时差N小时 免于蜂刺(下)

Worker bees then take over, secreting¹ wax to build the hive.

工蜂从这一阶段开始接手，它们用蜂蜡建造蜂巢。

Starting from the top and working down, they build combs–layers of hexagonally shaped cells with passageways along the walls to allow bees to move between combs.

工蜂按照逐层往下的顺序进行建造，从每个蜂房都是六边形的巢基开始。而蜂房间要留有空隙以便蜜蜂出入。

Each layer of cells has a specialized² purpose.

每个蜂房都有特殊的作用。

The uppermost cells store honey, followed by pollen³-storage cells.

最上面的蜂房是储存蜂蜜的，接下来是用于储存花粉，

The bottom layers are designated for infant-rearing.

下层是育婴室，

Just beneath the pollen cells are brood cells where larvae⁴ become worker bees, and off to the side are cells housing drone bee larvae.

再下层是幼虫变成工蜂的孵化室，两侧居住的是雄蜂幼虫。

Last, but certainly not least, special cells are set aside to shelter infant queen bees.

当然，特殊的蜂房是留给有着尊贵地位的蜂王的。

A typical nest has about 100,000 cells with a total surface area of about twenty-seven square feet.

标准的蜂巢有100,000个蜂房，连上表层大概有27平方英尺。

Most of the cells are used to store the more than forty pounds of honey required to feed a bee colony during the winter.

大多数蜂巢会储存40多英镑的蜂蜜，这足以使得整个蜜蜂家族度过整个冬天。

They may not win any awards, but bees are clearly some of nature's most accomplishedarchitects.

虽然蜜蜂从未摘得任何桂冠，但是它们无疑是大自然最杰出的建造师。

1 secreting   

v.（尤指动物或植物器官）分泌( secrete的现在分词 )；隐匿，隐藏

参考例句：

• It is also an endocrine gland secreting at least two important hormones. 它也是一种内分泌腺，至少分泌二种重要的激素。 来自辞典例句
• And some calcite-secreting organisms also add magnesium to the mix. 有些分泌方解石的生物，会在分泌物中加入镁。 来自互联网

2 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

3 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。

4 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。