娃娃鱼的故事：大自然中的奇遇

我叫阿宝，我从出生就住在这个“小房子”里。我的房子很特别，墙壁好像是一层软绵绵的磨砂玻璃，很有弹性，远远看上去像个不规则的水晶球。这栋房子好像有魔法，给我源源不断的能量。

My name is Po.I was born in this little house,which looked like an irregular crystal ball.The stretchy wall seemed to be a layer of soft ground glass.The house kept providing me energy magically.

这是哪里？我的家吗？

Where is this place? My home?

我对一切都充满好奇，没事的时候喜欢打量四周，放眼望去都是我的兄弟姐妹，我们的房子像珍珠项链一样串成一串。有的房子是独成一室的，有的是两居室，甚至三居室，特别热闹。我们现在只能隔着墙打招呼，不知道什么时候能出去一起玩呢？

I was curious about everything.I liked to look around and see my brothers and sisters everywhere.Our houses were strung together like pearl necklace.Some houses had one room,some had two or three.We could only greet to each other across the wall.When could we play together?

我们从小就没见过妈妈，平时都是爸爸照顾我们，他将长长的身体盘成半圆形，我们就像被他抱在怀里。我们在一天天长大，每天都有穿白大褂的人来看望我们，他们还会拿着一张纸写各种数字。

有一天，爸爸对我们说：“孩子们，已经快40天啦，你们马上就要出生了。”

We haven’t seen mom since we were babies.Dad usually took care of us all the time.He twisted his long body into a semicircle to protect us.People in white coats came to see us every day.They recorded the numbers on paper.

One day,Dad told us:“My children,it has been nearly forty days.Soon you’ll be born.”

我感觉很疑惑，我不是已经出生了吗？很快，答案和选择就摆在我的面前。本能告诉我，如果我不能冲出这栋房子，也许就要被“闷死”在里面了。我用尽全力朝墙壁冲去，一次……两次……都没有成功，我一次次地被反弹回来。曾经舒适的温床变成了禁锢的牢笼，我感到害怕极了。

I felt very confused.Haven’t I been born? Soon,I instinctively understood that if I couldn’t get out of this house,I would suffocate.I tried my best to hit the wall again and again but failed.Every time I was bounced back.The comfortable house turned into a cage.I was terrified.

我能感受到爸爸的焦急，听到他不停地为我们打气。我有些脱力，但不能放弃。我用力晃动着脑袋，摆动着细小的尾巴。我感觉到一直撞击的某一点变脆弱了。最后一击，我从房子里一跃而出！成功了！我开心地甩起小尾巴，赶紧向爸爸身边扑腾过去。我边游边想，一定要记住今天的日子，今天应该算是我真正的生日吧？

I could feel dad’s anxiety and hear him keep cheering us up.I was very tired,but I couldn’t give up.I shook my head and wiggled my little tail.I felt that a point on the wall had been weaker.With my last try,I successfully jumped out of the house! I swam to dad happily.Today must be my real birthday,I thought.

别放弃，加油啊，孩子！

Don’t give up! Go for it!

爸爸，爸爸！我成功啦！

Dad! I did it!

“爸爸，这是哪里？这是我们的家吗？”

“这是人类为我们建的家园。”

我圆溜溜的小眼睛向四周不断地张望，这里比我原来的小房子大太多了，感觉都游不到尽头。

人类为我们建的家园？我有些似懂非懂。爸爸说，这里是娃娃鱼保护中心，他和妈妈是从野外被救助到这里的，而我们是在这里出生的第三批孩子。原来那些穿着白大褂的人是这里的科研人员，自我们出生起他们每天都来记录我们的生长数据。

“Dad,where is this place? Our home?”

“This is our home.Humans built it for us.”

I looked around.This place was much larger than my previous house.I couldn’t swim to the end.

