceful as they float across the water, but they also have a mean side. Male swans are especially fierce when it comes to protecting their families. If threatened, a swan will usually stand up with its wings out and hiss. While this is mainly for show, it’s still best not to bother swans.

這種大型的白色鳥類也被形容為優雅，而有「像天鵝一樣優雅」這句俗語。天鵝在滑過水面時看起來可能很優雅，但也有兇狠的一面。公天鵝在保護牠們的家人時特別兇猛。如果受到威脅，天鵝通常會展開翅膀站起來並發出嘶嘶聲。雖然主要是做做樣子，但最好還是不要去打擾天鵝。