Scientists Found a Caterpillar 科学家们找到了一种肉虫,That Eats Plastic 他们能吃塑料. Could It Help Solve our Plastic Crisis? 这种虫子有没有可能解决我们的塑料危机?
There are now 现在(世界上)有 more than 超过 50 known species 五十种已知的 of ‘plastivores 塑料虫,’ or plastic-eating 或者说吃塑料的 organisms 有机体, mostly 大多数是 bacteria 细菌 and fungi 和菌类, that can turn plastics 它们都能将塑料变 into energy 成能量.
One of these 其中一种, the greater wax moth 是大蜡蛾, is offering scientists hope 给科学家带来了希望 in the fight against plastic pollution 在与塑料污染的战斗中.
The researchers 研究者们 were particularly interested 特别有兴趣 in how this caterpillar 对这种肉虫, together with 以及 the microorganisms in its gut 它肠道里的微生物 — its microbiome 叫做微生物群落 — could break down 能够化解 and metabolize plastic 并且代谢塑料.
That work 那项研究工作 included 包括 separating out the bacteria 分离细菌 from the waxworms’ gut 从蜡蛾的肠道中 and growing it 并且培育它 on its own 单独 in the lab 在实验室. They found 他们发现 that one particular species of bacteria 有一种细菌 could indeed 的确能够 survive 存活 on nothing but plastic 只吃塑料没别的for a year. 整整一年
Both 这两种生物都 can consume plastic 消化塑料 on their own 单独. However 但是, when the two 当这二者work together合作时, it rapidly 它能够迅速 accelerates 加速 the plastic biodegradation 塑料的生物化解. What’s more 还有, the researchers found 研究者们还发现 that caterpillars 肉虫 that ate plastic 吃塑料的 actually 实际上 had dramatically higher amounts 有多得多的 of gut microbes 肠道微生物.
These caterpillars 这些肉虫 aren’t some mutant 不是一些变种 evolved for the modern world 从现代世界进化而来的, either 也(不是). These so-called waxworms 这些叫做蜡虫的 are actually bee pests 实际上是蜂巢里的害虫 that invade beehives 它们会入侵蜂群 and live off the honeycomb 吃掉里面的蜂巢.
How much plastic 多少塑料 can a group of very hungry caterpillars eat 一群很饥饿的肉虫吃掉? According to the scientists 根据科学家的说法, about 60 waxworms 大约六十只蜡虫 chewed through 能吃掉 a matchbook-sized square of plastic bag 一个火柴盒大小的塑料袋 in under a week 在一周时间内. Clearly 很明显, the world would need 这个世界将需要 a lot of caterpillars 很多很多肉虫 to solve its plastic problems 来解决它的塑料问题.
But 但是 LeMoine (叫做LeMoine的相关项目负责人)says that’s not really the point 说这并不是重点. “Waxworms are not 蜡虫不是 an immediate solution 直接解决方案 to plastic pollution 针对塑料污染的,” he says. 他说
However 然而, if scientists can 如果科学家能够 unravel 解开 what makes 是什么使得 these caterpillars 这些肉虫 and their gut bacteria 它们肠道里的细菌 flourish 生机勃勃, they might be able to 他们也许能够design tools 设计出一些工具 to wipe out plastic 来解决掉所有的塑料. “A better understanding 更好的理解 of how this synergy works 这种协同工作是如何发挥作用的 may guide 也许能够指导 future efforts 未来的努力 to design the ‘perfect’ 去设计一个完美的 plastic 塑料 biodegradation 生物降解 system 系统,” he says 他说.
That goal 那个目标 is still far 仍然很遥远 from complete 距离实现.
今天 today 我们来讲一讲 we are going to talk about 天上的鸟 the birds in the sky。你能告诉我 can you tell me,你认识几种鸟吗 how many bird species you know about?
