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If you've ever been around water in the summer, then there's a pretty good chance that you've seen a dragonfly.
如果你夏天在水边走过，很有可能看到过蜻蜓。
These bugs can be big or small, and almost any color you can think of, like red, pink, and even purple!
这些虫子可大可小，几乎有任何你能想到的颜色，如红色，粉色，甚至是紫色！
But all dragonflies have lots of things in common, even if they look very different from one another. For example ...
即使它们看起来非常不同，但所有的蜻蜓都有许多共通之处。比如：
You're right, Squeaks! Dragonflies aren't really dragons at all!
吱吱，你说对了！蜻蜓根本不是龙！
They are super strong and super fast, but they won't hurt you.
它们非常强壮，飞得也很快，但不会伤害你。
Even though their long bodies look kind of like a stinger, dragonflies don't sting.
即使它们修长的身体长得像刺，但不会蜇人。
Dragonflies are insects, just like bees, ants, and ladybugs.
蜻蜓和蜜蜂、蚂蚁和瓢虫一样是昆虫。
Like all insects, dragonflies have six legs...and three main parts of their body.
就像所有的昆虫，它们有6条腿和三个主要身体部位。
A dragonfly's life starts in an egg.
蜻蜓的一生是从卵开始的。
Some dragonflies lay their eggs in plants that grow in or near the water, and others lay their eggs right in the water!
一些蜻蜓在水中或附近的植物上产卵，而另一些则直接在水中产卵。
About a week later baby dragonflies are born.
大约一周后，蜻蜓宝宝就诞生了。
Young dragonflies are called nymphs, and they live in the water.
幼年蜻蜓被称为稚虫，生活在水里。
Like fish and other kinds of animals that live in the water, nymphs use body parts called gills to breathe.
就像鱼与其他生活在水里的动物，稚虫用叫做鳃的身体部位来呼吸。
But these gills aren't anywhere near their mouths like fishes' gills.
但这些鳃不像鱼一样挨着嘴。
Can you guess where they are on the nymph's body?
你能猜到它们的鳃在哪儿吗？
That's Right! Their butt!
对了，在尾部！
Can you imagine if we humans breathed from our butts?
你能想象得到我们人类从屁股上呼吸吗？
I'm pretty glad we use our noses and mouths instead.
我非常庆幸我们用鼻子和嘴呼吸。
Nymphs can also squirt water out of their backsides to move around quickly, like when they're trying to escape something that wants to eat them!
稚虫也可以从尾部喷水来快速移动，比如，它们试图逃离捕猎者时就会这样做。
Dragonflies stay as nymphs for about a year, although some kinds of dragonflies stay as nymphs for five years.
稚虫期要持续大约一年，有些蜻蜓的稚虫期是五年。
That whole time, the nymphs get bigger and bigger, until one day they climb out of the water.
它们在整个稚虫期变得越来越大，直到有一天从水里爬出来。
The outside of the nymph's shell splits open, and an adult dragonfly comes out!
稚虫壳的外面裂开，成虫从里面出来！
Now, take a look at the dragonfly nymph compared to the adult.
现在，比较一下蜻蜓稚虫和成虫。
The shapes of their bodies look kind of alike, but there's one thing the adult dragonfly has that the nymph doesn't.
它们的身体形状很相似，但有一样东西是成虫有而稚虫缺乏的。
Can you guess what it is?
你猜是什么？
Exactly! Wings! The middle part of the dragonfly's body has four wings,
说得非常对！翅膀！蜻蜓身体中部有四个翅膀，
and they're some of the strongest wings of all the insects in the world.
它们是世界所有昆虫翅膀中最强壮的翅膀。
They're strong enough to carry some dragonflies the whole way across the ocean.
它们足够强壮，可以支撑一些蜻蜓穿越海洋。
If you've ever seen a dragonfly, you know that they can also fly very fast.
如果你曾见过蜻蜓，你就知道它们也能飞得很快。
They can fly at speeds of about 50 kilometers, or 30 miles an hour, as fast as a car driving down the street!
它们能以每小时50公里或30英里的速度飞行，与行驶在街道上的汽车一样快！
They can also hover, which is when they stay in one place while they're in the air, and they can even fly backwards!
它们还可以悬停，在空中飞行时能在某个地方停留，它们甚至可以向后飞。
Dragonflies aren't only awesome fliers, though. They're also excellent hunters.
然而，蜻蜓不仅仅是令人惊叹的飞行家！它们也是卓越的猎人。
They use their flying skills and great eyesight to catch and eat smaller insects, tadpoles, and even small fish!
它们利用自己的飞行技能和优秀的视力来捕食较小的昆虫、蝌蚪甚至是小鱼。
And since they need a lot of energy to fly, they need to eat a lot!
由于它们的飞行需要许多能量，它们需要大量进食！
If you ate as much as a dragonfly did, you'd have to eat somewhere around eight boxes of pasta every single day!
如果你和蜻蜓吃得一样多的话，你必须每天吃八盒意大利面！
Some dragonflies are pretty big, and they make a kind of buzzing sound as they fly by, which might make them seem a little scary.
有些蜻蜓体型很大，它们飞行时发出一种嗡嗡的声音，这可能会让它们看起来有点儿吓人。
But there's really no reason to be afraid of these awesome insects. They won't hurt you!
但真没必要害怕这些了不起的昆虫。它们不会伤害你！
Unlike some other kinds of insects, dragonflies do not sting people.
与其他种类的昆虫不同，蜻蜓不会蜇人。
And that buzzing sound you might hear as a dragonfly whizzes by?
你听到的嗡嗡声是蜻蜓发出的？
That's just the sound of their awesome wings moving as they dart through the air.
这声音只是它们在空中飞过时，了不起的翅膀发出的声音。
Dragonflies have a very important job to do:
蜻蜓有很重要的工作要做：
a lot of the insects they eat are ones that people think are pests, like gnats and mosquitoes.
它们吃的很多昆虫都是人们认为的害虫，比如蠓虫和蚊子。
By eating lots of these pesky insects, dragonflies help to make sure that there aren't too many of them around.
通过大量进食这种讨厌的昆虫，蜻蜓能确保它们周围没有太多的害虫。
And that's a good thing. So, the next time you see a dragonfly, don't forget to say thanks!
这是件好事。所以，下次你见到蜻蜓时，不要忘了说声谢谢哦！
And thank you for joining us!
感谢您收看本期节目！
If you want to keep learning and having fun with Squeaks and me, hit the subscribe button.
如果你想继续学习，和我与吱吱共度美好时光，就点击订阅按钮吧！
And we'll see you next time, here at the Fort!
我们下期见，沃斯堡等你哦！
