十亿只蚂蚁的超级群落与地球上最大的战争：英语精读讲义

In nearly every corner of the Earth, 習語

在地球的几乎每一个角落，

ants wage war against each other. 短語搭配

蚂蚁都在互相交战。

Their weapons are what nature gave them. 語法

它们的武器是自然赋予的。

Some have strong armor,

有的拥有坚硬的盔甲，

deadly stingers,

致命的毒刺，

or sharp mandibles.

或锋利的下颚。

And then there's this tiny and not very impressive ant, 表達脈絡

然后有这样一种微小且不怎么起眼的蚂蚁，

but it rules the biggest empire any ant has ever built. 語法

却统治着有史以来最大的蚂蚁帝国。

A colony spanning continents

它们建立了一个横跨各大洲的群落，

and fighting wars that leave millions of casualties.

发动的战争造成了数以百万计的伤亡。

Let's take a look at this unlikely warrioress Linepithema humile, 短語搭配

让我们来看看这位意想不到的战士——Linepithema humile，

the Argentine ant.

即阿根廷蚁。

This story begins in the floodplains around the Paraná River

故事始于巴拉那河周边的洪泛区，

in South America.

位于南美洲。

It's a crowded ant megalopolis

这是一个拥挤的蚂蚁大都市，

where dozens of ant species fight for dominance,

数十种蚂蚁为了统治权而互相搏杀，

including fire ants, army ants,

包括火蚁、行军蚁，

and the rather unimpressive Argentine ant.

以及相当不起眼的阿根廷蚁。

It measures only 2 to 3 mm in length, 短語搭配

它的体长只有2到3毫米，

and with its small mandibles,

凭借如此微小的下颚，

it's surprising that it survived among its buff competitors.

它竟能在强壮的竞争对手中存活下来，实在令人惊讶。

Their homes are equally unremarkable.

它们的家园同样平淡无奇。

Their colonies range from fairly small to very large 語法

蚁群规模从小到大各不相同，

and could be found anywhere,

几乎随处可见，

under logs, in loose leaf litter,

在木头下、松散的落叶层里，

or the former colonies of other ants.

或是其他蚂蚁废弃的巢穴中。

Here, Argentine ants prepare their most effective weapon against their competitors,

在这里，阿根廷蚁准备了对抗竞争对手最有效的武器，

bodies.

那就是无数的身躯。

Most ant species have only one queen to produce ants,

大多数蚂蚁物种只有一只蚁后负责繁衍，

while Argentine ants went all-in on numbers. 習語

而阿根廷蚁却在数量上全押了。

For every 120 workers, 語法

每120只工蚁，

there's one queen laying up to 60 eggs a day. 語法

就有一只每天产卵高达60枚的蚁后。

So their colonies grow fast

因此它们的蚁群扩张极快，

and have millions or billions of individuals.

拥有数百万甚至数十亿的个体。

Teams of queens and workers frequently branch out and found new colonies. 講解

蚁后和工蚁组成的队伍经常分流去建立新巢。

But their strategy has a downside. 短語搭配

但它们的策略也有一个缺点。

As colonies grow and produce a lot of offspring,

随着蚁群扩大并产生大量后代，

mutations occur and new colonies adapt to new environments.

会发生基因突变，新群体也会适应新环境。

Their DNA slowly changes from generation to generation 短語搭配

它们的DNA代代相传发生缓慢变化，

and differences accumulate.

差异不断积累。

So after a while,

于是过了一阵子，

the ants that left the colony will become more like distant cousins 習語

离开群体的蚂蚁就变得更像是远房亲戚，

and start to compete with their mother colony.

并开始与母巢竞争。

In their native South American range,

在它们南美洲的原产地，

this is how Argentine ants behave.

这正是阿根廷蚁的日常行为。

Within their colonies, they are very cooperative and well organized,

在蚁群内部，它们非常合作且井然有序，

but they fight vicious wars against other Argentine ant colonies

但它们与其他阿根廷蚁群

and other ant species.

以及其他蚂蚁物种进行着残酷的战争。

With equally strong opponents on every side,

面对四面八方同样强大的对手，

the Argentine ant became extremely aggressive,

阿根廷蚁变得极具攻击性，

fighting for every inch of ground. 習語

为每一寸土地而战。

But it could never dominate its neighbors,

但它始终无法支配邻居，

until humans showed up. 表達脈絡

直到人类出现。

We did what humans do

我们做了人类惯做的事，

and transported things around the world by ship.

用船把物资运往世界各地。

On one of them,

在其中一艘船上，

a few Argentine ant queens hitched a ride 習語

几只阿根廷蚁后搭了便车，

as stowaways from South America

作为偷渡者从南美洲

to Madeira and New Orleans.

