蓄奴蚁的恐怖统治：英语精读讲义

Everything changed when the slaver nation attacked. 文化背景

当蓄奴国发动攻击时，一切都改变了。

What used to be a thriving colony is now a captured country. 語法

曾经繁荣的蚁群如今成了被占领的国度。

Slaves do the work,

奴隶们包揽了所有的工作，

serving their new masters until they die,

终生服侍他们的新主人直到死去，

only to be replaced by new victims harvested in brutal raids. 語法

只能被残暴掠夺中收获的新受害者所取代。

But let's go back to the beginning. 表達脈絡

但让我们回到最初。

The World War of the ants is claiming millions of lives every day.

蚂蚁的世界大战每天都在夺去数以百万计的生命。

But in the brutal world of ants,

但在残酷的蚂蚁世界里，

straight up war is not the only way.

直接开战并非唯一的手段。

Around 50 ant species practice slavery,

大约有50种蚂蚁实行奴隶制，

the most extreme division of labor.

这是最极端的劳动分工。

We don't know how this began,

我们不知道这一切是如何开始的，

but some ant species perfected this cruel trade.

但一些蚂蚁物种将这种残酷的行当发展到了极致。

Meet Polyergus,

来认识一下 Polyergus，

the most intense of the slaver ant tribes.

蓄奴蚁部落中最极端的一种。

There are different species,

它们分为不同的种类，

but generally they're 4 to 10 mm long

但体长通常在4到10毫米之间，

with brown to blackish bodies and sickle-shaped mandibles.

身体呈褐色或微黑色，长着镰刀状的大颚。

Polyergus has specialized in slavery so much that they've lost their ability to care for themselves.

Polyergus 在奴役方面如此专业化，以至于失去了照顾自己的能力。

They don't clean,

它们不清理卫生，

build nests,

不筑巢，

care for their brood,

不照顾幼崽，

or feed themselves.

甚至自己不进食。

They only exist for raiding.

它们只为掠夺而生。

Slaves make up 80 to 90% of the ants in their colonies, 短語動詞

奴隶占其蚁群中蚂蚁数量的80%到90%，

so a few hundred Polyergus and a single queen control thousands of slave ants.

因此几百只 Polyergus 和一只蚁后就能控制数千只奴隶蚁。

We'll summarize and simplify what we know about Polyergus into one grand story.

我们将关于 Polyergus 的已知信息概括并简化为一个宏大的故事。

You can find more information in our sources.

更多信息可在我们的资料来源中找到。

So now,

现在，

let's witness the cruel banality of nature.

让我们见证大自然残酷的平庸。

The raid.

突袭。

It all begins on a mild summer morning on a sunny field. 表達脈絡

这一切都始于一个温和夏日清晨阳光明媚的田野。

Witness this colony of over 10,000 Formica ants,

看看这个超过一万只 Formica 蚂蚁的蚁群，

genetically cousins of Polyergus,

它们在基因上是 Polyergus 的表亲，

who build a thriving nest underground.

在地下建造了一个繁荣的巢穴。

They are a widespread genus.

它们是一个分布广泛的属。

Some species are good fighters,

有些种类是优秀的战士，

some great builders,

有些是伟大的建筑师，

and some cattle farmers,

还有些是畜牧农夫，

often welcomed by humans because they hunt vermin that hurt forests.

它们经常受到人类的欢迎，因为它们会捕食危害森林的害虫。

Nobody noticed the lone Polyergus scout that briefly showed up this morning

没有人注意到今天早上短暂出现的那只孤零零的 Polyergus 侦察蚁，

before she bolted away again. 短語動詞

随后她又迅速跑开了。

The attack begins in the early afternoon.

攻击在午后初时开始。

The scout returned from her mission to find the Formica nests.

侦察蚁完成了寻找 Formica 巢穴的任务回来了。

She dances erratically and spreads pheromones that excite and mass recruit more and more ants

她跳着不规则的舞蹈并散发信息素，这会让越来越多的蚂蚁兴奋并大量聚集，

until a large raiding party of a thousand warrioresses has formed.

