Spare that spider

原文

Why, you may wonder, should spiders be our friends? Because they destroy so many insects, and insects include some of the greatest enemies of the human race. Insects would make it impossible for us to live in the world; they would devour all our crops and kill our flocks and herds, if it were not for the protection we get from insect-eating animals. We owe a lot to the birds and beasts who eat insects but all of them put together kill only a fraction of the number destroyed by spiders. Moreover, unlike some of the other insect eaters, spiders never do the harm to us or our belongings.

Spiders are not insects, as many people think, nor even nearly related to them. One can tell the difference almost at a glance, for a spider always has eight legs and insect never more than six.

How many spiders are engaged in this work no our behalf? One authority on spiders made a census of the spiders in grass field in the south of England, and he estimated that there were more than 2,250,000 in one acre; that is something like 6,000,000 spiders of different kinds on a football pitch. Spiders are busy for at least half the year in killing insects. It is impossible to make more than the wildest guess at how many they kill, but they are hungry creatures, not content with only three meals a day. It has been estimated that the weight of all the insects destroyed by spiders in Britain in one year would be greater than the total weight of all the human beings in the country.

T. H. GILLESPLE Spare that spider from The Listener

译文

您也许会感到奇怪,为什么蜘蛛是我们的朋友呢?因为它们消灭了许多昆虫,而昆虫中包括一些人类最大的敌人。昆虫会使我们无法在世界上生活;如果没有食虫动物的保护,它们就会吞食我们所有的庄稼,杀死我们的牲畜和家禽。我们要感谢那些吃昆虫的鸟类和兽类,但是它们加在一起杀死的昆虫数目还不到蜘蛛杀死的一小部分。而且,不像某些其他食虫动物,蜘蛛从不伤害我们或我们的财产。

蜘蛛不是昆虫,正如许多人所想的那样,甚至与昆虫没有密切的亲缘关系。人们几乎一眼就能看出区别,因为蜘蛛总是有八条腿,而昆虫决不超过六条腿。

有多少蜘蛛在为我们从事这项工作呢?一位蜘蛛专家对英格兰南部一个草地上的蜘蛛进行了调查,他估计一英亩地里有超过225万只;也就是说,在一个足球场上大约有600万只不同种类的蜘蛛。蜘蛛至少在半年里都在忙于杀死昆虫。关于它们杀死昆虫的数量,我们只能作最粗略的估计,但是它们是贪婪的动物,不满足于每天只吃三餐。据估计,英国蜘蛛在一年内消灭的昆虫总重量将超过该国所有人口的总重量。

T. H. GILLESPLE Spare that spider from The Listener

词汇表

spiders

noun (plural)
英:/ˈspaɪdəz/
美:/ˈspaɪdərz/
定义
1. 蜘蛛 - Arachnids with eight legs, known for spinning webs and preying on insects.

例子: Spiders in the garden help control the insect population.

例子: Many people fear spiders, but they are actually beneficial.

近义词
arachnids: 更科学和正式的术语,指整个蜘蛛类动物,而 'spiders' 更具体地指常见的蜘蛛物种。
web-spinners: 强调蜘蛛的网织行为,常用于描述其捕食方式,与 'spiders' 的生物学含义相比更具描述性。
insect predators: 泛指捕食昆虫的动物,包括蜘蛛,但更宽泛,不限于蜘蛛的物理特征。
反义词:
prey, victims, insects
用法
常用于生物学或日常语境中描述昆虫捕食者,强调其益处,如农业中的害虫控制;文化背景中,蜘蛛常被视为恐惧对象,但在科学语境中是积极的。
形式:
复数: spiders, 单数: spider, 动词形式: 无(但可衍生如 'spider-like' 形容词)

关键句型 "if it were not for [something]"

定义

这个句型用于表达一种假设情景,表示如果没有某事物的存在,事情会如何发展。它是一种虚拟语气结构,形式为:if it were not for + [something],后接主句描述结果。根据《剑桥英语语法》教材,这种句型常用于第三条件句(虚拟语气),表达与事实相反的假设,强调某事物的必要性或保护作用。

例如,在文章中:“Insects would make it impossible for us to live in the world; they would devour all our crops and herds, if it were not for the protection we get from insect-eating animals.”

