第6章 THE CONDOR OF THE ANDES 安第斯山脉的秃鹫

In those sterile heights Nature withholds her fostering influence alike from vegetable and from animal life. The scantiest vegetation can scarcely draw nutriment from the ungenial soil, and animals shun the dreary and shelterless wilds. The condor, or South American vulture, alone finds itself in its native element amidst these mountain deserts. On the inaccessible summits of the Cordillera, and at an elevation of from 10,000 to 15,000 feet, this bird builds its nest, and hatches its young in the months of April and May.

Few animals have attained so wide a celebrity as the condor. This bird was known in Europe at a period when its native land was numbered among those fabulous regions which are regarded as the scenes of imaginary wonders. The most extravagant accounts of the condor were written and read; and general credence was granted to every story which travellers brought from the fairy-land of gold and silver. It was only at the commencement of the present century that Humboldt overthrew the extravagant notions that had previously prevailed respecting the size, strength, and habits of this extraordinary bird.

The full-grown condor measures, from the point of the beak to the end of the tail, from four feet ten inches to five feet; and from the tip of one wing to that of the other, from twelve to fourteen feet! This bird feeds chiefly upon carrion; it is only when impelled by hunger that it seizes living animals, and even then only the small and defenceless, such as the young of sheep, vicunas, and llamas.

It cannot raise great weights with its feet; which, however, it uses to aid the power of its beak. The principal strength of the condor lies in its neck and in its feet; yet it cannot, when flying, carry a weight exceeding eight or ten pounds. All accounts of sheep and calves being carried off by condors are mere exaggerations.

The bird passes a great part of the day in sleep,and hovers in quest of prey chiefly in the morning and evening. Whilst soaring at a height beyond the reach of human eyes, the sharp-sighted condor discerns its prey on the level heights beneath it, and darts down upon it with the swiftness of lightning. When a bait is laid, it is curious to observe the number of condors which assemble in a quarter of an hour in a spot near which not one had been previously visible. These birds possess the senses of sight and smell in a singularly powerful degree.

Some old travellers have affirmed that the plumage of the condor cannot be pierced by a musket ball. This absurdity is scarcely worthy of contradiction; but it is nevertheless true that the bird has a singular tenacity of life, and that it is seldom killed by fire-arms, unless when shot in some vital part.

Its plumage, particularly on the wings, is very strong and thick. The natives, therefore, seldom attempt to shoot the condor. They usually catch it by traps or by the lasso, or kill it by stones flung from slings, or by the bolas.

A curious method of capturing the condor alive is practised in one province. A fresh cow-hide, with some fragments of flesh adhering to it, is spread out on one of the level heights, and an Indian provided with ropes creeps beneath it, whilst some others station themselves in ambush near the spot ready to assist him. Presently a condor, attracted by the smell of the flesh, darts down upon the cow-hide; and then the Indian, who is concealed under it, seizes the bird by the legs, and binds them fast in the skin, as if in a bag. The captured condor flaps its wings, and makes ineffectual attempts to fly, but is speedily secured, and carried in triumph to the nearest village. Live condors are frequently sold in the markets of Chili and Peru, where a very fine one may be purchased for a dollar and a half.

—DR.J.VON TSCHUDI:Travels in Peru.

Words

absurdity,nonsense.

affirmed,asserted.

ambush,conceal ment.

assemble,collect.

capturing,seizing.

celebrity,distinction.

commencement,beginning.

defenseless,unprotected.

discerns,descries.

exceeding,surpassing.

extraordinary,wonderful.

extravagant,exaggerated.

fabulous,legendary.

fostering,nourishing.

frequently,often.

impelled,driven.

inaccessible,unapproachable.

ineffectual,fruitless.

particularly,especially.

purchased,bought.

sharp sighted,keen eyed.

singularly,peculiarly.

soaring,flying.

sterile,barren.

summits,peaks.

tenacity,retentiveness.

triumph,exultation.

ungenial,unfavourable.