A home built by humans? I didn’t understand.Father told me that this was Giant Salamander Protection Center.He and my mom were rescued from the wild.My brothers and sisters and I were the third generation of giant salamander born here.People in white coats were scientific researchers.They recorded our growth data every day since we were born.

娃娃鱼保护中心

我一直有个大大的疑问，为什么我和爸爸长得完全不一样呢？他有一张大大的嘴，一个宽宽扁扁的大脑袋，相比之下小眼睛显得有些滑稽，不过小小的眼睛里透出睿智的光芒。爸爸的身体上还有像花边一样的褶皱，游动的时候能划出一道道美丽的水波。短短的四肢像是4个小胳膊，尾巴大概有身体的三分之一长。再看看我，连四肢都没有，头上两边还各长着3根外鳃，和小鱼差不多。

I always had a big question,why did I look different from dad? He had a big mouth.Comparing to his broad and flat head,his small eyes were very comical.However,there was a light of wisdom in his little eyes.There were lace-like wrinkles on his body,which could draw beautiful waves when he swam.His limbs were short,and the tail was about one-third length of the body.Look at me,I didn’t have limbs.I only had three external gills on both side of my head.I looked like a fish.

爸爸，为什么我长得不像你啊？

Dad,why don’t I look like you?

再等一段时间，你就知道啦！

Wait for some days and you’ll know.

“我的手呢？会慢慢长出来吗？”

我晃晃小脑袋，还是有些不明白。

我之所以能在水里呼吸，就是依靠脑袋上像树枝一样的外鳃，它们看上去还毛茸茸的。

“我的脚呢？会慢慢长出来吗？我的皮肤会变成爸爸那种颜色吗？爸爸头上为什么没有外鳃呢？”我看着自己光溜溜的身体，感到很疑惑。

爸爸偶尔会离开水面，而我现在连游泳都很困难，只能侧着身体贴在水底。“水面外的世界是什么样子的呢？”

“Where is my hand? Will they grow in the future?”

I swung my head,still didn’t understand.

The reason why I could breathe in the water was that I had the external gills,which looked like branches on my head.They looked fluffy.

“Where is my feet? Will they grow? Will my skin turn to color of dad? Why dad has no external gills?”I felt confused about my smooth body.

Father occasionally left water.I even couldn’t swim well.Thus,I could only lie on the bottom of water.“How did the world outside water look like?”

突然有一天，我惊奇地感觉到身体的异样，两条前腿居然慢慢长出来了。又过了一段时间，后腿居然也长出来了一点点。虽然还都是肢芽的样子，但我已经迫不及待了。

One day,I was surprised to find that my two fore limbs grew out.Two hind limbs then appeared.I couldn’t wait for them.

我的四肢越来越有力，好几次居然很顺利地就能把身体撑起来在水中滑行一段距离了呢。

“咦？！我有脚趾头了！”好像发现了新大陆一样，我低头看到我的四肢分叉成了好几个脚趾头。

“一、二、三、四，一、二、三、四、五，我脚趾的数量不一样啊！”本来还很开心地数脚趾头的我，被吓了一大跳，哇哇大哭起来。

爸爸很淡定，“阿宝，别担心，我们前后脚趾的数量本来就不一样哦。你看，我们的前肢是4个趾头，后肢是5个趾头。我们这几个趾头和人类刚刚出生的婴儿的小手很像，这也是我们被称为‘娃娃鱼’的原因。”

My limbs were getting stronger.Sometimes I could support my body to glide in water.

I have toes! Toes appeared at the end of my limbs.

“One,two,three,four.One,two,three,four,five.The number of my fore toe and hind toe is different!”I was taken aback and cried.

Father was calm,“Po,don’t worry.The number of our fore toe and hind toe is indeed different.Look,we have four fore toes and five hind toes.Our toes are similar to human baby’s hand.That’s why human call us ‘baby fish’.”

