Giant Insects
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents Insects Are Everywhere!
内容列表"昆虫"无所不在!.
4 Giant Darner Dragonfly: The Speed Demon.
4个巨型达纳 龙飞: 速魔众.
6 Titan Beetle: The Pencil Breaker.
6"泰坦·比特尔":"破铜器".
8 Giant Water Bug: The Toe Biter.
8 巨水虫:指趾咬人.
10 Goliath Beetle: The Heavyweight.
10高丽比特:重量级人物.
12 African Driver Ant: The Ultimate Army.
12非洲司机蚁:终极军.
14 Madagascar Hissing Cockroach: The Noisy Pet.
14 马达加斯加隐士克罗克:有声宠物.
16 Wetapunga: The God of Ugly Things.
16个Wetapunga: 丑事之相克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克克.
18 Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing Butterfly and Atlas Moth.
18 亚历山德拉女王的"鸟取蝴蝶"和"阿特拉斯蛾".
20 Chan’s Megastick: The Hidden Wonder.
20 陈兆棒: 隐藏的奇迹。
22 Glossary.
22 词汇表。
24 Insects Are Everywhere!
24只昆虫到处都是!
Every time you step outside your door, you marvel at the idea that you probably look right past hundreds—even thousands—of insects.
每次你走出门,你都会惊奇地发现, 你可能正视着数以百计的昆虫。
You know that scientists estimate that there are around ten quintillion (10,000,000,000,000,000,000) insects alive on Earth at any given time.
科学家估计 地球上有大约10个昆虫 在任何特定时间都有活活。
So far, scientists have identified over 900,000 different insect species—about 80 percent of all the world’s species of animals.
到目前为止,科学家已经确定了90多万个不同的昆虫物种——约占全世界动物物种的80%。
They think that two to thirty million more species remain undiscovered or unidentified.
他们认为还有200万到3000万个物种仍然未被发现或不明.
When you think about this, you’re glad most insects are small.
当你想到这一点,你很高兴大多数昆虫都很小。
You know this wasn’t always the case, though.
不过,
Hundreds of millions of years ago, before dinosaurs walked on Earth, insects were already buzzing around.
几亿年前,恐龙在地球上行走之前, 昆虫已经四处走来走去。
Using fossil evidence, you know that these insects were similar to modern insects— they each had three body sections, six legs, and often two sets of wings.
利用化石证据,你知道这些昆虫与现代昆虫相似——它们各有3个体段,6个腿,并经常有两组翅膀.
They were a bit different in other ways, though—these guys were titans!
他们在其他方面有些不同,不过... 他们都是巨人!
Giant Darner Dragonfly: The Speed Demon Your journey starts by a slow-running stream in the southwestern United States where you can hear the buzzing of a giant darner dragonfly.
巨人达纳 龙飞: 速度恶魔 你们的旅程从美国西南部的一条缓慢行走的溪流开始,在那里,你们可以听到一只巨型巨龙的叫声。
It uses its 5-inch (12.
它使用5英寸(12.
7 cm) wingspan to zip through the warm air at speeds of over 35 miles per hour (56.
7cm)的翼展以超过35英里时速(56.
3 kph).
(原始内容存档于2013-03-13). 3 kph.
These insects are so good at turning that they can completely shift direction in a split second, which is when you catch a glimpse of one.
这些昆虫非常善于转动, 它们可以在一分秒处完全改变方向, 就是当你看到一分秒点。
This insect’s speed and ability to move come in handy as it hunts mosquitoes and other small insects.
这种昆虫的速度和移动能力在捕捉蚊子和其他小昆虫时很有帮助。
The dragonfly lands on your arm, but you have nothing to worry about.
飞龙在你手臂上降落 但你没什么好担心的
The giant darner dragonfly is harmless.
巨型巨型猛龙是无害的。
You look at it just long enough to see the shimmering wings and black, blue, and green 5-inch (12.
你看着它足够长 可以看到闪烁的翅膀 和黑色,蓝色,绿色5英寸(12.
7 cm) body before it takes off again.
7公分) 身体再起飞前.
