Mysteries of vernacular: Earwig - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

词源揭秘：Earwig — 杰茜卡·奥列克和雷切尔·蒂尔

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Jessica Ruby

翻译人员: Yixiong Zhu 校对人员: Jenny Yang

Mysteries of vernacular:

词源揭秘：

Earwig,

“Earwig（蠼螋）”，

an insect, generally classified

一种昆虫，通常被划分属于

within the order <i>dermaptera</i>.

革翅目。

The common name of the insects

这种我们平常称之为“earwig”的虫子，

we know as earwigs is exactly that,

的确是很

common,

平常，

and is based mainly in folklore.

其故事主要来自于民间传说。

It's rumored that these so-called earwigs

传说这种所谓的“earwig”

crawl into your ear at night

能在夜晚爬入你的耳道，

and tunnel into your brain,

钻入你的大脑，

but this is false.

但这不是真的。

Sure, an earwig may, on rare occasion,

的确，在罕见的情况下，“earwig”

climb into the ear of an unsuspecting sleeper,

能爬入没有防备的熟睡者的耳道，

but, really, who can blame them?

但是，真的，这怎么能怪“earwig”？

Ear canals are warm and dark,

耳道温暖而黑暗，

the perfect home for a creepy-crawly like this one.

完全是这种瘆人的小爬虫 最理想的家园。

The important thing to remember

需要记住的是，

is that even if an earwig found its way into your ear,

即便一只“earwig”爬入了你的耳道，

it would never eat through your eardrum.

它也绝对咬不穿你的耳膜。

Despite the erroneous origins

与那些来自夸大而恐怖的

of these trumped-up folk tales,

民间故事中所讲的不同，

they've been in place a long time.

这种虫子已经存在很长时间了。

The word earwig comes from the Old English word earwicga,

“Earwig”这个词来自 古英语单词“earwicga”。

a compound of ear, meaning ear, of course,

这个词由“ear”，也就是耳朵，

and wigca.

和“wigca”组成。

Scholars believe that wigca shares a root

学者相信“wigca”与“wiggle（扭动）”

with words like wiggle

还有“wag（摆动）”

and wag,

共享词根，

and that it most likely referred

而其含义很可能是指

to a creature that moves quickly.

某种移动速度很快的动物。

Unfortunately for this innocent little insect,

对这个无辜的小昆虫而言，很可惜的是，

even its scientific name gives it a bad rap.

它的学名都给了它不好的名声。

Because of the large, pencil-like cerci on the tail

因为其尾部硕大和铅笔状的尾毛，

and of its abdomen,

还有其腹部的形状，

scientists associate earwigs

科学家将“earwig”

with a pair of scissors,

比作一把剪刀，

calling them <i>forficula auricularia<i>,

将其命名为“Forficula auricularia”，

literally little scissors of the ear.

字面意义就是耳朵里的小剪刀。