這些螞蟻把寶寶當成了熱熔膠槍：英語精讀講義

Deep in tropical jungles lie floating kingdoms 慣用語

在熱帶叢林深處，隱藏著懸空而建的王國，

ruled by beautiful and deadly masters.

由美麗卻致命的霸主統治。

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

牠們可以說是螞蟻王國中的高等精靈。

Talented architects that create castles and city-states.

是能夠建造城堡和城邦的天才建築師。

But they are also fierce and expansionist warriors

但牠們同時也是兇猛且極具擴張野心的戰士，

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

牠們的王國為了生存，深陷於無休止的戰爭之中。

Oecophylla weaver ants.

牠們就是黃猄蟻（Oecophylla weaver ants）。

Oecophylla weavers walk on long legs,

黃猄蟻長著長長的腿，

have slender bodies and large eyes,

身體纖細，眼睛很大，

which make them look pretty cute.

看起來非常可愛。

Although their strong mandibles and the ability to shoot acid

儘管牠們強健的大顎和噴射酸液的能力

also make them pretty good at killing.

也讓牠們成為了出色的殺手。

But more on that later. 表達脈絡

這點我們稍後再談。

Their colonies usually have two to three worker classes

牠們的蟻群通常有兩到三個工蟻階級，

that vary dramatically in size.

體型差異巨大。

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

包括大型工蟻、小型工蟻，有時甚至還有微小的微型工蟻。

Depending on location and species, 文法

根據棲息地和物種的不同，

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

牠們的顏色從深棕色到翠綠色各不相同。

Other than their fancy looks,

除了華麗的外表，

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

讓黃猄蟻與眾不同的是牠們熱衷於建立王國。

They like to build at pretty much all heights,

牠們幾乎喜歡在任何高度建造巢穴，

starting in shrubs a few centimeters above the ground

從離地幾公分高的灌木叢起步，

and up to 10 m in the tree canopy.

一直建到樹冠上10公尺高的地方。

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

但牠們並不滿足於只統治一株植物。

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

黃猄蟻會尋找能架起通往其他樹木橋樑的樹枝或藤蔓，

and expand to every plant they can reach.

並擴張到牠們能觸及的每一株植物。

This way,

透過這種方式，

colonies spread upwards and sideways through the treetops.

蟻群在樹冠中向上和向四面八方蔓延。

The largest weaver ant kingdoms we know of

我們所知的最大的黃猄蟻王國

occupy up to 1,600 square meters,

佔地多達1600平方公尺，

around four basketball courts.

大約有四個籃球場那麼大。

A lot of ground to cover for tiny ants 慣用語

對於微小的螞蟻來說，這是一片廣闊的疆域，

and impossibly hard to control.

幾乎是不可能控制的。

So, weaver ants construct dozens of nests

因此，黃猄蟻建造了數十個巢穴，

scattered all over their territory,

散佈在牠們的領地各處，

outposts to defend the kingdom.

作為保衛王國的前哨站。

Tubes or balls made from leaves

用樹葉和幽靈般的絲網

and ghostly silk sheets.

製成的管狀或球狀物。

These masterpieces of high-ant architecture

這些高等螞蟻建築的傑作

are created by the weaver majors,

是由大型工蟻創造的，

the larger worker ants,

這種體型較大的工蟻，

which are responsible for the more dangerous jobs 片語搭配

負責執行更危險的任務，

like fighting, foraging, and nest construction.

比如戰鬥、覓食和築巢。

To start a new nest,

為了建造一個新巢，

a major tries to bend different leaves

一隻大型工蟻會試著把周圍的不同樹葉

in her surroundings into a tube.

捲成管狀。

If one of the leaves is flexible enough, 文法

如果其中一片樹葉足夠柔軟，

more workers will arrive to help.

更多的工蟻就會趕來幫忙。

Chains of workers pull the leaves' edges together

工蟻們連成一排，將樹葉的邊緣拉攏，

or reach across gaps and grab distant leaves

或者跨越縫隙抓住遠處的樹葉，

to add them to the construction.

