这些蚂蚁把宝宝当成了胶枪：英语精读讲义

Deep in tropical jungles lie floating kingdoms 習語

在热带丛林深处，隐藏着悬空而建的王国，

ruled by beautiful and deadly masters.

由美丽却致命的霸主统治。

They're sort of the high elves of the ant kingdoms. 講解

它们可以说是蚂蚁王国中的高等精灵。

Talented architects that create castles and city-states.

是能够建造城堡和城邦的天才建筑师。

But they are also fierce and expansionist warriors

但它们同时也是凶猛且极具扩张野心的战士，

and their kingdoms are ensnared in a never-ending war for survival. 習語

它们的王国为了生存，深陷于无休止的战争之中。

Oecophylla weaver ants.

它们就是黄猄蚁（Oecophylla weaver ants）。

Oecophylla weavers walk on long legs,

黄猄蚁长着长长的腿，

have slender bodies and large eyes,

身体纤细，眼睛很大，

which make them look pretty cute.

看起来非常可爱。

Although their strong mandibles and the ability to shoot acid

尽管它们强健的上颚和喷射酸液的能力

also make them pretty good at killing.

也让它们成为了出色的杀手。

But more on that later. 表達脈絡

这点我们稍后再谈。

Their colonies usually have two to three worker classes

它们的蚁群通常有两到三个工蚁阶级，

that vary dramatically in size.

体型差异巨大。

Majors, minors, and sometimes even tiny minim workers. 用詞

包括大型工蚁、小型工蚁，有时甚至还有微小的微型工蚁。

Depending on location and species, 語法

根据栖息地和物种的不同，

they vary in color from dark brown to emerald green. 語法

它们的颜色从深棕色到翠绿色各不相同。

Other than their fancy looks,

除了华丽的外表，

what makes weavers special is that they're in the kingdom-building business. 講解

让黄猄蚁与众不同的是它们热衷于建立王国。

They like to build at pretty much all heights,

它们几乎喜欢在任何高度建造巢穴，

starting in shrubs a few centimeters above the ground

从离地几厘米高的灌木丛起步，

and up to 10 m in the tree canopy.

一直建到树冠上10米高的地方。

But they're not satisfied with ruling just one plant. 短語搭配

但它们并不满足于只统治一株植物。

Weavers will look for twigs or lianas that bridge the gap to other trees 習語

黄猄蚁会寻找能架起通往其他树木桥梁的树枝或藤蔓，

and expand to every plant they can reach.

并扩张到它们能触及的每一株植物。

This way,

通过这种方式，

colonies spread upwards and sideways through the treetops.

蚁群在树冠中向上和向四面八方蔓延。

The largest weaver ant kingdoms we know of

我们所知的最大的黄猄蚁王国

occupy up to 1,600 square meters,

占地多达1600平方米，

around four basketball courts.

大约有四个篮球场那么大。

A lot of ground to cover for tiny ants 習語

对于微小的蚂蚁来说，这是一片广阔的疆域，

and impossibly hard to control.

几乎是不可能控制的。

So, weaver ants construct dozens of nests

因此，黄猄蚁建造了数十个巢穴，

scattered all over their territory,

散布在它们的领地各处，

outposts to defend the kingdom.

作为保卫王国的前哨站。

Tubes or balls made from leaves

用树叶和幽灵般的丝网

and ghostly silk sheets.

制成的管状或球状物。

These masterpieces of high-ant architecture

这些高等蚂蚁建筑的杰作

are created by the weaver majors,

是由大型工蚁创造的，

the larger worker ants,

这种体型较大的工蚁，

which are responsible for the more dangerous jobs 短語搭配

负责执行更危险的任务，

like fighting, foraging, and nest construction.

比如战斗、觅食和筑巢。

To start a new nest,

为了建造一个新巢，

a major tries to bend different leaves

一只大型工蚁会试着把周围的不同树叶

in her surroundings into a tube.

卷成管状。

If one of the leaves is flexible enough, 語法

如果其中一片树叶足够柔软，

more workers will arrive to help.

更多的工蚁就会赶来帮忙。

Chains of workers pull the leaves' edges together

工蚁们连成一排，将树叶的边缘拉拢，

or reach across gaps and grab distant leaves

或者跨越缝隙抓住远处的树叶，

to add them to the construction.

