经济学人30:入侵物种 繁衍与湮灭

 　　Science and Technolgy

　　科技

　　Invasive species

　　入侵物种

　　Boom and bust¹

　　繁衍与湮灭

　　Invasive Argentine ants may be less persistent² than once feared

　　入侵性阿根廷蚂蚁可能没有想象的那么可怕

　　DESPITE their name, Argentine ants are a well-travelled lot. Human commerce has allowed them to hitch³ rides from their homeland to every continent on the planet, with the exception of Antarctica. And when they arrive, they often thrive. At least 15 countries now host colonies, which frequently prosper⁴ at the expense of native species. This flexibility⁵, combined with an aggressive temperament⁶, makes them one of the world's best-known and most-hated invasive species.

　　如果不顾它们的恶名，阿根廷蚂蚁可以说是很好的旅行家。人类的商业活动将它们带到了世界各大洲，南极洲除外。并且当它们到达时，它们就会繁衍。目前，至少15个国家受到外来物种的入侵，这种入侵是以牺牲本土物种为代价的。这种侵略性及适应性使得它们成为世界上最著名同时也是最令人深恶痛绝的入侵物种。

　　Yet, as any general knows, establishing a beachhead is not the same thing as conducting a successful, long-term occupation. Argentine-ant colonies sometimes collapse⁸ suddenly, and with no obvious explanation. In a paper just published in Biology Letters, a group of researchers at Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand, led by Meghan Cooling and Phil Lester, describe their attempts to study such disappearances⁹ systematically¹⁰.

　　但是，众所周知，建立一个滩头阵地不同于成功地进行一次长期占领。阿根廷蚂蚁的入侵有时突然毫无缘由地停止。在最近发表在《生物书简》（Biology Letters）上的一篇文章中，新西兰惠灵顿维多利亚大学（Victoria University of Wellington）的一组研究人员——由梅根?库灵（Meghan Cooling）和菲尔?莱斯特（Phil Lester）领导——描述了他们对这种系统性消失的研究。

　　The researchers examined 150 sites across the country where Argentine-ant nests had been recorded. At 40% of them they found that the ants had vanished. At many of the other sites, ant numbers were much reduced, with areas that once sported dozens of nests over hundreds of hectares reduced to just one or two colonies covering much smaller tracts¹¹ of land. And with the invaders¹² gone, native ants seemed to be re-establishing themselves, suggesting that the Argentine ants' impact on biodiversity had been transient, rather than permanent.

　　研究者们考察了全国范围内150个已经被记录下来的阿根廷蚂蚁据点。他们发现其中的40%已经消失，而在其他的据点，蚂蚁数量减少，原来几百公顷的面积上有几十个蚁巢，而现在一片小面积土地上只有一两个聚居群。随着侵略者离开，本土蚂蚁似乎在重建自己的种群，这表明阿根廷蚂蚁对生物多样性的影响只是暂时的。

　　A statistical¹³ analysis of the data yielded an estimate for the likely survival time of a typical colony of between 12.9 and 15.3 years, and suggested that warm and dry conditions were more favourable¹⁴ for survival than cold, wet ones. Exactly what caused the collapses¹⁵ is still not clear, although the researchers suspect that unfamiliar¹⁶ diseases may have played a role.

　　数据统计分析估测了一个典型的聚居群（12.9—15.3年）可能的生存时间。该分析也表明，比起寒冷潮湿的条件，温暖干燥的环境更有利于生存。尽管研究者们怀疑不熟悉的疾病可能起到了一定作用，但导致阿根廷蚂蚁消失的确切原因尚不清楚。

　　Unity¹⁷ is not strength

　　团结不是力量

　　It is a plausible¹⁸ theory. Because they grew from a small number of founder¹⁹ colonies, or possibly even a single one, New Zealand's Argentine ants are genetically²¹ similar to one another (the same is true of most infestations²² outside the ants' homeland). That may be one reason for their success: ant researchers hypothesise that, being so closely related, the individual insects are unable to distinguish their nest mates from members of other colonies, which causes ants from different nests to co-operate as if they were kin²³, and has led students of the field to speak not of hundreds of individual infestations, but of a single, country-spanning "super-colony".

　　这种理论可信。因为它们是从很小的群体（或者可能是单一个体）发展起来的，新西兰的阿根廷蚂蚁之间的基因非常相似（蚁巢以外的侵扰也同样具有该特点）。这也许是它们成功的原因之一：蚂蚁研究者假定，关系紧密的个体昆虫不能够把同巢穴的同伴同其它聚居区的成员区分开来，这导致来自不同巢穴的蚂蚁就像亲戚一样相互合作。这使得这一领域的学者不再谈及成百的个体侵扰，而是谈及单一的、跨越全国的"超级群体"。

　　But a shallow gene⁷ pool can be a weakness, too. If one nest proves susceptible²⁴ to some environmental factor-be it disease, predation, or even a cold snap or wet spell-then it is likely that all the other colonies will share that vulnerability.

