时间:2019-02-24 作者:英语课 分类:英语听力文摘 English Digest


英语课

  灰蝶与蚂蚁双赢原则

The Special Relationship Between Ants and Lycaenid Butterflies

The Lycaenids are a group of butterflies known commonly as blues 1, coppers 2 and hairstreaks. Most species of Lycaenid butterflies have evolved close, mutually- beneficial relationships with different species of ants.

A Special Relationship

The caterpillars 4 of these butterflies develop special glands 5 that secrete 6 a nectar-like substance to attract ants. The ants swarm 7 all over the caterpillars, drinking the secretion 8. The ants “milk” secretions 9 from the caterpillars by tickling 10 special glands on the caterpillars with their antennas 11.

In some Australian species, the attending ants even build thatched or earthen corrals to contain the caterpillars. By day the caterpillars are protected from predators 12 by the corral and the ants. At night the ants herd 13 the caterpillars up a nearby tree to feed on leaves.

What Do The Caterpillars Get Out Of It?

The ants are like a private army of bodyguards 14. Colonies of ants are quite fierce — swarming 15, biting or even consuming potentialpredators.

In fact, the caterpillars’ sweet secretions are not only nutritious 16, but also contain chemicals that subdue 17 the ants. Otherwise the ants might kill the caterpillars themselves! Some caterpillars also make drumming sounds to keep their attendant ants alert.

Unprotected caterpillars would make a tasty treat for insect-eaters like birds, frogs or larger insects. But ants taste bitter or even toxic 18 when eaten. To most predators, a caterpillar 3 covered in ants is about as appetizing as a candy bar covered in thumbtacks.

So, the ants benefit from the energy-rich secretions produced by the caterpillars, and the caterpillars benefit from the ants’ protection.


  译文:

灰蝴蝶是一群被认为有着蓝色,紫铜色,并且翅膀上有细纹的蝴蝶,其大部分品种的进化与许多蚂蚁有着亲密无间并且互惠互利的关系。

特殊关系

蝴蝶幼虫拥有一种特殊的腺体,它能够分泌如花蜜的甘甜物质来吸引蚂蚁。蚂蚁将幼虫包围,吮吸这甜美的“蜜”,同时也用自己的触须挠蝴蝶幼虫的腺体。

澳大利亚有些种类的蚂蚁甚至修建起“茅草屋”或者是“土畜栏”将幼虫圈起来。白天的时候,蚂蚁和畜栏保护幼虫不受食肉动物的侵犯,夜晚时,蚂蚁将幼虫搬离到离树近的地方,幼虫便能用树叶充饥。

蚂蚁就像是私人贴身保镖,并且是十分凶猛的保镖,他们成群结队撕咬甚至是消灭掉潜在的捕食者。

事实上,幼虫的分泌物不仅仅是营养丰富,同时也含有一种能够制服蚂蚁的化学物质,不然的话,蚂蚁也会让幼虫致命。有些幼虫甚至发出鼓声用以警示蚂蚁。

未受保护的蝴蝶幼虫对于如鸟类,蛙或者是大一点的昆虫这些食用昆虫的物种来说是一顿美餐。但如果是吃蚂蚁的话,不仅味道苦涩,甚至还是有毒的。在食肉动物看来,被蚂蚁包裹着的蝴蝶幼虫就像是包满图钉的糖果。

