2023年经济学人 探寻蚂蚁残骸食腐动物(2)

 

    To keep the task manageable, the team confined themselves to examining only the beetles² they had collected, leaving the other critters for later work.

    为了保证任务的可管理性，研究小组只检查了他们收集到的甲虫，而把其他动物留给以后的工作。

    They identified the beetles they could and ran DNA³ analyses on those that they could not.

    他们识别了能辨认的甲虫，并对那些他们不能识别的甲虫进行了DNA分析。

    In total, they collected 8,364 adult beetles, 511 beetle¹ larvae⁴ and 24 beetle eggs.

    他们总共收集了8364只成年甲虫，511只甲虫幼虫和24颗甲虫卵。

    Those were spread across 91 species, several of which were entirely⁵ new to science.

    它们分布在91个种类中，其中一些是科学尚未发现的。

    Aside from that being far more than anyone had expected, the presence of the larvae and eggs indicates that the refuse piles are not so much convenient restaurants as full-on homes, where the beetles live out their entire lives.

    除了这远超出任何人预期的发现之外，幼虫和卵的存在也表明，与其说垃圾堆是便利餐馆，不如说是甲虫的家，甲虫在那里度过了一生。

    Precisely⁶ how these species manage to avoid being eaten themselves by their army-ant hosts remains⁷ to be determined⁸.

    确切地说，这些物种是如何避免被宿主军蚁吃掉的还有待研究。

    Dr von Beeren speculates that a hygiene⁹ instinct that keeps the ants from eating material that has been taken to their refuse piles is at least partially¹⁰ responsible.

    冯·比伦博士推测，至少部分原因是蚂蚁的一种卫生本能，这种本能使蚂蚁不会吃那些被扔进垃圾堆的东西。

    And many species of beetles are able to produce compounds that smell repulsive¹¹ to ants.

    许多种类的甲虫都能产生一种让蚂蚁反感的化合物。

    The research only scratches the surface of what is going on in the rubbish piles.

    这项研究只触及了垃圾堆中发生事情的表面。

    Besides a bewildering variety of beetles, the middens were rife¹² with mites¹³, springtails (whose ability to jump long distance often sees them confused with fleas), as well as other varieties of scavenging insect that the team simply did not have time to include in their analysis.

    除了各种令人眼花缭乱的甲虫外，垃圾堆里还到处都是螨虫、弹尾虫(常常因为跳得很远的能力与跳蚤混淆)，以及其他种类的食腐昆虫，研究小组根本没有时间把它们也纳入分析中。

    With so many different species present, the chances are high that among these insects are some predators¹⁴ too, seeking to feed on unsuspecting scavengers in turn.

    有这么多不同的物种存在，这些昆虫中很可能也有一些捕食者，它们轮流捕食毫无戒心的食腐动物。

    Before mechanised transport and long supply lines, human armies were followed around by cooks, merchants, beer-sellers and prostitutes, all of whom made a living off the activities of the soldiers.

    在机械化运输和漫长的补给线出现之前，人类军队的后面会跟着厨师、商人、卖啤酒的人和妓女，她们围绕着士兵的活动为生。

    It seems that army ants, with their own host of hangers-on, are not so different.

    看起来，拥有一群随从的军蚁并没有那么不同。

1 beetle   

n.甲虫，近视眼的人

参考例句：

• A firefly is a type of beetle.萤火虫是一种甲虫。
• He saw a shiny green beetle on a leaf.我看见树叶上有一只闪闪发光的绿色甲虫。

2 beetles   

n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Beetles bury pellets of dung and lay their eggs within them. 甲壳虫把粪粒埋起来，然后在里面产卵。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This kind of beetles have hard shell. 这类甲虫有坚硬的外壳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

4 larvae   

n.幼虫

参考例句：

• Larvae are parasitic on sheep.幼虫寄生在绵羊的身上。
• The larvae prey upon small aphids.这种幼虫以小蚜虫为食。

5 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

6 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

9 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。

10 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

11 repulsive   

adj.排斥的，使人反感的

参考例句：

• She found the idea deeply repulsive.她发现这个想法很恶心。
• The repulsive force within the nucleus is enormous.核子内部的斥力是巨大的。

12 rife   

adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的

参考例句：

• Disease is rife in the area.疾病在这一区很流行。
• Corruption was rife before the election.选举之前腐败盛行。

13 mites   

n.（尤指令人怜悯的）小孩( mite的名词复数 )；一点点；一文钱；螨

参考例句：

• The only discovered animals are water bears, mites, microscopic rotifers. 能够发现的动物只有海蜘蛛、螨和微小的轮虫。 来自辞典例句
• Mites are frequently found on eggs. 螨会经常出现在蛋上。 来自辞典例句

14 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》