將其加入建築中。

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

在捲曲和拉扯樹葉的同時，

other workers carry larvae from the closest nest

其他工蟻將幼蟲從最近的巢穴

to the construction site.

搬運到建築工地。

Usually, ant larvae spin themselves a cocoon

通常，螞蟻幼蟲會自己吐絲結繭

to protect themselves,

來保護自己，

but the weaver ant larvae give all of their silk

但黃猄蟻的幼蟲會把所有的絲

to the colony as building material.

獻給蟻群作為建築材料。

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

所以，當工蟻在樹葉上輕敲幼蟲的頭部時，

they release their sticky thread

幼蟲就會分泌出黏性的絲線，

like tiny cute glue guns. 表達脈絡

就像可愛的小熱熔膠槍一樣。

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

這樣，工蟻就把捲曲的樹葉縫合起來，

so it won't unfold anymore.

樹葉就不會再展開了。

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

這就形成了一個中央腔室，以此為基礎，

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

可以在它周圍纏繞多達300片樹葉。

Together, they form little pockets

這些樹葉組合在一起，形成了一個個小口袋，

and act as additional rooms for the new outpost.

作為新前哨站的額外房間。

To make it even more cozy,

為了讓它更舒適，

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

小型工蟻會利用幼蟲編織出更多的地板和隔間。

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

巢穴通常作為兵營建在領地邊緣，

or as storage for brood and food supplies. 用詞

或者作為幼崽和食物補給的儲藏室。

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

這樣，螞蟻們就不需要跨越遙遠的距離返回大本營，

but have soldiers close to any potential point of conflict.

並且在任何潛在的衝突點附近都有士兵駐守。

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

除了位於網絡中心的一個特殊巢穴，

which is reserved for the queen and her guards.

那是留給蟻后和她的護衛的。

Here, she produces hundreds of eggs a day,

在那裡，她每天產下數百個卵，

which get transferred to suitable nests with brood chambers.

這些卵會被轉移到有育兒室的合適巢穴中。

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

因此，一個蟻群就是一個由眾多小城堡和護城河組成的網絡，

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

透過樹葉、藤蔓和樹枝製成的吊橋連接起來。

An established colony easily has half a million individuals

一個成熟的蟻群輕鬆擁有五十萬隻個體

that need to be fed.

需要被餵養。

Fortunately, weaver ants evolved to have very close

幸運的是，黃猄蟻演化出了非常親密的

and beneficial relationships with their hosts, 用詞

且互惠互利的宿主關係，

shrubs, and trees.

宿主是灌木和樹木。

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

樹木為螞蟻提供了家園以及甜美的樹液作為飲品，

but maybe even more importantly,

但也許更重要的是，

it allows them to cultivate cattle 慣用語

它允許螞蟻放牧

like aphids or caterpillars that produce honeydew for them. 用詞

比如能為牠們生產蜜露的蚜蟲或毛毛蟲。

This would usually hurt a tree,

這通常會傷害樹木，

but these insects belong to a small group of VIPs. 慣用語

但這些昆蟲屬於一小群VIP。

Only a few selected neighbors and the ants' cattle

只有少數被選中的鄰居和螞蟻的「牲畜」

are allowed on the fruit tree.

才被允許留在果樹上。

Many other insects and even larger herbivores

許多其他昆蟲甚至更大的食草動物

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

都會被嚇跑，甚至被殺死吃掉。

So, in most cases,

所以，在大多數情況下，

the tree only has to tolerate acceptable levels of damage

樹木只需承受可接受範圍內的傷害，

while being protected from more dangerous pests. 文法

同時還能免受更危險害蟲的侵襲。

The weaver ant kingdom could be an ant paradise 文法

黃猄蟻的王國本可以成為螞蟻的天堂，

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

如果沒有競爭的話——主要來自其他王國的競爭。

Just like medieval humans, 表達脈絡

就像中世紀的人類一樣，

every queen seeks to conquer others

每一位蟻后都試圖征服他人，

and make their land their own. 慣用語

將別人的土地佔為己有。

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

控制肥沃的土地是在叢林中生存的關鍵。

And if a kingdom loses too much of it,

如果一個王國失去了太多的土地，

it shrinks and is overrun or starves to death. 講解

它就會萎縮，最終被佔領或餓死。

So, expanding and defending their borders

所以，擴張和保衛邊界

is critical to keep the colony alive.

