美國語文第五冊 第39期：致命的蟲豸（01）

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Who has not heard of the rattlesnake or copperhead?

有人從沒聽說響尾蛇或一種頭呈銅色的北美毒蛇？

An unexpected sight of either of these reptiles will make even the lords of creation recoil;

這兩種蟲豸，無論哪一種與你不期而遇，哪怕作為生物界主宰的人類亦會驚恐萬分；

but there is a species of worm, found in various parts of this country,

不過，還有一種極為特異的蠕蟲，這種蠕蟲在美國不少地區(qū)業(yè)已相繼發(fā)現(xiàn)，

which conveys a poison of a nature so deadly that, compared with it, even the venom of the rattlesnake is harmless.

這種蠕蟲分泌出某種致命的天然毒液，與其相比，響尾蛇對人的傷害委實(shí)是小巫見大巫。

To guard our readers against this foe of human kind is the object of this lesson.

本文旨在指導(dǎo)讀者如何預(yù)防來自人類敵人的傷害。

This worm varies much in size.

這種蠕蟲體形差異很大。

It is frequently an inch in diameter, but, As It Is rarely seen except when coiled, its length can hardly be conjectured.

通常其直徑達(dá)到一英寸，但除非蠕蟲盤繞成團(tuán)，這種情形極為鮮見，因此蠕蟲長度幾乎難以估測。

It is of a dull lead color, and generally lives near a spring or small stream of water,

蠕蟲呈暗鉛色，通常盤踞在泉水或細(xì)小溪流附近，

and bites the unfortunate people who are in the habit of going there to drink. The brute creation it never molests.

對前去飲水的人發(fā)動攻擊。蠕蟲從不攻擊猛獸，

They avoid it with the same instinct that teaches the animals of India to shun the deadly cobra.

與此同時(shí)，那些北美猛獸出于相同本能亦盡量避免與蠕蟲接觸，甚至知道如何避開致命的眼鏡蛇。

Several of these reptiles have long infested our settlements, to the misery and destruction of many of our fellow citizens.

世界上存在好幾種長期侵?jǐn)_人類的爬行蟲豸，它們給人們生命釀成不幸或?qū)е聻?zāi)難。

I have, therefore, had frequent opportunities of being the melancholy spectator of the effects produced by the subtile poison which this worm infuses.

這種蠕蟲刺入人體哪怕極少或微量體液，亦會給人帶來不可避免的悲劇。不幸的是，這類受害者對我來說，實(shí)在是司空見慣。