individual firefly species,

個別螢火蟲種類。

all within the taxonomic family of Lampyridae,

都屬於Lampyridae科的分類。

which is pretty easy to remember.

這是很容易記住的。

And these lightning bugs with their flickering light shows

還有這些閃電蟲，它們閃爍的燈光秀。

make summer nights feel all the more magical and romantic.

讓夏日的夜晚更加神奇浪漫。

But how did fireflies manage

但螢火蟲是怎麼做到的呢？

to catch lightning in a bottle?

甕中捉鱉？

The answer is found in the bug's butt,

答案就在蟲子的屁股上找到了。

or more specifically in its abdomen,

或更具體地說，在其腹部。

in an organ called the lantern.

在一個叫燈籠的機關裡。

This organ is a set of specialized light cells,

這個器官是一組專門的光細胞。

all encased in a translucent exoskeleton.

都被包裹在一個半透明的外骨骼中。

And those light cells are where the magic happens:

而這些光細胞就是神奇的地方。

the phenomenon of bioluminescence,

生物發光現象；

when a chemical reaction in a living thing emits light.

當生物的化學反應發出光時。

Fireflies aren't the only creatures that have this power.

螢火蟲並不是唯一擁有這種能力的生物。

Glowworms and certain deep-sea fish species

螢火蟲與某些深海魚種

are some of the creatures capable

是一些能夠

of producing and emitting light.

產生和發射光的。

But the firefly is probably

但螢火蟲可能是

the Earth's most famous bioluminescent species.

是地球上最著名的生物發光物種。

So what's happening inside the firefly's light cells?

那麼螢火蟲的光細胞裡面發生了什麼？

What's the secret to its glow?

它發光的祕密是什麼？

In the 19th century, French pharmacologist Raphaël Dubois,

19世紀，法國藥學家拉斐爾-杜波依斯。

working with bioluminescent clams,

與生物發光的蛤蜊一起工作。

discovered that there are two essential components

發現有兩個重要組成部分

to these creatures' light show.

這些生物的燈光秀。

He named them luciferin and luciferase,

他把它們命名為熒光素和熒光素酶。

based on the Latin term lucifer, for "light-bringer."

基於拉丁語 "路西法"，即 "光明使者"。

Luciferin is the compound that generates light,

路西素是產生光的化合物。

and luciferase is the enzyme that acts on it.

而熒光素酶就是作用於它的酶。

Today, we know that the firefly's bioluminescent reaction

今天，我們知道，螢火蟲的生物發光反應。

plays out like this.

扮演的是這樣的角色。

A firefly diverts oxygen to its light cells

螢火蟲將氧氣轉移到它的光細胞上

through its tracheoles.

通過其氣管。

And those oxygen molecules react to luciferin,

而這些氧分子與熒光素髮生反應。

catalyzed with the help of luciferase

在熒光素酶的幫助下，進行催化

and energy in the form of ATP.

和ATP形式的能量。

The luciferin then becomes agitated and excited,

熒光素就會變得激動和興奮。

elevating its energy level.

提升其能量水準。

And when the excited luciferin

而當興奮的熒光素

drops back to its normal state,

回落到正常狀態。

it releases that energy in the form of light,

它以光的形式釋放能量。

creating the "fire" in fireflies.

創造螢火蟲中的 "火"。

It's a remarkable phenomenon

這是個了不起的現象

that's also remarkably efficient.

這也是非常有效的。

In a light bulb, 90% of the energy consumed

在一個燈泡中，90%的能量被消耗掉。

is given off as heat,

是作為熱量散發出來的。

with only the remaining energy, a mere 10%,

與僅剩下的能量，僅有10%。

given off as visible light.

作為可見光發出。

In a firefly, on the other hand,

另一方面，在螢火蟲中。

nearly 100% of the energy is given off as light.

幾乎100%的能量都是以光的形式散發出來的。

That luminescence, or "cold light," as it's also called,

那種發光，也就是所謂的 "冷光"。

is produced in the light cells

是在光細胞中產生的

and then focused by a layer of reflector cells,

再由一層反射單元聚焦。

which direct that beam outward

將光束引向外側

through that translucent exoskeleton.

通過那半透明的外骨骼。

But why do fireflies do what they do?

但為什麼螢火蟲會這樣做呢？

As it turns out,

結果發現。

bioluminescence has a number of evolutionary benefits,

生物發光在進化上有很多好處。

helping certain marine species lure prey to their mouths

幫助某些海洋物種引誘獵物下嘴。

or serving as a defense against predators.

或作為防禦掠食者的手段。

Sara Lewis: Fireflies are beetles,

Sara Lewis:螢火蟲是甲蟲。

and so the juvenile fireflies live underground.

