Most people think the world's biggest animals, ever, lived long ago. Well they are wrong because the world's biggest animal is still alive and even bigger than the most terrifying dinosaurs[1], the blue whale[2]. Just imagine, it's over 30 meters long, or if you prefer, it's as long as 10 cars all in a roll. It weighs 150 tons in other words, the same as thirty elephants. This one isn't a blue whale. No, it's a white whale. A small whale since it's only 20 meters long and weighs only 50 tons, that's not much. And don't forget whales aren't fish, they are mammals, and they belong to the cetacean[3] family, just like dolphins. Like all mammals，whales need to breathe fresh air, which it does thanks to[4] it's spouts which are nasal fossae[5] found on it's head. And like all mammal mothers, Mrs. whale nurses her young, a beautiful little baby over 5 meters long at birth which stays with it's mother for over a year .In spite of their size, whales are peaceful monsters, so kind that they wouldn't hurt a fly. Because these sea giants don't have teeth, their huge mouth with lips five meters in length are full of baleen, which it uses to filter water. Whales feed[6] only on small animals, a few tons of shrimp or squid, which they trap in their mouth thanks to their baleen. Unfortunately these last ocean giants are in danger of becoming extinct because they are being slaughtered for their fat and their meat. Their survival now depends on the good will of several nations. Let's hope that the world's biggest animal which will be able to go on swimming peacefully in our ocean.

鲸

　　许多人认为世界上最大的动物生存在古代，但是我们错了，因为世界上最大的动物仍然存活着，甚至比最恐怖的恐龙还大，那就是蓝鲸。你想想看，它们身长超过30米，象十部车连起来那么长，它的体重有150吨，换句话说相当于三十只大象。这只不是蓝鲸，它是白鲸，是一只小鲸。因为它只有20公尺长，体重50吨，并不大吧，别忘了，鲸鱼并不是鱼类，它们是哺乳动物，它们属于鲸类家族，就象海豚。象所有哺乳动物一样，鲸需要呼吸新鲜空气，它是利用在头上的鼻沟的喷气孔来呼吸的。象所有雌性哺乳动物一样，母鲸养育幼鲸。出生时只有5米长的小鲸，将留在妈妈的身边呆一年多的时间。虽然体形很大，但鲸是温和的动物。它甚至不去伤害一只苍蝇。因为这些海中巨人没有牙齿，它们5公尺长嘴唇的大嘴长满了鲸须,可以用来过滤海水。鲸只以小动物为食，它利用鲸须来诱捕几吨重的小虾及乌贼。很不幸，这些仅存的海中巨人正面临绝种的危险。因为人们为了油脂和肉而大量地捕杀它们。现在它们的生存只能靠一些国家善意的保护。让我们期待这些世界上最大的动物能安详地在我们的大海里遨游吧。