Fireflies in the Night

FIREFLIES IN THE NIGHT

夜晚的萤火虫

I like fireflies. When I visit my grandfather in thesummertime, we sit outdoors after supper and watch them. Grandmother likes to watch fireflies too. She calls themlightning bugs. They look like little dancing stars. They arereally beetles, Grandfather says.

我喜欢萤火虫，夏天去爷爷家时，我们晚饭后就坐在外面看萤火虫，奶奶也喜欢萤火虫。 她叫它们发光的昆虫，它们就像会跳舞的星星，爷爷说 其实它们是甲虫

All beetles have two sets of wings and so do fireflies. When they rest, they fold their hard front wings on top oftheir soft back wings. Young fireflies do not have wings at all. For their firstyear or two they live in the ground, just like young beetles. When their wings grow, they live above ground in trees orbushes.

所有的甲虫有两对翅膀，萤火虫也是，当它们休息时，就把坚硬的前翼搭在柔软的后翼上。 萤火虫幼虫没有翅膀，前一两年它们生活在地下，就像甲虫幼虫一样，当翅膀长出来时，它们就生活在地面上的树丛里

Grandfather gave me a glass jar to use on firefly hunts. We punched holes in the lid. Fireflies are easy to catch. Soon my jar is lighted up like alantern.

爷爷给我一个玻璃罐，让我捉萤火虫，我们在盖子上穿孔，萤火虫很容易捉，不久我的瓶子就像灯笼一样耀眼

After every firefly hunt, Grandfather has somethingnew to tell me. One time he showed me how to make myfirefly lantern brighter. (He promised it would not hurt myfireflies. ) Just hold the jar upright in a bowl of warm water. He knew it would work because fireflies always shinebrighter in warm weather. If you dip the jar in cold water, the firefly lights will fade.

每次捉完萤火虫，爷爷就有新东西告诉我，有次他告诉我怎样让萤火虫更亮，他保证不会伤害萤火虫，只需握住罐子 把它放在一碗热水里。 他知道这管用，因为萤火虫在温暖的天气里更亮，当你把罐子放在冷水里，萤火虫的光亮就变淡了

People in hot countries make good use of firefly light. Inthe Caribbean, and in some parts of South America, peoplesometimes wear net bags full of fireflies tied to their wristsor ankles. These homemade flashlights help them find theirway along the dark jungle paths.

热带国家的人们善于利用萤火虫。 在加勒比或南美地区，人们有时会把一网袋的萤火虫摔在手腕上或脚踝上。 这些自制的手电筒帮助他们在灌木丛中看清方向