Swarms of locusts forced Somalia to declare a national emergency. Skin-crawling photos show how menacing their plagues can be.
大量聚集的蝗虫迫使索马里宣布全国进入紧急状态。这些令人毛骨悚然的照片展示了这场蝗灾是多么的可怕。
An Ethiopian girl attempts to fend off desert locusts as they fly in a farm on the outskirt of Jijiga in Somali region, January 12, 2020.
2020年1月12日，在位于索马里Jijiga郊区的一个农场里，一名埃塞俄比亚女孩在试图驱赶飞来的沙漠蝗虫
Billions of desert locusts in East Africa are swarming at "unprecedented numbers" and pose a huge threat to the region's food security, the UN warns.
联合国警告称，东非数十亿沙漠蝗虫正以“前所未有的数量”成群结队，对该地区的粮食安全构成巨大威胁。
The swarms are so bad that Somalia declared a national emergency. Ethiopia and Kenya are struggling to maintain the outbreak, and scientists fear that the insects could eventually spread across Southwest Asia and the Middle East.
蝗虫如此之多，以至于索马里宣布全国进入紧急状态。埃塞俄比亚和肯尼亚正在努力防止灾情爆发，另外科学家们担心这种蝗虫最终可能会蔓延到西南亚和中东地区。
The swarms are a result of heavy rainfall and cyclones over the past two years, which provide ideal environments for rapid breeding.
蝗虫大量聚集是过去两年强降雨和飓风导致的结果，因为它们为蝗虫快速繁殖提供了理想的环境。
The insects have already destroyed hundreds and thousands of acres of crops in East Africa, and the UN is calling for international help to quell the crisis. They fear the numbers could grow 500 times by June and reach 30 different countries.
这种蝗虫已经摧毁了东非成百上千英亩的农作物，联合国呼吁国际社会帮助平息这场危机。他们担心，到今年6月，这一数字可能增长500倍，会影响到30个不同的国家。
Photos reveal a skin-crawling look at locust plagues and how menacing they can be.
下面的照片展示了蝗灾是多么的令人毛骨悚然，以及它们的破坏性是多么的恐怖
Desert locusts are the most notorious — and damaging — breed of locust. They're found in around 30 countries throughout Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and can swarm through one-fifth of the landmass on Earth.
沙漠蝗虫是最臭名昭著、最具破坏性的蝗虫品种。它们遍布在非洲、亚洲和中东的大约30个国家，可以挤满地球上五分之一的陆地。
A desert locust is seen feeding on a plantation in a grazing land.一只沙漠蝗虫在牧场的一个种植园里觅食
Each locust in a swarm can eat its own weight in food per day. A small portion of an average swarm eats around the same amount as 10 elephants, or 2,500 people.
每只蝗虫每天可以吃到和它体重相当的食物。平均来说，一小部分蝗虫组成的蝗群就可以吃掉大约相当于10头大象，或2500人的食物量。
Locusts swarm from ground vegetation as people approach at Lerata village.当人们接近莱拉塔村时，蝗虫从地面植被中蜂拥而出
A swarm can spread over 460 square miles, with 40 million to 80 million locusts per half-square mile.
一个蝗虫群可以蔓延460多平方英里，每0.5平方英里会有4000万到8000万个蝗虫。
A Samburu man walks through a swarm of desert locusts flying over a grazing land.一个桑布鲁人穿过一群飞过牧场上空的沙漠蝗虫。
Author Laura Ingalls Wilder describes how terrifying a swarm can be in her book "On the Banks of Plum Creek." She wrote that she could feel the insects squishing beneath her feet and hear and the sound of "millions of jaws biting and chewing."
作家劳拉·英格尔斯·怀尔德在她的《梅溪岸边》一书中描述了蝗群的可怕。她写道，她能感觉到蝗虫正在她脚下吱吱作响，而且能听到数百万双颚在咬和咀嚼食物的声音。
Desert locusts cover branches.沙漠蝗虫爬满树枝
During plague recessions, or "quiet periods," desert locusts typically live in very dry areas of Africa, the Middle East, and South-West Asia that receive fewer than eight inches of rain per year.
在蝗灾衰退期或“平稳期”，沙漠蝗虫通常生活在非洲、中东和西南亚的干旱地区，这些地区每年的降水量不足8英寸。
A desert locust is seen in a grazing land.牧场地上发现的一只蝗虫
Locust plagues have been recorded since ancient Egypt, but there's no evidence to suggest plagues occur with any regularity. Rapid breeding occurs only when the climate is favorable, making them somewhat difficult to track
从古埃及就有发生蝗灾的记录，但没有证据表明蝗灾具有任何的规律性。快速繁殖只有在气候适宜的时候才会发生，这使得追踪它们会有些困难。
Desert locusts are seen feeding on a tree in a grazing land.沙漠蝗虫在牧场里的一棵树上觅食
In 1875, the largest locust plague in history turned US skies black, when a swarm 1,800 miles long and 110 miles wide flew over the Midwest. Scientists believe there were trillions of "Rocky Mountain Locusts," a type of insect that's now extinct.