Questions

What other name is given to the condor? Where does it build its nest? What accounts were current before the ‘present' (i.e. 19th) century? Who overthrew these? What are the dimensions of a full-grown condor? On what does it chiefly feed? Where does its principal strength lie? When does it go in quest of prey? What shows the keenness of its sight and smell? Why do the natives seldom attempt to shoot the condor? How do they kill it? What curious method of capturing it is practised in one province? For what may a live condor sometimes be bought?

大自然在贫瘠的高海拔地区对其泽养万物的能力做了公正的保留，对植物如此，对动物也一样。零星分布的植物勉强从贫瘠的土地中汲取养分，动物们则对这样荒凉而毫无遮掩的地方避之不及。秃鹫，或者叫南美洲秃鹰，独自生活在这些山区的沙漠上，这里就是它的原生带。在无法企及的科迪勒拉山脉的高峰上，在海拔1万到1.5万英尺的高处，秃鹫在那里筑巢，在4月和5月孵化幼鸟。

几乎没有什么动物像秃鹫一样有名。它曾在欧洲风靡一时，因为它的故乡是想象中一个颇为神秘的国度。人们写了很多描述秃鹫的华丽夸张的辞藻，这些辞藻又传播开来；而人们普遍相信那些远行者从神奇的土地上带回金银的故事。仅仅到了20世纪之初的时候，洪堡才推翻了那些之前流行于人们中间的关于这非凡鸟儿的身形、力量和习性的夸张描述。

成年秃鹫，喙尖到尾端的长度从4英尺10英寸到5英尺不等，而从其一翼的一端到另一翼的一端的宽度则有12到14英尺！秃鹫大多食腐肉，只有在饥饿难耐的情况下，它才会捕捉活的动物，不过即使是那样，它捕捉的也只是些身形娇小、没有反抗能力的动物，比如小山羊、小羊驼和小美洲驼。

秃鹫的脚爪抓不起大重量的动物，因此，它会用喙的力量来协助。秃鹫的主要力量在它的颈部和脚爪上，但飞翔的时候，它不能携带重量超过八磅或十磅的东西。那些秃鹫掠去羊牛的说法都不过是夸张的传言罢了。

白天大部分时候，秃鹫都在睡觉，而清晨和傍晚则是它盘旋空中捕捉猎物的主要时机。秃鹫在人眼难以看到的高度飞翔，用锐利的眼睛观察地上的猎物，然后以迅雷不及掩耳之势一个俯冲下去抓住猎物。当腐肉出现的时候，从来不会只出现过一只秃鹫，而是不出十几分钟就会有一群的秃鹫聚集而来，这是非常有趣的现象。这些鸟儿的视觉和嗅觉都非常厉害。

某些有经验的远行者说，秃鹫的羽毛火枪也打不烂。这样荒谬的说法不值得辩驳，但无论如何，秃鹫的生命力顽强却是不争的事实，它很少会被火枪射杀，除非是被击中了致命的部位。

它的羽毛，特别是翅膀部分的羽毛，又坚硬又厚实。土著人因此几乎不会狩猎秃鹫。他们通常是设下陷阱或用套索来擒得它们，或者用石头砸死，或是用绳索勒死它们。

在某个地方，有一个生擒秃鹫的有趣方法。新剥下的小牛皮，上头粘连着新鲜牛肉的香味，被平铺在一个较高的架子上，有个手里拿绳子的印第安人埋伏在下面，同时，他的帮手也埋伏在附近。秃鹫被肉的味道所吸引，就俯冲向牛皮；然后藏在牛皮下头的印第安人就抓住秃鹫的腿，牢牢地捆住它，就像给袋子扎口一样。被擒得的秃鹫挥动翅膀，梦想要飞走，但总是徒劳，人们马上就把它捉住了，然后胜利昂扬地把它抬到最近的村子。活的秃鹫经常在智利和秘鲁的市场上被贩卖，在那里，一只上好的秃鹫可能会卖上一点五美金。

——J.冯·茨舒狄博士：《秘鲁游记》