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The woolly bear caterpillar does not need the warmth from flowers
燈蛾毛蟲卻不需要花朵的溫暖
to kick-start its spring.
就能迅速迎來它們的春天
It's always the first insect to appear after the snow retreats
它向來是積雪融化后第一個出現的昆蟲
and the story of how it does so is truly astonishing.
它為做到這一點所付出的努力令人驚異
At the start of spring,
春季伊始
the caterpillar eats as fast as it can,
毛蟲就拼了命地吃
as indeed it must, for this far north, the season will be brief.
它必須這么做 因為北極的春季轉瞬即逝
The days shorten only too soon,
白晝很快就會變短
but the caterpillar has not yet
毛蟲卻還沒有
got enough reserves to transform itself into a moth.
足夠的儲備來轉化成蛾
It can't leave the Arctic, for it can't fly,
它還不能離開北極 因為它無法飛行
so it settles down beneath a rock.
所以只好在一塊巖石下面躲了起來
The sun's warmth rapidly dwindles.
太陽的熱度迅速褪去
Beneath the rock, the caterpillar is out of the wind,
巖石雖能為毛蟲擋風遮雪
but the cold penetrates deep into the ground.
但嚴寒仍蔓延至地下
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 身體開始結冰
first its gut, then its blood.
先是內臟 接著是血液
