As the famous saying goes， “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer， it sings because it has a song.” Birdwatching is becoming increasingly popular with tourists in China today.

有句名言：“鸟儿啼鸣，不为解惑，只因心中有歌。”如今，观鸟在中国越来越受到游客喜爱。

Below are some of the top birds to see and hear in China.

以下是在中国最值得观赏和听音的几种鸟类：

Mandarin duck

鸳鸯

The mandarin duck is the most beautiful duck in the world. This bird took its name from the Mandarins1， the bureaucrats of Imperial China， who wore bright colored clothes. Ponds in parks and gardens of China were beautified with mandarin ducks for many centuries.

众鸟之美，尤以鸳鸯为最，其英文名源自身着锦袍官服的中国古代官吏。千百年来，中国园林的碧波间常见鸳鸯翩跹，自成天趣。

In Chinese culture， these birds are believed to be lifelong couples and die if something parts them. There is a Chinese proverb， used to describe a couple in love： “Two mandarin ducks playing in water.”

在中国文化中，人们认为鸳鸯是终身伴侣，如果分开便会殉情。有一句形容恋人的俗语：“鸳鸯戏水。”

Chinese call a pair of mandarin ducks yuanyang， where yuan stands for the male and yang for the female mandarin duck. They are regarded as a symbol of fidelity. As a result， these birds are often depicted in art， so during the tour around China， you’ll often encounter similar images. For example， mandarin ducks are often used as decorations of premise at Chinese weddings.

“鸳”指雄鸟，“鸯”指雌鸟，一对就称为“鸳鸯”。鸳鸯象征忠贞，常常出现在艺术作品中，在中国旅行会经常看到相关形象。例如，鸳鸯常作为装饰图案出现在中式婚礼上。

If you go drifting along the Yangtze River， you will be able to see this bird sitting on tree branches above the water， or on coast rocks， or in the water with a slightly raised tail. They are easily scared and will take “flight” quickly. The mandarin duck swims quickly and flies up easily， sometimes almost vertically.

你若沿长江逐浪，便可望见鸳鸯，或栖于临水枝头，或立于江岸礁石，或轻翘尾羽游水之央。其性机敏易惊，稍有动静便“掠水”而去。鸳鸯泅游迅捷，起飞轻盈，时而近乎垂直腾空而上。

You can also watch flocks of these birds on the largest and one of the most beautiful lakes in China， at Bird Island of Qinghai Lake.

在中国最大也是最美丽的湖泊之一青海湖，你还能在鸟岛上看到成群结队的鸳鸯。

The Chinese nightingale

中国夜莺（歌鸲）

The nightingale is unmistakably2 known throughout the world for its singing. Our hearing does not capture many high-pitched sounds， or the frequent changes in volume and pitch of sounds （trills） of nightingale singing， but these sounds still have an effect on us： nightingale singing treats depression， relieves headaches， and stimulates the working of all organs.

夜莺素以歌声闻名于世。虽然人类的听觉无法完全捕捉其鸣唱中的许多高音，以及其中频繁变化的音量与音调（即颤音），但夜莺的歌声依然会影响我们：缓解抑郁、减轻头痛、刺激器官运作。

For its bright plumage， the Chinese nightingale was named a “sunny bird”. But even with such bright coloring， the Chinese nightingale cannot be easily noticed. It inhabits mountain ranges at 1，500–3，000 meters above sea level， from the Himalayas in the west to the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the east， hiding in impassable bushes， and bamboo thickets. If you’re traveling during the winter， you are more likely to take a picture of the nightingale flying over the lower mountain belt.

由于毛羽艳丽，中国夜莺又被称为“阳光鸟”。