螞蟻世界大戰——行軍蟻：英語精讀講義

Some groups just don't get along. 片語動詞

有些群體就是無法和睦相處。

Every day billions of soldiers fight a merciless war on thousands of fronts

每天，數十億士兵在成千上萬的戰線上進行著無情的戰爭，

and it's been going on for over 100 million years. 文法

這場戰爭已經持續了1億多年。

The world war of the ants.

螞蟻的世界大戰。

Ants are ancient beings that arose around 160 million years ago

螞蟻是古老的生物，大約在1.6億年前出現，

and took over a wide variety of ecological niches 片語動詞

牠們佔據了各種各樣的生態位，

so successfully that they became one of the dominant animals on planet Earth. 文法

極其成功，以至於成為了地球上的主導動物之一。

Today they count more than 16,000 different species

如今，牠們擁有超過1.6萬個不同的物種，

with over 10,000 trillion individuals.

個體數量超過10000萬億。

Collectively, ants alone

總的來說，單單是螞蟻

make up 20% of the entire animal biomass on land. 片語動詞

就佔據了陸地整個動物生物量的20%。

Similar to humans, their recipe for success is collaboration.

與人類相似，牠們成功的秘訣是合作。

While a single ant is pretty useless, 文法

雖然單隻螞蟻顯得毫無用處，

together they are able to achieve stunning feats. 片語搭配

但聚集在一起，牠們能完成驚人的壯舉。

They construct complex colonies,

牠們建立複雜的蟻群，

care for livestock, pursue agriculture,

照料牲畜、從事農業，

or have complex symbiotic relationships.

或形成複雜的共生關係。

And of course, ants wage war. 片語搭配

當然，螞蟻也會發動戰爭。

Even among the same species,

即使在同一物種之間，

a constant state of conflict is pretty common.

持續的衝突狀態也相當普遍。

Skirmishes, raids, and full-on invasions 用詞

小衝突、突襲和全面入侵

are happening every day,

每天都在發生，

causing millions of casualties.

造成數百萬的傷亡。

Let's look at some of the most interesting ones in a series of videos.

讓我們在一系列影片中看看其中一些最有趣的例子。

In this one,

在這一集裡，

the army ant, a swarm made for war. 片語搭配

我們來看看行軍蟻，一個為戰爭而生的群體。

The army ant group consists of about 200 different species. 片語搭配

行軍蟻群體由大約200個不同的物種組成。

Army ants do not build nests,

行軍蟻不築巢，

they live a sort of nomadic lifestyle 片語搭配

牠們過著一種遊牧般的生活，

with groups of millions of individuals.

有著由數百萬個體組成的群體。

On a hunt, some species form large columns up to 100 m long,

在狩獵時，有些物種會形成長達100公尺的大型縱隊，

killing and immediately dismembering every insect or small vertebrate they encounter.

殺死並立即肢解牠們遇到的每一隻昆蟲或小型脊椎動物。

The biggest hunting parties can kill up to 500,000 animals per day.

最大的狩獵小隊每天可以殺死多達50萬隻動物。

Some army ants specialize in hunting and consuming other social insects 片語搭配

一些行軍蟻專門狩獵和吞食其他社會性昆蟲，

like termites, wasps, and especially other ants.

如白蟻、黃蜂，尤其是其他螞蟻。

Wasps are fierce and may seem invulnerable,

黃蜂很兇猛，看似無懈可擊，

but if a swarm makes its way to their colonies, 片語搭配

但如果一群行軍蟻進入牠們的巢穴，

they don't even stand a chance. 慣用語

牠們甚至毫無還手之力。

The much bigger and stronger wasps might kill a few of them,

體型更大、更強壯的黃蜂可能會殺死幾隻螞蟻，

but they are quickly overwhelmed.

但牠們很快就會被蜂擁而至的螞蟻淹沒。

Even if their queen survives an attack, 文法

即使牠們的蜂后在襲擊中倖存下來，

the army ants steal the colony's larvae

行軍蟻也會偷走巢穴的幼蟲

and quickly devour them.

並迅速將牠們吞食。

There is no recovery from that.