直到集结成一支由一千名女战士组成的大型突击队。

A close-packed, well-organized column up to 10 m long begins to move. 短語搭配

一支密集、组织严密、长达10米的队伍开始移动。

As the Polyergus raiding party arrives at the Formica colony,

当 Polyergus 突击队到达 Formica 蚁群时，

the attack begins almost immediately.

攻击几乎立刻就开始了。

Dozens of attackers begin digging and clearing up debris from the nest entrance

数十名攻击者开始挖掘并清理巢穴入口的碎片，

to make it easier to storm.

以便更容易突入。

As soon as they're done, 語法

一旦完成，

hundreds of the attackers rush inside.

数百名攻击者便冲了进去。

The defenders vastly outnumber their attackers

防御者的数量远远超过攻击者，

and are formidable warriors able to shoot acid.

且是能喷射蚁酸的强大战士。

But instead of fighting back effectively, 短語動詞

但它们非但没有进行有效的反击，

they seem confused and scatter rather than fighting back. 語法

反而显得很混乱，并且四散逃跑。

Polyergus also seems to be somewhat resistant to the acid sprays of the defenders.

Polyergus 似乎也对防御者喷射的蚁酸具有一定的抵抗力。

And so even if a defense is forming,

因此，即使防御正在形成，

the attackers use their mandibles to pierce and kill.

攻击者也能用大颚进行刺穿和杀戮。

There are a few different ideas as to why Polyergus attacks are so efficient, 短語搭配

关于为什么 Polyergus 的攻击如此高效，有几种不同的看法，

and one of the most fascinating ones is chemical warfare.

其中最令人着迷的是化学战。

Instead of relying on brute force, 習語

它们不依靠蛮力，

they release a propaganda pheromone that makes the defenders panic,

而是释放一种带有宣传意味的信息素，使防御者陷入恐慌，

unable to mount an organized defense. 短語搭配

无法组织起有效的防御。

The attackers have nothing to gain from intense ant to ant combat, 語法

激烈的蚁群间肉搏战对攻击者毫无益处，

other than immense casualties.

只会造成巨大的伤亡。

What's more, 表達脈絡

更重要的是，

they actually want their victims to survive

它们其实希望受害者能活下来，

so that they can be raided again in a few weeks.

以便几周后再次进行掠夺。

As the raid unfolds,

随着突袭的展开，

the attackers breach deep into the colony,

攻击者深入蚁群，

looking for their most valuable possession,

寻找它们最宝贵的财富，

the colony's babies.

即蚁群的幼崽。

They grab the pupae and larvae that will make up the next generation of Formica

它们抓住将构成下一代 Formica 的蛹和幼虫，

and carry them out of the nest.

并将它们带出巢穴。

Hundreds are abducted and brought back to the Polyergus colony in this raid alone.

仅在这一次突袭中，就有数百只被绑架并带回 Polyergus 的巢穴。

Well, most of them.

嗯，大多数是这样。

A few unlucky ones are eaten as a sort of snack.

少数倒霉的会被当成零食吃掉。

The surviving victims will be turned into slaves.

幸存的受害者将变成奴隶。

After about an hour,

大约一小时后，

the raid is over and the Formica can begin to recover.

突袭结束，Formica 可以开始恢复。

It seems their only strategy is to make even more ants.

似乎它们唯一的策略就是繁育更多的蚂蚁。

A decent-sized colony can forfeit thousands of pupae in a single raiding season and still survive.

一个规模适中的蚁群在一个突袭季内失去数千只蛹仍能存活下来。

Although in this case,

尽管在这次事件中，

while the raid was going on,

在突袭进行的同时，

something even more sinister happened.

发生了一件更险恶的事情。

Hold that thought, though, 語氣意圖

先保留这个悬念，

because how are Polyergus turning ants into slaves?

因为 Polyergus 是如何将蚂蚁变成奴隶的呢？

How to brainwash ant slaves.

如何给蚂蚁奴隶洗脑。

Ants conquered almost the entire planet over 100 million years ago.