1875年，历史上最严重的蝗灾使美国的天空变成了黑色，当时有1800英里长、110英里宽的蝗虫群飞过美国中西部的上空。科学家们认为蝗群里有数万亿“落基山蝗虫”，一种现已灭绝的昆虫。
Historic image of a locust swarm.一张蝗虫群的老照片
But today's desert locusts are just as havoc-wreaking. According to Dominique Burgeon, an emergency services director at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the current outbreak in Africa is "an unprecedented situation."
但是今天的沙漠蝗虫也在肆虐。联合国粮农组织紧急服务主任Dominique Burgeon表示，目前在非洲爆发的蝗灾是以前从没见过的一种情况。
A swarm of desert locusts fly over a grazing land.一群沙漠蝗虫飞过牧场
During plagues, desert locusts can spread over millions of miles and travel into parts of 60 countries. This affects over 20% of the earth's land surface, and according to the UN, plagues can damage the livelihoods for one-tenth of the world's population.
在蝗灾期间，沙漠蝗虫可以蔓延数百万英里，会扩散到60个国家的部分地区。这会使超过20%的地球表面受到影响，根据联合国的数据，蝗灾可以破坏世界十分之一人口的生计。
Samburu men attempt to fend-off a swarm of desert locusts flying over a grazing land.桑布鲁人试图击退一群飞过牧场的沙漠蝗虫
Favorable breeding conditions during plagues include moist, sandy soil, and green vegetation. Females can lay up to 158 eggs per egg pod, and are able to reproduce at least three times throughout their life.
蝗灾期间适宜的繁殖条件包括潮湿、沙质土壤和绿色植被。雌性每只卵荚可产158枚卵，一生中至少能繁殖三次。
A man holds an African locust egg between his fingers.一名男子用手指夹着一个非洲蝗虫卵荚
Before reaching adulthood, locusts are in an immature stage and referred to as "hoppers." Much like teenagers, this is when their appetites are the most ravenous, said Keith Cressman.
在成虫之前，蝗虫处于不成熟阶段，被称为“跳虫”。凯斯·克雷斯曼表示:“这一时期的蝗虫和青少年很像，它们的胃口最大。
a young desert locust that has not yet grown wings is stuck in a spider's web on a thorny bush in the desert.沙漠中，一只尚未长出翅膀的小蝗虫被困在多刺的灌木上的蜘蛛网里
Eggs hatch in about two weeks and can reach adulthood anywhere between three weeks and nine months.
虫卵在大约两周内完成孵化，在三周到九个月的时间内可以在任何地方发育成熟。
A desert locust is seen on the farmer's hand in a grazing land.在一个牧场里，一只沙漠蝗虫停留在农夫的手上
As desert locusts become more numerous, they change their behavior to be "gregarious,"and act as a part of a larger group. During this process their color changes from brown (solitary) to yellow and pink (gregarious).
随着沙漠蝗虫的数量越来越多，它们的行为也变成了“群居”，成为一个更大群体中的一部分。在这个过程中，它们的颜色从棕色(独居)变为黄色和粉红色(群居)。
Locust swarms threaten more countries in eastern Africa.蝗虫群正在威胁东非更多的国家
But that doesn't mean locusts are particularly friendly toward one another. They actually become cannibalistic during swarms, and insects that don't move with the flow of the group become easy targets for killing.
但这并不意味着蝗虫之间特别友好。实际上，在成群结队的时候，它们会自相残杀，而那些不随群而动的蝗虫就很容易成为被猎杀的目标。
Locusts rest on a branch.蝗虫在树枝上休息
Though swarms can look menacing, desert locusts do not outwardly attack people or animals, and there is no evidence to suggest they carry diseases.
尽管蝗虫群看起来有威胁性，但从表面上来看沙漠蝗虫并不会攻击人类或动物，也没有证据表明它们携带疾病。
A herdsman holds a desert locust within a grazing land.牧场里一个牧民用手拿着一只沙漠蝗虫
During locust plagues, pesticides are often sprayed from vehicles and small planes. But researchers have turned to non-chemical methods such as changing farming techniques, and focusing on pathogen and insect growth regulators instead.
蝗灾期间，人们经常通过汽车和小型飞机喷洒农药。但研究人员已经转向非化学方法，如改变农业技术，关注病原体和昆虫生长调节剂。
A plane conducting the aerial spraying of pesticides, flies over a swarm of desert locusts.一架在空中喷洒农药的飞机在一群沙漠蝗虫上空飞过
But fighting locusts is an expensive battle. From 2003-2005, $450 million was spent to stop a desert locust plague in Africa that resulted in $2.5 billion worth of crop damage.