将其加入建筑中。

While the bending and pulling is going on, 短語動詞

在卷曲和拉扯树叶的同时，

other workers carry larvae from the closest nest

其他工蚁将幼虫从最近的巢穴

to the construction site.

搬运到建筑工地。

Usually, ant larvae spin themselves a cocoon

通常，蚂蚁幼虫会自己吐丝结茧

to protect themselves,

来保护自己，

but the weaver ant larvae give all of their silk

但黄猄蚁的幼虫会把所有的丝

to the colony as building material.

献给蚁群作为建筑材料。

So, when the workers tap the larvae's heads on the leaf,

所以，当工蚁在树叶上轻敲幼虫的头部时，

they release their sticky thread

幼虫就会分泌出粘性的丝线，

like tiny cute glue guns. 表達脈絡

就像可爱的小胶水枪一样。

This way, the workers sew the bent leaf onto itself,

这样，工蚁就把卷曲的树叶缝合起来，

so it won't unfold anymore.

树叶就不会再展开了。

This creates a central chamber that's used as the basis 短語搭配

这就形成了一个中央腔室，以此为基础，

for up to 300 more leaves that are wound around it. 用詞

可以在它周围缠绕多达300片树叶。

Together, they form little pockets

这些树叶组合在一起，形成了一个个小口袋，

and act as additional rooms for the new outpost.

作为新前哨站的额外房间。

To make it even more cozy,

为了让它更舒适，

minor workers use the larvae to weave additional floors and chambers.

小型工蚁会利用幼虫编织出更多的地板和隔间。

Nests are usually constructed as barracks on the territory's borders 語法

巢穴通常作为兵营建在领地边缘，

or as storage for brood and food supplies. 用詞

或者作为幼崽和食物补给的储藏室。

This way, the ants don't need to cross vast distances to the headquarters,

这样，蚂蚁们就不需要跨越遥远的距离返回大本营，

but have soldiers close to any potential point of conflict.

并且在任何潜在的冲突点附近都有士兵驻守。

Apart from one special nest in the middle of the network,

除了位于网络中心的一个特殊巢穴，

which is reserved for the queen and her guards.

那是留给蚁后和她的护卫的。

Here, she produces hundreds of eggs a day,

在那里，她每天产下数百个卵，

which get transferred to suitable nests with brood chambers.

这些卵会被转移到有育儿室的合适巢穴中。

So, a colony is a network of little castles and moats

因此，一个蚁群就是一个由众多小城堡和护城河组成的网络，

connected by suspension bridges made from leaves, lianas, and twigs.

通过树叶、藤蔓和树枝制成的吊桥连接起来。

An established colony easily has half a million individuals

一个成熟的蚁群轻松拥有五十万只个体

that need to be fed.

需要被喂养。

Fortunately, weaver ants evolved to have very close

幸运的是，黄猄蚁进化出了非常亲密的

and beneficial relationships with their hosts, 用詞

且互惠互利的宿主关系，

shrubs, and trees.

宿主是灌木和树木。

The tree gives the ants a home and access to sweet sap to drink,

树木为蚂蚁提供了家园以及甜美的树液作为饮品，

but maybe even more importantly,

但也许更重要的是，

it allows them to cultivate cattle 習語

它允许蚂蚁放牧

like aphids or caterpillars that produce honeydew for them. 用詞

比如能为它们生产蜜露的蚜虫或毛毛虫。

This would usually hurt a tree,

这通常会伤害树木，

but these insects belong to a small group of VIPs. 習語

但这些昆虫属于一小群VIP。

Only a few selected neighbors and the ants' cattle

只有少数被选中的邻居和蚂蚁的“牲畜”

are allowed on the fruit tree.

才被允许留在果树上。

Many other insects and even larger herbivores

许多其他昆虫甚至更大的食草动物

are scared off or even killed and eaten. 短語動詞

都会被吓跑，甚至被杀死吃掉。

So, in most cases,

所以，在大多数情况下，

the tree only has to tolerate acceptable levels of damage

树木只需承受可接受范围内的伤害，

while being protected from more dangerous pests. 語法

同时还能免受更危险害虫的侵袭。

The weaver ant kingdom could be an ant paradise 語法

黄猄蚁的王国本可以成为蚂蚁的天堂，

if there wasn't competition, mostly from other kingdoms.

如果没有竞争的话——主要来自其他王国的竞争。

Just like medieval humans, 表達脈絡

就像中世纪的人类一样，

every queen seeks to conquer others

每一位蚁后都试图征服他人，

and make their land their own. 習語

将别人的土地占为己有。

Controlling fertile land is the key to survive in the jungle.