蚂蚁在1亿多年前几乎征服了整个地球。

They owe their success to being social animals that perfected chemical communication. 短語搭配

它们的成功归功于它们是完善了化学交流的社会性动物。

Chemical signals and cues let ants know what their colony needs

化学信号和提示让蚂蚁知道它们的蚁群需要什么，

and what each individual should do.

以及每个个体应该做什么。

And most importantly in this case,

在这种情况下最重要的是，

who is a friend or foe.

谁是朋友谁是敌人。

Slave-making ants are much less social than other ant species.

蓄奴蚁的社会性远低于其他种类的蚂蚁。

Some species miss a lot of the genes other ants have to make communication possible.

某些物种缺失了许多其他蚂蚁用来实现交流的基因。

In a sense, 表達脈絡

从某种意义上说，

they are bad at talking to each other.

它们不善于彼此沟通。

So it may be that as Polyergus ancestors started to abduct other ants, 語法

因此可能是在 Polyergus 的祖先开始绑架其他蚂蚁时，

they lost the ability to collaborate and work together productively.

它们失去了协作和富有成效地共同工作的能力。

Soon after the stolen Formica offspring have been brought to the slaver colony,

在被偷来的 Formica 后代被带到蓄奴蚁巢穴后不久，

they are progressively covered in Polyergus pheromones.

它们会被渐渐覆盖上 Polyergus 的信息素。

They are chemically imprinted,

它们在化学上被打下了烙印，

similar to a duckling who imprints on its mother after birth.

类似于刚出生后对母亲产生印记行为的小鸭子。

When the new slaves hatch,

当新奴隶孵化时，

they behave as though they are part of the Polyergus colony 語法

它们的行为就好像自己是 Polyergus 蚁群的一部分，

and begin to work for them unconditionally,

开始无条件地为它们工作，

keeping the nest clean,

保持巢穴清洁，

caring for the next generation of slaves and masters,

照顾下一代奴隶和主人，

hunting for food,

寻找食物，

and feeding their enslavers mouth-to-mouth.

甚至嘴对嘴地喂养奴役它们的主人。

This sort of brainwashing goes so far that if they encounter free Formica ants in the wild, 語法

这种洗脑如此彻底，以至于如果在野外遇到自由的 Formica 蚂蚁，

they will treat them as enemies.

它们会把同类当成敌人。

In a sense,

从某种意义上说，

they're not true slaves as they serve willingly and show no interest in freedom.

它们不是真正的奴隶，因为它们自愿服侍，对自由毫无兴趣。

It's more like violent abduction and adoption,

这更像是暴力的绑架和收养，

which doesn't make things that much better. 語法

只是这并没有让情况变得好多少。

And as the Formica only live for a few months,

而且由于 Formica 只能活几个月，

a constant new supply of victims is necessary.

就需要不断有新的受害者补充进来。

To survive,

为了生存，

Polyergus can never stop enslaving.

Polyergus 永远不能停止奴役。

How to make new slave colonies.

如何建立新的奴隶蚁群。

How are new Polyergus colonies created?

新的 Polyergus 蚁群是如何建立的？

After all, 表達脈絡

毕竟，

Polyergus workers are so useless that a queen can't start a new colony without slaves.

Polyergus 的工蚁毫无用处，没有奴隶蚁后就无法建立新的蚁群。

But how does she make slaves without warriors?

但是没有战士她如何制造奴隶呢？

It turns out there are two main strategies. 表達脈絡

事实证明主要有两种策略。

The more dangerous one might unfold during a raid like the one we witnessed before.

较危险的一种可能会在就像我们之前目睹的突袭中展开。

A young Polyergus queen silently follows the raiding party.

一只年轻的 Polyergus 蚁后悄悄地跟在突击队后面。

Using the chaos of the invasion,

利用入侵的混乱，

she's able to find her way to the Formica queen and kill her,

她找到了 Formica 蚁后并将其杀死，

taking over the shaken colony. 短語動詞

接管了受到惊吓的蚁群。

Although such a victory may be very short-lived.