哎呀！爸爸！出大事了！我前后脚趾头的数量怎么不一样啊？怎么办？我是不是生病了？

Ah! Father! Why the numbers of my fore toe and hind toe are different? Am I sick?

脑袋上的外鳃开始萎缩，甚至脱落了，我有点慌张，如果没有外鳃，我怎么呼吸啊？

今天，是我出生后的第9个月，爸爸说要带我去一个地方。他越游越远，居然爬到了岸上，“阿宝，到爸爸这里来。”

我使劲摇头：“不行的，我只能在水里呼吸，离开水，我会死的。”

爸爸看着我，温柔而坚定地说：“阿宝别怕，你长大了，这是必经的过程。”

我的身体僵在水里，这一步虽然很小，但对我来说却是最艰难的一步。我想起小时候看着爸爸上岸的背影，心底有一个声音让我勇敢一点。

我小心翼翼地从水里探出脑袋，小得像针眼一样的鼻孔暴露在空气中，一动不敢动。直到憋得胸口发疼，才迫不得已试着慢慢用鼻子吸了一口空气。这感觉就像是开启了自动马达，身体自然而然就能呼吸了。我才意识到这几个月变化的不仅仅是我的脚，还有我身体里的某个器官。

My external gills atrophied,then fell off.How could I breath without the external gills? I was a little flustered.

It had been nine months since I was born.Father said he was taking me somewhere.He swam farther and farther until he was on the bank.“Come to me,Po.”

“No.I can only breath in water.I’ll die without water!”I shook my head.

“Don’t be afraid,Po.It’s part of growing up.”Father said tenderly and firmly.

I was numb in water.This small step was too difficult for me.I remembered when I was a child watching my father on the bank.A voice in my heart told me to be brave.

I carefully poked my head out of the water.My little nares were exposed to the air.I dared not move.Then I tried to breathe in slowly through my nose.Finally,I learnt to breath naturally.I realized that not only my limbs and toes,but also an organ had changed.

“那是你的肺在呼吸。”爸爸一眼就看穿我的疑惑，“小时候你在水里只能用外鳃，而现在你的肺已经成熟了，以后就主要靠肺来维持呼吸了。这个过程对我们两栖类很重要。”

陆地就在我的眼前，我用小小的脚试探地去碰了碰岸上的土地，这是一个全新的体验。

“That’s your lungs breathing.”Father knew my confusion,“When you were a hatchling,you could only breath by external gills.Now your lungs are mature.You can breathe by them.This is important for amphibians.”

Land was in front of me.I touched the land tentatively.It was a new experience.

又过了3个月，除了个头，我长得和爸爸几乎一模一样了。我已经能比较熟练地往来于岸上和水下。冬天到了，虽然室内还比较温暖，但爸爸带着我们一起进入了冬眠。

时间过得很快，分离总是来得猝不及防。渐渐长大的我被带离了爸爸的身边，转移到了旁边的池子里。

我吃的东西也开始发生变化，从以前的小虾、小昆虫，到现在的小鱼，吃的东西越来越多。第一次吃鱼的时候，我根本就吃不到，小鱼游来游去，我还以为是放在池子里陪我玩的。直到科研人员重新把鱼捞起来，再用长钳子夹住放在我的嘴边，我才明白了他们的意思，张口把鱼咬住吞了下去。

Three months later,expect for my size,I looked almost exactly like my father.I was able to crawl between bank and water deftly.Winter had come.Although it was relatively warm indoor,father guided us into hibernation.

Time flies.Unexpected separation had come.As I grew up,I was taken away from my father and moved to the next pool.

My food changed as well.I ate shrimps and insects before.Now fish had been added.I couldn’t catch a fish when I saw them for the first time.I thought they were here to play with me.Until a researcher clamped a fish using a tweezers and put it near my mouth.Then I understood that fish was my food and ate one.

