Why are cockroaches so hard to kill? - Ameya Gondhalekar

翻译人员: Siyu Lian 校对人员: Yuwei Wu

In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, there’s a banishment spell that declares,

在埃及的死亡之书里 写着一条驱逐咒语：

“Be far from me, O vile cockroach.”

“可恶的蟑螂啊，请远离我。”

More than 3,000 years later, we’re still trying to oust these insects.

三千多年以后， 我们还在尝试消灭这群虫子。

But from poison traps to hastily brandished slippers,

从毒药陷阱到仓卒挥舞的拖鞋，

cockroaches seem to weather just about everything we throw at them.

蟑螂似乎对我们所有的招数 都能迎刃而解。

So what makes cockroaches so hard to kill?

所以到底为什么蟑螂 这么难杀死呢？

There are nearly 5,000 cockroach species.

世界上有近 5,000 种蟑螂。

99% of them live in a range of habitats where they play important ecological roles

99 %的蟑螂在广泛的栖息地中 扮演了重要的生态角色，

by recycling dead or decaying organic matter

它们回收利用死物， 或者腐烂有机物，

and nourishing other animals.

还有滋养其他动物。

But a couple dozen species adapted to live in close association with humans.

但几个种类的蟑螂 适应了与人类密切生活，

German and American cockroaches are among the most common.

其中最普遍的是 德国和美国的蟑螂。

And they owe their resilience to a combination

它们的抵御能力源于 物理和化学适应的结合。

of physical and chemical adaptations.

When it comes to old-fashioned removal methods,

说到老式的清除方法，

they're troublingly tenacious.

它们是令人讨厌的麻烦。

An American cockroach’s sensory hairs or structures pick up subtle air currents

一只美国蟑螂的感官毛发或结构 能捕捉到细微的气流，

and rapidly send signals to its central nervous system.

然后迅速地向中央神经系统 传递信号，

The roach can then turn and sprint away within a few milliseconds.

蟑螂可以在几毫秒内 转身冲刺离开。

And it’s among the fastest invertebrates ever recorded,

蟑螂有史以来速度 最快的无脊椎动物之一，

reaching speeds of up to 50 body lengths per second.

它可以达成每秒高达 50 个体长的速度。

This would be the human equivalent of running more than 300 kilometers per hour.

这大概是人类跑步达到高于 300 千米每小时的速度。

And finding a hiding place is no problem.

对蟑螂来说， 找到一个躲避所毫不费吹灰之力。

With its flattened, flexible body,

由于其扁平和灵活的身体，

an American cockroach can squeeze into spaces less than a quarter of its height.

美国蟑螂可以挤进不到其身高 四分之一的空间里。

Even if we do land a hit, it can withstand compressive forces

即使我们打中了蟑螂， 它可以通过分布冲击力到身体部分

of up to 900 times its own weight by distributing the impact along its body.

来承受高达其自身重量 900 倍的挤压力。

And the cockroach’s toughness doesn’t end there.

蟑螂的韧性不只只有这些，

Cockroaches can eat a variety of organic matter,

蟑螂可以食用不同的有机物，

including hair, dead skin, adhesives, and paper.

包括头发、死皮、黏合剂和纸张。

This is made possible by an expansive set of digestive enzymes.

这是因为蟑螂丰富的消化酶。

Cockroaches are able to thrive even in nutrient-poor environments.

蟑螂可以在营养贫乏的环境下 繁衍生息。

Roaches often eat decaying foods that are low in nitrogen—

蟑螂经常食用低氮的腐化食物，

an essential component of DNA and proteins.

一种至关重要的DNA 和蛋白质的组成部分。

But they survive by storing nitrogen-containing wastes in their bodies

蟑螂在它们体内储存 含氮的废物来存活，

and having a resident group of bacteria recycle the nitrogen

并且有一群常住细菌 将氮气回收利用成

into useful molecules for them.

