The legend of a legendary alligator傳奇鱷魚的傳奇一生

山東成武第一中學 張世會

備受國際關注的鈍吻鱷“土星”在莫斯科動物園去世，“享年”84歲。

題材動物文章詞數 難度 建議用時記敘文體裁396 ★★★ 8 分鐘

難詞探意

1. alligator /??l?ɡe?t?(r)/ n. 鈍吻鱷

2. intrigue /?n?tri?ɡ/ n. 密謀策劃；陰謀

3. custody /?k?st?di/ n. 保管；監護；監護權

4. menagerie /m??n?d??ri/ n. （一群）野生動物

5. absolve /?b?z?lv/ v. 宣告……無罪；赦免……的罪

Saturn, an alligator of international intrigue， age 84， died at the Moscow Zoo. That in itself made Saturn unusual. In the wild, the normal life span for an alligator is 30 to 50 years.But longevity was the least unusual aspect of Saturn's biography.

Saturn was born in the wild somewhere in Mississippi in 1936 and was shipped to the Berlin Zoo from which he disappeared on November 23, 1943 in an allied air bombing campaign on Berlin. One bomb directly struck the zoo's aquarium. Of the 16,000 animals once kept in the Berlin Zoo, it is estimated that fewer than 100 survived the war. Saturn was one of them.

When he was blasted into freedom in 1943,Saturn was 7 years old. In June 1946, an almost mature Saturn was discovered and captured by British occupation forces. Custody of the alligator was transferred to the allied Soviet troops in post-WWⅡBerlin who then sent him on to Moscow where he would live in the next 74 years.

It was in Moscow that the intriguing rumor started that Saturn was a part of a pet menagerie that belonged to Adolf Hitler. This undocumented episode with Hitler gave the 11.5-foot alligator a celebrity status even though zoo officials absolved him of any political responsibility.

“Even if, purely theoretically, he belonged to someone,” the zoo's announcement of Saturn's death asserts, “animals are not involved in war and politics, and it is absurd to blame them for human sins.”

Far from blaming the alligator, officials at the Moscow Zoo treated him as an honored guest. “We tried to take care of the alligator with the utmost care and attention. He was picky about food.” Even among his keepers, he knew who he liked. He perfectly remembered the trusted keeper.

If a zoo animal can be a historical figure,officials say this one qualifies.

“Saturn is a whole era for us. There is not the slightest exaggeration,” the announcement of his death declared. “He came after the Victory in WWⅡ—and met its 75th anniversary. It is a great happiness that each of us could look into his eyes, just quietly being near. He saw many of us as children. We hope that we did not disappoint him.”

Death may not end Saturn's public career.It has been reported that his carcass will be preserved and placed on exhibition at Moscow's Charles Darwin Museum of Biology.

Reading Check

1. What does the underlined word “That” in Para. 1 refer to?

A. Saturn's biography.

B. The alligator's death at 84.

C. The life span for ordinary alligators.

D. An alligator of international intrigue.

2. How did Saturn get freedom from the Berlin Zoo in 1943?

A. He made an escape by himself.

B. He was released by the keepers.

C. He hid himself from the allied Soviet troops.

D. He was free because of an air strike.

3. What can be inferred about Saturn's life in Moscow?

A. He was quite easy to raise as usual.

B.He was frequently faced with war charges.

C.He became a rumored menagerie of Hitler.

D. He came there before Soviet Union won the war.

4. What makes Saturn a legend according to the text?

A. His secret of longevity.

B. His size for an alligator.

C. His story with Adolf Hitler.

D. His identity as a time teller.

Language Study

Sentence for writing

Of the 16,000 animals once kept in the Berlin Zoo, it is estimated that fewer than 100 survived the war.

【信息提取】it be estimated that...意為“據估計……”，句中的it為形式主語，that引導的是主語從句。

【句式仿寫】據估計，每年大約有10萬人死于車禍。