這是一種毀滅性的打擊。

When army ants discover another ant colony,

當行軍蟻發現另一個螞蟻群落時，

they immediately attack.

牠們會立即發起攻擊。

Now you might think this would be a more even battle, 表達脈絡

你可能會認為這會是一場勢均力敵的戰鬥，

but it's not.

但並非如此。

Because army ants act as a social unit, 片語搭配

因為行軍蟻是作為一個社會單位行動的，

they are especially dangerous and effective.

牠們特別危險且高效。

Most army ants are not particularly impressive individually,

大多數行軍蟻個體並不特別出眾，

but they can overwhelm their victims with sheer numbers 片語搭配

但牠們能以絕對的數量優勢壓倒受害者，

before the victim colony can mount an effective defense. 片語搭配

讓受害蟻群來不及組織有效的防禦。

And so invasions tend to be won by the attackers 文法

因此，入侵往往以攻擊者的勝利告終，

and the prey colony is damaged significantly

獵物蟻群受到嚴重破壞

or is exterminated.

甚至被徹底消滅。

Interestingly, army ants don't fight army ants.

有趣的是，行軍蟻並不攻擊行軍蟻。

When two swarms encounter each other in the wild,

當兩個行軍蟻群在野外相遇時，

they either pass through each other, 文法

牠們要麼穿過彼此，

ignoring the other swarm,

無視另一個群體，

or both colonies just move away,

要麼兩個群體各自離開，

which makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint. 片語搭配

這從演化的角度來看是合理的。

Army ants that fought other army ants

那些與其他行軍蟻交戰的行軍蟻

probably eradicated themselves millions of years ago.

可能在數百萬年前就已經自我滅絕了。

Indeed, they're so deadly that other ant species had to specialize to survive their presence.

事實上，牠們如此致命，以至於其他螞蟻物種不得不演化出特殊能力才能在牠們面前生存。

Many species just panic and evacuate their nest when they notice army ant scouts,

許多物種在發現行軍蟻偵察兵時會驚慌失措地撤離巢穴，

carrying as many larvae with them as they can, 文法

隨身帶走盡可能多的幼蟲，

in order to return and rebuild after the attack. 文法

以便在襲擊結束後返回重建。

Other species have invented living bunkers since fighting is so futile.

其他物種發明了「活體掩體」，因為戰鬥太徒勞了。

They have worker classes that have big square heads.

牠們有長著巨大方頭的工蟻階層。

When army ants show up, 片語動詞

當行軍蟻出現時，

they use them to block the entrances to their nests,

牠們用這些頭來堵住巢穴的入口，

so the attackers have to give up after a while. 片語動詞

這樣攻擊者在一段時間後就不得不放棄。

But not everybody is afraid of army ants. 文法

但並非所有物種都害怕行軍蟻。

Leafcutter ants form some of the largest and most complex societies

切葉蟻形成了除人類之外

of any animal other than humans. 片語搭配

最龐大、最複雜的動物社會之一。

They live in extensive nests many meters deep and across,

牠們生活在深達數公尺、橫跨極廣的大型巢穴中，

harboring millions of citizens

容納著數百萬的「公民」，

with a highly sophisticated division of labor. 用詞

並擁有高度複雜的勞動分工。

Like huge soldiers 100 times more massive than a worker. 文法

比如體型比工蟻大100倍的巨型兵蟻。

Their sole purpose might be to defend their colonies against army ants. 片語搭配

牠們存在的唯一目的可能就是保衛蟻群免受行軍蟻的攻擊。

They still have a nemesis, though.

不過，牠們仍然有剋星。

The diet of the army ant species Nomamyrmex esenbeckii

行軍蟻物種 Nomamyrmex esenbeckii 的飲食

consists mostly of the larvae of other ants.

主要由其他螞蟻的幼蟲組成。

Compared to other army ants,

與其他行軍蟻相比，

they have a more robust soldier caste.

牠們擁有更強壯的兵蟻階層。

So far, they are the only known species that can successfully attack a mature colony of leafcutters. 文法

到目前為止，牠們是已知唯一能成功攻擊成熟切葉蟻群的物種。

When they find a leafcutter colony,

當牠們發現切葉蟻群落時，

hundreds of thousands attack in a long column.

