工业设计专业英语(第三版)第十七课昆虫与设计

INDUSTRIALDESIGNENGLISHENGLISHFORINDUSTRIALDESIGNSimple,PowerfulandfreeLesson17InsectandDesignInsectswon’ttakeovertheearth,theyownitnow.Aleadingbiologistexplainswhybugsaretheworld’smostsuccessfuldesign.Theyincorporateastonishinglysophisticateddesignfeature,bothstructurallyandfunctionally,thatrenderthemespeciallywellsuitedforsurvivalonthisplanet.昆虫不会接管地球，他们已经拥有了地球。一位权威的生物学家解释了为什么虫子使这个世界上最成功的设计。他们混合的、使人惊讶的、久经世故的设计特色，包括结构上的和功能上的，使他们十分适合生活在这个星球上。引言ENGLISHFORINDUSTRIALDESIGNSimple,PowerfulandfreeThere’snodenyingit:Bugsrule.Therearecurrently200millioninsectsforeveryman,womanandchild.Ofthe1.5millionspeciesidentified,morethanhalfareinsects.Wehumansmaynotliketheidea,butthereisnodenyingit:Bugsrule.Estimateshaveitthattherearesome1018bugsnowaliveontheplanet.Itisnotonlytheirsheernumber,butalsotheirdiversitythatisstaggering:Ofthetotal1.5millionspeciesofanimals,plantsandmicroorganismsthathavebeenidentidied,morethanhalf—orover800,000—areinsects.Andwhilenewspeciesofinsectsarebeingdiscovereddaily,over10millionmayyetremainunknown.这是无可否认的：虫子准则。当前有2亿虫子生活在我们周围。在确定种类的一百五十万个物种中，一半以上是昆虫。我们人类可能不喜欢这个说法，但这是无可否认的：虫子准则。据评估大约有1018的虫子现在生活在这个星球上。不但是它们的数量，它们的种类也使人惊愕。在总共一百五十万种动物中，植物和微生物被视为一样，超过半数——或者说超过800000种——都是昆虫。每天都还会有新的昆虫种类被发现，至今超过一千万种的使我们可能不知道的。“虫子准则”ENGLISHFORINDUSTRIALDESIGNSimple,PowerfulandfreeWhatmakesinsectsthemostsuccessfulinhabitantsoftheearth?Oneansweristhattheyaresmall,whichhasmadeitpossibleforthemtocolonizeliterallyeverynookandcranny.Butthereisanotherreason:Insectsarebuilttolast.Theyincorporateastonishinglysophisticateddesignfeatures,bothstructurallyandfunctionally,thatrenderthemespeciallywellsuitedforsurvivalonthisplanet.Itisthesefeaturesthathaveallowedthemtogaintheevolutionaryadvantagetheyhaveachieved.是什么使得昆虫称为地球上最成功的居住者？一个答案是他们小，使他们可以逐个的占领每一个隐蔽处和缝隙。但是这里还有另外一个原因：昆虫的结构。他们混合的、使人惊讶的、久经世故的设计特色，包括结构上的和功能上的，使他们十分适合生活在这个星球上。正是这些特点允许他们完成增加进化的优势。“成功居住者”的原因ENGLISHFORINDUSTRIALDESIGNSimple,PowerfulandfreeThesuitofarmorthatinsectsareencasedinprovidesthemwithprotectionfrompredatorsandkeepsthemfromdryingout,thelatterbeingofconsiderableconcern,giventheirtinysize.Withouttheiroutercasing,theywouldneverhavemasteredlifeintheopen.Theinsectskeletonisappropriatelyhingedinplacestoprovideformobility.Likeourown,theirlegshaveflexiblejoints,butsodotheirprincipalbodyparts—theirhead,thoraxandabdomen.Eventhewingsoftheinsect,whichcanbeatatfrequenciesofhundredsoftimespersecond,arenomorethanflaplikeelaborationsoftheirskeleton.Itisthankstothecombinedmotorcapacityoftheirlegsandwingsthatinsectsareabletoachievethefeatsofagilityforwhichtheyarefamous.