(单词翻译:单击)
形容一个人恋爱了我们常说他/她“坠入情网”,可见爱情对人的影响之大。不过,要说到网,在自然界中,最会织网的怕是蜘蛛了。只不过,蜘蛛这张网不是用来网住爱情的而是用来捕食的。难怪,人们也会把张开情网的人比作猎手呢。闲话少说,我们还是来探究一下蜘蛛究竟是怎么织网的吧。
To spin a tale about the spider, an arachnid1, we must first examine the common thread that ties them together...the way they produce the silk they use to weave their webs, as well as other contraptions, to suit their particular needs.
Spiders differ from insects in that they have eight legs, eight eyes, in most cases, no wings, and have only two parts to their bodies, one of which produces silk. They are found in a host of climates, can scurry2 across the ground, can scale plants, and can skate on, and live in, water. These factors determine how the spider uses it's silk, and what type of silk it produces.
The production of silk begins in certain glands3 located in the abdomen4, or belly6, of the beast. Spinning organs at the tip of the abdomen, contain many tiny holes, and function much as a sieve7, through which the silk is pressed. The silk strained through is in liquid form, but immediately takes on a solid form, much like cotton candy does, when exposed to air.
The spider creates a variety of types of silk, each of which serves a separate, yet distinct function. Spiders use the sticky kind to spin webs, to catch and to hold the insects they invite into their parlors9 until they are ready for dinner. They use the non-sticky, stronger variety to tether down the spokes10 of the wheel, and yet a different kind of silk for their cocoons11.
Even the webs the spider spins differ greatly, depending upon the factors listed above. The most common of all webs we see is the wheel-shaped web. Less common are the so-called "sheet" webs, which blanket surfaces with a funnel12, or dome5 like shape. The trap-door spiders burrow13 out their webs, and complete them with built-in chutes, through which their unsuspecting guests fall through, right onto the spider's plate. The web we see least often, is the air-tight, bell-shaped home some spiders build...probably because it is completely submerged in water!
Why aren't spiders caught in their own webs?
In short, startled spiders can be entangled14 in their own webs, in the same manner as their prey15. Generally speaking, however, the spider avoids this deadly mishap16, by differentiating17 between the various types of silk it produces, and by knowing its home turf.
When the spider weaves its sticky, insect-catching type of web, it builds into it safety threads of the non-sticky variety, upon which it traverses without being snared18. Its nimble, highly sensitive feet orient the spider about its new home, and past the potential pitfalls19, to which its prey falls victim. Unless, of course, something, or someone, startles the spider, in which case all bets are off, and the parlor8 game is over.
contraptions: 奇妙的装置,稀奇古怪的玩意
sieve: 筛子,滤网
spoke: 轮辐
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arachnid
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n.蛛形纲动物 | |
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2
scurry
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vi.急匆匆地走;使急赶;催促;n.快步急跑,疾走;仓皇奔跑声;骤雨,骤雪;短距离赛马 | |
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3
glands
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n.腺( gland的名词复数 ) | |
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abdomen
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n.腹,下腹(胸部到腿部的部分) | |
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dome
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n.圆屋顶,拱顶 | |
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belly
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n.肚子,腹部;(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分,膛 | |
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sieve
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n.筛,滤器,漏勺 | |
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parlor
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n.店铺,营业室;会客室,客厅 | |
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parlors
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客厅( parlor的名词复数 ); 起居室; (旅馆中的)休息室; (通常用来构成合成词)店 | |
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spokes
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n.(车轮的)辐条( spoke的名词复数 );轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 | |
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cocoons
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n.茧,蚕茧( cocoon的名词复数 )v.茧,蚕茧( cocoon的第三人称单数 ) | |
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12
funnel
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n.漏斗;烟囱;v.汇集 | |
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burrow
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vt.挖掘(洞穴);钻进;vi.挖洞;翻寻;n.地洞 | |
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entangled
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adj.卷入的;陷入的;被缠住的;缠在一起的v.使某人(某物/自己)缠绕,纠缠于(某物中),使某人(自己)陷入(困难或复杂的环境中)( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
prey
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n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨 | |
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16
mishap
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n.不幸的事,不幸;灾祸 | |
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differentiating
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[计] 微分的 | |
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snared
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v.用罗网捕捉,诱陷,陷害( snare的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
pitfalls
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(捕猎野兽用的)陷阱( pitfall的名词复数 ); 意想不到的困难,易犯的错误 | |
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