对它们有用的分子。

Meanwhile, German cockroaches will eat their own poop, vomit,

与此同时，德国蟑螂可以吃它们 自己的排泄物和呕吐物，

and dead or dying colony members without hesitation.

并且会毫不犹豫地食用 死去的或濒临死亡的群体成员。

An American cockroach will frolic in sewers,

一只美国蟑螂会在下水道里嬉戏， 食用排泄物和微生物，

consuming excrement and toting microbes like Staphylococcus aureus and E.coli.

诸如金黄葡萄球菌 （Staphylococcus aureus ）

和大肠杆菌（E.coli）。

But they’ll rarely suffer any consequences.

蟑螂鲜少承受任何食用 这些东西的后果。

This is because they’re equipped with genes that provide immunity

这是因为它们有着 提供免疫数多病原体的基因。

against numerous pathogens.

These genes are often duplicated many times over.

这些基因经常不停地复制，

So when infected, the cockroach’s immune system efficiently unleashes

当蟑螂被感染时， 它的免疫系统有效的释放出

many antimicrobial molecules.

许多抗菌分子。

Cockroaches also have a slew of defenses against pesticides.

蟑螂对杀虫剂 也有一连串的防御措施。

When a non-resistant roach walks on a surface that’s been sprayed

举个例子， 当一只没有任何抵抗力的蟑螂

with a pyrethroid insecticide, for example,

走在被喷洒过 拟除虫菊酯杀虫剂的地面，

the results will likely be fatal.

这极大可能是致命的。

Once absorbed, the chemical binds to sodium channel proteins,

一旦吸收， 这些化学品与钠通道蛋白结合，

which help propagate nerve impulses.

这有助于传播神经冲动。

The pyrethroid keeps the sodium channels open,

拟除虫菊酯 使钠离子通道保持开放，

so the nerves fire repeatedly.

导致神经不停地发射。

And soon, the cockroach dies.

很快，蟑螂就会死去。

But if a resistant roach is exposed to pyrethroids, it’ll be just fine.

但对于一只有对抗性的蟑螂来说，

Genetic mutations have given them sodium channels

基因变异给了它们拟除虫菊酯 不能束缚的钠离子通道。

that the pyrethroids can’t bind to.

The cockroach also produces more detoxification enzymes,

蟑螂还能产生更多的解毒酶，

which render the pesticide harmless,

从而使杀虫剂无害，

and the cockroach simply excretes it as a waste.

蟑螂只是把它作为废物排出体外。

Because German cockroaches reproduce especially quickly,

由于德国蟑螂繁殖的速度特别快，

populations may evolve resistance to a new pesticide within months.

它们的种群可能在一个月内 进化出抵御新的杀虫剂的抵抗力。

So far, they're already resistant to 43 different chemicals.

目前来说，德国蟑螂已经有对 43 不同化物的抵抗力。

But contrary to popular belief,

但与大众的看法相反，

cockroaches would probably not survive a nuclear apocalypse.

相比于其它昆虫，

Compared with other insects,

蟑螂大概不会在核灾难中 存活下来。

cockroaches are only mildly tolerant to radiation.

由于蟑螂对辐射 只有轻微的免疫性，

They would die near the sites of nuclear explosions

它们会在核爆炸地区的附近死亡，

and would still be severely compromised miles away.

并在数英里之外 仍然受到重大影响。

Moreover, disasters that threaten humanity

此外，威胁到人类的灾难

also jeopardize the habitats and buffets we provide roaches.

同样会威胁到人们提供给 蟑螂的生长地和自助餐。

Perhaps the only way to beat them is through our mutual destruction.

也许唯一个完全消灭蟑螂的方法是 人类和蟑螂的共同毁灭。

Or maybe cockroaches would find even more surprising ways to thrive

又或许，蟑螂在人类消失后，

long after we’re gone.

还能可以找到更加令人惊讶的方法 继续繁衍生息。