宏观世界（2017）

有什么
something
东西在动
is stirring
一点点地
little by little
老鼠被吸进了土里
the mouse is sucked into the soil
长达6小时后
up to 6 hours later
它会完全消失
it will vanish completely
葬甲虫是大自然的埋葬者和防腐师
the burying beetle is nature's undertaker and embalmer
用抗菌的唾液保存遗体
preserving the body with antibacterial saliva
它埋葬小型哺乳动物和鸟类的尸体
it buries the carcasses of small mammals and birds
作为幼虫的食物
to use as food for its larvae
这只小甲虫
this tiny beetle
能埋下比自己大150倍的动物
can bury an animal 150 times its own size
在尸体下面挖一个洞
digging a hole beneath the corpse
使它逐渐沉入地下
so that it gradually sinks into the ground
但这只老鼠并不是它自己的一顿饭
but the mouse isn't a meal for himself
这是给它未来伴侣的订婚礼物
it's an engagement present for his future mate
它停下来排泄信息素来吸引雌性
he stops to excrete pheromones to attract a female
以吸引雌性在老鼠体内产卵
to lay eggs in the mouse's body
然后它完成了葬礼
he then finishes the burial
保护尸体不受腐尸蝇的侵害
keeping the carcass safe from carrion flies
蝇蛆会吃掉肉
whose maggots would devour the flesh
一旦埋葬完成
once the burial is complete
葬甲虫会剥掉老鼠的毛
the burying beetle will strip the mouse's fur
给它的后代做个“肉丸”
and form a meatball for his offspring
如果雌性对它的信息素没有反应
if a female doesn't respond to his pheromones
葬甲虫的努力将是徒劳的
the Beatles efforts will have been in vain
埋葬老鼠的唯一目的就是
the sole purpose of burying the mouse is to provide
为幼虫提供食物
food for their larvae
成虫主要以其他昆虫为食
adult beetles feed mainly on other insects
所以如果没有雌性到来
so if he gets no female callers
它会放弃它的战利品
he will abandon his prize
这种不寻常的行为就是一个例子
this extraordinary behavior is an example of how
甲虫是如何进化
beetles have evolved
去利用
to exploit
自然界所能提供的一切食物来源
every conceivable food source nature can offer
适应性是甲虫成功的重要原因
adaptability is a great part of the beatle's success
但它的一个最大的秘密
but one of its greatest secrets
却常常不为世人所知
is often hidden from the world
每只甲虫的生命都是从幼虫开始的
every beetle begins its life as a larva
许多甲虫花了大半辈子的时间
and many beetles spend most of their lives
有时好几年都是幼虫
sometimes years as larvae
经常生活在地下房♥间里
often living in underground chambers
或者在潮湿腐烂的木头里
or in damp decaying wood
看起来像肥蛆的东西实际上是什么
what may only look like a plump maggot is actually
其实是一种非常成功的进化策略
part of a very successful evolutionary strategy
甲虫幼虫是典型的脂肪消耗机器
beetle larvae are typically fat eating machines
随着它们的成长
as they grow
在最终蜕皮之前 它们会蜕皮好几次
they shed their skin several times before eventually
最后才变成成虫
emerging as adult beetles
然而 在它们这样做之前
before they can do that however
它们必须经历
they must undergo
自然界最迷人的过程之一
one of the most fascinating processes in nature
蜕变
metamorphosis
幼虫在变形时扭动身体
the larva riggles as it transforms
变成一个不动的蛹
into an immobile pupa
像墓穴里的木乃伊一样僵硬
as rigid as a mummy in its underground chamber
这只雄鹿甲虫的幼虫一直在
this larva of a male stag beetle has spent around
在地下苗圃里度过了八年
8 years in its underground nursery
在进入秋天蜕变之前
before entering metamorphosis in the fall
的这两个月的时间里
over the course of 2 months
蛹经历了它的身体的完全重建
the pupa undergoes a full reconstruction of its body
在春天
in the spring
它终于脱去了它的胸衣
it finally sheds its corset
以成虫的身份出现
to emerge as an adult
成年甲虫通常不吃东西
adult beetles often don't eat at all
而且只能活很短的时间
and only live for a very short time
它们通常比带翅膀的器官大不了多少
they're often little more than sexual organs with wings
生命中只有一个目的
with only one role in life
繁殖
to procreate
幼虫藏在地下
with the larvae hiding underground
而成年甲虫可以自♥由♥飞翔
and the adults free to fly
许多甲虫的生命有两个阶段
the 2 life stages of many beetles live in
生活在完全不同的世界
completely different worlds
彼此不会相互竞争
and don't compete with one another
这是一种强大的进化策略
it's a powerful evolutionary strategy
许多其它甲虫的方法略有不同
many other beetles have a slightly different approach
一只瓢虫每年可产下
a single ladybug can produce up to 80
多达八万个后代
000 offspring per year
即使它们与后代竞争
even if they compete with their offspring
有些注定会活下来
some are bound to survive
这是一个数字游戏
it's a numbers game
另一种有效的进化策略
another effective evolutionary strategy
甲虫已经改变并适应环境
beetles have changed and adapted
变成了令人印象深刻的物种多样性
to an impressive diversity of species
它们坚硬的外壳
their tough outer casing
使它们能够征服各种各样的栖息地
enabled them to conquer a huge variety of habitats
有的在陆地
all over the globe on land
在空中
in the air
和水下
and under water
一路走来
and along the way
它们已经进化到几乎可以吃任何有机食品
they have evolved to eat almost any organic food
它们打猎
they hunt
它们聚集
they gather
它们清理别人留下的烂摊子
and they clean up the mess that others leave behind
多样性是这个游戏的主题
diversity is the name of the game
这是甲虫成功的秘密
the secret to beetle's success
甲虫是世界上最成功的动物
beetles are the most successful animals in the world
甲虫的种类是现有其它种类的八倍
there are 8 times as many beetle species as there are
是鱼类 两栖爬行动物
fish amphibian reptile
鸟类和哺乳动物的总和
bird and mammal species put together
甲虫在每一次大灭绝中都幸存了下来
beetles have survived every mass extinction
在过去的2.4亿年里
over the last 240,000,000 years
它们经历了全球变暖 冰河期
they have endured global warming ice ages
超级火山爆发和小行星撞击
super volcano eruptions and asteroid strikes
恐龙等动物因此灭绝
that wiped out animals like the dinosaurs
然而 就像
yet like all
工业化世界中的所有昆虫种群一样
insect populations in the industrialized world
它们的数量正在减少
their numbers are dwindling
我们希望甲虫能继续存活下来
let's hope the Beatles will survive
活过下一场全球大灾难
the next global cataclysm