为了让我自己抓鱼，他们会减少投喂的次数，逼着我自己去抓鱼。我找到个诀窍，让鱼先在池子里游几天，等小鱼的体力下降，再加上我熟悉池子环境的优势，就很容易抓住它们了。

They reduced the feeding times to force me to catch fish myself.I had the advantage of being familiar with the pool environment.Let the fish swim in the pool for a few days.When the fish’s strength failed,it was easy to catch them.

科研人员还是每天来检查和记录我的身体情况，他们说我是这批新出生的娃娃鱼里最强壮的一条。听说他们有个计划，送我回到我该去的地方。

那个地方叫做大自然。

我看科研人员忙忙碌碌的，还听到他们说已经考察了很多地方，最后选定了一个最为合适的。

大自然对我来说很陌生，只在小时候爸爸对我说过。我很茫然，为什么我要去那里，保护中心不是很好吗？

Researchers still came to inspect and record my physical condition every day.They said I was the strongest one among all hatchlings of that year.I heard they have a plan to get me back to where I belong.

That place is called Nature.

Researchers were busy.I heard that they had investigated many places and chosen a most appropriate one.

I was not familiar to nature,though father had talked it to me in my childhood.I was confused.Why should I go to nature? Wasn’t Protection Center good?

临出发前，爸爸说他为我能有机会回到大自然感到特别开心，那里才是我们真正的家。(www.chuimin.cn)

经过很长的车程颠簸和徒步行走，我被小心翼翼地放在深山中的一条小溪里，冰凉的溪水让我打了个哆嗦。这是我第一次见到外面的世界，一切都很新鲜。

当我还在睡觉的时候，头顶的光线越来越强，刺得我眼睛发疼。我的脑袋一露出水面，就被炙热的阳光照得皮肤有种被灼伤的感觉，吓得我连忙躲回水中，摸索着朝岸边躲去。保护中心的光线一直都是比较暗的，那是为了适应我们夜行的习惯。可是现在，我只能缩在石头缝里一动不敢动，焦急地等待太阳下山。

Before leaving,father said he was very happy for me to get back to nature.That was our real home.

I was carefully placed in a stream deep in the mountains after a long journey.Icy stream made me thrilled.This was the first time to touch the world outside the Protection Center.Everything was new for me.

The sunlight became blazing when I was asleep.I felt burned when my head was above the water.I was frightened that I quickly hid back into water.I groped my way to the shore.In Protection Center,it was always dusky to adapt our nocturnal habit.Now I could only hide between the stones,waiting for night.

走开，小个子，这个地方是我的。

Get out of here,you little one.This is my place.

可是……我走了很长的时间了……我想休息一下……

But… I crawled too long… I only wish to have a rest…

直到月亮出来了，我才慢慢爬出来，舒展一下蜷缩了一天的身体。我必须要先找到一个栖身之地，我可不想天天住在石头缝里。

趁着月光，我顺着小溪一路游走，一路找，就在我快筋疲力尽的时候居然很幸运地发现了一个洞穴。

突然冲出来一个大黑影，朝我顶了过来，把我给掀翻了。我稳住身体，定睛一看，是一条又壮又凶悍的娃娃鱼，他朝我呲着牙，不准我进入他的地盘，粗壮的尾巴甩在我身上真疼。

眼看天又要亮了，我只能再次找一个石头缝躲起来。

I slowly crawled out and stretched out my body after a long day until the moon came out.I had to find somewhere to live.I don’t want to live between stones every day.

I swam down the stream,seeking for a shelter.Fortunately,I found a cave before getting exhausted.

A big shadow suddenly rushed out and overturned me.It was a strong and fierce giant salamander.He prevented me from entering his territory.His strong tail swung against me.That hurts!

Dawn was to come.I had to hide between stones again.

