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The woolly bear caterpillar does not need the warmth from flowers
灯蛾毛虫却不需要花朵的温暖
to kick-start its spring.
就能迅速迎来它们的春天
It's always the first insect to appear after the snow retreats
它向来是积雪融化后第一个出现的昆虫
and the story of how it does so is truly astonishing.
它为做到这一点所付出的努力令人惊异
At the start of spring,
春季伊始
the caterpillar eats as fast as it can,
毛虫就拼了命地吃
as indeed it must, for this far north, the season will be brief.
它必须这么做 因为北极的春季转瞬即逝
The days shorten only too soon,
白昼很快就会变短
but the caterpillar has not yet
毛虫却还没有
got enough reserves to transform itself into a moth.
足够的储备来转化成蛾
It can't leave the Arctic, for it can't fly,
它还不能离开北极 因为它无法飞行
so it settles down beneath a rock.
所以只好在一块岩石下面躲了起来
The sun's warmth rapidly dwindles.
太阳的热度迅速褪去
Beneath the rock, the caterpillar is out of the wind,
岩石虽能为毛虫挡风遮雪
but the cold penetrates deep into the ground.
但严寒仍蔓延至地下
Soon, its heart stops beating.
很快 它的心跳停止了
It ceases to breathe, and its body starts to freeze--
也停止了呼吸 身体开始结冰
first its gut, then its blood.
先是内脏 接着是血液

重点解释

妙语佳句:

the caterpillar has not yet got enough reserves to transform itself into a moth.毛虫却还没有足够的储备来转化成蛾。

turn into:变成

The whole thing turned into a bitter quarrel.

整件事酿成了激烈的争吵。

Caterpillars turned into butterflies.

毛虫会变成蝴蝶。

so it settles down beneath a rock.所以只好在一块岩石下面躲了起来。

settle down:安下心来, 定居

He's of an age when he ought to settle down.

他已经到了应该安顿下来的年龄了。

He's just a drifter he can't settle down anywhere.

他不过是个流浪汉－－哪儿也呆不住。

It ceases to breathe, and its body starts to freeze--停止了呼吸，身体开始结冰。

cease to:停止

You will cease to fear if you cease to hope.

绝望无畏惧。

When shall I cease to regret you?

什么时候我会不再为你感到惋惜呢?

考考你:

毛虫却还没有足够的储备来转化成蛾。

它向来是积雪融化后第一个出现的昆虫，它为做到这一点所付出的努力令人惊异。

上期答案:

the breaking sea ice make the Arctic Ocean teem with life.

The shoals can be enormous, some containing 500 million fish,