As you walk through the tall grass on your way to your next destination, you see flashes of other dragonflies—giant darners and their smaller cousins—and wish them good hunting.
当你们在前往下一个目的地的路上走过高地时,你们看见了其他蜻蜓的闪光 -- -- 精灵和他们的小堂兄弟 -- -- 并祝他们好猎。
The prehistoric Meganeura looked like a dragonfly but had a wingspan of well over 30 inches (72.
史前的梅根乌拉外相像一只"龙",但有一副超过30英寸(72.
2 cm).
2厘米) (中文(简体) ).
You’ve learned that scientists believe insects grew so huge partly because back then, Earth had a higher amount of oxygen in the air.
科学家们认为昆虫生长如此之多, 部分原因是当时地球的氧气量较高。
Over hundreds of millions of years, as the amount of oxygen decreased from about 35 percent to today’s 21 percent, the insects adapted, evolved, and became smaller.
数亿年来,随着氧气量从大约35%下降到今天的21%,昆虫适应、进化和缩小。
A few insects, however, have remained the giants of their world.
然而,少数昆虫仍然是其世界的巨人.
These are the beasts you’ve really wanted to study—and you finally have your chance.
这些是你真正想学习的野兽,
You feel your excitement building because this time when you walk outside your door, you’ll be taking your first step on a giant insect safari.
因为这次你走出门后, 你会踏出第一步,
You’ll pass by billions of smaller insects on your hunt around the globe for these massive monsters.
你会在全球各地捕食数十亿只小昆虫,
You’ll finally have the chance to see them with your own eyes and find out if everything you’ve learned is really true.
你终于有机会亲眼看见他们,
Prepare your pack, because you’re about to head out.
准备你的包,因为你即将出发。
This drawing shows what a Meganeura might have looked like.
这幅画显示了梅根乌拉的外形
Giant darner dragonflies live near streams like this one in the southwestern United States.
美国西南部有巨型巨蜥生活在这种小溪附近
Titan Beetle: The Pencil Breaker When you arrive in the steamy Amazon rainforest, it’s dark, and you can hear the tapping of rain on the leaves overhead.
泰坦·比特尔: 破铜器 当你到达充满蒸汽的亚马逊雨林时, 雨色很暗, 你可以听到叶子上方的雨声。
Something flies through the beam of your flashlight, and at first you think it’s a bird.
有些东西飞过手电筒的光束,
You look closer and see it’s a 7-inch (17.
你仔细看一眼,
8 cm) titan beetle—the biggest beetle in the world.
8公分) 钛甲虫——世界上最大的甲虫.
This nocturnal creature was attracted to your light.
这个夜行生物被你的光所吸引
As you watch it crawl its way through the dead leaves and dirt, you see the thick mandibles on its head.
当你看着它爬过枯叶和泥土时,你可以看到它的头上有厚厚的可修补物.
They’re strong enough to snap through a pencil.
他们足够强壮,
You’re tempted to find a stick to see if the titan beetle can break it.
你试图找根棍子看看巨型甲虫能否打破它。
When you get near, though, it hisses and you back off.
当你接近,虽然, 它的螺旋和后退。
Like many beetles, this one has only a few weeks to live as an adult.
和许多甲虫一样,这个只有几个星期可以活到成年.
It doesn’t have time to mess with you—it needs to find a mate.
它没有时间惹你,
Though it can fly, it’s too heavy to take off from the ground.
虽然它能飞行,
It uses its powerful, spiny legs to climb a tree and launch itself from a branch.
它利用它的强大而有刺的腿来爬上一棵树,从树枝上发射出自己.
You duck as it flies toward your face.
你躲在它朝你的脸飞去的时候
Laughing, you continue your journey.
笑吧,你继续你的旅程。
Giant Water Bug: The Toe Biter The afternoon in Thailand is hot and humid.
巨水虫:脚趾咬子 泰国的下午炎热潮湿.
You stop to look into a clear, cool-looking freshwater pond.
你停下来看看 一个清晰,酷似淡水池。
The idea of dangling your aching feet in the water is tempting, but then you see the giant water bug.