(Thinkofahouseflyevadingswatsorcockroachesinyourkitchen,scurryingforcoverwhenyouturntolights.)Potentially,becauseofitsrigidity,theinsectskeletonimposeslimitsongrowth.Insectssolvetheproblembymolting:Astheygettoolargefortheirarmor,theysimplyshedit.昆虫的一身防护装甲，保护他们不被掠食者袭击，还有保持他们身体干爽。如果没有外部的保护性外套，他们绝不可能在开阔地上征服生活。昆虫的骨骼在适当的部位有枢纽，以确保他们的机动性。像我们一样，昆虫的骨架有灵活的关节，特别是重要的头部、胸部、腹部。甚至昆虫每分钟可以拍打上百次的翅膀，更多的是得益于他们有着鳞片装细节的骨骼。他们框架狂怒翅膀的组合动力的才能，使昆虫达到是它们著名的合适的敏捷。（想象一只家蝇在出访中躲避蝇拍或者蟑螂，在你打开灯的时候急速奔跑寻找掩护。）潜在的，昆虫的骨骼利用生长的极限。昆虫解决问题靠脱皮：如果他们的身体对盔甲来说太大了，它们便简单的摆脱盔甲。身体结构ENGLISHFORINDUSTRIALDESIGNSimple,PowerfulandfreeAgilityinanimalscorrelateswithhighrespiratorydemand,andinsectshavearemarkablewayofdeliveringoxygentotheirinternalorgans.Airflowsintotheinsectbodythroughaseriesofopeningcalledspiraclesthatleadinwardintotubes,ortracheae.Insteadofconveyingoxygenbywayofblood,insectsprovideordirectaerationoftheirtissues.Theflightmusclesofinsectscouldnotfunctionnearlyaseffectivelywithoutsuchaquickmeansofoxygendelivery.敏捷和动物的高度的呼吸相关，昆虫拥有不平常的方法来给组织器官传递氧气。空气通过被称为引导进入体内的管道，或者导管的连续的小孔进入体内。昆虫通过组织直接通风来代替血液运输氧气。没有高效的氧气运输，昆虫的飞行肌肉就不能运动。呼吸传递ENGLISHFORINDUSTRIALDESIGNSimple,PowerfulandfreeInsectsoccupyvirtuallyeveryfeedingniche.Putitanotherway,thismeansthattheyareabletoeatliterallyanything.Theirsuccessinthisderivesfromtheextraordinarydiversificationoftheirmouthparts.Beetlesandcaterpillarshavejawsforcuttingandtearing,mosquitoeshaveslenderstylesforpiercingskinandsuckingbloodandbutterflieshavecoiledtubesforimbibingnectar.昆虫事实上占用每一个获取食物的机会。换句话说，它们可以吃任何存在的东西。他们在这方面值得重视的成功源于他们特别的多样化的口器。甲虫和毛虫有用来切段和撕开的口，蚊子有纤细的探针用来穿透皮肤和吮吸血液，蝴蝶有盘卷的管子用来吮吸花蜜。特殊口器ENGLISHFORINDUSTRIALDESIGNSimple,PowerfulandfreeThespruceaphidisoutfittedwithcompoundeyesthatallowittoseeinvirtuallyalldirections,enablingittocauseasmuchwidespreaddefoliationasithastimeforinaday’swork.Insectshaveextraordinarysensorycapacities.Theireyes,whichmaytaketheformofenormoushemispheresbulgingfromtheirhead,typicallyconsistofhundredsoftiny,tightlyopposedunits,calledfacets.Eachfacetpointsinoneparticulardirection,withtheresultthatthetwoeyesseeinvirtuallyalldirections.Foranaerialhuntersuchasarobberfly,thismeansbeingabletospotpreyinstantlyfromwhereveritmayappear.Insectscanalsoseeacolor–ultraviolet–towhichweareblind.Flowersareoftenadornedwithultravioletpatternsthatareinvisibletous,butvisibleandattractivetothepollinatinginsect.昆虫有非常特别的感官才能。他们头上膨胀出来的巨大的半球是它们的眼睛，由上百只微小的眼睛组成是