TED演讲:为什么有这么多昆虫存在(2)

 　　Insect exoskeletons also work like body armor, 昆虫的外骨骼就像保护身体的盔甲一样

　　protecting insects against the outside world and helping¹ them cope with habitats that other creatures can't. 抵御外部环境的伤害，帮助它们应对其他生物不能生存的栖息地。

　　Even their small size, which we might see as a disadvantage, is something they use to their benefit. 即使它们体型很小，我们也许把这个看做一项劣势，有时候它们也利用这点成为一项优势。

　　Because most species are so tiny, millions of insects can inhabit a small space and make use of all the available resources within it. 由于大部分种类的昆虫都非常小，数百万的昆虫可以栖息在一个很小的地方，并且这地方所有的资源都可以为它们所用。

　　This means they can occupy hundreds of different niches³ across ecosystems⁵. 这意味着它们可以在整个生态系统中占据成百上千的小生境。

　　Some insects survive by eating the roots, stems, leaves, seeds, pollen⁶, and nectar of specific plants. 一些昆虫靠吃某种植物的根生存，一些吃茎或是叶子种子花粉以及花蜜。

　　Others, like wasps⁷, make use of live insects by paralyzing the victims and laying their eggs inside 另一些昆虫，比如胡蜂，会利用其它昆虫麻痹受害者，把卵产在它的体内，

　　so that when the hatchlings emerge, they can eat their way out and get nourishment⁸. 当卵孵化成功以后幼虫就可以通过啃食尸体获得养分。

　　Mosquitos and biting flies feed on blood, taking advantage of this unusual resource to ensure their survival. 蚊子和蛰蝇以血为食，依靠这种特别的食物得以生存。

　　And a whole bunch of other insects have built a niche² around feces. 还有很多其它昆虫以粪便为存活的依靠。

　　Flies lay their eggs there, and some beetles⁹ even build large balls out of animal dung, which they eat and use as accommodation for their eggs. 苍蝇在其中产卵，有些甲虫甚至会把动物的粪便滚成球作为食物以及卵的孵化场。

　　And then there's the insects' mighty¹⁰ power of metamorphosis. 下面要说的是昆虫强大的变态能力。

　　This trait not only transforms insects, but also helps them maximize the available resources in an ecosystem⁴. 这一特征不仅让昆虫变形、进化更可以让它们最大限度地利用生态系统中的可用资源。

　　Take butterflies. 以蝴蝶为例。

　　In their larval caterpillar¹¹ form, they chomp¹² hungrily through leaves at a rapid rate to help them grow and spin cocoons¹³. 在处于毛毛虫的幼虫阶段它们会不停地、快速地啃食树叶来帮助它们生长并结茧。

　　But when they emerge as butterflies, these insects feed only on flower nectar. 但当它们变成蝴蝶后它们只吃花粉了。

　　Metamorphosis means the larvae¹⁴ and adults of one species will never compete for the same resource, 生物变态意味着同一个物种的幼虫期和成虫期绝对不会抢夺相同的食物，

　　so they successfully share an ecological¹⁵ niche without limiting their own success. 它们可以完美地共享同一个生态环境又不会限制自己的生长。

　　This process is so efficient that an incredible 86% of insect species undergo complete metamorphosis. 这一过程是非常高效的所以有86%的昆虫物种会经历完全变态。

　　We're big and they're small, so it's easy to forget that these critters are moving in their millions all around us, all the time. 人类比较大，而昆虫非常小有时候我们很容易忘记这些生物一直在我们的周围活动，几百万几百万为一群。

　　But examine almost any patch of ground, and you're sure to find them there. 但如果你随便翻看一小块土地都能看到它们的身影。

　　Their numbers are immense, and their success is unmatched. 它们的数量是巨大的，它们的成功是无可比拟的。

　　We may have to accept that it's insects, not us, that are the true conquerors¹⁶ of the planet. 我们必须接受这样的事实，昆虫才是这个星球真正的主宰者，而不是人类。

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。

3 niches   

壁龛( niche的名词复数 )； 合适的位置[工作等]； （产品的）商机； 生态位（一个生物所占据的生境的最小单位）

参考例句：

• Some larvae extend the galleries to form niches. 许多幼虫将坑道延伸扩大成壁龛。
• In his view differences in adaptation are insufficient to create niches commensurate in number and kind. 按照他的观点，适应的差异不足以在数量上和种类上形成同量的小生境。

4 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

5 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

6 pollen   

n.[植]花粉

参考例句：

• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。
• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。

7 wasps   

黄蜂( wasp的名词复数 )； 胡蜂； 易动怒的人； 刻毒的人

参考例句：

• There's a wasps' nest in that old tree. 那棵老树上有一个黄蜂巢。
• We live in dread not only of unpleasant insects like spiders or wasps, but of quite harmless ones like moths. 我们不仅生活在对象蜘蛛或黄蜂这样的小虫的惧怕中，而且生活在对诸如飞蛾这样无害昆虫的惧怕中

8 nourishment   

n.食物，营养品；营养情况

参考例句：

• Lack of proper nourishment reduces their power to resist disease.营养不良降低了他们抵抗疾病的能力。
• He ventured that plants draw part of their nourishment from the air.他大胆提出植物从空气中吸收部分养分的观点。

9 beetles   

n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Beetles bury pellets of dung and lay their eggs within them. 甲壳虫把粪粒埋起来，然后在里面产卵。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This kind of beetles have hard shell. 这类甲虫有坚硬的外壳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

11 caterpillar   

n.毛虫，蝴蝶的幼虫

参考例句：

• A butterfly is produced by metamorphosis from a caterpillar.蝴蝶是由毛虫脱胎变成的。
• A caterpillar must pass through the cocoon stage to become a butterfly.毛毛虫必须经过茧的阶段才能变成蝴蝶。

12 chomp   

v. （人、动物进食时）大声地咬，嚼得很响

参考例句：

• I lost a tooth while chomping on a French baguette!我啃法棍面包时，崩掉了一颗牙！
• They just chomp on tundra, nap a few hours and feast again.它们只是在苔原上大嚼特嚼，睡上几小时，接着再吃。

13 cocoons   

n.茧，蚕茧( cocoon的名词复数 )v.茧，蚕茧( cocoon的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The silkworms have gone into the bushes to spin their cocoons. 蚕上山了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• In two more days the " little darlings" would spin their cocoons. 再得两天，“宝宝”可以上山。 来自汉英文学 - 春蚕

14 larvae   

n.幼虫

参考例句：

• Larvae are parasitic on sheep.幼虫寄生在绵羊的身上。
• The larvae prey upon small aphids.这种幼虫以小蚜虫为食。

15 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

16 conquerors   

征服者，占领者( conqueror的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Danes had selfconfidence of conquerors, and their security precautions were casual. 这些丹麦人具有征服者的自信，而且他们的安全防卫也是漫不经心的。
• The conquerors believed in crushing the defeated people into submission, knowing that they could not win their loyalty by the victory. 征服者们知道他们的胜利并不能赢得失败者的忠心，于是就认为只有通过武力才能将他们压服。