控制肥沃的土地是在丛林中生存的关键。

And if a kingdom loses too much of it,

如果一个王国失去了太多的土地，

it shrinks and is overrun or starves to death. 講解

它就会萎缩，最终被占领或饿死。

So, expanding and defending their borders

所以，扩张和保卫边界

is critical to keep the colony alive.

对于维持蚁群的生存至关重要。

When a kingdom invades another,

当一个王国入侵另一个王国时，

it first gathers an army of a few thousand majors

它首先集结由几千只大型工蚁组成的军队，

who make their way towards the opposing colony. 短語搭配

向敌方蚁群进军。

The goal is to steal a bit of territory

目标是窃取一点领地

and take it over. 短語動詞

并占领它。

Defending weaver patrols quickly spot the invaders

负责防御的黄猄蚁巡逻队很快发现了入侵者，

and immediately release an alarm pheromone.

并立即释放出警报信息素。

Some rush to the front to defend,

一些蚂蚁冲向前线防御，

while others rush to the closest outpost for help,

而另一些则冲向最近的前哨站求援，

marking their route with pheromones. 語法

沿途用信息素标记路线。

Whenever they meet other sisters,

每当遇到其他姐妹时，

they jerk their bodies as if in a fight 語法

它们就会像打架一样猛烈抽动身体，

to signal them to follow the pheromone trail

示意同伴跟着信息素的路径

to the front line.

前往火线。

At the site of battle,

在战斗现场，

majors from both parties raise their bodies, 用詞

双方的大型工蚁都会直起身子，

circle each other with mandibles wide open,

张大上颚互相盘旋，

and try to seize their opponents.

试图抓住对手。

If an ant gets a hold of her opponent, 習語

如果一只蚂蚁抓住了对手，

the victim is pulled into a group of allied majors

受害者就会被拖入一群盟军大型工蚁中

and pinned down. 短語動詞

按倒在地。

The ants then rip the victim apart,

然后蚂蚁们会将受害者撕碎，

clipping off antennae and legs,

咬断触角和腿，

and slicing open their abdomens.

切开它们的腹部。

To slow down the advance of the attackers,

为了减缓攻击者的推进速度，

the defending majors squirt formic acid over the battlefield

防守方的大型工蚁向战场喷射甲酸，

to chemically burn their targets.

用化学方式灼烧目标。

This is soon answered in the same way by the attackers. 用詞

攻击方很快也以同样的方式予以回击。

In the chaotic battle,

在这场混乱的战斗中，

both parties lose countless fighters

双方都损失了无数的战士，

on the increasingly acidic battlefield.

倒在酸性越来越强的战场上。

After a few minutes,

几分钟后，

the backup from the outposts arrive,

来自前哨站的援军抵达，

and the time window for a successful attack 習語

成功进攻的窗口期

slowly closes.

正慢慢关闭。

This is when the battle turns. 用詞

这也是战局发生逆转的时刻。

The defenders slowly push back the attack party. 短語動詞

守军慢慢将攻击部队击退。

In the end,

最终，

the attackers can't keep up 短語動詞

攻击者无法支撑，

and have to retreat.

不得不撤退。

For both parties,

对双方来说，

it was a costly battle. 用詞

这都是一场代价惨重的战斗。

Thousands of corpses lie piled up on the ground

成千上万的尸体堆积在

under the battlefield,

战场下方的地面上，

and many ants are severely injured.

许多蚂蚁受了重伤。

The defending colony's nests and brood

不过，防守方蚁群的巢穴和幼崽

are safe, though. 表達脈絡

安然无恙。

The attackers' attempt to steal new valuable territory

攻击方试图夺取新宝贵领地的企图

has failed, for today.

在今天宣告失败。

They'll try again soon.

它们很快还会再来的。

But the kingdom will be ready.

但王国早已严阵以待。

For the high ants of the floating kingdoms,

对于悬空王国里的高等蚂蚁来说，

war is nothing special,

战争并不是什么新鲜事，

it's just a fact of life. 習語

这只是生活的一部分。

Because as we know, 表達脈絡

因为正如我们所知，

empires never ever have enough. 語氣意圖

帝国的欲望永远无法被满足。

And the weaver ants are ready to fight.

而黄猄蚁时刻准备着战斗。