尽管这样的胜利可能非常短暂。

Polyergus do not tolerate other slaver colonies within their hunting ground.

Polyergus 不容忍其狩猎场内有其他的蓄奴蚁群。

They raid each other fiercely, too,

它们也会互相激烈地劫掠，

and can destroy the competing colonies nearby.

并且会摧毁附近竞争的蚁群。

So while this tactic sometimes works, 語法

因此虽然这种战术有时有效，

it is pretty dangerous.

但却相当危险。

Another young queen is going for a different strategy. 短語搭配

另一只年轻的蚁后采取了不同的策略。

She's looking for a Formica colony that is further from her birthplace,

她在寻找一个离她出生地更远的 Formica 蚁群，

attacking a whole colony on her own. 短語搭配

单枪匹马攻击整个蚁群。

She bolts through an entrance,

她冲进一个入口，

pushing aside confused ants that try to stop her, 短語動詞

推开试图阻止她、感到困惑的蚂蚁，

releasing a powerful appeasement pheromone that drives defenders away. 短語動詞

释放出一种强大的安抚信息素，驱散防御者。

She has only a short time window to find the Formica queen deep in the hostile nest. 短語搭配

她只有很短的时间窗口去深入充满敌意的巢穴中寻找 Formica 蚁后。

Once she finds her target,

一旦找到目标，

both queens engage in a fight to the death. 短語搭配

两只蚁后就会展开殊死搏斗。

The Polyergus queen is well equipped with her sharp mandibles. 短語搭配

Polyergus 蚁后装备有锋利的大颚。

She bites and rips into her victim for about half an hour 短語動詞

她撕咬受害者长达约半小时，

before she finally calms down.

最终平静下来。

Between her bites,

在撕咬的间隙，

she licks the chemical surface of the dead Formica queen,

她舔舐死亡 Formica 蚁后体表的化学物质，

covering herself in her pheromones.

将对方的信息素涂抹在自己身上。

When she's done with this macabre ritual,

当她完成这种令人毛骨悚然的仪式后，

Formica workers approach her.

Formica 工蚁向她靠近。

Subdued by her intense smells, 語法

被她强烈的气味所屈服，

they start grooming and feeding her

它们开始为她梳理毛发并喂食，

as though pledging their allegiance to their new ruler.

仿佛在向新统治者宣誓效忠。

She still might not be done, though.

不过她可能还没结束。

Formica colonies often have multiple queens

Formica 蚁群通常有多只蚁后，

who all need to be defeated,

所有的蚁后都需要被击败，

which is not guaranteed.

这不是绝对有把握的。

Often, attacking queens will be stopped by a phalanx of workers

攻击的蚁后经常会被成群的工蚁拦截，

that rip her apart or are defeated in royal battle.

被撕成碎片或在王室战斗中被击败。

But if she does manage to kill all the queens, 語法

但如果她确实成功杀死了所有的蚁后，

the colony has been taken over

这个蚁群就被接管了，

and the enslaved brood will begin to serve a new queen,

被奴役的后代将开始服侍新的蚁后，

the usurper.

也就是这位篡位者。

She now begins laying eggs that are cared for by her new slaves

现在她开始产卵，由她的新奴隶照顾，

until new Polyergus ants hatch

直到新的 Polyergus 蚂蚁孵化，

that will soon start new raids on neighboring colonies.

它们很快将对邻近蚁群发动新的突袭。

No matter what we humans do, 語法

无论我们人类做什么，

quietly below our feet,

在我们脚下静悄悄的地方，

the World War of the ants is raging 習語

蚂蚁的世界大战正在肆虐，

with wild and horrible strategies

充斥着野蛮可怕的策略，

fought by billions of individuals every single day.

每天都有数十亿个体在战斗。

Polyergus will continue to hunt for slaves

Polyergus 将继续狩猎奴隶，

as to stop raiding would be their demise.

因为停止掠夺就意味着它们的灭亡。

And in the War of the Ants,

而在这场蚂蚁战争中，

there is no giving up. 短語動詞

永远没有放弃二字。