IELTS

Introducing dung beetles into a pasture is a simple process: approximately 1,500 beetles are released, a handful at a time, into fresh cow pats2 in the cow pasture. The beetles immediately disappear beneath the pats digging and tunnelling and, if they successfully adapt to their new environment, soon become a permanent, self-sustaining part of the local ecology. In time they multiply and within three or four years the benefits to the pasture are obvious

Introducing dung beetles into a pasture is a simple process:
approximately 1,500 beetles are released, a handful at a time, into fresh cow pats in the cow pasture.
将蜣螂引入牧场是一个简单的过程：
大约 1,500 只蜣螂被一次一小把地释放到牧场里新鲜的牛粪上。

• dung beetles：蜣螂，专门以粪便为食和筑巢。

• pasture：牧场。

• cow pats：牛粪（pats 是非正式说法，特指一坨一坨的牛粪）。

• a handful at a time：一次一小把。

The beetles immediately disappear beneath the pats digging and tunnelling
and, if they successfully adapt to their new environment,
soon become a permanent, self-sustaining part of the local ecology.
这些蜣螂立刻会钻进牛粪下面挖掘和打洞，
如果它们成功适应新环境，
很快就会成为当地生态系统中永久且自给自足的一部分。

• digging and tunnelling：挖掘并打洞，这是蜣螂典型的行为。

• adapt to their new environment：适应新环境。

• permanent, self-sustaining part：永久且能够自我维持的组成部分。

• local ecology：当地生态系统。

In time they multiply and within three or four years the benefits to the pasture are obvious.

随着时间推移，它们会繁殖，
大约三到四年内，牧场的好处就会显现出来。

• multiply：繁殖，数量增多。

• benefits to the pasture：对牧场带来的好处，例如改善土壤、清理粪便、减少寄生虫等。

Dung beetles work from the inside of the pat so they are sheltered from predators such
as birds and foxes. Most species burrow into the soil and bury dung in tunnels directly
underneath the pats, which are hollowed out from within. Some large species originating
from France excavate tunnels to a depth of approximately 30 cm below the dung pat.
These beetles make sausage-shaped brood chambers along the tunnels. The shallowest
tunnels belong to a much smaller Spanish species that buries dung in chambers that hang
like fruit from the branches of a pear tree. South African beetles dig narrow tunnels of
approximately 20 cm below the surface of the pat. Some surface-dwelling beetles,
including a South African species, cut perfectly-shaped balls from the pat, which are
rolled away and attached to the bases of plants.
📌 第一句：

Dung beetles work from the inside of the pat so they are sheltered from predators such as birds and foxes.

翻译：
屎壳郎从牛粪内部开始工作，因此它们能受到保护，不容易被鸟类和狐狸等天敌发现。

关键词解释：

pat：牛粪饼（口语词）

sheltered from：受到保护，免受……伤害

predators：捕食者（如鸟、狐狸）

📌 第二句：

Most species burrow into the soil and bury dung in tunnels directly underneath the pats, which are hollowed out from within.

翻译：
大多数屎壳郎种类会钻入土壤，并在牛粪正下方挖隧道，把粪便埋进去，这些粪便饼从内部被掏空。

关键词解释：

burrow into：钻进（土壤）

tunnels：隧道

hollowed out：被掏空

📌 第三句：

Some large species originating from France excavate tunnels to a depth of approximately 30 cm below the dung pat.

翻译：
一些来自法国的大型屎壳郎会挖掘深达约30厘米的隧道，在牛粪下方。

📌 第四句：

These beetles make sausage-shaped brood chambers along the tunnels.

翻译：
它们会沿着隧道建造香肠状的“育虫室”（繁殖后代的空间）。

关键词解释：

brood chambers：育虫室，昆虫用于产卵和幼虫成长的空间

sausage-shaped：香肠形状的

📌 第五句：

The shallowest tunnels belong to a much smaller Spanish species that buries dung in chambers that hang like fruit from the branches of a pear tree.

翻译：
一种体型更小的西班牙屎壳郎只挖浅浅的隧道，它们将粪便放在像梨树果实一样“悬挂”的育室中。

关键词解释：

shallowest：最浅的

hang like fruit：像水果一样悬挂
📌 第六句：

South African beetles dig narrow tunnels of approximately 20 cm below the surface of the pat.

翻译：
南非的屎壳郎会挖出约20厘米深的狭窄隧道，位于牛粪表面下方。

📌 第七句：

Some surface-dwelling beetles, including a South African species, cut perfectly-shaped balls from the pat, which are rolled away and attached to the bases of plants.

翻译：
一些生活在牛粪表面的屎壳郎（包括一种南非种类）会从牛粪中切割出完美球状的小粪球，把它们滚走，然后固定在植物根部。

For maximum dung burial in spring, summer and autumn, farmers require a variety of
species with overlapping periods of activity. In the cooler environments of the state of
Victoria, the large French species (2.5 cms long), is matched with smaller (half this size),
temperate-climate Spanish species. The former are slow to recover from the winter cold
and produce only one or two generations of offspring from late spring until autumn. The
latter, which multiply rapidly in early spring, produce two to five generations annually.
The South African ball-rolling species, being a sub-tropical beetle, prefers the climate of
northern and coastal New South Wales where it commonly works with the South African
tunneling species. In warmer climates, many species are active for longer periods of the
year.