蒙學漢文初階 第七十九之課 Beginning Chinese - Entry Level Lesson #79
鴨性喜水, duck nature likes water
掌如葵扇 palm like sunflower fan
故能游水 thus able to swim water
喜羣而不喜獨 likes group and not like alone
其肉雖亞於雞 its meat although second to chicken
而亦適口也 and also appropriate mouth [ep]
The nature of ducks is water loving. Its webbed feet is like a Chinese palm fan. Thus it is able to swim. It likes to be in a group and not in solitariness. Its meat, although second only in taste to chicken, is quite tasty too!
Notes:
1. Although 葵 means sunflower. It is not made from it. It is the shape that looked like a sunflower to ancient Chinese. Nevertheless, in English it is called a palm fan from its form. See the picture attached.
2. Of course this is debatable. However, Chinese eat more chicken than duck because the chicken is more common in the south. Even so, this is a highly subjective taste.