2014-07-10

【Aiden in English】

        Our world is populated with many bugs. These tiny creatures are everywhere. To them, the world is a gigantic place, and they thrive in an extremely dangerous habitat with many predators. How do bugs manage that? We learned it today when Jon the BUGMAN came to our Soccer Camp and taught us a valuable lesson about bugs.

        Bugs might be minor, but they can also be quite harmful. They are poisonous; usually, if the insect or arthropod has bright colors, you should avoid them. The poison is mainly used as a warning, telling the predator to back off or else… If the predator behaves stupidly and ignores the warning, the bug shoots out its poison/spray at the predator.

        Another trick is to play dead. Many beetles use these tactics to avoid predators because it is simply effortless. You don't need poison or bright colors; all you do is lie down and stay still.

        Have you ever eaten a hotdog, but does it taste sour? Well, that's how some other insects protect themselves. They spray a horrible, sour gas into the air around them, and the birds or rodents back off. They probably hate the taste of the insects now.

        Bugs are tiny creatures at the bottom of the food chain. Even though they often are picked on, we shouldn't underestimate them. They have weapons and won't hesitate a second to use them.

【紅霞譯】

        人類居住的地方到處充滿蟲子，這些小動物無處不在，在其眼裡，世界之大危機四伏。可它們如何正視現實呢？今天，我們從前來足球夏令營傳授寶貴經驗的“昆蟲人”喬恩那裡學到了點滴有關蟲子的本能。

        也許蟲子外形小得可憐，但有的危害性卻相當大。通常具有鮮艷色彩屬於節肢動物的昆蟲分泌劇毒物質，你應該避而遠之。其實毒物不過是它們向外界發出的信號，警告來犯者三思而行，否則……如果由於某種原因來犯者愚蠢到無視警告的地步，那麼蟲子必將拿起武器，為捍衛自身安全而釋放毒物或者噴射毒液。

        另一特長就是裝死，不少甲殼蟲巧用這種再簡單不過的戰術躲避天敵。既毋需毒素，也不用亮麗的外表，只要躺在地上一動不動就萬事大吉。

        還記得吃熱狗時感覺酸酸的味道嗎？哈哈，那是有些蟲子自我保護的結果，它們向周邊噴發出一種可怕而難聞的氣味，熏得鳥、老鼠等飛禽走獸唯恐避之不及。

        蟲子可謂食物鏈上最低級的生物，經常首當其充被蠶食掉，儘管如此，我們不應低估蟲子的能耐，它們全副武裝，隨時準備反擊來犯者。

Dung Beetle (屎殼郎)

Cicada (知了)

Crosslink(相關博文):

5th Grade(小學五年級)