　　但是，一个浅薄的基因库也可能是一个弱点。如果一个巢穴容易受到某些环境因素的影响——不管是疾病、掠食，亦或是寒流、潮湿期——那么极可能其他的聚居群也有着同样的弱点。

　　Now that they have documented the extent of the collapse the next step, says Ms Cooling, is to test the hypothesis of genetic²⁰ vulnerability and try to work out precisely²⁵ what causes the sudden reversals of formicine fortune she has seen. And it is not just ecologists who will be waiting for the results. New Zealand's government had reckoned it might have to spend NZ$68m ($53m) a year keeping the newcomers under control. If Mother Nature can do the job instead, then it would represent a tidy saving for the country's exchequer²⁶.

　　库灵表示，他们现在已经记载了蚁群消失的范围，下一步是验证基因脆弱性这一假设，并努力找出导致蚁群突然转变的确切原因。而等待这一结果的不止是生态学家。新西兰政府估计，每年可能会花掉NZ$68m（合$53m）用于控制新物种的入侵。如果自然母亲能够完成这项工作，那将会为国库省下一大笔资金。

1 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

2 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

3 hitch   

v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉

参考例句：

• They had an eighty-mile journey and decided to hitch hike.他们要走80英里的路程，最后决定搭便车。
• All the candidates are able to answer the questions without any hitch.所有报考者都能对答如流。

4 prosper   

v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣

参考例句：

• With her at the wheel,the company began to prosper.有了她当主管，公司开始兴旺起来。
• It is my earnest wish that this company will continue to prosper.我真诚希望这家公司会继续兴旺发达。

5 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

6 temperament   

n.气质，性格，性情

参考例句：

• The analysis of what kind of temperament you possess is vital.分析一下你有什么样的气质是十分重要的。
• Success often depends on temperament.成功常常取决于一个人的性格。

7 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

8 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

9 disappearances   

n.消失( disappearance的名词复数 )；丢失；失踪；失踪案

参考例句：

• Most disappearances are the result of the terrorist activity. 大多数的失踪案都是恐怖分子造成的。 来自辞典例句
• The espionage, the betrayals, the arrests, the tortures, the executions, the disappearances will never cease. 间谍活动、叛党卖国、逮捕拷打、处决灭迹，这种事情永远不会完。 来自英汉文学

10 systematically   

adv.有系统地

参考例句：

• This government has systematically run down public services since it took office.这一屆政府自上台以来系统地削减了公共服务。
• The rainforest is being systematically destroyed.雨林正被系统地毀灭。

11 tracts   

大片土地( tract的名词复数 )； 地带； （体内的）道； （尤指宣扬宗教、伦理或政治的）短文

参考例句：

• vast tracts of forest 大片大片的森林
• There are tracts of desert in Australia. 澳大利亚有大片沙漠。

12 invaders   

入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They prepared to repel the invaders. 他们准备赶走侵略军。
• The family has traced its ancestry to the Norman invaders. 这个家族将自己的世系追溯到诺曼征服者。

13 statistical   

adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• He showed the price fluctuations in a statistical table.他用统计表显示价格的波动。
• They're making detailed statistical analysis.他们正在做具体的统计分析。

14 favourable   

adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的

参考例句：

• The company will lend you money on very favourable terms.这家公司将以非常优惠的条件借钱给你。
• We found that most people are favourable to the idea.我们发现大多数人同意这个意见。

15 collapses   

折叠( collapse的第三人称单数 )； 倒塌； 崩溃； （尤指工作劳累后）坐下

参考例句：

• This bridge table collapses. 这张桥牌桌子能折叠。
• Once Russia collapses, the last chance to stop Hitler will be gone. 一旦俄国垮台，抑止希特勒的最后机会就没有了。

16 unfamiliar   

adj.陌生的，不熟悉的

参考例句：

• I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
• The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。

17 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

18 plausible   

adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的

参考例句：

• His story sounded plausible.他说的那番话似乎是真实的。
• Her story sounded perfectly plausible.她的说辞听起来言之有理。

19 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

20 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

21 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

22 infestations   

n.（害虫、盗贼等）群袭，出没，横行( infestation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The arrival of warm weather raises the specter of disease and increased rat infestations caused by rotting garbage. 天气转暖使人们担心垃圾腐烂会引起疾病传播和鼠群猖獗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Piperazine citrate is the drug of choice in the treatment of Ascaris infestations. 枸橼酸哌嗪治疗蛔虫感染是最好的药物。 来自辞典例句

23 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

24 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

25 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

26 exchequer   

n.财政部；国库

参考例句：

• In Britain the Chancellor of the Exchequer deals with taxes and government spending.英国的财政大臣负责税务和政府的开支。
• This resulted in a considerable loss to the exchequer.这使国库遭受了重大损失。