请描述一下 please describe,描述就是 to describe is 说一说 to talk about 这些鸟长什么样子 what the birds look like,叫声是什么样子的 what their singing is like,什么颜色 what colors 等等 etc.。
好的OK,请问 may I ask,你们知道喜鹊长什么样吗 do you know what magpie look like?
不知道 You don’t know?我们现在就出去找一找它们吧 well, let’s go out and look for them。罗老师知道 Teacher Luo knows 我们学堂附近 near our school 的河堤上 on the river bank 就有一个喜鹊窝 there is a magpie nest。
大家看everybody, look,那长长的一条直直的公路 that long and straight road,就是河堤 is the river bank。
再来看那边 And look at that direction,有一棵大树 there is a big tree,抬头看 look up,树上有一个黑黑的东西 there is something dark,那就是喜鹊的窝 that is the magpie’s nest。
喜鹊在枝头
为什么 why 喜鹊要在树上建一个窝呢 would the magpie build a nest in the tree?请你来说说看 can you tell us about your opinion?
为什么鸟儿都有一个窝呢 Why do all birds have nests?
我们到树底下去Let’s go under the tree,走近一些看 get closer。大家猜一猜 Now guess,这个黑乎乎的窝是用什么做成的 what is this dark nest made of?
对了 right,是树枝 they are sticks,里面是空的 it is empty inside,和这个瓶子一样 just like this bottle,里面是空的 empty,喜鹊晚上就在里面睡觉 the magpie sleeps in it at night,喜鹊妈妈 the magpie mom 在里面下蛋 lay eggs in it、孵蛋 hatch。小喜鹊从蛋里面出来之后 Once the baby bird is hatched,因为有了这个窝 because of this nest,就没有那么冷 it won’t be that cold,下雨的时候 when it rains ,也不会把身上淋湿 they won’t get wet all over。淋湿了要感冒的 You get cold when you are wet。
你们知道吗 do you know?在三年前 three years ago,我们这里是没有喜鹊这种鸟的 there were no such bird as magpie in this area。因为 because,以前 before 我们当地的农民 the local peasents 在稻田里撒了很多有毒的农药 used too much poisonous pesticides in the paddy fields,本来是想 their intention was 杀死那些稻田里的害虫的 to kill the pests in the paddy fields,结果 at the end 连同这些可怜的鸟儿都被杀死了 the poor birds were also killed。
你们知道什么是农药吗?Do you know what pesticide is?
我们现在去稻田周围 let’s go around the paddy fields,还有小溪边 and along the creek 找一找 to look,也许 maybe 可以找到这些农药瓶子 we will be able to find the pesticide bottles 和袋子 and bags,找到之后 when we found it,我们把它们烧掉 we will burn them,因为它们会毒死鸟儿 because they will poison the birds,还有土地里的蚯蚓 and the worms in the soil。
来吧 come。
你们看 look,这就是农药袋子 this is a pesticide bag,一个 one,两个 two。。。我们现在把它们烧掉 let’s burn it。
现在 nowadays 人们用农药没那么多 people do not use that much pesticides,所以这些鸟儿又回来了 so the birds returned。
它们为什么要回来呢?why do they return?
你说对了 you are right,因为它们的祖先生活在这里 because their ancestors used to live here,这里是它们的家园 this is their home。
但是 but,因为我们的环境 because our environment 已经被破坏了 has been damaged,现在的喜鹊没有以前那么多 we do not have as many magpies anymore,没有以前那么快乐了 and they do not look as happy as before,它们很害怕 they look scared。
很多其他的鸟儿 many other species of birds 再也没有回来 have never returned。
所以 so,我们以后来自己种一些水稻 why don’t we grow some rice ourselves,里面一点农药都不打 and we won’t spray any pesticides,让这些喜鹊不被毒死 so these magpies will not be poisoned,好不好 shall we?
现在 now,我们就脱掉鞋子 let’s take off our shoes,去稻田里走一走 walk in the paddy field。