One of the most curious creatures is the tanuki, or the Japanese raccoon dog. In nature, tanuki are small brown animals that are easily recognized for the dark circles around their eyes. Although they look similar to the North American raccoon, tanuki are actually more closely related to wolves and foxes. Throughout Japan, you can spot statues of chubby, wide-eyed tanuki in wide-brim hats. According to folklore, the tanuki has many magical abilities. The most well-known one is their ability to transform into humans or other animals.
最古怪的生物之一是狸貓，又稱日本貉。在自然界中，狸貓是棕色的小動物，很容易因眼睛周圍的黑圈而被認出。雖然牠們長得像北美浣熊，狸貓其實與狼及狐狸的親緣關係較接近。在日本各地，你可以看見身形圓滾滾、有大眼睛又戴著寬簷帽的狸貓雕像。據民間傳說，狸貓有許多神奇的能力。最著名的是牠們能夠化身成人類或其他動物。
生活必備字詞：
creature n. 生物
be related to... （動植物）與……是同類；（人）與……有親戚關係
statue n. 雕像
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本文節錄自《常春藤生活英語》雜誌，完整內容請見一月號。
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