悠闲英语(四十六)

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Boy or Girl

Last time we talked about baby animals such as pups of dogs, kittens of cats, chicks of chickens, and ducklings of ducks. As I sat down to write this column, I saw some of my old squirrels1 friends sneaking into my backyard and climbing onto the bird feeder2 to steal bird food again. They are cute but can also be a big headache, because they scare the birds a way and they eat a lot. They can finish within an hour the monthly supply that I put out for the birds. These squirrels must also be taking some of the food back to their babies, and I am wondering―what are baby squirrels called? Ah, they are called―are you ready― pups or kittens, just like baby dogs and cats.

I am sure by now you know how to call a baby cow, a baby horse, a baby pig, and many other baby animals their names in English. But, when your cat gives birth to many kittens, do you know how to call a female or a male kitten in English? How about dogs, pigs, and the animals we talked about last time? Can you call them according to their gender3 in English? Today, let’s continue from where we left off last time and talk about English names for the males and females of these pets and animals.

For our proud cat owners, when these little kittens are crawling in your arms, the male is a tomcat and the female is, very appropriate, a queen. When the little puppy dogs are following you around, eager to play, the male is, well, just a dog, and the female is a bitch. But, I wouldn’t use the word “bitch” too often, because it is sometimes used to describe a person who is not very friendly and complains a lot.

Now, a chicken that crows in the morning is a rooster or a cock, and one that lays eggs is a hen. How about ducks, both males and females look pretty much alike, don’t they? A male duck is a drake, and a female duck―get ready for this―is nothing but a duck.

A male calf is a bull. In Spain, there are bull fighters4; they fight bulls as a sport but never fight cows, which, as you guessed, are females and they produce the milk you drink every morning. At horse-race tracks5, there are more mares than stallions, because people say female horses run faster than males. The male donkey is known to be very stubborn, so he is called a jackass6; the female is quite easy-going, so she is a jenny.

I think I did mention last time that a male sheep is a ram, and a female is a ewe, which pronounces “you,” so you don’t need to use “an” in front of the word.A male goat is a billy, and female goal is rightly called a nanny. Now, here come our little piglets: a male pig is a boar, a female a sow. And for these cute little bunnies, the male is called a bull, the female a doe, just like the deer―a stretch isn’t it?

Okay, let’s turn to wild animals now. Last time I said that babies of a tiger, lion, leopard, bear, and even panda are all called cubs. A male tiger is simply a tiger, a female a tigress; a male lion is a lion, a female a lioness; and a male leopard is a leopard, a female a leopardess―can you see the similarity? I have no idea how this could happen, but just like our little piglets, the male cub of a bear or panda is a boar and a female cub is a sow. And like the little calf, an baby male elephant is a bull, a female a cow.

Baby alligators, ostriches, and even dinosaurs are all hatched from eggs, and, as we mentioned, they are called hatchlings. But a male alligator or dinosaur is a bull, while a female is a cow, just like a calf. For the ostrich, the male is a cock, the female a hen. After all, an ostrich is nothing but a big bird, isn’t it?

For our remote ancestors7, the chimpanzee and the monkey, a male is a male, and a female is a female―just like we humans.

As I’m finishing up this column, the squirrels are still there clinging to the bird feeder and enjoying the food. There’s a big and fat one―he must be male―and a couple smaller and more elegant-looking ones―they must be female. What do we call a male squirrel and a female squirrel in English? Do you know? If you do, you know where to find me.省略 if you have a question or would like to share a thought. Take good care and keep in touch.

解释

1. squirrel 松鼠

2. bird feeder 鸟食罐

3. gender 性别

4. bull fighter 斗牛士

5. horse-race track 跑马场

6. jackass 公驴; 倔强愚笨的人

7. ancestor 祖先

Animal Baby Male/Female

Dog (狗) pup dog/bitch

Cat (猫) kitten tomcat/queen

Chicken (鸡) chick rooster/hen

Duck (鸭) duckling drake/duck

Horse (马) foal stallion/mare

Donkey (驴) foal jackass/jenny

Cow (牛) calf bull/cow

Pig (猪) piglet boar/sow

Sheep (绵羊) lamb ram/ewe

Goat (山羊) kid billy/nanny

Rabbit (兔子) bunny bull/doe

Tiger (老虎) cub tiger/tigress

Lion (狮子) cub lion/lioness

Leopard (豹子) cub leopard/leopardess

Bear (狗熊) cub boar/sow

Panda (大熊猫) cub boar/sow

Elephant (大象) calf bull/cow

Alligator (鳄鱼) hatchling bull/cow

Dinosaur (恐龙) hatchling bull/cow

Ostrich (鸵鸟) hatchling cock/hen

Chimpanzee (猩猩) baby male/female

Monkey (猴子) infant male/female

（责编：张雯）