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外刊精读 | 考研英语素材:超过六成的蚊子,把驱蚊剂的味道当成了开饭铃

2026-11-03 16:10:20

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一、背景速览

全球蚊子约有一百一十万亿只，传播的疟疾、登革热、黄热病等每年致死数十万人，避蚊胺（DEET）因此成了几十年来最可靠的防线。《实验生物学期刊》五月刊出的一项新研究却发现，这条防线有个被忽视的漏洞：蚊子会学。研究团队把蚊子关进玻璃管，隔着网纱放一罐体温 98.6°F 的血；让它们吸到血的同时闻避蚊胺的气味，再撤走血、只留气味——超过六成的蚊子还是回到网纱边等开饭。也就是说，当皮肤上的驱蚊剂浓度衰减到「闻得到、赶不走」的区间，蚊子一旦在此刻吸血成功，就把气味和血餐绑在了一起，此后反而更爱叮擦了驱蚊剂的人。研究合著者、弗吉尼亚理工学院的 Clément Vinauger 给出的办法不复杂：按说明书上的量涂，一天里反复补涂，别指望一次涂够撑一整天。

二、英文节选

The problem, as found by a research team including Clément Vinauger, associate professor in the department of biochemistry at Virginia Tech, is that while mosquitoes are simple critters, they're smart enough to learn. When a human freshly applies DEET, it repels the bugs for a while. As the scent starts to fade but doesn't vanish entirely, however, mosquitoes will resume biting and will come to associate the presence of the chemical with a tasty blood meal. That actually draws them to some people who are wearing DEET.

"Mosquitoes are very smart and can outsmart our control tools," says Vinauger. "DEET is a molecule that can be interpreted by the mosquito brain, and mosquitoes can learn to like it."

三、中文译文

问题出在哪？一个包括 Clément Vinauger 在内的研究团队发现：蚊子的确头脑简单，却也聪明到会学习。Vinauger 是弗吉尼亚理工学院生物化学系的副教授。人刚涂上避蚊胺时，它能把蚊子赶开一阵。可当气味开始变淡、却还没有完全消失，蚊子就会重新开咬，并把这种化学物质的存在和一顿可口的血餐联系起来。结果就是，驱蚊剂反倒把它们引到了某些擦了避蚊胺的人身上。

「蚊子非常聪明，能斗过我们的防控手段，」Vinauger 说，「避蚊胺是一种能被蚊子大脑解读的分子，而蚊子学得会喜欢它。」

四、高频词短语

【come-hither】　/ˌkʌm ˈhɪðə(r)/　a. 勾人的，招人的

例句：DEET can turn into a come-hither smell for mosquitoes that have learned to like it.

译：对学会喜欢避蚊胺的蚊子，它成了勾人的气味。

【repellent】　/rɪˈpelənt/　n. 驱虫剂

例句：Vinauger says DEET is still the most effective repellent on the market.

译：Vinauger 说避蚊胺仍是市面上最有效的驱虫剂。

【outsmart】　/ˌaʊtˈsmɑːt/　v. 智胜，比……更精明

例句：Mosquitoes can outsmart the tools we use to control them.

译：蚊子能斗过我们对付它的工具。

【deter】　/dɪˈtɜː(r)/　v. 阻止，使不敢

例句：The smell of DEET did not deter the mosquitoes from feeding.

译：避蚊胺的气味没能阻止蚊子进食。

【fade】　/feɪd/　v. 逐渐消失，变淡

例句：As the repellent fades, its smell may start to attract rather than repel.

译：驱蚊剂变淡后，气味可能由驱赶转为吸引。

五、长难句速拆

原句：The problem, as found by a research team including Clément Vinauger, associate professor in the department of biochemistry at Virginia Tech, is that while mosquitoes are simple critters, they're smart enough to learn.

主干只有五个词：The problem is that…。中间从 as found by 一直到 Virginia Tech 都是插进去交代「谁发现的」，删掉不影响骨架；associate professor in the department of biochemistry at Virginia Tech 又是 Clément Vinauger 的同位语，一层套一层，读时心里给它加对括号就行。落脚点在 that 后面：while 引出让步，意思是「蚊子固然头脑简单」，逗号后才是转折重心——它们聪明到会学习。这个 while 不是「当……时候」，是「虽然」。

六、考场应用

考研阅读·让步状语从句的判断：while mosquitoes are simple critters, they're smart enough to learn 一句里，while 表的是「虽然」而非「当……时」——考试常在这里设题，问作者对蚊子的评价，答「看似简单实则善于学习」才对。判断办法：看逗号前后是不是同一个主语、后半句有没有转折重心。

雅思写作·Task 2：科技与自然类题目需要「反直觉的机制」来撑论证。本文可用的链条是：驱蚊剂浓度随时间衰减 → 衰减到闻得到却赶不走的区间 → 蚊子恰在此时吸血成功 → 从此把气味当开饭信号。适合写「为什么单靠一种手段对付害虫不可靠」，比空说 chemicals are not always effective 具体。

考研翻译·插入语的处理：The problem, as found by a research team including…, is that… 这类句子，先把主干 The problem is that… 译出来，再把插入语挪到句首或用破折号带出，别顺着英文语序硬译成「这个问题，被一个包括……的研究团队发现，是……」。

试译：There's more to repelling mosquitoes than DEET, of course. Vinauger recommends installing well-maintained window screens and, in parts of the world where malaria is common, using bed nets. 这两句你打算怎么翻？提示：There's more to X than Y 不是「X 比 Y 多」，in parts of the world where… 那层定语也容易译得绕。