From Tadpole to Frog

Mr. Ribbit, the science teacher, cleared his throat. “ Ribbit! Do you know how we became frogs?” he croaked. The young frogs looked at each other. Mr. Ribbit held up two pictures. In one hand was a picture of a tadpole. In the other was a picture of a frog. Today we are going to learn about metamorphosis. Ribbit! ” he said.

理学老师里比特先生清了清嗓子。“里比特！你知道怎么做吗我们变成了青蛙？”他呱呱叫着。 小青蛙互相看着。里比特先生举起了两张照片。 一只手上有一张蝌蚪的照片。另一张是青蛙的照片。 今天我们将学习变态。Ribbit！”他说。

Meta . . . what?” asked Freddy. “ Metamorphosis, ” Mr. Ribbit repeated. “ It is how we change from tadpoles into frogs. In the spring male frogs attract female frogs by singing. The frog couple starts their family in the pond. Ribbit! The male frog fertilizes the eggs in the water. A few days later, the eggs begin to change. ” Do they become tadpoles?” asked Hetty.

Meta……什么?弗莱迪问。“变形记，”Ribbit重复道。“我们就是这样从蝌蚪变成青蛙的。 在春天，雄蛙通过唱歌来吸引雌蛙。青蛙夫妇在池塘里开始了他们的家庭。 Ribbit！雄蛙在水中使卵受精。几天后，鸡蛋开始变了。” 它们会变成蝌蚪吗？”海蒂问。

Ribbit! Yes. At this stage, the head is big and the tail is very long, ” explained Mr. Ribbit. Soon the eggs hatch and the tadpoles come out. Tadpoles, like fish, use gills to breathe. ” But Mr. Ribbit, we aren’t fish, are we?” asked Lily. Of course not! We are amphibians. Who knows what that means?”

Ribbit！对在这个阶段，头部很大，尾部很长，”Ribbit先生解释道。 很快，卵孵化了，蝌蚪出来了。蝌蚪和鱼一样，用鳃呼吸。” 但Ribbit先生，我们不是鱼，是吗？”莉莉问。 当然不是！我们是两栖动物。谁知道这意味着什么？”

Amphibians can live on land and in water, ” answered Boris. Right! But at first, tadpoles can only live in the water. ” What do tadpoles eat?” asked Freddy. Ribbit! As soon as they are born, tadpoles eat plants and algae. A few days later, they develop teeth. Then the tadpoles start to eat insects. ”

两栖动物可以在陆地和水中生活，”Boris回答。 正确！但起初，蝌蚪只能生活在水中。” 蝌蚪吃什么？”弗雷迪问。 Ribbit！蝌蚪一出生就吃植物和藻类。 几天后，他们长出了牙齿。然后蝌蚪开始吃昆虫。”

Mr. Ribbit continued, “ Tadpoles use their tails to swim. They are very active at this age. Tadpoles swim around in a group called a school. Six to nine weeks after they are born, metamorphosis begins. Ribbit! The back legs begin to appear and the tadpoles use them for swimming. The body grows larger, and the head begins to take shape. Next, the front legs begin to grow. ”

Ribbit先生继续说道：“蝌蚪用尾巴游泳。它们在这个年龄段非常活跃。 蝌蚪在一个叫做学校的团体里游泳。在它们出生六到九周后，变形开始了。 Ribbit！后腿开始出现，蝌蚪用它们游泳。 身体变大，头部开始成形。接下来，前腿开始增长。”

That looks like my brother! ” Hetty laughed. Ribbit! It looks just like a small frog except for the long tail. The tadpole is almost a frog now, ” said Mr. Ribbit. During the last days of metamorphosis, the tail slowly disappears into the body. Remember the tadpoles’ gills? Ribbit! They don’t need them anymore.

看起来像我哥哥！”海蒂笑了。 Ribbit！除了长长的尾巴，它看起来就像一只小青蛙。蝌蚪现在几乎变成青蛙了，”Ribbit先生说。 在变形的最后几天，尾巴慢慢地消失在身体里。 还记得蝌蚪的鳃吗？Ribbit！他们不再需要它们了。