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“科学种子科技英语”为上海青少年科学社特殊周刊板块，旨在经过双语形式翻译国内外最新科学技术科普文案，带领青少年读者们认识全世界最前沿的研究成果概况，普及科学知识、传播科学思维、领悟科学奥秘。2021年该板块重新推出，特邀上海青少年科学社优秀学生会员构成科普翻译团，经过朋友们自己的视角，诠释科学背面的故事，带领更加多的小伙伴学科学、爱科学，共读最前沿、最有趣的科普新闻。 科普翻译团第6期太空中的蜘蛛：无重力，光线作为定位的关键
Humans have taken spiders into space more than once to study the importance of gravity to their web-building. What originally began as a somewhat unsuccessful PR experiment for high school students has yielded the surprising insight that light plays a larger role in arachnid orientation than previously thought.为了科研重力对蜘蛛结网的重要性，人类已然不止一次地将蜘蛛带上太空。一起始这只是一项针对高中生开展的不太成功的公关实验，但此刻却带来了令人惊奇的发掘——光线对蛛形纲动物定位所起的功效比咱们之前认为的更大。The spider experiment by the US space agency NASA is a lesson in the frustrating failures and happy accidents that sometimes lead to unexpected research findings. The question was relatively simple: on Earth, spiders build asymmetrical webs with the center displaced towards the upper edge. When resting, spiders sit with their head downwards because they can move towards freshly caught prey faster in the direction of gravity.美国宇航局NASA开展的蜘蛛实验本来是一个令人懊丧的失败，但有时在科研中得到出人意料的发掘，便成为了意外之喜。实验科研的问题较为简单：在地球上，蜘蛛会织出不对叫作的网，网的中心位置偏上。休憩时，蜘蛛头朝下坐着，由于这般它们能够在重力的功效下更快地向刚捕捉的猎物移动。But what do arachnids do in zero gravity? In 2008, NASA wanted to inspire middle schools in the US with this experiment. But even though the question was simple, the planning and execution of the experiment in space was extremely challenging. This led to a number of mishaps.可倘若无重力的功效，蛛形纲动物会怎么做呢？2008年，NASA想用这个实验启发美国中学生。但即使这个问题很简单，在太空中计划实施这个实验却极具挑战性的。这引起了许多事故的出现。Two specimens from different spider species flew to the International Space Station (ISS) as "arachnauts," one (Metepeira labyrinthea) as the lead and the other (Larinioides patagiatus) as a reserve in case the first didnt survive.两只区别种类的蜘蛛做为“蜘蛛宇航员”飞往国际空间站，其中一只Metepeira labyrinthea做为重点实验品，另一只Larinioides patagiatus做为备用，以防第1只蜘蛛不可存活。The reserve spider escaped备用的蜘蛛逃跑了The reserve spider managed to break out of itsstorage chamber and into the main chamber. The chamber couldnt be opened for safety reasons, so the extra spider could not be recaptured. The two spiders spun somewhat muddled webs, getting in each others way.备用的蜘蛛设法从贮藏室中逃到了主舱。因为安全原由，主舱不可打开，因此备用蜘蛛不可再被抓回来。这两只蜘蛛互相妨碍，织出的网乱七八糟。And if that were not enough, the flies included as food reproduced more quickly than expected. Over time, their larvae crawled out of the breeding container on the floor of the case into the experimental chamber, and after two weeks covered large parts of the front window. After a month, the spiders could no longer be seen behind all the fly larvae.不仅如此，做为蜘蛛食品的苍蝇比预想中繁殖得更快。随着时间的推移，它们的幼虫爬出箱子底部的繁殖容器进入实验舱，两周后覆盖了实验舱前窗的大部分区域。一月后，蜘蛛已然被一片苍蝇幼虫淹没，再亦看不见了。This failure long nagged at Paula Cushing of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, who participated in the planning of the spider experiment. When the opportunity for a similar experiment on board the ISS cropped up again in 2011, the researcher got Dr. Samuel Zschokke of the University of Basel involved to prepare and analyze the new attempt. This time, the experiment started with four spiders of the same species (Trichonephila clavipes): two flew to the ISS in separate habitats, two stayed on Earth in separate habitats and were kept and observed under identical conditions as their fellows traveling in space -- except that they were exposed to terrestrial gravity.很长期里，参与了蜘蛛实验的丹佛自然科学博物馆的Paula Cushing对这次失败耿耿于怀。2011年，这位科研者得到一个机会，能够在国际空间站再次开展类似的实验，他邀请巴塞尔大学的Samuel Zschokke博士一起对新的实验进行准备与分析。这一次，实验采用了同一种类的四只蜘蛛（金丝网蛛）：其中两只分别飞往国际空间站的区别据点；另两只分别留在地球上的区别据点，并在和它们太空中的同伴相同的要求下被喂养和观察，独一的区别是它们受到地球重力的影响。The females were males “雌性蜘蛛”原来是雄性蜘蛛The plan was originally to use four females. But another mishap occurred: the spiders had to be chosen for the experiment as juveniles and it is extremely difficult to determine the sex of juvenile animals. In the course of the experiment, two of the spiders turned out to be males, which differ markedly in body structure and size from females of this species when fully grown. But finally there was a stroke of luck -- one of the males was on board the space station, the other on Earth.