宏观世界（2017）

今天 甲虫是无可争议的
today Beatles are the undisputed
动物王国领袖
leaders of the animal kingdom
几乎占所有已知动物种类的四分之一
constituting almost 1/4 of all known animal species
迄今为止 大约有38万种被描述过
about 380,000 species have been described to date
每年都有数百个新发现
with hundreds of new ones discovered every year
它们的颜色和形式的多样性令人印象深刻
their diversity of color and form is so impressive
它引领了苏格兰进化生物的学家
it led Scottish evolutionary biologist
约翰·霍尔丹 声明
John haldane to declare
“上帝似乎对甲虫情有独钟
god seems to have a special funness for Beatles
它们一定是上帝的宠儿”
they must surely be god's darlings
甲虫的胜利始于陆地
their triumph began on land
大约五分之一的欧洲甲虫生活在
and for about 1/5 of all European beetles that means
树上
trees
其中有一个特别引人注目的活标本
one of them is a particularly eye catching specimen
伟大的摩羯座甲虫天牛
the great capricorn beetle
它的触角是身体长度的两倍
its antennae are twice the length of its body
尽管科学家们不知道原因
though scientists don't know why
天牛甲虫选择了一棵
the great capricorn beetle selects one
高大健康的橡树作为它的住所
big healthy oak tree as its residents
并一辈子都待在上面
and stays on it for life
就像雄鹿甲虫 它以树液为食
like the stag beetle it feeds on the trees sap
它的后代生活在树皮下
its offspring live under the bark
以树的木头为食
feeding on the wood of the tree
长达5年
for up to 5 years
树木是许多甲虫物种的首选栖息地
trees are the preferred habitat for many beetle species
在一片未受干扰的欧洲森林里
in an undisturbed European forest
一棵橡树
a single oak tree
可以成为多达650种甲虫的家园
can be home to up to 650 beetle species
甲虫几乎征服了
beetles have conquered virtually
世界的每一个角落
every corner of the world
它们把高山地区称为自己的家
they call alpine regions their home
还有干旱的沙漠
as well as dry deserts
但它们并不局限于生活在陆地上
but they don't limit themselves to living on land
它们也征服了水世界
they have also conquered the water world
有超过
there are more than
3000种已知的水生甲虫
3000 known species of aquatic Beatles
在它们其中
among them
巨大的水蟑螂
the great diving beetle
它生活在池塘或湖泊里
which lives in ponds and lakes throughout
遍及北半球
the northern hemisphere
流线型的身体
besides a streamlined body
它明显地适应了水下生活
its most obvious adaptation to underwater life
一对有羽毛的后腿 是它们已经进化出来
is a pair of feathered rear legs that have evolved
的桨
into oars
帮助它在水下游动
and help it maneuver underwater
但是没有鱼鳃
but without gills
巨大的水蟑螂不能水下呼吸
the great diving beetle cannot breathe water
它会周期性地浮出水面
and periodically has to come up to the surface
以便吸入空气
in order to take in air
它把空气存在翼壳下面
it traps the air beneath its wing case
就像氧气瓶一样
which it uses like a scuba tank
这个气泡的空气
this bubble of air
使它保持在水下大约30分钟
allows it to stay submerged for about 30 minutes
像一只水下的狼
like an underwater wolf
它捕食虚弱的水中生物
it hunts sick and weak water dwellers
也吃腐肉
and also eats carrion
它有短而尖的下颌骨
it has short but sharp mandibles
并能将消化酶注入猎物体内
and can inject digestive enzymes into its prey
这个长相狰狞的怪物样子
this monstrous looking creature is the larval
是水蟑螂的幼虫形态
form of the great diving beetle
也是一个快速
it's a fast
敏捷的游泳者 贪婪的水下猎人
agile swimmer and also a voracious underwater hunter
但是像成虫一样
but like the adults
它必须回到水面呼吸
it must return to the surface to breathe
在春天
in the spring
它的主要食物来源是蝌蚪
its main food source is tadpoles