在水中缠住脚痛的想法很诱人,但是你看到巨大的水虫。
You recognize it because this insect is found in bodies of fresh water all around the world.
你认得它,因为这只昆虫是在全世界的淡水中发现的。
About 5 inches (12.
约5英寸(12.
7 cm) long, it clings to an underwater plant while holding a minnow in its powerful front legs.
长了7厘米,它紧贴在水下植物上,同时在它的强大的前腿上握着一分小金牛.
It eats by using its strong jaws to inject the struggling fish with digestive fluids and then sucking out the remains.
它通过强下巴来取食,将挣扎中的鱼注入消化液后再吸出残骸.
You see a few other giant water bugs.
你看见其他几只巨大的水虫
One must be a male, as it has round eggs stuck on its back.
一个人一定是个雄性,因为它的背上粘有圆蛋.
After mating, the female giant water bug glues the eggs there for safety until they hatch.
交配后,雌性巨型水虫会把那里的鸡蛋粘住,直到孵出.
Another giant water bug tries to catch a tadpole and misses.
又一巨水虫想接取一 ta而去.
These bugs will eat pretty much anything they can overpower, including frogs, snakes, and even baby turtles.
这些虫子几乎会吃任何它们能战胜的东西,包括青蛙,蛇,甚至幼龟.
While their bite isn’t dangerous to people, you remember one of the local people saying that it has one of the most painful bites of all insects.
他们的咬伤对人们并不危险,
She said this just before taking a big, crunchy bite out of a grilled giant water bug.
她在吃出一头被烤焦的巨型水虫之前就这么说了
The water may look perfect, but you decide not to stop.
水可能看起来很完美 但你决定不停下来
Goliath Beetle: The Heavyweight You’re back to walking through a rainforest, which doesn’t surprise you since most of Earth’s insects live in rainforests.
高丽贝多:重量级 地球大部分昆虫都生活在雨林中,
This time you’re in central Africa.
这次你来到了中非。
The rainy season has made the air feel heavy and thick.
雨季使空气感到沉重而浓厚.
You hear a shuffling sound and find a female goliath beetle using its wedge- shaped head to dig in the soil.
你听到一阵叫声 发现一只雌性高丽甲虫 用它的楔形头来挖出土壤
It’s making a safe place to lay her eggs.
她的卵产地很安全,
You take a moment to examine the patterns on her shell.
你花点时间检查她的外壳上的图案
Another beetle buzzes by and lands on a tree.
又一只甲虫从树上飞来
It’s a male goliath beetle; you can tell by the Y-shaped horns on the front of its head.
是一头雄性高丽甲虫,
It’s almost 5 inches (12.
这几乎是5英寸(12.
7 cm) long (the female is smaller).
长7厘米(雌性更小).
These beetles didn’t get their name for their length; they earned it for being the heaviest insects in the world.
这些甲虫的长度并没有得到他们的名字;他们是世界上最重的昆虫而获得的。
This one looks as if it will weigh in near the top of the range at over 3.
这只看起来会重 在距离的顶部,超过3。
5 ounces (100 g).
5盎司(100克).
The goliath beetle is big but harmless, eating the waste that falls to the forest floor.
高丽甲虫虽大而无害,吃倒在地上林地的废物.
You think about getting the male to climb on your arm, but you change your mind when another male shows up.
你想让雄性爬上你的手臂 但当另一个雄性出现时 你改变主意了
If you wait, the two males might fight each other using their impressive strength and horns.
如果你等待,两个雄性可能会用它们令人印象深刻的力量和角来相斗.
The smaller male flies away quickly, though, which means it’s time for you to move on, too.
更小的雄性飞走,
Putting the Bite on Insects: People have been eating insects since prehistoric times.
将"咬虫"放入昆虫:从史前时代开始,人们就开始吃昆虫.
Over 1,000 types are eaten in many parts of the world.
世界上许多地方食用有1000多种.
They include water bugs, cockroaches, ants, dragonflies, and grasshoppers.
它们包括水虫,蟑螂,蚂蚁,蜻蜓和草hopper.
