PAGE 94: READING
Friend or Enemy?

'Kill it!' cried Debbie.
'Certainly not,' said Simon.
'Why? You're not frightened of it, are you?It's only an insect.'
'It isn't an insect,Debbie,though it might look like one.
Actually, it's a very useful creature.
The programme I watched last night has completely changed my views on spiders.
Do you want to hear about it?'
'Not really,' sighed Debbie'but I suppose you're going to tell me anyway.'
'Spiders,' said Simon,ignoring her remarks,
'are the enemies of insects and the friends of humans.
That's something that Chinese farmers realized years ago
and scientists are only beginning to understand today.
'Do you know that in parts of China,in the autumn,
farmers build shelters for spiders and put them all over their fields?
They're like little cone-shaped tents made of straw
and the spiders can survive the winter in them.
When spring comes, the spiders emerge healthy and hungry,
at the same time as millions of insects arrive to attack the farmers' crops.'
So the spiders fill their empty stomachs,
and the farmers whose fields are protected are happy.
They've saved their crops and their money.
Because of the spiders their expenditure on insecticides is nil.'
'So everyone's happy except the insects,' said Debbie.
'Right,and now this natural method of pest control is being copied all over the world.'
'Interesting,'said Debbie.'But now I really must go and...'
'Wait,'cried Simon.
'There's more.Do you know what is stronger than steel, lighter than a feather and as elastic as a rubber band?'
'No. What is it?'
'It's the silk that spiders make their webs with.
And scientists are trying to develop a material with similar properties.
They plan to use it in spacecraft,artificial organs like hearts,
and to make really bullet-proof vests.'
'I still think spiders are nasty,' said Debbie.
'Their bites are poisonous, aren't they? They're dangerous.'
'To insects, yes, but to people, rarely.
But even their poison is useful.
Doctors think it might be used to treat brain disorders in humans.'
'That's good news for you, then,'laughed Debbie.
'But seriously,I get your point, Simon.
We should try to understand things in nature and not destroy them.'

朋友还是敌人
“快弄死它”黛比大叫。
“当然不行”赛蒙说。
“为什么?你不是怕它吧?只不过是一只小虫。”
“这不是小虫,黛比,虽然它看起来的确比较像。”
“事实上,它是一种非常有用的小生物。
我昨晚看得电视节目已经让我对蜘蛛完全改观了。
你想听听吗?”
“不太想”黛比叹气到。“不过建议你还是多多少少告诉我一点好了。”
“蜘蛛,”赛蒙说,完全不听黛比的评论继续说道,
“是昆虫的天敌,人类的朋友。
这是中国的农民许多年前就发现了的
科学家们现在才开始明白其中的道理。”
“你知不知道在中国某些地方的秋季里,
农民们会帮蜘蛛建造庇护所,并把蜘蛛们放到他们的田地里?
他们就像是稻草做的锥形小帐篷
蜘蛛在里面就可以安然的度过寒冷的冬天。
当春天到来的时候,饥饿的蜘蛛就会健康的从小帐篷里出来
在这个时候,成千上万小昆虫就会农民的田里来吃‘庄稼’
这样蜘蛛就会把它们吃了来填饱肚子,
这样农民也因为自己的农田被保护了而感到高兴。
他们保护了自己的庄稼又省了钱。
多亏了蜘蛛他们完全不需要花购买杀虫剂的钱。”
“所以大家皆大欢喜。”黛比说。
“没错,现在这种靠自然资源的害虫防治已经遍及全球了。”
“真有意思,”黛比说。“但是现在我得走了...”
“等等”赛蒙大叫到。
“还有呢。你知道有什么是比钢铁还要强,比羽毛还要轻,和橡皮筋一样有有弹性吗?”
“不知道。是什么?”
“是蜘蛛直往用的蜘蛛丝。
而且科学家正在努力研制一种和蜘蛛丝性能相似的材料。
他们计划把这种材料用在航天器还有心脏这种人造器官上,
还可以制造真正的防弹背心。”
“我还是觉得蜘蛛很恶心,”黛比说。
“它们咬人的时候可是有毒的,不是吗?它们很危险。”
“对于其他昆虫,的确是,但是对于人类就几乎没有危险。
但是即使是它们的毒液也是大有用处的。
医生们认为它们的毒液可以用来治疗人类的痴呆症。”
“这对你来说可真是个好消息,”黛比大笑到。
“但是说真的,我明白你的意思,赛蒙。
我们应该努力了解大自然的生灵而不是摧毁他们。”

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