然而 经过数百万年的进化之后
however after millions of years of success
这些甲虫在挣扎
these beetles are struggling
中欧两栖动物数量的减少
dwindling amphibian populations in central Europe
让水生甲虫的生活更加艰难
make life harder for the great diving beetles
随着食物的日益短缺
with food in ever shorter supply
谁知道它们还能活多久
who knows how long they will survive
虽然有些甲虫已经进化成水生的
while some beetles have evolved to become aquatic
而另一些则可以容忍♥更极端的环境
others can tolerate the opposite extreme
干旱的沙漠栖息地
arid desert habitats
沙子能到达的地方
where the sand can reach
白天的温度为50摄氏度
50 degrees Celsius during the day
在这里 虎甲虫从一个阴影移到另一个阴影
here tiger beetles flit from shadow to shadow
最快的速度可达每小时9公里
the fastest can reach speeds up up to 9km/h
一秒钟内
covering
达到了它身体长度的120倍
120 times the length of its body in a single second
如果一个短跑运动员和虎甲虫相比较
if a sprinter wanted to match the beetle
他们必须以每小时707公里的速度奔跑
they'd have to run at 707 km per hour
虎甲虫有锐利的眼睛
the tiger beetle has sharp eyes
方便找到它的猎物
to spot the insects on which it prays
但惊人的速度意味着它经常
but its incredible speed means the beetle often
在运动中看不到猎物
can't see its prey while it's in motion
要想确定猎物的位置 它必须先停下来
to get a fix on its victim it must first come to a stop
甲虫一词来源于古英语“bitula”
the word beetle comes from the old English word bitula
意为“小咬人者”
meaning little biter
看看这只甲虫
looking at this beetle
它们为什么会有这个名字就很清楚了
it becomes clear why they earn this name
当捕猎时 虎甲虫总是在移♥动♥
when hunting the tiger beetle is always on the move
另一方面 它的幼虫
its larva on the other hand
有着完全不同的策略
has a completely different strategy
它潜伏在沙土挖的洞里
it lurks in a borough dug in the sand
伏击毫无防备的猎物
hiding from unsuspecting prey
随时攻击任何靠近的东西
ready to strike at anything that ventures too close
除非它们最近吃过东西 它们才会退回
only if they've eaten recently do they withdraw
到它们的洞里
into their boroughs
不会对任何过路的人构成威胁
and pose no threat to any passerby
但如果它们饿了
but if they are hungry
它们准备以惊人的速度攻击
they are ready to strike with incredible speed
这只蚂蚁是幸运的
this ant is lucky
幼虫误判了自己的攻击
the larva misjudged its strike
无意中把它推到了安全的地方
and unintentionally propelled it into safety
但通常情况下
but usually the larvae succeed in
幼虫会成功地抓住它们的猎物
snatching their victims from the surface
把它们拖进自己的巢穴
and dragging them into their lairs
它们用有力的下颌杀死了它们
where they kill them with their powerful mandibles
把它们吸干
and suck them dry
千百万年以来
over millions of years
动物王国
the animal kingdom has
产生了各种各样的捕食者
produced a huge variety of predators
甲虫也有自己的猎人
and Beatles have their fair share of hunters
其中一个很容易辨认
one of them is easily recognizable
欧洲七星瓢虫
the 7 spot European ladybug
它一天能吃掉50只蚜虫
it can eat up to 50 aphids a day
在中世纪
in the middle ages
人们认为这只小虫子在执行
it was thought the little bug was on a mission
圣母玛利亚
from our lady
的任务
the virgin Mary
消灭危害农民庄稼的害虫
to destroy pests that plague the farmer's crops
因此得名瓢虫
hence the name ladybug
尽管它们以纯洁的名字命名
despite their chase namesake
成年瓢虫只从事两种活动
adult ladybugs pursue only 2 activities
狩猎和生育
hunting and procreating
全世界
there are more than
有超过6000种不同种类的瓢虫
6000 different ladybug species around the world
亚洲瓢虫是它的近亲
the Asian ladybug is a close relative