A woodpecker is a bird that hits tree trunks with its hard, pointed beak, again and again, very fast. It does this for three reasons: to make a hole to live in, to dig out insects hiding under the bark, and — this part surprises people — to make noise on purpose, because the drumming sound is how it calls to other woodpeckers, the way other birds sing. So the noise is partly its song.

A woodpecker is a bird啄木鳥是一種鳥 that hits tree trunks with its hard, pointed beak用牠又硬又尖的喙敲擊樹幹，again and again, very fast一次又一次，速度很快。It does this for three reasons牠這樣做有三個原因：to make a hole to live in為了鑿洞來住，to dig out insects hiding under the bark為了挖出躲在樹皮下的昆蟲，and — this part surprises people而且——這部分會讓人意外——to make noise on purpose是故意發出聲音，because the drumming sound is how it calls to other woodpeckers因為那個敲擊聲是牠呼叫其他啄木鳥的方式，the way other birds sing就像其他鳥用唱歌一樣。So the noise is partly its song所以這個聲音某種程度上就是牠的歌。

Its tongue is very long and sticky to pull insects out, and its tail is stiff so it can lean back on it like a third leg while climbing straight up the trunk.

Its tongue is very long and sticky牠的舌頭又長又黏 to pull insects out用來把昆蟲拉出來，and its tail is stiff而牠的尾巴很硬挺，so it can lean back on it like a third leg所以能像第三隻腳一樣靠著撐住 while climbing straight up the trunk在直直往上爬樹幹的時候。

Woodpeckers are common in America, Europe and Japan, and there are a few kinds in Taiwan's mountain forests, though most people here have only heard one and never seen it.

Woodpeckers are common in America, Europe and Japan啄木鳥在美國、歐洲，和日本很常見，and there are a few kinds in Taiwan's mountain forests台灣的山林裡也有幾種，though most people here have only heard one and never seen it不過這裡大多數人都只聽過沒看過。

In everyday English the word is also used for the sound: if someone says 'there's a woodpecker outside my window at six in the morning', they usually mean the knocking, not the bird itself.

In everyday English在日常英文裡，the word is also used for the sound這個字也可以用來指那個聲音：if someone says如果有人說 'there's a woodpecker outside my window at six in the morning''there's a woodpecker outside my window at six in the morning'（早上六點我窗外有隻啄木鳥），they usually mean the knocking他們通常是指那個敲擊聲，not the bird itself而不是那隻鳥本身。