时差N小时 入侵非洲大陆的蜗牛

Like many midwesterners, it turns out that giant African landsnails really love Florida.

体型巨大的非洲陆生蜗牛同许多生活在中西部地区的动物一样大爱美国弗罗里达州。

Unfortunately, giant African Land Snails² are some of the world's most destructive snails.

但不幸的是，他们的破坏性在世界上数一数二。

They cangrow to be eight inches long-as big as rats-and to weigh more than one pound.

他们有8英寸长，和老鼠一般大小，重达一磅还多。

They're sohuge, in fact, that their shells have been known to blow out tires.

他们是那样的大，事实上，他们的壳能扎破轮胎，这一点远近闻名。

The real trouble is that these snails reproduce very quickly.

真正的麻烦在于这种蜗牛繁衍速度极快。

Under optimal³ conditions-such aswarm, tropical Florida-one snail¹ can lay up to a thousand or so eggs a year.

真正的麻烦在于这种蜗牛繁衍速度极快。

And these snails'typical life span is three to five years, with some living as long as nine years.

而一般这种蜗牛的寿命是3到5年，一些甚至可以存活9年之久。

Unlike most snails, giant African land snails don't just eat decaying organic matter or leaf molds;they eat the plants themselves, so they pose a huge threat to agriculture, one of Florida's mainindustries.

同大多数蜗牛不同，这种蜗牛不吃腐败的有机质食物，也不吃叶霉。他们吃植物本身，如此一来，对主要产业为农业的弗罗里达州来说，他们会构成巨大的威胁。

What's more, they're not picky.

此外，他们可一点也不挑食。

They eat over five hundred species of plants, and somehave even been known to chew through stucco and plastic containers.

他们的食物涵盖500多种植物，据说有些蜗牛甚至还啃食石灰泥和塑料袋。

And for your health.

蜗牛对人类的健康也有害。

Some of these snails can carry diseases such as a parasitic⁴ rat lungworm thatcan cause meningitis in humans.

一些蜗牛会携带具有寄生性的大鼠肺丝虫和其他疾病，导致人类患上脑膜炎。

So if you see a giant African land snail in your yard, don't touch itor kill it yourself.

因此，你要是在自家的庭院看到一个巨大的非洲蜗牛，珍爱生命，千万别碰。

Instead, call your local authorities or department of agriculture so that they can dispose of the snail and its nesting materials safely.

你要做的是打电话请地方当局或农业部门来安全地处理它们及它们筑巢的材料。

1 snail   

n.蜗牛

参考例句：

• Snail is a small plant-eating creature with a soft body.蜗牛是一种软体草食动物。
• Time moved at a snail's pace before the holidays.放假前的时间过得很慢。

2 snails   

n.蜗牛；迟钝的人；蜗牛( snail的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think I'll try the snails for lunch—I'm feeling adventurous today. 我想我午餐要尝一下蜗牛——我今天很想冒险。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Most snails have shells on their backs. 大多数蜗牛背上有壳。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 optimal   

adj.最适宜的；最理想的；最令人满意的

参考例句：

• What is the optimal mix of private and public property rights in natural resources?私人和国家的自然资源产权的最适宜的组合是什么？
• Optimal path planning is a key link for the sailing contest.帆船最优行驶路径规划是帆船比赛取胜的关键环节。

4 parasitic   

adj.寄生的

参考例句：

• Will global warming mean the spread of tropical parasitic diseases?全球变暖是否意味着热带寄生虫病会蔓延呢？
• By definition,this way of life is parasitic.从其含义来说，这是种寄生虫的生活方式。