They kept themselves alive, unquestionably, and laid now and then an egg, and hatched a chicken; not for any pleasure of their own, but that the world might not absolutely lose what had once been so admirable a breed of fowls.

毫无疑问，它们让自己活了下来，时不时下一个蛋，孵出一只小鸡。不是为了他们自己的任何乐趣，而是为了世界不会完全失去曾经如此令人钦佩的鸟类品种。