對於維持蟻群的生存至關重要。

When a kingdom invades another,

當一個王國入侵另一個王國時，

it first gathers an army of a few thousand majors

它首先集結由幾千隻大型工蟻組成的軍隊，

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

向敵方蟻群進軍。

The goal is to steal a bit of territory

目標是竊取一點領地

and take it over. 片語動詞

並佔領它。

Defending weaver patrols quickly spot the invaders

負責防禦的黃猄蟻巡邏隊很快發現了入侵者，

and immediately release an alarm pheromone.

並立即釋放出警報費洛蒙。

Some rush to the front to defend,

一些螞蟻衝向前線防禦，

while others rush to the closest outpost for help,

而另一些則衝向最近的前哨站求援，

marking their route with pheromones. 文法

沿途用費洛蒙標記路線。

Whenever they meet other sisters,

每當遇到其他姊妹時，

they jerk their bodies as if in a fight 文法

牠們就會像打架一樣猛烈抽動身體，

to signal them to follow the pheromone trail

示意同伴跟著費洛蒙的路徑

to the front line.

前往火線。

At the site of battle,

在戰鬥現場，

majors from both parties raise their bodies, 用詞

雙方的大型工蟻都會直起身子，

circle each other with mandibles wide open,

張大顎互相盤旋，

and try to seize their opponents.

試圖抓住對手。

If an ant gets a hold of her opponent, 慣用語

如果一隻螞蟻抓住了對手，

the victim is pulled into a group of allied majors

受害者就會被拖入一群盟軍大型工蟻中

and pinned down. 片語動詞

按倒在地。

The ants then rip the victim apart,

然後螞蟻們會將受害者撕碎，

clipping off antennae and legs,

咬斷觸角和腿，

and slicing open their abdomens.

切開牠們的腹部。

To slow down the advance of the attackers,

為了減緩攻擊者的推進速度，

the defending majors squirt formic acid over the battlefield

防守方的大型工蟻向戰場噴射甲酸，

to chemically burn their targets.

用化學方式灼燒目標。

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

攻擊方很快也以同樣的方式予以回擊。

In the chaotic battle,

在這場混亂的戰鬥中，

both parties lose countless fighters

雙方都損失了無數的戰士，

on the increasingly acidic battlefield.

倒在酸性越來越強的戰場上。

After a few minutes,

幾分鐘後，

the backup from the outposts arrive,

來自前哨站的援軍抵達，

and the time window for a successful attack 慣用語

成功進攻的窗口期

slowly closes.

正慢慢關閉。

This is when the battle turns. 用詞

這也是戰局發生逆轉的時刻。

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

守軍慢慢將攻擊部隊擊退。

In the end,

最終，

the attackers can't keep up 片語動詞

攻擊者無法支撐，

and have to retreat.

不得不撤退。

For both parties,

對雙方來說，

it was a costly battle. 用詞

這都是一場代價慘重的戰鬥。

Thousands of corpses lie piled up on the ground

成千上萬的屍體堆積在

under the battlefield,

戰場下方的地面上，

and many ants are severely injured.

許多螞蟻受了重傷。

The defending colony's nests and brood

不過，防守方蟻群的巢穴和幼崽

are safe, though. 表達脈絡

安然無恙。

The attackers' attempt to steal new valuable territory

攻擊方試圖奪取新寶貴領地的企圖

has failed, for today.

在今天宣告失敗。

They'll try again soon.

牠們很快還會再來的。

But the kingdom will be ready.

但王國早已嚴陣以待。

For the high ants of the floating kingdoms,

對於懸空王國裡的高等螞蟻來說，

war is nothing special,

戰爭並不是什麼新鮮事，

it's just a fact of life. 慣用語

這只是生活的一部分。

Because as we know, 表達脈絡

因為正如我們所知，

empires never ever have enough. 語氣意圖

帝國的慾望永遠無法被滿足。

And the weaver ants are ready to fight.

而黃猄蟻時刻準備著戰鬥。