Honey from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious. Most people, and many animals, like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a wild bees' nest and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and unexpected helper一a little bird called a honey guide.
来自非洲森林的蜂蜜不仅是一种天然糖，而且味道鲜美。大多数人和许多动物都喜欢吃。然而，获取蜂蜜的唯一方法是找到一个野生蜂巢，然后将蜂蜜从中取出。蜂巢通常在树的高处，很难发现。不过，在非洲部分地区，寻找蜂蜜的人和动物有一个奇怪而意想不到的助手一一种称为蜂蜜向导的小鸟。
The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax in the beehives. The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees' nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the curious animal or person as it leads them to the nest. When they finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey, and the wax, always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.
蜂蜜向导实际上并不喜欢蜂蜜，但它喜欢蜂巢里的蜂蜡。这种小鸟够不着蜂巢深处的蜂蜡，因此，当它发现一个合适的蜂巢时，它会寻找帮助。蜂蜜向导发出一声响亮的叫声，吸引了路过的动物和人们的注意。一旦引起了它们的注意，它就会飞越森林，时不时地等着好奇的动物或人将它们带到蜂巢前。当它们最终抵达蜂巢时，跟随者伸手获取美味的蜂蜜，小鸟耐心地等待和观看。一些蜂蜜和蜂蜡总会掉到地上，这时蜂蜜向导就会享用它。
Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very determined in its efforts to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax candles are being lit.
科学家们不知道蜂蜜向导为什么喜欢吃这种蜂蜡，但它确实很想得到它。这些鸟似乎能从很远的地方闻到蜡的气味，每当养蜂人从蜂箱中取出蜂蜜时，它们就会很快到达，甚至在点燃蜂蜡蜡烛时，它们也会进入教堂。
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