Or rather, "Little Tortoise figures out that life is mostly just about figuring out what defense mechanisms you developed and learning to deal with them." 

<h3>However - 却</h3>
This passage is a good showcase for 却 [pinyin]que4[/pinyin]. 却 usually appears in the second part of a sentence, and indicates a reversal of whatever was said in the first bit, similar to "however", "but", or "on the other hand". 

However (heh), 却 is used a little differently than we might use these words in English. You can't stick it in the beginning of a sentence. "However, she only waited two hours before she decided to go home." MAY NOT BE translated as "却, 她只等了两个小时就决定回家了。" 

Rather, you stick it behind the noun in the second part of the sentence to show contrast with the first part: 我想去，他却不想去。("I want to go, he, however, does not.")

You'll see this several times in the passage below. 

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1) 小乌龟问妈妈：“为什么我们生下来，就要背着这又硬又重的外壳呢？” 

2) 妈妈：“因为我们的身体很软，很脆弱，可以爬，却爬不快；可以游，又游不远。外面的世界充满了危险，这个壳就是保护我们的家啊！” 

3) 小乌龟疑惑地问：“可是海鸥小妹妹的身体好像也很软，为什么她却不用背像我们这样又硬又重的壳呢？”  

4) 妈妈耐心地解释：“因为海鸥妹妹长大了会飞翔，天空会保护她啊。” 

5) 小乌龟还是不明白：“青蛙弟弟也很软，爬不快游不远，而且也不会飞翔，他为什么不背像我们这样又硬又重的壳呢？”  

6) 妈妈说：“因为青蛙弟弟的家在麦田，大地会保护他啊。” 

7) 小乌龟哭了起来：“我们好可怜，天空不保护我们，大地也不保护我们。” 

8) 乌龟妈妈安慰他：“可是我们有壳啊！我们不靠天，不靠地，我们只靠我们自己。”


See the <a href="http://wenku.baidu.com/link?url=1Ik36il1QlMtTweU2bfr4IGN2uCf0CHHmCOV9OkmS62Y5_sHUYn_G3N2ddJ4W3GI-nW1YutoUNmJPLI8EVFwRQKFPsZaJVl-bjqupItlpPm###" target="_blank">source</a>.

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1) The little tortoise asked his mother: "Why is it that when we're born, we must carry around these hard and heavy shells?" 

2) Mother: "Because our bodies are weak and frail, we can crawl but we can't crawl fast; we can swim, but we can't swim far. The outside world is full of danger, these shells are the homes that protect us!" 

3) Little Tortoise doubtfully asked: "But Sister Seagull's body also seems weak, why doesn't she have to carry a hard and heavy shell like ours?" 

4) Mama patiently explained: "Because when Sister Seagull grows up she can fly, and the sky will protect her." 

5) Little Tortoise still didn't understand: "Little brother frog is also weak, he can't crawl fast and he can't swim far, neither can he fly, so why doesn't he have to carry a hard and heavy shell like ours?"

6) Mother said: "Because Little Brother Frog lives in the wheat fields, the earth will protect him." 

7) Little tortoise started to cry: "How pitiful we are, the sky doesn't protect us, and the earth doesn't protect us either."  

8) Mama Tortoise comforted him: "But we have shells! We don't depend on the sky, we don't depend on the earth, we need only depend on ourselves." 

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