来到了马德拉和新奥尔良。

The Argentine ants suddenly found themselves 語法

阿根廷蚁突然发现自己

in a strange world.

处在一个陌生的世界里。

Instead of being surrounded by deadly enemies, 語法

周围不再有致命的强敌环伺，

they found only victims.

它们发现的只有受害者。

Nobody could fight them effectively.

没有谁能有效对抗它们。

Because only a few Argentine ant queens were introduced

因为只有少数几只阿根廷蚁后被引入

to the outside world,

到了外部世界，

the resulting colonies had very low genetic diversity.

由此产生的蚁群遗传多样性极低。

On top of that, 表達脈絡

最重要的是，

the introduced Argentine ants kill up to 90%

入侵的阿根廷蚁每年会杀死多达90%

of their queens every year.

的自家蚁后。

Fewer queens, less genetic variation. 語法

蚁后越少，基因变异越少。

So, as these colonies spread across the landscape,

所以，当这些蚁群在整片土地上蔓延时，

ants that left the colony were no longer considered distant cousins.

离开母巢的蚂蚁不再被视为远房亲戚。

As a result, 表達脈絡

结果，

the new colonies form not opposing, 語法

新的蚁群不再相互对立，

but cooperating parties called supercolonies.

而是形成了相互合作的阵营，被称为超级蚁群。

This is a very uncommon strategy

这是一种极其罕见的策略，

in the ant kingdom.

在蚂蚁王国中。

Only a few of the 16,000 ant species 語法

在16000种蚂蚁中，只有极少数

have evolved supercolonies.

进化出了超级蚁群。

A supercolony was established on the west coast

一个超级蚁群在西海岸建立，

of the USA

即美国西海岸，

and became a base for the tiny ants' global conquest. 習語

并成为了这些小蚂蚁征服全球的基地。

Today, the Argentine ant inhabits the Mediterranean zones

如今，阿根廷蚁栖息在六大洲

of six continents and many islands.

和许多岛屿的地中海气候区。

This one supercolony was especially successful,

这个超级蚁群异常成功，

establishing sister locations in California,

在加利福尼亚、

Europe, Japan, New Zealand and Australia,

欧洲、日本、新西兰和澳大利亚建立了姐妹基地，

forming one massive intercontinental megacolony

形成了一个庞大的跨洲巨型蚁群，

of Argentine ants.

全由阿根廷蚁组成。

This makes them the largest society on Earth,

这使它们成为地球上最大的社会，

more numerous than even the human one. 語法

甚至比人类的数量还要多。

But their success has changed the ecosystems they invaded.

但它们的成功改变了所入侵的生态系统。

California is a perfect example of this.

加利福尼亚就是一个完美的例子。

In their greed for more territory,

在贪婪掠夺更多领土的过程中，

the invading Argentine ants have overrun and replaced 90%

入侵的阿根廷蚁已经踏平并取代了90%

of the native ant species,

的本土蚂蚁物种，

including several species of Californian carpenter ants.

包括几种加州弓背蚁。

Although carpenter ant workers are giants,

尽管弓背蚁工蚁体型巨大，

their colonies have only between 3,000 and 6,000 individuals

它们的蚁群却只有3000到6000只个体，

and stand no chance against an expanding supercolony 短語搭配

在面对由数十亿只阿根廷蚁组成、

of billions of Argentine ants.

不断扩张的超级蚁群时毫无胜算。

Argentine ant workers attack by wiping toxic chemicals on their victims, 語法

阿根廷蚁工蚁通过向受害者涂抹有毒化学物质进行攻击，

which irritates the enemy and marks them as a target for other Argentine ants. 短語搭配

这会刺激敌人，并将其标记为其他阿根廷蚁的攻击目标。

When they attack,

当它们发起攻击时，

the Argentine ants wash over their victims, 習語

阿根廷蚁如潮水般涌向受害者，

clinging onto their opponents in groups

成群结队地死死抱住对手，

and pulling apart their limbs.

并把它们的四肢硬生生扯下。

It doesn't matter how many of them die, 語法

无论死多少同伴都没关系，

there are always more.

总有更多的蚂蚁补上。

Once the colony is overrun and exterminated, 語法

一旦这个蚁巢被攻陷和歼灭，

the Argentine ants feed on their victims' brood 短語動詞

阿根廷蚁就会把受害者的幼崽当作食物，

and take over their home and territory. 短語動詞

并接管它们的家园和领地。

The Argentine ants' numbers allow them to hunt down and devour such an excessive mass 語法

阿根廷蚁的数量使它们能够追捕并吞食如此庞大

of different insects that over time,

种类的其他昆虫，以至于随着时间推移，

some species disappear from the ants' territory completely.