The practice of eating insects is called entomophagy.
食用昆虫的活法称为通心粉.
African Driver Ant: The Ultimate Army You’re about to leave the African rainforest when you come upon what looks like a dark stream running across the ground.
非洲司机蚁:终极军队 你即将离开非洲雨林,
You move closer, but not too close.
你靠近点,但别太近
Millions of African driver ants march along the ground.
数百万非洲司机蚂蚁沿地行走。
In the center, you see the small worker ants, which aren’t much bigger than the ants you see at home.
在中心,你可以看到小的工人蚂蚁, 它们并不比你在家里看到的蚂蚁大。
Along the edges, the soldier ants, each almost 1 inch (2.
沿边有士兵蚂蚁,每只几乎一英寸(2.
5 cm) long, form a wall.
5厘米)长,形成一堵墙.
Their large mandibles point outward to protect the ants within.
它们的大指甲指向外去保护里面的蚂蚁.
These insects are on the hunt, so they’re very dangerous.
这些昆虫在狩猎,所以非常危险。
Though blind, these ants find their way easily using touch, smell, and chemical signals.
这些蚂蚁虽然盲目,但很容易利用触觉、嗅觉和化学信号。
Colonies can have over twenty-two million ants (the largest colonies of any insect on Earth), and they’re all hungry.
殖民地可以拥有超过2200万只蚂蚁(地球上任何昆虫的最大殖民地),
Millions upon millions of ants swarm in search of food, which can include pretty much any animal they can overpower—including people.
数百万蚂蚁在寻找食物,其中几乎包括他们能够战胜的动物——包括人。
You decide to follow the ant column to see if you can find the nest.
你决定跟随蚂蚁一栏看能不能找到巢.
Against a large rock, you see a dark wall of movement.
在一块大石头上,你可以看到一堵黑暗的运动墙。
The ants have formed a bivouac (BIH-vuh-wak)—a temporary nest made out of living ants.
蚂蚁已形成活蚁所生的临时巢穴(BIH-vuh-wak).
As you watch, the bivouac begins to break up.
看着,bivouac开始分道扬镳。
They must have exhausted the food supply of the area.
他们一定已经用尽了该地区的粮食供应。
The ant column carries away food, millions of eggs, and the queen.
蚂蚁柱会携带食物,数百万个卵子,还有王后.
At over 2 inches (5.
超过2英寸(5.
1 cm) long, she is the largest ant on Earth.
1厘米)长,是地球上最大的蚂蚁.
She can lay up to two million eggs each month.
她每个月可以下多达200万个蛋.
Despite the amazing sight, you start to notice a few ants crawling in your direction and decide it’s probably best to get out of there.
你开始注意到几只蚂蚁在朝你的方向爬去,
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach: The Noisy Pet It’s a lovely day in tropical Madagascar as you walk through the forest.
马达加斯加隐士克罗克:有声宠物 在热带马达加斯加,
You decide to sit down on a log beside a slow-moving stream.
你决定坐在慢行道旁的木上
When you do, the log moves—and something hisses.
当你这样做的时候,木头会移动... 和一些神话。
You look down to see you’ve upset a colony of Madagascar hissing cockroaches.
看着你让马达加斯加殖民地的蟑螂心烦意乱。
Each about 2 to 3 inches (5.
每只约2至3英寸(5.
6 cm) long with a shell of black and dark orange, they crawl back into the shade of the log.
6cm)长着一发由黑色和深橙色组成的外壳,它们会爬回原木的阴影下.
It’s too early for them to be out.
他们出局还为时过早。
At night, this colony would be crawling along the forest floor, looking for fallen fruit and dead plants.
晚上,这个聚居地会沿着森林地层爬行,寻找倒塌的水果和枯萎的植物.
Unlike most species of cockroaches, the Madagascar hissing cockroach can’t fly, and the females give birth to live young instead of laying eggs.
与大多数蟑螂不同, 马达加斯加的蟑螂无法飞翔,
You reach out and touch a cockroach—a male, by the look of the long horns on its head.
你伸手摸一头蟑螂 -- -- 一只雄性,看着它头上的长角。
It hisses, pushing air out through small holes along its body, and then spits.