它帮助表达因果关系,突出“但为……”的含义,使语言更生动和正式。

用法

此句型主要用于描述假设性的场景,强调某事物的缺失会带来的负面后果,常出现在解释、论证或故事中。规则:if it were not for 后跟名词或名词短语,然后是主句用would + 动词原形表示结果。

在语法体系中,它属于条件句的一部分,与其他条件句(如第一条件句“if + 现在时,主句用will”)形成对比。横向比较:与“if... then...”相比,这个句型更正式,侧重于外部因素的干预;与“without [something]”类似,但if it were not for 更强调虚拟的条件,适合与过去或现在事实相对的场景。与“but for”相近,但后者更简洁,常用于法律或正式文体。

跨语法点联系:它涉及虚拟语气,还可与条件从句(如“If I were you”)结合,帮助学生理解更大范围的假设表达。

注意事项

学生常犯的错误包括:混淆时态,例如用“if it is not for”代替,导致句子失去虚拟语气,显得不自然;或遗漏主句的would,使句子不完整。纠正建议:记住虚拟语气的关键是使用过去式(如“were”),并配以would表示结果。具体例句:

错误示例:Insects would make it impossible if it is not for the protection.  (错误:is 应为 were)
正确示例:Insects would make it impossible if it were not for the protection.

另一个常见问题是用错结构,如直接说“Without the protection, insects would...”而忽略句型的完整性,学生应练习在复杂句中保持连贯。

练习

一个原创例子:在环保主题中,你可以说:“The city would be covered in pollution if it were not for the new recycling programs.” 学生可以替换[something],如“if it were not for my friends, I would feel lonely”,并应用到日常生活场景,例如讨论健康:“I would get sick more often if it were not for regular exercise.”

这种替换练习能让学生适应不同语境,增强对句型的灵活运用,同时鼓励他们创造自己的故事来加深记忆。

额外内容

背景知识:这个句型源于英语的虚拟语气,历史可追溯到莎士比亚时代,用于表达遗憾或假设,在现代英语中常用于科学或说明文。对比分析:与汉语的“要不是……”类似,但英语通过语法结构(如were)体现虚拟性,而汉语更多依赖词汇。相比法语的条件句,英语的这个句型更简单,不需要复杂的动词变位。学习它能帮助学生在写作中添加深度,例如在议论文中强调因果,提升语言的说服力。

关键句型 "unlike [something], [clause]"

定义

这个句型用于比较差异,表达某事物与另一事物的不同之处。结构为:unlike + [something] + , + [clause],其中**[something]是名词或短语,[clause]**是描述差异的从句。根据《牛津现代英语语法》,它是一种对比连接词,帮助突出反差,强调独特性。

文章中如:“Moreover, unlike some of the other insect eaters, spiders never do the harm to us or our belongings。”

它使句子更精确,适合描述事实时的比较。

用法

此句型常用于说明文、议论文或描述中,表示例外或对比,规则是unlike后跟被比较的对象,然后用逗号连接主句。场景包括科学解释、生活观察或辩论。

在语法体系中,它属于比较结构的一部分,与其他连接词(如“although”或“while”)相关。横向比较:与“compared to [something]”相比,unlike更直接,强调差异而非全面比较;与“whereas”类似,但unlike常用于句首或句中,更适合非正式语境。与“similar to”形成对比,帮助学生理解正反两面的表达。跨语法联系:它可与形容词比较级结合(如“unlike A, B is bigger”),或扩展到复杂句,帮助构建逻辑清晰的段落。

注意事项

学生易犯错误包括: misuse unlike as a verb或忽略逗号,导致句子模糊;或将它与“like”混淆,造成逻辑错误。纠正建议:强调unlike是介词,必须后跟名词短语,并用逗号分隔从句。具体例句:

错误示例:Unlike some insects spiders are helpful.  (错误:缺少逗号和从句连接)
正确示例:Unlike some insects, spiders are helpful.

另一个问题是过度使用,导致文章 repetitive;学生应练习在适当语境中应用,避免简单罗列。

练习

原创例子:在自然主题中可以说:“Unlike city life, country life offers peace and quiet.” 学生可以替换[something]和[clause],如“Unlike dogs, cats are more independent”,并应用到个人经历,例如:“Unlike my brother, I prefer reading books.”

通过这种练习,学生能学会在对话或写作中自然使用句型,增强表达的多样性。

额外内容

背景知识:unlike 起源于古英语,强调对比,在现代英语中常用于科普文章以突出事实差异。对比分析:与西班牙语的“a diferencia de”相似,但英语版本更简洁,无需额外词汇。学习此句型能丰富学生的对比写作技巧,例如在作文中用于论点支持,同时对比其他语言的表达方式,能加深对英语逻辑的理解。