但抗击蝗虫是一场代价高昂的战役。从2003年到2005年，为制止非洲沙漠蝗灾花费了4.5亿美元，这场蝗灾导致价值25亿美元的农作物遭到损害。
A man sprays organic pesticide on locusts to demonstrate its effects in fighting their spreading.一名男子向蝗虫喷洒有机农药，以显示其在防治蝗虫蔓延方面的效果
As of Sunday, February 9, swarms have been detected in Uganda and Tanzania. The UN fears that a new generation of locusts could coincide with the next planting and rain season in East Africa, which would make controlling the outbreak exponentially more difficult.
截至2月9日，星期天，在乌干达和坦桑尼亚也发现了蝗虫群。联合国担心，新一代蝗虫可能会与东非的下一个种植季和雨季同时出现，这将使控制疫情的难度指数性增加。
young desert locusts that have not yet grown wings crowd together on a rock in the desert.沙漠中尚未长出翅膀的小蝗虫聚集在一块岩石上
The UN is currently seeking $76 million from international donors in order to "urgently support both pest control and livelihood protection operations in the three most affected countries."
联合国目前正在寻求国际捐助者提供7600万美元，以“紧急支持受影响最严重的三个国家进行虫害控制和生计保护行动”。
A swarm of locusts aggregates on the canopies of shrubs at Lerata village.一群蝗虫聚集在莱拉塔村灌木丛的树冠上
Key words
Menacing[ˈmenəsɪŋ]威胁的、险恶的
Unprecedented[ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd]空前的、无先例的
Ideal[aɪˈdiːəl]理想的、完美的
Crisis[ˈkraɪsɪs]危险、危机
Skin-crawling毛骨悚然的
Notorious[nəʊˈtɔːriəs]臭名昭著的
Squish[skwɪʃ]发出咯吱声
Recession[rɪˈseʃn]萧条、衰退
Havoc-wreaking肆虐的
Current[ˈkɜːrənt]目前的、流通的
Favorable['feɪvərəbl]良好的、有利的
Moist[mɔɪst]潮湿
Vegetation[ˌvedʒəˈteɪʃn]植被、植物
Immature[ˌɪməˈtjʊə(r)]不成熟的、粗糙的
Appetite[ˈæpɪtaɪt]欲望、胃口
Ravenous[ˈrævənəs]贪婪的、渴望的
Hatch[hætʃ]孵化、策划
Numerous[ˈnjuːmərəs]许多的、大量的
Particularly[pəˈtɪkjələli]特别明确地
Cannibalistic[ˌkænɪbəˈlɪstɪk]自相残杀的
Attack[əˈtæk]攻击、袭击
Pesticide[ˈpestɪsaɪd]杀虫剂
Vehicle[ˈviːəkl]车辆、运载工具
Worth[wɜːθ]价值、财产
Detect[dɪˈtekt]察觉、发现
Insufficient[ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃnt]不充分的
Financial[faɪˈnænʃl]金融的、财政的
Exponentially[ˌekspəˈnenʃəli]以指数方式
Phrase
Fend off驱赶
So...that...如此...以至于
Call for呼吁、要求
At least至少
Be able to能够
Refer to涉及、指的是
Act as扮演
Such as比如
Focus on集中
Coincide with符合、一致
In order to为了
Grammar
感叹句通常有what,how引导,表示赞美、惊叹、喜 悦、等感情
How +形容词+ a +名词+ 陈述语序 How clever a boy is!
What+a+形容词+名词+ 陈述语序 What a clever boy he is!
典型例题
1）___ food you've cooked!
A.How a nice B.What a nice C.How nice D.What nice
答案D.由于How 修饰形容词,副词；what修饰名词.且food为不可数名词,因此A,B 排除.C How + adj.后面不能再加名词,因此只有D正确,其句型为What + adj.+n.(不可数)
非限制性定语从句
非限制性定语从句是先行词的附加说明，去掉了也不会影响主句的意思，它与主句之间通常用逗号分开，将非限定性定语从句放在句子中间，其前后都需要用逗号隔开。常用的关系词有which、who、whose、when、as、where，不能用that。
The swarms are a result of heavy rainfall and cyclones over the past two years, which provide ideal environments for rapid breeding.
which引导的非限制性定语从句修饰主句中的rainfall和cyclones，表示降雨和飓风为繁殖提供了好的环境。
结束语：
据农业农村部种植业管理司消息，考虑到我国边境地区地形地貌、气候特点及沙漠蝗的迁飞习性，沙漠蝗危害我国的几率很小。
近年来，我国蝗虫监测预警和防治能力不断提升，防治技术属于世界领先水平，防蝗药械储备比较充足，国内蝗虫大面积暴发风险很低，危害可防可控。
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