Hero worms 小虫大用

 

　　小小蠕虫默默无闻、粘粘乎乎，还扭来扭去，但它们为什么被称为 “大英雄”？作为蠕虫的一种，蚯蚓可通过松动和混合土壤来助农耕者一臂之力；人们还发现蜡虫的唾液中含有可分解塑料的酶；血虫的口部为建筑师带来了设计灵感。原来小虫子真能帮大忙！

　　词汇：worms 蠕虫

　　Are worms the heroes we didn't know we needed? Silent, slimy and wriggling¹, you might think that worms are good for nothing except bait on the end of a fishing rod. However, there is more to the humble² worm than meets the eye.

　　The British naturalist³ Charles Darwin said that no other animal has "played such an important part in the history of the world as these lowly organised creatures". They have lived on Earth for 600 million years and have even survived five mass extinctions. So, what do worms do that is so great?

　　Earthworms literally⁴ move the earth, and this is why farmers love them. As they travel, they aerate⁵ the soil by loosening, mixing and oxygenating it, which increases the ground's capacity to hold and drain water. They are effectively a small but very efficient plough. But it's not just earthworms that deserve praise.

　　In 2022, a group of scientists at the Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research isolated⁶ enzymes⁷ found in wax worm saliva⁸ which are plastic-eating. These can break down polyethylene, a very common plastic that normally degrades over many years. It's hoped that by producing these enzymes on an industry-level scale, we will have a more environmentally friendly way to reduce plastic pollution.

　　And worms are even inspiring the building industry. Bloodworms are small sea creatures which burrow⁹ into the mud of the ocean floor. Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara have been studying their jaws¹⁰, which are made up of 10% copper¹¹ proteins and are so strong that they last the worm's entire five-year lifespan. Because of this research, engineers may start using the jaws as inspiration for the design and manufacture of materials like concrete.

　　So, next time you see a worm, show it a little respect. They really are changing the world!

　　词汇表

　　worm 蠕虫

　　slimy 黏糊糊的

　　wriggling 蠕动着的，扭动着的

　　bait （鱼）饵

　　humble 不起眼的，普通的

　　naturalist 博物学家

　　lowly 低等的

　　creature 动物，生物

　　mass extinction （生物）聚群绝灭

　　earthworm 蚯蚓

　　aerate 使（土壤）透气

　　soil 土壤

　　loosen 松动

　　oxygenate 给…供氧

　　plough 犁

　　enzyme 酶

　　wax worm 蜡虫

　　saliva 唾液

　　plastic-eating 分解塑料的

　　bloodworm 血虫

　　burrow 钻，打洞

　　jaws 口部

 

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