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If you have kids, you’ve probably read the children's book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, see, at least five thousand times. If you haven’t had the pleasure, here’s a brief plot summary. A caterpillarhatches from a small, white egg. Extremely hungry, the caterpillar proceeds to eat through several pieces of fruit, an assortment of junk food, and finally, to clear the palate, a nice green leaf. At the risk of ruining the ending, on the final page the caterpillar turns into a beautiful butterfly.
如果你身為人父或身為人母，那你對兒童讀物《肚子好餓的毛毛蟲》一定不會陌生。如果你還沒讀過這本書，不要緊，故事講述了這樣一個故事：一條毛毛蟲從一個又小又白的卵殼里爬出，饑腸轆轆的毛毛蟲狼吞虎咽地咽下不少水果和垃圾食物，最后，還啃下一片可愛的綠樹葉來清清腸道。故事的結尾很美滿，毛毛蟲破繭成蝶！
Good plot, great characterization, enticing illustrations. But it leaves out the most exciting part–plant-insect warfare. In the real world, some caterpillars and plants engage in a deadly struggle for survival. We’re talking full-scale battle, involving chemical weapons no less.
故事情節很好，文筆細膩，插圖精美。但是遺漏了最精彩的環節：植物大戰毛毛蟲。在現實中，毛毛蟲和植物為求生存而殊死搏斗，而全面戰爭肯定少不了化學武器。下面我們就來談談吧！
Scientists have known for some time that many plants protect themselves from insect attacks by producing toxins that either ward off or kill insects when they attempt to have the plant for lunch. What scientists have only recently discovered, however, is that the common caterpillar is not without its own arsenal of chemical agents. According to recent studies, a caterpillar can sense when a plant is about to unleash its chemical weapons and counter by producing anti-toxins to neutralize the plant’s attack.
科學家很早就發現，一些植物釋放或分泌有毒物質，擊退視植物為午餐的昆蟲，以求自保；而這些有毒物質有時是致命的。直到最近，科學家才發現原來毛毛蟲普遍也有自己的“化學兵工廠”。據最新研究表明，毛毛蟲可以感應植物何時準備釋放“化學武器”，而分泌有毒物質抗體，與植物抗衡。
So far, caterpillars seem to have the upper hand. Although different plants produce a wide variety of toxins, many ultimately rely on two main chemicals. Since caterpillars have evolved to neutralize these chemicals, they are able to infest over one-hundred toxin-producing plant species across the United States.
目前，毛毛蟲稍占上風。雖然，千差萬別的植物釋放的有毒物質品種繁多，但是主要歸結于兩大類。而毛毛蟲進化得足以抵御這些化學物質，足以自如應對全美上百種有毒植物。
