1. The Robin of North America belongs to a very different family, —that of the Thrushes. It is of nearly twice the length of the Redbreast, and more than twice its size. Having been so fortunate as to receive the name by which it is now generally known, and having some good qualifi es of its own, the American Robin is quite as much of a favorite as it deserves to be,—more so than a good many other birds far more worthy of our favor.

2. Our Robin is probably one of the most common birds all over North America. In summer it is found as far to the north as the Arctic seas, from the Atlantic to the Pacifi c oceans; and in winter it is found in all the Southern States and in Mexico. It is called the Migratory Thrush by Audubon, because it leaves us when winter comes on, and does not return until the frost is out of the ground. It does this probably because its food fails it in winter,—not because of the cold. In the thick woods in the valleys of the White Mountains, where berries are plentiful all the year round, the Robin stays through all the very severe winters.

3. The American Robin possesses some traits of character not altogether to be commended. He is greedy, voracious, and wasteful of the good things of our gardens. He helps himself to our cherries. He eats more than he needs, and wastes more than he eats. He plunders our strawberry-beds, and there too he picks to pieces and destroys unnecessarily more than he eats.

4. So, too, the Robin appropriates our currants, and, later in the season, helps himself to ripe pears, if we leave them to ripen within his reach; and he is also accused of helping himself in the autumn to our grapes. The worst of it is that he does not seem to know when he has had enough. Too often will he eat more than is good for himself. In South Carolina he will devour the berries of a tree called the Pride of India, in such large quantities as to disable himself from fl ying, and large numbers are taken and destroyed after they have thus fed upon these berries, becoming an easy prey.

5. The Robin is also a quarrelsome fellow, and will sometimes drive away from the garden where it resorts other kinds of unoffending birds which deserve better treatment. A pair of Robins once undertook to prevent several families of Swallows from returning to their own homes in a martin-box, in order to feed their young. The Robins stood doggedly before the entrance to the nest of the Swallows, and refused to permit them to pass in. The poor Swallows, not strong enough to fight their own battles alone, told their grievances to their neighbors, who came in large numbers and resolutely attacked the Robins, but even they were not strong enough to break the blockade until the owner of the garden appeared, and raised the siege by driving the Robins away.

6. But these are the worst points in our Robin’s character. It has its good points too, and these are not few. Its very greediness enables it to do a great deal of good. In the spring of the year, when there are no berries for it to feed upon, it destroys a vast number of injurious insects, slugs, and worms, which, but for the Robin, might destroy whole crops.

7. Like the Robin of Europe, our bird also has a confiding disposition; though its confi dence has more of the boldness of one who demands a fright, than of the gentle trust of one who seeks a favor. Early in spring, long before there are any leaves to shelter or hide his nest, our Robin openly constructs his large coarse nest of mud and hay, in places more or less exposed. His very boldness assures his safety, under the protection of man, from other enemies. He builds his nest often in places singularly exposed to interruption and observation. In one instance it was near a blacksmith’s forge; in another, it was on the timbers of a half-fi nished ship on the stocks, upon which the carpenters were still at work. It is a very common thing to fi nd its nests on the porches of houses, over window-sills, and in other places which bring it into similar intimacy with man.

8. The Robin is a deservedly popular singer. Its notes are said, by persons familiar with the far-famed Blackbird of Europe, so greatly to resemble those of the latter bird as to be hardly distinguishable. These are earnest, simple, and thrilling; and, being the fi rst to open and among the last to close the great vernal concert of Nature, their notes are even more esteemed than those of many of our superior songsters.

9. The parental devotion of our Robin is one of its best traits. It is watchful, provident, and faithful to its young; jealous of any approach to its nest, and evincing the greatest anxiety at any appearance of danger. If its nest is approached too near, or its young molested, its cries of distress and alarm are made almost articulate with reproaches and remonstrances.

10. Our Robins, when taken sufficiently young, are easily tamed and reconciled to confinement. They soon become strongly attached to their benefactors where they are kindly treated, and perfectly tame and familiar. In our younger days, a pair of tame Robins made a part of our large family. They were allowed to come and go from their cage at pleasure, and would follow our father, when permitted to do so, wherever he went,—ever on the watch for food from his hands, or ready to see if he turned over the ground, that they might search for worms.

11. They would come at his call, alight on his fi nger, or head, or shoulder; and would resent, with an amazing air of jealousy, any attempt of the smaller children to interfere with their privileges in these respects. One of our pets, very much to our sorrow, was accidentally killed. But our childish grief, sincere as it was, did not equal the inconsolable sorrow of its bereaved mate, which, refusing to be comforted, resisted all attempts to induce it to take food, and in a few days its loving spirit—for who can doubt that it had one?— had left it to follow its loved and loving mate.

12. Such is our American Robin, —bearing little resemblance in size, shape, colors, or character, to its English namesake, yet not wholly undeserving of our favorable regard. We might all imitate with advantage its affectionate, loving disposition to its kindred and family; and esteem ourselves fortunate if we can make ourselves so generally welcome with our sweet and simple harmony as the Robin. Its faults, we will remember, are but the promptings of its natural instincts, planted there by a common Creator; and we who are better taught have no excuse when we imitate them.