數十萬隻螞蟻會排成長隊發起攻擊。

The moment the leafcutter ants notice the army ant attack, 文法

切葉蟻察覺到行軍蟻攻擊的那一刻，

they go into crisis mode and immediately alert their soldiers, 片語搭配

牠們就會進入危機模式，並立即向兵蟻發出警報，

who very quickly swarm to the site of attack.

兵蟻會迅速蜂擁至遇襲地點。

A frontline develops that can be a few meters wide

一條可能有幾公尺寬

and up to a meter deep.

深達一公尺的前線形成了。

The leafcutter soldiers go head-to-head with the army ants, 慣用語

切葉蟻兵蟻與行軍蟻正面交鋒，

locking on them and trying to cut through their heads.

死死咬住牠們並試圖切斷牠們的頭。

Smaller leaf cutter workers help by grabbing the enemies.

較小的切葉蟻工蟻則透過抓住敵人來協助。

Small teams carry out attacks behind the frontline 片語動詞

小分隊在前線後方展開攻擊，

where they dismember their enemies by ripping their legs from their bodies.

將敵人的腿從身體上扯下來以此肢解敵人。

The attackers, meanwhile, 表達脈絡

與此同時，攻擊者

try to swarm their victim's soldiers and sting them to death in a mob. 片語搭配

試圖包圍受害者的兵蟻並群起將其蟄死。

Despite the powerful defense and the determined response, 文法

儘管防禦堅固、反擊果斷，

the army ants are still superior in numbers. 片語搭配

行軍蟻在數量上仍然佔據優勢。

So without knowing if the battle can be won,

因此，在不知道戰鬥是否能獲勝的情況下，

the leafcutters prepare for the worst. 慣用語

切葉蟻會作最壞的打算。

Workers rush to create barricades

工蟻們爭先恐後地建立路障，

and seal off as many entrances to their nest as possible 片語動詞

並盡可能多地封死巢穴入口

to secure their route.

以確保牠們的退路安全。

If the leafcutters are not able to repel the invaders

如果切葉蟻未能擊退入侵者

or at least barricade enough of their entrances in time, 片語搭配

或者至少沒有及時封住足夠的入口，

the army ants swarm the nest,

行軍蟻就會湧入巢穴，

overrunning all opposition.

碾碎所有的反抗。

They penetrate deep into the hidden chambers

牠們深入隱藏的腔室，

and steal tens of thousands of the leafcutters' brood to eat them.

偷走成千上萬隻切葉蟻幼蟲來飽餐一頓。

Even if the leaf cutter colony survives,

即使切葉蟻群倖存下來，

this is a heavy blow. 慣用語

這也是一次沉重的打擊。

Regardless who's won the war, 文法

不管誰贏得了戰爭，

thousands lay slain on the battlefield.

戰場上都會留下成千上萬的屍體。

When the army ants attack,

當行軍蟻發起攻擊時，

death follows them. 慣用語

死亡如影隨形。

But there are other species that form much more dangerous ant armies.

但還有其他物種構成了更加危險的螞蟻大軍。

Species that form supercolonies

有些物種形成的超級蟻群

covering thousands of square kilometers

覆蓋數千平方公里，

over multiple continents,

跨越多個大陸，

engaging in wars kilometers across.

參與綿延數公里的戰爭。

They deserve their own video, though.

不過牠們值得單獨做一期影片。

No matter the scale, 文法

不管規模大小，

war is a part of ant existence,

戰爭是螞蟻生存的一部分，

be it between huge colonies 文法

無論是在巨大群體之間，

or small groups trying to fend off a raid. 片語動詞

還是在試圖抵禦突襲的小群體之間。

In tropical rainforests,

在熱帶雨林中，

but also in the cracks of the concrete

或者就在我們每天走過的

we walk over every day.

水泥縫隙裡。

Humans have decided that war is not a thing that they want to do a lot anymore.

人類已經決定不再頻繁地發動戰爭。

For ants, though,

然而對於螞蟻來說，

the other ant will always be the enemy.

其他螞蟻永遠是敵人。

No, some groups just don't get along. 表達脈絡

沒錯，有些群體就是無法和睦相處。