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Try to find a spider's web on a bush or on the grass in your garden, and look very closely at it. The spider makes the outside lines of the web first. Then it forms the lines which extend like the spokes of a wheel from the centre of the net to the edges. All these lines of the web are made of smooth elastic threads of silk.
走到花園中, 試試看能不能在樹叢或草地上找到一張蜘蛛網, 然后仔細觀察。蜘蛛首先編織的就是外圍的蛛絲, 然后從中間往邊緣的方向搭建輪輻般的蛛絲。這些蛛網全部由極富彈性的柔順絲線組成。
Lastly, it starts from the centre of the web and fastens a slender line across the others, going round and round in a spiral. This spiral or cross thread is covered by the spider with thousands of tiny drops of a very sticky substance. Then the spider goes to one corner of the net and waits.
最后, 蜘蛛從蛛網中心繞上一圈又一圈的細絲, 它們構成彼此交叉的橫絲。蜘蛛又在這些螺旋或交叉橫絲上涂抹了數以千計的非常粘稠的物質。然后, 它便躲在一個角落里, 耐心等待。
Soon an insect—perhaps a common fly—rushes in its flight against the web, and is caught by the drops of sticky stuff. Out comes the spider, runs to the fly, and rolls a band of its gummy silk around it. Then the spider gives the fly a bite, to kill it, or carries it away to one corner of the web till it is wanted for food.
很快, 有只昆蟲——可能就是一只普通點的蒼蠅——在飛行中撞上了這張蛛網, 然后便被粘稠物質抓個正著。這時, 蜘蛛就會爬出來, 撲向蒼蠅, 用粘稠的細絲將其團團圍住。然后, 蜘蛛就會在蒼蠅身上咬上一口, 把它殺死或者把它搬運到蛛網的某個角落, 等到想吃的時候再慢慢品嘗。
The spider's jaws are grooved, and in its head are some tiny poison-bags. When the spider bites, some of the poison runs down the grooves, and so enters the body of the insect which is bitten. After this the insect is unable to move or to fly away.
蜘蛛的牙齒長有溝槽, 頭部則生有幾個很小的毒囊。當蜘蛛咬下獵物時, 一部分毒液順著凹槽流入獵物。這時候, 被咬的昆蟲動不了也飛不走了。
There are many spiders which in habits and appearance are quite different from the garden spider. Some of them have their nests in little holes in the ground, and make little trap-doors to close them. Others live under water, and carry down little bubbles of air to breathe in their homes.
蜘蛛的種類很多, 它們的習性、外貌與我們在花園中見到的蜘蛛相差很大。有些蜘蛛在地下的洞中棲身, 在洞口造出一個既能遮擋地洞又能捕獲獵物的活門。還有些蜘蛛生活在水中, 它們能夠將小氣泡帶入水中, 用于在自己的巢穴中呼吸。