中文阅读

1. 北美的知更鸟（Robin）属于一个非常不同的家族——画眉家族。Robin的体长几乎有Redbreast（知更鸟）的两倍长，体型比它的两倍还大。这种鸟儿有幸被人们称为北美的 Robin ，而且这个叫法越来越为人们认可；此外，它也有自己的优点。因此，它赢得了人们的喜爱——它比别的鸟儿可爱得多，也确实值得我们喜爱。

2. 我们的知更鸟也许是全北美最常见的鸟类之一。夏日，从大西洋到太平洋，北至北极圈的大洋，都有它们的身姿掠过；冬日，南部诸州和墨西哥，都可以看到它们的身影。它被奥杜邦称作“迁徙的画眉”，因为它在冬日降临时离我们而去，直到冰雪融化才会返回。它的迁徙多半不是因为怕冷，而是因为冬日食物难觅。在怀特山脉的山谷里，一年四季都有充足的浆果，知更鸟会在这里度过最严寒的冬季。

3. 美国知更鸟还有一些不为人所喜的性格特征。它贪婪、好吃，肆意浪费我们园子里的好东西。它随意啄食我们的浆果，不会按需取食，糟蹋的比吃掉的多。它践踏我们的草莓地，吃饱肚子还不算，还要把剩下的啄烂，糟蹋掉。

4. 此外，知更鸟还会啄食我们的葡萄干。到梨子成熟的季节，如果不把园子看管起来，它就会啄食梨子，还有，人们还指责它在秋天偷吃葡萄。最糟糕的是，它根本就不知道吃多少就够了，总是吃得太多，反而害了自己。在南卡罗莱纳州，有一种树叫做“印第安的骄傲”，它会大量吞食这种树的浆果，以至于吃到最后连飞都飞不起来了。因此，吃过这些浆果后的知更鸟，很多都成了猎人轻而易举就能捕获到的猎物。

5. 此外，知更鸟还是种惹是生非的家伙，有时候会被人从它栖息的园子里赶走。其他那些安分守己的鸟理应得到更好的款待。一对知更鸟为了喂养自己的小鸟，曾阻止几窝燕子归巢。知更鸟固执地站在燕巢的入口，就是不让燕子们进去。可怜的燕子身单力弱，单打独斗打不赢，就跑去向邻居们诉苦，于是，一大群燕子都跑来帮忙，同仇敌忾，结果还是打不过对方，直到园子的主人出来把知更鸟轰走，燕子才能回家。

6. 不过，这是我们知更鸟性格中最坏的一面了。其实它也有优点，优点还不少呢。它的贪婪迫使它做了很多好事。每年春季，在浆果还没成熟的时节，它会去啄食大量的害虫，包括昆虫、蛞蝓和蠕虫，而这些害虫可能会毁掉整片庄稼。

7. 我们的知更鸟也跟欧洲的知更鸟一样，具有对人类深信不疑的特征。只不过它的信任更多是那种冒失大胆的信任，是那些必须奋斗的家伙的信任；而不是那种温文尔雅的信任，像那些寻求帮助的人的信任。它的巢用泥巴和干草筑成，又大又粗糙。早春时节，树叶还未能遮住它的巢，它也会公然将巢筑在多多少少有些暴露的地方。它的冒失大胆让自己处于人类的保护下，赶跑其他敌人，反而确保了自己的安全。有时候，它会把筑巢在打铁厂旁；有时候，它会把巢筑在准备建造轮船的木料上，旁边木匠们还在干着活儿。它把巢筑在门廊上，筑在窗台上，筑在跟人类亲密接触的地方，这样的例子俯首皆是。

8. 知更鸟是当之无愧的流行歌手。据说，它的歌声跟闻名的欧洲画眉难分伯仲，十分相似。它们的歌声热切、简洁、动人心魄；此外，它们的歌声既是大自然伟大的春天交响曲的前奏，也是交响曲的尾声。它们的歌声甚至比我们那些所谓大歌星的歌声更动听。

9. 我们的知更鸟对子女诚挚的爱是它最大的优点之一。为了小鸟，它十分警惕、节俭，对子女挚爱有加。只要有人接近它的巢，它就非常猜忌；只要有危险出现，它就露出非常焦灼的神情。如果有人靠鸟巢太近，或者它的孩子们受到侵扰，它就会悲愤、警惕地鸣叫，像在厉声申斥、抗议。

10. 我们的知更鸟若是在很小的时候被人抓去，就很容易驯养，它们会乖乖地待在笼子里。只要主人善待它们，它们很快就会紧紧地跟随主人左右，对主人又顺从又亲昵。我们小时候曾养过一对知更鸟，它们成了我们大家庭的一部分。只要它们高兴，可以随意进出笼子。只要得到我们父亲允许，我们父亲走到哪儿，它们就会跟到哪儿——会看守他手头的食物，会等着他去翻地，它们好跟着去抓虫子吃。

11. 父亲一叫，它们就会过来，落在他手上、头上或者肩膀上；它们以此为殊荣，要是孩子们干扰了它们，它们就会心怀怨恨，一副令人吃惊的嫉妒神情。让我们非常伤心的是，其中一只意外死亡。然而，我们稚嫩的忧伤跟痛失爱侣的知更鸟那种伤心欲绝根本无法相提并论。它拒绝我们的安慰，拒绝饮食，几天时间，它那忠诚的灵魂——谁敢说它没有忠诚的灵魂——离它而去，去追随它那逝去的爱侣。

12. 这就是我们的美国知更鸟，虽然跟英国的同名鸟在大小、体型、颜色和特征上没多少相似之处，但仍然值得我们喜爱。我们可以学习它的优点，仿效它对同类和家族那深切的挚爱。如果我们能以我们甜美、简单的友善让自己受到普遍欢迎，就像知更鸟那样，我们肯定会觉得自己十分幸运。至于它的那些缺点，我们也知道，那是受自然本能的刺激，造物主将其深植于它的体内。我们这些文明社会的人类不可能在明知错误的情况下还去仿效。 fEZJcH9nhR73ztL3a7J1RPjUcOFY8FKvVWd4AbrAqJDqVCmcWpaYgDqe84s33sWM