Small World

小世界

Even though people can't see me, I'm an important part of Earth's biosphere. Scientists who study ecology know that I was the first life form on Earth. There is more of my kind than any other plant or animal in the world. Without me, other plants and animals would not even exist. I am a protist, and my tiny body is made up of one single cell.

虽然人们看不到我，但我是地球生物圈的重要组成部分。研究生态学的科学家知道我是地球上第一种生命形式。我的种类比世界上任何其他植物或动物都多。没有我，其他的动植物就不会存在。我是一个原生生物，我小小的身体是由一个细胞组成的。

In my small world, things can be absolutely bizarre. Unlike most aquatic plants and animals, I don't need a temperate climate. I have a very high tolerance for extreme conditions. Right now, I'm swimming around in a bucket of boiling water! The temperature is 150 degrees Celsius, but I feel comfortable. I have coarse hairs called cilia that help me swim around in here. I move my cilia in a repetitive motion for the duration of my swim. I cannot go very fast, though. It takes me about five minutes to swim a distance of just one millimeter!

在我的小世界里，事情可能是绝对奇怪的。不像大多数水生植物和动物，我不需要温和的气候。我对极端情况有很强的忍耐力。现在，我正在一桶沸水里游泳!温度是150摄氏度，但我觉得很舒服。我有一种叫做纤毛的粗毛，可以帮助我在这里游泳。我在游泳的过程中不断地移动我的纤毛。不过，我无法快速移动。我游一毫米的距离大约需要五分钟!

When I get hungry, I look for tiny, vulnerable parasites. I swim up to one and swallow it whole. I digest things much like people do. I have an organ that works just like a human stomach. After I eat, I release nitrogen gas. Nitrogen is a prominent gas in the earth's atmosphere. Other plants and animals need my nitrogen to survive.

我感到饥饿的时候，就会寻找微小的、脆弱的寄生虫。我游到一头，把它整个吞下去。我像人一样消化东西。我有一个像人类胃一样工作的器官。吃完后，我释放氮气。氮是地球大气中一种重要的气体。其他植物和动物需要我的氮来生存。

My reproductive ability is my most unique trait. I don't need a companion to mate with. Instead, I undergo a process called fission, where my own nucleus splits in half. An exact copy of my nucleus is made, which forms into another protist. It really is an impressive feat. I can create an infinite number of new protists all by myself!

我最独特之处在于我的再生能力。我不需要伴侣繁衍后代。相反，我经历了一个叫做裂变的过程，我自己的原子核分裂成两半。我的细胞核被复制，形成另一个原生生物。这确实是一个令人印象深刻的壮举。我可以自己创造无数的新原生生物!

单词表

aquatic adj. 水生的

biosphere n. 生物圈

bizarre adj. 奇异的

celsius n. 摄氏度

coarse adj. 粗糙的

companion n. 同伴

digest v. 消化

duration n. 持续

ecology n. 生态学

feat n. 功绩

infinite adj. 无限的

nucleus n. 核心

parasite n. 寄生虫

prominent adj. 突出的

repetitive adj. 重复的

reproductive adj. 生殖的

temperate adj. 温和的

tolerance n. 容忍

undergo v. 经历

vulnerable adj. 脆弱的

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