“啊！有怪物！”

找洞穴没有想象中容易，一连找了好几天，都没有合适的。前天下午我在睡觉，有一根树枝伸到了石头缝里，眼看就要戳到我了，我“嗖”地一下从石头缝里蹿了出来，就听到一声尖叫。

我抬头看到岸上有一个五六岁的小孩，用树枝指着我的方向。

“怪物？我是娃娃鱼！”我有点生气，朝着小孩张开嘴。

小孩以为我要咬他，居然捡起石头朝我扔了过来。

“咚！”石头落在我身边，在水中激起了一个大水花。吓得我赶紧往对岸游，继续找个石头缝躲起来。

“A monster!”

It was not easy to find a cave.I had been looking for it for days,but nothing worked.One day,a branch stuck into the stone and nearly stabbed me.I rushed out and heard a scream.

I looked up and saw a child five or six years old on the bank,pointing my direction with a branch.

“A monster? I’m a giant salamander!”I was somewhat angry.I opened my mouth towards him.

That human child thought I was trying to bite him.He picked up a stone and threw it at me.

The stone fell beside me,causing a big splash.I hurried to swim to the other side of the stream and hid in another cleft.

经过几天的折腾，我又累又饿。晚上忙着赶路，根本就没时间吃饭。小溪里不乏小鱼、小虾，可我的视力不好，只能靠水的波动来判断食物在哪里。

左边有一条小鱼，我朝前一扑，没扑到。

右边有一群小虾，我朝前一咬，没咬到。

试了几十次，都是竹篮打水一场空，我的肚子反而更饿了。

这溪水里的小鱼、小虾也太灵活了，一转眼就找不到了。大自然一点都没意思！真想念保护中心，有住的地方，有好吃的东西，有合适的光线，还有人来检查身体。为什么要把我放到大自然来？我越想越委屈，哇哇大哭起来。

I was tired and hungry after several days.I didn’t have time for hunting as I need to travel at night.There were no lack of small shrimps and fish in the stream.However,my eyesight was poor,I could only locate food according to water wave.

Lots of shrimps and fish were around me.I bit but missed.

I tried dozens of times and got nothing.I felt even more hungry.

Fish and shrimps here were too agile to catch.Nature was so boring! I missed the Protection Center so much.I missed the comfortable place,the delicious food,the proper light,and researchers’ examination.Why did they send me to nature? I felt wronged and started crying.

“小家伙，为什么哭啊？”有一个苍老的声音从前面传来。

天呐？这是？抬头一看，我一下子就愣住了，惊讶地停止了抽泣。

这是一条比我大4倍的娃娃鱼，他的身体大概有2米了吧？这简直就是童话世界里的巨人。

我战战兢兢地老实回答：“我没有住的地方，也饿了好久，我想回家。”

我的注意力又被鲵爷爷有些与众不同的肤色吸引，“您身体的颜色和我不太一样呢。”

“我身上是不是有点泛红？小的时候颜色还要漂亮，我们娃娃鱼颜色可是多种多样的哦。”鲵爷爷笑呵呵地说道：“小家伙，别怕，你先和我回家住一段时间吧。”

“Little one,why are you crying?”I heard an old voice.

Wow,is this…? I froze and stopped sobbing in surprise.

That was a giant salamander four times bigger than me.He was about two meters long.A real giant.

I answered tremblingly,“I have no place to live and have been hungry for a long time.I want to go home.”

I was attracted by the unique skin color of him,“The color of your body is not the same as mine.”

“Yes,I’m red.I was more beautiful when I was young.Skin color of us giant salamanders varies.Don’t be scared,little one.Go home with me for a good rest.”

我觉得这个世界太神奇了，一路上像只小麻雀似地叽叽喳喳问个不停。

“爷爷，我叫阿宝，你一直都生活在这里吗？”

“爷爷，你怎么这么大啊？”

“爷爷，这里的鱼、虾怎么这么难抓啊？”

鲵爷爷笑呵呵地听着我的各种各样的问题，开口道：“我已经150岁喽，所以身体那么大呀。”

“150岁？”我大吃一惊。

“是啊，我从小就生活在这个流域，以前同伴还很常见，慢慢地越来越少了。后来我搬到了这条小溪里，这里人少，环境也好，不受打扰。我们娃娃鱼的自然寿命长着呢。”鲵爷爷很自豪地说。

The world was amazing.I kept talking along the way.

