宏观世界（2017）

交♥配♥得以顺利进行
and their mating goes off without incident
在下面
down below
残缺的蚱蜢仅靠四条腿
what's left of the grasshopper hasn't gotten very far
走不了多远
on just 4 legs
那个嗜血的家伙又回来了 要完成它未竟的事
the ward biter is back to finish what he started
在目睹了这惨不忍♥睹的一幕之后
after witnessing this grizzly scene
瓢虫渴望逃离厄运之谷
the ladybug's eager to escape the valley of doom
只要它的运气还在
while his luck still holds
草地蟋蟀狼吞虎咽狂吃一顿
the ward biter polishes off his meal
加上一些新鲜蔬菜
with some fresh greens
即使是昆虫也需要均衡的饮食
even insects need a balance meal
这对螳螂夫妇
the mantis couple is
在扫帚叶上享受余辉
enjoying the afterglow in the broomweed
当体型较大的雌性紧紧抱住它的伴侣时
as the larger female clings to her mate
这似乎是一个温柔的拥抱
it seems like a tender embrace
但是在交♥配♥之后
but after their mating
它变得很有食欲
she's worked up an appetite
它们短暂的恋情即将走向死亡
their brief affair is about to turn deadly
在致命的部位有针对性地咬一口
a targeted bite at just the right spot
它的情人被一分为二
and her lover is split in 2
这似乎是一条通往雌螳螂心房♥的路
it seems the way to a lady mantis's heart
通过她的胃
is through her stomach
毕竟
after all
同类相食的行为似乎是扭曲的
the act of cannibalism may seem twisted
但对雄性来说有基因优势
but for the male there's a genetic advantage
吃掉伴侣所产的卵
Praying mantis females who eat their mates lay more eggs
比那些让雄性逃跑的要多
those who let the mail get away
这是在生育圣旨上的戏剧性牺牲
it's a dramatic sacrifice on the altar of procreation
当我们故事里的坏人自相残杀的时候
while the villains of our story tear each other apart
我们的英雄逃跑了
our hero makes his getaway
但它刚走出厄运之谷
but no sooner is he out of the valley of doom
却发现自己在
and he finds himself in
可怕的蟾蜍王国
the realm of the terrible toad
这只蟾蜍的鼓鼓囊囊的眼睛
this common toad's bulging eyes
长在头的两边
set on either side of its head
给它一个敏锐的视野
give it a wrap around view of the world
一旦它探测到任何潜在的猎物在移♥动♥
once it detects movement by any potential prey
比如瓢虫
such as a ladybug
它就会向那个方向转身
it turns in that direction
紧随其后
and follows
但我们的英雄做出了它的招牌动作
but our hero makes his signature move
它爬到猎人的背上
he climbs right over the hunter's back
蟾蜍发动了致命的攻击
the toad launches a fatal attack
但我们的英雄还有一张王牌
but our hero still has one ace up his sleeve
再次愚弄
fooled again
真是千钧一发
that was a close call
孤独的瓢虫继续寻找
the lonely ladybug resumes this search
它的真爱
for his true love
它误入了一个更致命的地方
and she has wandered into a deadly place
危险的池塘
the perilous pond
这里的湿叶子很滑
the wet leaves here are slippery
下面潜伏着一群可怕的野兽
down below lurks a rogue's gallery of terrifying beasts
长着可怕爪子的小龙虾
a crayfish with fearsome claws
一只带有致命锋利尖嘴的水针
a water needle with its deadly sharp bacon
和长长的呼吸管
long breathing tube
池塘蜗牛倒过来滑过水面
pond snails glide upside down across the water
由表面的张力支撑
held up by surface tension
瓢虫爬到岸边
the ladybug scrambles to reach the shore
但它的抖动
but her thrashing
吸引了一只巨大水蟑螂的幼虫
attracts the larva of a great diving beetle
甚至更糟
and even worse
一只成年的水蟑螂
a fully grown great diving beetle
湖面下有一大群饥饿的捕食者
there's an army of hungry predators below the surface
水蟑螂弓步前行
the beatle lunges
但它的目标是一只小蟾蜍