穿过身体的小洞,然后吐口水
You laugh because these insects are gentle and harmless.
你笑是因为这些昆虫温柔而无害.
In fact, you have a friend who keeps a number of them as pets.
事实上,你有个朋友 留着很多宠物
You’ d like to stay and watch, but your friend is waiting—besides, you can watch your friend’s cockroaches.
但你的朋友还在等待,
Wetapunga: The God of Ugly Things On Little Barrier Island off the coast of New Zealand, you hunt through the trees in search of the endangered wetapunga, or giant weta.
Wetapunga:新西兰海岸外的小屏障岛上的丑事之神,你通过树来猎取濒危的湿地,或者说巨型的湿地.
These strange cricketlike insects’ name means “the god of ugly things” in the native Maori language.
这些奇怪的板球类昆虫的名字在土著毛利语中意为"丑事之神".
They have lived on these islands for millions of years.
他们在这些岛屿上生活了数百万年。
Over the last few hundred years, however, they have almost been wiped out due to the introduction of rats and mice, which eat the slow wetapunga.
然而在过去的几百年中,由于大鼠和小鼠的引入,它们几乎被消灭了,它们食用慢湿通克.
As the Sun begins to set, you find a wetapunga hiding among the leaves of a tree.
当太阳开始落地时,你会发现一个被藏在一棵树的叶子中的湿通加.
It looks like a cross between a cricket and a grasshopper—only much bigger.
像是一只板球和一头大猩猩之间的十字架,
The largest ever found was about 4 inches (10.
迄今发现的最大一次约为4英寸(10.
5 cm) long and 2.
5厘米)长和 2.
5 ounces (70.
5盎司(70.
9 g), and this one looks to be almost that big.
9克),这个看起来差不多是那么大.
It crawls slowly along the branch— it will spend almost its entire life in trees—nibbling on the leaves.
它会沿着树枝缓慢地爬行——它几乎将一生花在树上——在树叶上闪烁.
You could catch it if you wanted, as these insects can’t fly or jump, nor do they kick or bite.
这些昆虫不会飞、跳、踢、咬。
You decide to leave it be as you have to run back to town.
你决定离开它 就像你必须跑回镇上一样
A group that is trying to bring back the wetapunga population plans to release a number of them into the wild, and you want to be there.
一群人试图让Wetapunga人复活, 他们计划释放一部分人进入野外, 而你想在那里。
Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing Butterfly and Atlas Moth In a rope chair high above the ground, you look around at the forest canopy of Papua New Guinea.
亚历山德拉女王的"鸟蝴蝶"和"阿特拉斯之蛾" 在地上高高的绳子上,你环视着巴布亚新几内亚的林冠.
Lush green surrounds you for miles.
Lush Green 环绕你数英里。
Then you see a flash of blue rise up.
然后,你看到一闪一闪的蓝色升起。
It’s a male Queen Alexandra’s birdwing butterfly, flapping its shimmering blue-green and brown wings, which span almost 8 inches (20.
这是一只雄性的亚历山德拉女王的鸟翼蝴蝶,
3 cm).
(3厘米) (中文(简体) ).
You look around for a female, which would be larger, with a 12-inch (30.
你四处找一头雌鸟,它更大,有12英寸(30.
5 cm) wingspan of a lighter shade of brown, but don’t find one.
5cm)的翼展更轻的棕色阴影,
Other than in zoos, this rare species can only be found in the wild in Papua New Guinea—and only in the forest canopy.
除动物园外,这种稀有物种只能在巴布亚新几内亚的野生地中发现——并只在森林树冠中发现.
You watch in awe as the male feeds on a flower and flutters away.
你看着雄鸟在花上觅食并飞走
On your way down, something else catches your eye.
在你下来的路上,有别的东西吸引了你的眼睛。
You stop and pull yourself closer to a branch where an atlas moth sits, its wingspan 11 inches (27.
你停下来把自己拉近到一个树枝 地图集的蛾子坐在那里 它的翅膀有11英寸(27.
9 cm) wide.