一些物种彻底从蚂蚁的领地上消失了。

Argentine ants don't care about working with the local flora and fauna,

阿根廷蚁根本不在乎与当地的动植物群落协同共生，

they consume them and move on. 短語動詞

它们只会将其吞噬，然后继续前进。

And if their next stop happens to be human property, 語法

如果它们的下一站碰巧是人类的财产，

they will rudely make themselves at home there too. 習語

它们也会毫不客气地在那里安家。

They forage in dumpsters,

它们在垃圾桶、

bowls of pet food,

宠物饭盆里觅食，

and sneak into kitchens to claim leftovers.

还溜进厨房抢夺剩菜。

Not just our homes, 語法

不仅是我们的家，

our gardens and fields are also impacted by Argentine ants,

我们的花园和农田也受到阿根廷蚁的影响，

since they tend to hordes of aphids as their cattle. 用詞

因为它们把成群的蚜虫当作家畜来放牧。

The aphids feed from plants and produce a sweet honeydew,

蚜虫吸食植物汁液并分泌出甜美的蜜露，

which they trade with the ants for protection.

用来与蚂蚁交换保护。

Since the ants have no major enemy to fear in their new homes,

由于蚂蚁在新家里没有可怕的天敌，

the aphids thrive and ultimately kill the plants they live on.

蚜虫便大量繁衍，最终使得它们寄生的植物枯死。

So on top of being a major disruption for the ecosystems they invade, 表達脈絡

因此，除了是对它们入侵的生态系统的重大破坏，

they are also a huge pest for agriculture.

它们也是农业上的一种巨大害虫。

But the rule of the Argentine ant is being challenged.

但阿根廷蚁的统治正受到挑战。

Parts of the supercolonies have broken off 短語動詞

部分超级蚁群已经分裂，

and become their own empires.

成为自己独立的帝国。

A merciless civil war has broken out. 短語動詞

一场无情的内战爆发了。

For example,

例如，

the Lake Hodges supercolony has been fighting against the very large colony 語法

霍奇斯湖超级蚁群一直在此与那个巨型蚁群激烈交战，

for years in San Diego County.

在圣迭戈县已经打了好几年。

A massive war is going on over a dynamic front line

一场跨越动态前线的大规模战争正在进行中，

stretching over kilometers.

战线绵延数公里。

An estimated 30 million ants die here each year.

据估计，每年有3000万只蚂蚁在这里阵亡。

On other fronts, 表達脈絡

而在其他战线上，

an old acquaintance from the Paraná River

一位来自巴拉那河的老相识

has risen from the shadows. 習語

从阴影中崛起了。

Red imported fire ants,

那就是入侵红火蚁，

which were accidentally introduced from their old home 用詞

它们从老家被意外引入

to the coast of Alabama.

到了阿拉巴马州的海岸。

Not only are the red fire ants fierce fighters 語法

红火蚁不仅是凶猛的战士，

and more than able to deal with the Argentine ant, 短語搭配

绰绰有余地能够对付阿根廷蚁，

they are also able to form supercolonies themselves.

它们本身也能够形成超级蚁群。

Now the old wars from their distant home

现在，它们遥远故乡的旧日战争

have been taken to a foreign battleground.

被转移到了异国的战场上。

In the southeastern US,

在美国东南部，

the supercolonies clashed fiercely.

超级蚁群之间发生了激烈的冲突。

The Argentine ants found themselves outgunned by the fire ants. 用詞

阿根廷蚁发现自己在火力上完全不敌火蚁。

The fire ants' major workers are more than twice the size 語法

火蚁的大型工蚁体型比

of the Argentine ants and wield venom-injecting stings.

阿根廷蚁大两倍以上，且长有可注射毒液的螫针。

Even though the Argentine ants fought fiercely,

尽管阿根廷蚁奋力抵抗，

the fire ants were too much for them. 習語

火蚁对它们来说还是太过强大了。

After countless lost battles,

在经历了无数次败仗之后，

the red imported fire ant exterminated the Argentine ants supercolony

入侵红火蚁消灭了阿根廷蚁的超级蚁群，

from much of the southeastern US.

将其驱逐出了美国东南部的广阔地区。

This is one territory lost,

这只是一块失地，

but the Argentine ants will fight on.

但阿根廷蚁仍会继续战斗下去。

This amazing network of cooperating supercolonies

这个由相互合作的超级蚁群组成的惊人网络

is the biggest success in their history.

是它们历史上最大的成功。

And they'll not give it up 短語動詞

它们不会放弃它，

because of a small defeat.

绝不会因为一次小小的失败。

They will stand their ground against any enemy 習語

它们将坚守阵地，对抗任何

that might arise.

可能出现的敌人。

No matter if it's on the Paraná River 語法

无论是在巴拉那河，

or on one of the large battlefields

还是在广阔的战场上，

across the world.

那些遍布世界各地的战场。