Every August on the island of Heimaey, off the southern coast of Iceland young people often take a walk along the street throughout the night. What’s more, their parents allow them to stay out. Why? The children of Heimaey are going to save young puffins－small black-and-white seabirds.
每年8月，在冰岛南部海岸的赫马岛上，年轻人经常整夜在街上散步。而且他们的父母允许他们呆在外面，为什么？赫马岛的孩子们要拯救年轻的海雀——一种黑白相间的小海鸟。
The cliffs above the town are home to a large group of puffins. The birds dig holes all around the cliffs. These holes are their homes. Their young stay in the holes for about seven weeks. Then they begin to leave. Some move slowly on their undeveloped wings and fell down to the northern Atlantic Ocean that surrounds Heimaey. There, they swim, which they can do naturally, and learn to dive for fish. Others, however, may lose their way at night and find themselves in the town instead. On the ground, the young seabirds are in trouble. Because their wings are not fully developed they cannot take off quickly to sea and safety. The birds then become a good meal for cats and other animals.
小镇上方的悬崖是一大群海雀的家园。这些鸟在悬崖周围挖洞，这些洞是它们的家。它们的幼鸟在洞穴里大约居住七周，然后开始离开。有些鸟翅膀未发育好，行动迟缓，坠落到围绕着赫马岛的北大西洋。在那里，它们当然可以游泳，并学会潜水捕鱼。然而，有些鸟可能会在晚上迷路，坠落在镇上。在地面上，年轻的海鸟会遇到麻烦。由于翅膀没有发育完全，它们无法迅速飞到海上和安全的地方。然后，这些鸟就成了猫和其他动物的美食。
For many years islanders have helped the young puffins. Early at night in late August children carrying thick paper boxes and lights hurry to the seashore to catch puffins. They spend most of the night running after the birds. They put the birds they’ve caught in boxes and take good care of them.
多年来，岛上的居民一直在帮助年轻的海雀。8月下旬的黄昏，孩子们带着厚厚的纸盒子和灯，飞快地来到海边捕捉海雀。他们花了大半个晚上去捉鸟，他们把捕捉到的鸟放在盒子里，好好照顾它们。
The next morning the children take the puffins to the ocean and set them free. The birds will live at sea until they are at least two years old. Then they will return to the cliffs to build homes of their own for their families.
第二天早上，孩子们把海雀带到海边放生。这些鸟将在海上生活到至少两岁，然后它们将回到悬崖上为家人建造自己的家园。
Will the children of Heimaey always come to save puffiness? “Yes,” answered the boy. “We look forward to it. The best time for us is setting the birds free.”
赫马岛的孩子们会一直来拯救海雀吗？“是的，”男孩回答，“我们很期待。对我们来说，放飞鸟儿就是我们最幸福的时刻。”
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