9厘米)宽.
The hooks on the ends of its wings remind you of this moth’s other name: the snake head moth.
它的翅膀端部的钩子 让你想起了这只蛾子的另一个名字:蛇头蛾子。
Unlike the Queen Alexandra’s butterfly, which lives up to three months or more and feeds regularly, the atlas moth lives only a few weeks and never feeds.
与亚历山德拉女王的蝴蝶不同,亚历山德拉女王的蝴蝶活了三个月或更长时间,并定期取食,而地图集蛾只活了几个星期,从未取食.
You’ve seen this species before, as it’s fairly common throughout Southeast Asia, but it’s still an impressive sight.
这个物种在东南亚很常见,
Chan’s Megastick: The Hidden Wonder Your final stop brings you to the London Natural History Museum.
陈兆棒: 隐藏的奇迹 你的最后一站把你带到伦敦自然历史博物馆
You have come to view the world’s longest insect: Chan’s megastick.
你们来看世界上最长的昆虫: 陈大棒.
One of only six found in the world so far (all of them in Borneo), this one is the longest.
目前世界上仅有的6个发现其中1个(都位于婆罗洲),这是最长的.
The whole insect, with its legs extended, stretches 22 inches (55.
整个昆虫的腿会伸展出22英寸(55.
9 cm) under the glass.
9厘米),位于玻璃下.
The body alone is 14 inches (35.
单体为14英寸(35.
6 cm) long.
6厘米)长.
It really does look like a plain old stick, which might explain why scientists didn’t discover it until 2008.
这也许解释了为什么科学家直到2008年才发现它。
Like other stick insects, this species is believed to hide within the forest canopy while it feeds on leaves.
与其他棒状昆虫一样,本物种被认为会躲入林冠内而以叶为食.
Glossary adapted (v.)
调整后的词汇表(五)
changed to fit a new or specific situation or environment (p.
改为适应新的或特定的情况或环境(p.
5) canopy (n.)
5)花冠 (n.
the part of a forest where the tops of trees form a dense layer of foliage (p.
树顶形成茂密叶片层的森林部分(p.
20) colonies (n.)
20) 殖民地 (n.
groups of animals that live together (p.
共同生活的动物群体(p.
14) evolved (v.)
14)演化(五.
changed or developed over time (p.
随着时间的推移而改变或发展(p.
5) fossil (n.)
5) 化石 (n.
the remains of a plant or animal that turned to stone over time (p.
久而久之变成石头的植物或动物的遗骸(p.
4) mandibles (n.)
4)可操作性(n.
body parts near an insect’s mouth that are used for grabbing, cutting, or crushing food or enemies (p.
昆虫口附近用来抓取、切割或压碎食物或敌人的人体部件(p.
8) nocturnal (adj.)
8) 夜行 (adj.
active at night rather than during the day (p.
在夜间而不是白天活动(p.
8) safari (n.)
8）游猎旅行（名词）
a journey to search for animals in the wild (p.
在野外寻找动物的旅程(p.
5) species (n.)
5) 物种 (n.
a group of living things that are physically similar and can reproduce (p.
一组在身体上相似并可以繁殖活物(p.
4) swarm (v.)
4) war(五.
to move in great numbers (p.
以大量数量移动(p.
14) titans (n.)
14) 钛 (n.
very large or powerful individuals; giants (p.
非常大或强大的个体; 巨人 (p.
4) wingspan (n.)
4) 翼展 (n.
the distance from tip to tip of a pair of wings (p.
从尖端到一对翅膀尖端的距离(p.
5) As you leave the museum, you begin to wonder how many new species of insects you passed during your travels.
5)当你离开博物馆时,你开始想知道在出行期间你通过了多少新的昆虫物种.
They might be heavier than a goliath beetle, stronger than a titan beetle, or more dangerous than a colony of driver ants.
它们可能比高丽甲虫更重,比巨型甲虫更强壮,或者比驱动蚁群更危险.
The only way to know is to keep learning, keep exploring—and keep your eyes open.
唯一能知道的方法就是继续学习,继续探索——并保持你的眼睛.