Try to find a spider's web on a bush or on the grass in your garden, and look very closely at it. The spider makes the outside lines of the web first. Then it forms the lines which extend like the spokes of a wheel from the centre of the net to the edges. All these lines of the web are made of smooth elastic threads of silk.

走到花园中, 试试看能不能在树丛或草地上找到一张蜘蛛网, 然后仔细观察。蜘蛛首先编织的就是外围的蛛丝, 然后从中间往边缘的方向搭建轮辐般的蛛丝。这些蛛网全部由极富弹性的柔顺丝线组成。

Lastly, it starts from the centre of the web and fastens a slender line across the others, going round and round in a spiral. This spiral or cross thread is covered by the spider with thousands of tiny drops of a very sticky substance. Then the spider goes to one corner of the net and waits.

最后, 蜘蛛从蛛网中心绕上一圈又一圈的细丝, 它们构成彼此交叉的横丝。蜘蛛又在这些螺旋或交叉横丝上涂抹了数以千计的非常粘稠的物质。然后, 它便躲在一个角落里, 耐心等待。

Soon an insect—perhaps a common fly—rushes in its flight against the web, and is caught by the drops of sticky stuff. Out comes the spider, runs to the fly, and rolls a band of its gummy silk around it. Then the spider gives the fly a bite, to kill it, or carries it away to one corner of the web till it is wanted for food.

很快, 有只昆虫——可能就是一只普通点的苍蝇——在飞行中撞上了这张蛛网, 然后便被粘稠物质抓个正着。这时, 蜘蛛就会爬出来, 扑向苍蝇, 用粘稠的细丝将其团团围住。然后, 蜘蛛就会在苍蝇身上咬上一口, 把它杀死或者把它搬运到蛛网的某个角落, 等到想吃的时候再慢慢品尝。

The spider's jaws are grooved, and in its head are some tiny poison-bags. When the spider bites, some of the poison runs down the grooves, and so enters the body of the insect which is bitten. After this the insect is unable to move or to fly away.

蜘蛛的牙齿长有沟槽, 头部则生有几个很小的毒囊。当蜘蛛咬下猎物时, 一部分毒液顺着凹槽流入猎物。这时候, 被咬的昆虫动不了也飞不走了。

There are many spiders which in habits and appearance are quite different from the garden spider. Some of them have their nests in little holes in the ground, and make little trap-doors to close them. Others live under water, and carry down little bubbles of air to breathe in their homes.

蜘蛛的种类很多, 它们的习性、外貌与我们在花园中见到的蜘蛛相差很大。有些蜘蛛在地下的洞中栖身, 在洞口造出一个既能遮挡地洞又能捕获猎物的活门。还有些蜘蛛生活在水中, 它们能够将小气泡带入水中, 用于在自己的巢穴中呼吸。

英语美文