“Grandpa,my name is Po.Have you always lived here?”

“Grandpa,why are you so big?”

“Grandpa,it’s too difficult to catch fish and shrimps here.”

Grandpa Salamander laughed and answered,“I’m one hundred and fifty years old.Thus,I’m so big.”

“One hundred and fifty years old?”I was surprised.

“Yes.I have lived in this basin since I was a hatchling.My companions,which used to be common,have gradually become less and less.Then I moved to this stream.The environment here is good and quiet.Nature lifespan of us giant salamander is very long.”Grandpa Salamander said proudly.

夜幕降临，热闹了一天的山林渐渐归于沉寂，习习夜风把白天的热气轻轻吹散，皎洁的月亮静静挂在天上，为黑夜点起了一盏灯。

鲵爷爷把我带到洞口水边的乱石丛里，用身上与石块相近的保护色做掩护。“抓鱼的关键就是耐心、迅速。追着鱼走，那成功率是很低的哟。”

等到水面平静下来，小鱼慢慢靠近。说时迟那时快，鲵爷爷突然发动袭击，用尖利的牙齿死死咬住猎物，然后囫囵吞了下去。

我有模有样地学着鲵爷爷的样子开始伏击，一开始都以失败告终，后来技巧越来越娴熟，一个晚上下来，居然抓住了好几条鱼。

Tranquility returned to nature when the night fell.Cool breeze blew away the heat of the day.The bright moon hung quietly in the sky,lighting a lamp for the night.

Grandpa Salamander brought me to the entrance of the cave,screening themselves with stones that had similar color to them,“The key is patience and swiftness.Chasing a fish is not a good idea.”

Fish got close to us as water became calm once again.Grandpa Salamander ambushed suddenly,sinking his teeth into a fish.Then he swallowed it.

I learnt to hunt.It was difficult at the beginning.Then I mastered the skill.I caught several fish at that night.

又是一个晚上，漫天的繁星点缀在黑丝绒般的天空中。

“都说大自然是我应该归属的地方，可我一直觉得保护中心更好，有吃的，还很安全。”我很怀念保护中心。

鲵爷爷没有说话，半晌才悠悠地说道：“阿宝，你仔细看过这个世界吗？等你静静地去感受一下风，感受一下水，感受一下大自然，你就会知道，为什么我们属于这里。”

我仰起头，徐徐清风从身上拂过，是冷冽而清新的气息；叮咚的山泉在脚边潺潺流淌，是甘甜而纯净的味道；摇曳的花儿漫山遍野肆意绽放，是明媚而娇艳的模样；林间鸟儿和松鼠嬉笑打闹，充盈着安逸而美好的感动。

Another night fell.The black velvety sky was full of stars.

“It is said that I belong to nature,but I always prefer the Protection Center.There was enough food,and it was safe.”I missed the Protection Center so much.

Grandpa Salamander answered after a while,“Po,have you carefully observed this world? Feel the wind,water,and nature.Then you’ll know why we belong to here.”

I looked up,

Cool breeze caressed me,bringing freshness.

Mountain springs flew gently,tasting sweet and pure.

Flowers came into bloom all over the hill,looking so bright and charming.

Birds and squirrels were playing on the trees,bringing peaceful and happiness.

我突然有些明白大自然的意义，世间万物，共生共荣，云卷云舒，花开花落，也许这就是大自然给我们的馈赠。

I suddenly understood the meaning of nature.All creatures in the world live in symbiosis,harmony and prosperity.Clouds gather and lift,flowers bloom and fall,maybe this is nature’s gift to us.