but it's after a tiny toad
它开始活吃
which it begins eating alive
成年水蟑螂虽以蟾蜍为食
while the adult beetle feasts on the toad
但它的幼虫仍然盯着瓢虫
its larva still eyes the ladybug
它装备了一套锋利的弯曲刀片
it's armed with a vicious set of curved blades
虽然水的表面张力
though the surface tension of the water
会让轻盈的瓢虫不会沉下去
keeps the lightweight ladybug from going under
但它也无法逃脱水的控制
she's unable to escape the water's grip
幸运的是
fortunately
幼虫在池底发现了一只小蝾螈
the larva spots a young newt on the pond floor
比瓢虫美味多汁
much juicier than a hard shelled beetle
杀手耐心等待时机
the killer waits patiently
拔出匕♥首♥
daggers drawn
而蝾螈却看不出有什么不妥
while the newt sees nothing amiss
它用中空的毒牙喷出如鸡尾酒的致命液体
through hollow fangs it pumps a deadly cocktail
一种麻痹毒素和消化酶
of paralyzing poison and digestive enzymes
到受害者体内
into its victim
小蝾螈从内部液化
the little note is liquified from within
幼虫只需吸食
the beatle larva drinks
它的战利品将慢慢渗入死亡
as its prize slowly oozes to death
随着下面可怕的场景的上演
as the grizzly scene plays out below
瓢虫还在挣扎着逃离水坟墓
the ladybug still struggles to escape a watery grave
但对于巨大水蟑螂幼虫来说
but for the great diving beetle larva
还有其它的干扰者
there are other distractions
甚至是其它水蟑螂的幼虫
even other diving beetle larva
对于这些水生捕食者来说
for these aquatic predators
它们是食人族
are cannibals
它们锋利的匕♥首♥可以刺穿
their sharp daggers can pierce their
敌人的外骨骼
kiteness exoskeleton
最后 小瓢虫找到了救命稻草
finally the little ladybug finds a lifeline
但它的逃脱是短暂的
but her escape is short lived
一旦走错
one falls step
它又会回到了原点
and she's back where she began
潜伏在深处的是
lurking in the depths
一只年轻的蜻蜓若虫
a young dragonfly nymph
它能感知水面的运动
it senses the movement at the surface
但旁边有一只蝌蚪
but there is a ted pole closer at hand
所以我们的主角得到了缓刑
so our heroine gets a reprieve
嘴的边缘有锋利的钩
sharp hooks at the edge of the mouth
紧紧抓住受害者
hold the victim fast
它们不仅对幼小的蝌蚪有效
they don't just work on tender tadpoles
即使是拥有坚硬外骨骼的生物
even a creature with a tough exoskeleton
像豆娘一样 它的幼虫很脆弱
like a damsel fly larva can be vulnerable
若虫的双颚碾碎猎物
the nymph's jaws grind up the kill
迅速将猎物肢解
the nymph rapidly dismembers its prey
被丢弃的肢体掉在池塘的地板上
discarded limbs dropping to the pond's floor
尽管下面发生了大屠♥杀♥
in spite of the carnage below
瓢虫终于设法逃脱了
the ladybug finally manages to escape from the
致命的池塘
perilous pond
它及时赶到了芦苇区
she's reached the reeds just in time
见证奇迹般
to witness a miraculous
的转变
transformation
这曾经是蜻蜓的若虫
what was once a dragonfly nymph
可怕的水下猎人
a terrifying underwater hunter
正在转变
is changing
摆脱旧形象
shedding its old form
变成一个完全不同的恶魔
to emerge as a very different kind of demon
空中掠夺者
an aerial marauder
蜻蜓和豆娘
dragonflies and damsel flies
它们在池塘周围称霸
reigns supreme around the pond
空中帝国的主人
masters of the aerial empire
求偶的舞者紧贴在一起
mating dancers lock together
空气中弥漫着爱的气息
love is definitely in the air
但蜻蜓不会因为性而分心太久
but the dragonflies won't be distracted by sex for long
它们总是在寻找其它昆虫猎物
they're always on the lookout for at insect prey
看来我们的主角逃过了致命的水
it seems our heroine escaped the deadly water