就这样,蚂蚁从幼虫的分泌物中摄取营养,而幼虫也正是有了蚂蚁的保护而健康成长。



n.抑郁,沮丧;布鲁斯音乐
  • She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
  • He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。
铜( copper的名词复数 ); 铜币
  • I only paid a few coppers for it. 我只花了几个铜板买下这东西。
  • He had only a few coppers in his pocket. 他兜里仅有几个铜板。
n.毛虫,蝴蝶的幼虫
  • 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。
n.毛虫( caterpillar的名词复数 );履带
  • Caterpillars eat the young leaves of this plant. 毛毛虫吃这种植物的嫩叶。
  • Caterpillars change into butterflies or moths. 毛虫能变成蝴蝶或蛾子。 来自辞典例句
n.腺( gland的名词复数 )
  • a snake's poison glands 蛇的毒腺
  • the sebaceous glands in the skin 皮脂腺
vt.分泌;隐匿,使隐秘
  • The pores of your body secrete sweat.身上的毛孔分泌汗液。
  • Squirrels secrete a supply of nuts for winter.松鼠为准备过冬而藏坚果。
n.(昆虫)等一大群;vi.成群飞舞;蜂拥而入
  • There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。
  • A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。
n.分泌
  • Is there much secretion from your eyes?你眼里的分泌物多吗?
  • In addition,excessive secretion of oil,water scarcity are also major factors.除此之外,油脂分泌过盛、缺水也都是主要因素。
n.分泌(物)( secretion的名词复数 )
  • Lysozyme is an enzyme found in egg white, tears, and other secretions. 溶菌酶是存在于卵白、泪和其他分泌物中的一种酶。 来自辞典例句
  • Chest percussion and vibration are used with postural drainage to help dislodge secretions. 在做体位引流时要敲击和振动胸部帮助分泌物松动排出。 来自辞典例句
反馈,回授,自旋挠痒法
  • Was It'spring tickling her senses? 是不是春意撩人呢?
  • Its origin is in tickling and rough-and-tumble play, he says. 他说,笑的起源来自于挠痒痒以及杂乱无章的游戏。
[生] 触角,触须(antenna的复数形式)
  • Marconi tied several antennas to kites. 马可尼在风筝上系了几根天线。 来自超越目标英语 第3册
  • Radio astronomy today is armed with the largest antennas in the world. 射电天文学拥有世界上最大的天线。
n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 );奴役他人者(尤指在财务或性关系方面)
  • birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
  • The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》
n.兽群,牧群;vt.使集中,把…赶在一起
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见,只是人云亦云。
n.保镖,卫士,警卫员( bodyguard的名词复数 )
  • Brooks came to Jim's office accompanied—like always—by his two bodyguards. 和往常一样,在两名保镖的陪同下,布鲁克斯去吉姆的办公室。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Three of his bodyguards were injured in the attack. 在这次袭击事件中,他有3名保镖受了伤。 来自辞典例句
密集( swarm的现在分词 ); 云集; 成群地移动; 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去
  • The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。
  • The beach is swarming with bathers. 海滩满是海水浴的人。
adj.有营养的,营养价值高的
  • Fresh vegetables are very nutritious.新鲜蔬菜富于营养。
  • 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。
vt.制服,使顺从,征服;抑制,克制
  • She tried to subdue her anger.她尽力压制自己的怒火。
  • He forced himself to subdue and overcome his fears.他强迫自己克制并战胜恐惧心理。
adj.有毒的,因中毒引起的
  • The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
  • There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。
学英语单词
a professional athlete
aaprotect
activity factor of B (in a liquid or a solid mixture)
al-rasheed
alignment time
anti-perfectionists
aporrectodea trapezoides
assembly robot
band-edge tailing
Barrault, Jean-Louis
be ambitious to do sth
beiderman
biophysics of membrane transport
blowout switch
boning room
caponier
Cetiprin
clinical genetics
cold waste
commercial fertilizer
content ratio analyzer
corticoliberin
crushable structure
customer centricity
DB
desktop videoconferencing
druggister
durable good
encander
essien
Ettrickhall
exner comprehensive system
extra heavy duty
genus omphalotuss
geometric mean inequality
group efficiency
hand brake housing
herposiphonieae
high efficiency TWT
highest probable frequency (hpf)
hold sb in high esteem
holeier
homogentisic acids
hot-tubs
instruction mode
iron-clad
Japanophobic
kizdere
kona cyclone
kragen
L, l
lactomucin
latitudinal cleavage
LC-ME
localcalls
lycocernuine
Maastrichtians
malignant auricular arrhythmia
methylphenylamine
micrometer-microscope
nimbiol
Office Francais de Recherche Sous-Marine
ophthalmoreaction
overconsolidated soil
peg-bar
pingees
pogonia macrocarpum broth
Pyeonghae
Qosqo
quadrant-edge orifice plate
radiosonde station
recommend substitutes
Rhizoma Panacis Japonici
rotating particle
roundhand
Saccharum Granorum
Saint James
schlenker
shoddy shaker
sidewheeler
silicon meter
skeezas
small calorie (cal)
softening plant
SP-54
square can
steering wheel angle
sukhoi
sulphur parakeet
the green-eyed monster
the have-nots
thixomolding
to yearn after...
tobacco looper
ultramacho
ultrasonic laparoscope
under authorities
volume color
wind someone round one's fingers
workfree
working-time
ya mean