实验本来计划要用四只雌性蜘蛛。然则意外又一次出现了：实验必须选择幼年蜘蛛，而要分辨出幼年动物的性别是极其困难的。在实验的过程中，有两只蜘蛛被发掘是雄性蜘蛛，它们在成年后和雌性蜘蛛在身体构造和体型上存在显著区别。但幸运的是，一只雄性蜘蛛在空间站上，另一仅在地球上。The arachnids spun their webs, dismantled them, and spun new ones. Three cameras in each case took pictures every five minutes. Zschokke, Cushing and Stefanie Countryman of the University of Colorados BioServe Space Technologies that oversaw the design and launch of the space flight certified habitats（containing the spiders and fruit fly larvae and camera system）to the International Space Station analyzed the symmetry of 100 spider webs and the orientation of the spider in the web using about 14,500 images.蛛形纲动物们织网，又拆网，再重新织网。每一只蜘蛛有三台摄像机每五分钟拍一次照片。来自科罗拉多大学生物服务空间技术中心的Stefanie Countryman监督设计并向国际空间站发射空间飞行认证据点，这些据点包括蜘蛛和果蝇幼虫以及摄像系统。Zschokke、Cushing和Stefanie Countryman运用了约14500张图像分析了100张蜘蛛网的对叫作性和蜘蛛在网上的方位。It turned out that the webs built in zero gravity were indeed more symmetrical than those spun on Earth. Their center was closer to the middle and the spiders did not always keep their heads downwards. However, the researchers noticed that it made a difference whether the spiders built their webs in lamplight or in the dark. Webs built on the ISS in lamplight were similarly asymmetrical as the terrestrial webs.结果显示，在零重力下织出的网确实比在地球上织出的网更为对叫作。网的中心更接近于中间位置，况且蜘蛛并不总是把头朝下。然而，科研者们重视到蜘蛛在灯光中和阴暗中织出的网有所区别。在国际空间站上，在灯光下织成的网和在地球上的网同样，是不对叫作的。Light as a back-up system灯光是备用系统"We wouldnt have guessed that light would play a role in orienting the spiders in space," says Zschokke, who analyzed the spider experiment and published the results with his colleagues in the journalScience of Nature. "We were very fortunate that the lamps were attached at the top of the chamber and not on various sides. Otherwise, we would not have been able to discover the effect of light on the symmetry of webs in zero gravity."Zschokke说：“咱们无想到光线会影响蜘蛛在太空中的定位。”他分析了蜘蛛实验，并与他的同事在《自然科学》期刊上发布了科研结果。“咱们非常幸运，灯是安装在舱室的顶部，而不是各个侧面。否则，咱们就没法发掘在零重力下光线会影响蜘蛛网的对叫作性。”Analysis of the pictures also showed that the spiders rested in arbitrary orientations in their webs when the lights were turned off, but oriented themselves away -- i.e. downwards -- when the lights were on. It seems spiders use light as an additional orientation aid when gravity is absent. Since spiders also build their webs in the dark and can catch prey without light, it had previously been assumed that light plays no role in their orientation.对照片的分析还显示，当灯光关闭时，蜘蛛停留在蛛网上的方向是任意的，但当灯光亮起时，蜘蛛会使自己远离，亦便是头朝下。在无重力的状况下，蜘蛛似乎将光线做为定位的辅助工具。因为蜘蛛亦能在阴暗中织网，并能在无光线的状况下捉捕猎物，因此呢以前人们认为光线对它们的定位无功效。"That spiders have a back-up system for orientation like this seems surprising, since they have never been exposed to an environment without gravity in the course of their evolution," says Zschokke. On the other hand, he says, a spiders sense of position could become confused while it is building its web. The organ responsible for this sense registers the relative position of the front part of the body to the back. During construction of the web, the two body parts are in constant motion, so an additional orientation aid based on the direction of the light is particularly useful.Zschokke说：“蜘蛛有这般一个备用的定位系统，这似乎是令人惊讶的，由于它们在进化过程中从未接触过无重力的环境。”另一方面，他说，蜘蛛在结网的时候，方向感会变得混乱。负责供给方向感的器官记录了身体前后部的相对位置。在织网的过程中，蜘蛛身体的前后部分在持续运动，因此基于光线方向的额外定位援助格外有用。Story Source:Materials provided by University of Basel. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
科技词汇
orientation 定位，定向
arachnid 蛛形纲动物
asymmetrical 不对叫作的
mishap 劫难，不幸的事
larvae 幼虫
terrestrial 地球的，陆地的
译者：唐雪楠，复旦大学学生
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上海青少年科学社科普翻译团是由于一群热爱科学、有志于开展科普推广的学生志愿者构成，团队成员均为上海青少年科学社学生会员。翻译团旨在经过朋友们自己的视角，认识专家们的科研成果、诠释科学背面的故事，带领更加多的小伙伴学科学爱科学，共读最前沿、最有趣的科普新闻。翻译团所有公开作品均用以公益学习，不做任何商场推广。如有意向与翻译团成员一起阅读文献、加强英语能力、交流学习心得，欢迎加入咱们！
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发表于 2024-8-25 21:06:09