於是幼年螢火蟲就生活在地下。

So, we think that firefly light first evolved as a warning.

所以，我們認為螢火蟲燈最早是作為一種警告而演化的。

It's like a neon sign that shouts out,

它就像一個霓虹燈牌，呼之欲出。

"Don't eat me, I'm toxic."

"別吃我，我有毒。"

Narrator: But in adult fireflies,

旁白：但在成年螢火蟲身上

the purpose is a bit more romantic.

目的是比較浪漫的。

Those yellow flashes lighting up our warm summer nights

那些黃色的閃光照亮了我們溫暖的夏夜

are actually part of the fireflies' complex mating rituals,

其實是螢火蟲複雜的交配儀式的一部分。

with male fireflies attracting

雄性螢火蟲吸引

female fireflies of the same species

鴛鴦

by flashing a distinctive, recognizable pattern.

通過閃爍一個獨特的、可識別的圖案。

So those lights twinkling around you,

所以那些燈光在你身邊閃爍。

switching on and off seemingly at random -

忽上忽下

they're just the opposite:

他們只是相反。

a highly intricate, specialized form

錯綜複雜的特殊形式

of species-specific seduction.

的特定物種誘惑。

Lewis: In North America, males might flash,

劉易斯：在北美，男性可能會閃光。

like, just one flash.

喜歡，只是一個閃光。

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, bleep,

等等，等等，等等，等等，等等，嗶嗶。

another flash, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, bleep,

又是一個閃光，等待，等待，等待，等待，嗶嗶聲。

another flash.

又是一閃。

Some species, the males actually give paired flashes,

有些物種，雄性其實是給配對的閃光。

so they'll fly along and then go bleep, bleep,

所以他們會飛起來，然後去嗶嗶，嗶嗶。

wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

等，等，等，等，等，等，等，等。

Bleep, bleep, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

嗶嗶，嗶嗶，等待，等待，等待，等待，等待。

And so on.

等等。

And so females who are kind of hanging around

所以，女性誰是那種掛在周圍的

on grass down below can see these flashes,

在下面的草地上可以看到這些閃光。

and they can recognize a male of their own species.

而且他們能識別出同種的男性。

Narrator: But for all the romance and magic

旁白：但對於所有的浪漫和魔法

they add to our summer evenings,

它們給我們的夏日夜晚增添了不少樂趣。

firefly populations around the globe are at serious risk.

全球各地的螢火蟲種群正面臨著嚴重的危險。

Those finely tuned mating rituals?

那些微調的交配儀式？

Thanks to light pollution,

由於光汙染。

those love letters get a little lost in translation.

那些情書在翻譯時有點迷失。

Lewis: In areas where there's a lot of bright lights,

劉易斯：在有很多亮光的地方。

it's been shown that it's much, much more difficult

事實證明，這要困難得多，多得多。

for the male fireflies to find the females

讓雄性螢火蟲找到雌性螢火蟲

and for the females to see the flashes,

並讓雌性看到閃光。

the advertisement flashes of the male fireflies.

廣告閃爍的雄性螢火蟲。

Narrator: And other threats like habitat loss

旁白：還有其他威脅，比如棲息地的喪失

and pesticide use have also put the population at risk.

和殺蟲劑的使用也使人們處於危險之中。

Lewis: Sadly, in many parts of the world,

劉易斯。可悲的是，在世界的許多地方。

there are other firefly species that aren't doing so well.

還有其他的螢火蟲品種，也沒有做得那麼好。

In fact, they are flickering out.

事實上，它們是在閃爍著的。

And some of these fireflies are restricted

而其中一些螢火蟲是被限制的

to a very specific habitat.

到一個非常特殊的棲息地。

If that habitat goes away, the fireflies disappear.

如果那個棲息地消失了，螢火蟲就會消失。

They can't live anywhere else.

他們不能住在其他地方。

Narrator: It's a story playing out

旁白：這是一個正在上演的故事

all over the planet and across the animal kingdom.

遍佈地球和整個動物王國。

But as Lewis explains,

但正如劉易斯解釋的那樣。

education is absolutely key to conservation

教育絕對是保護的關鍵

of fireflies and of all at-risk species.

螢火蟲和所有高危物種。

Lewis: If fireflies disappeared,

劉易斯：如果螢火蟲消失了。

a lot of the world's wonder

萬千世界

would disappear with them.

會隨之消失。

Would you wanna live in a world without fireflies?

你想生活在一個沒有螢火蟲的世界裡嗎？

I would not.

我不會。

Narrator: By increasing awareness of these risk factors,

旁白：通過提高對這些風險因素的認識

Lewis hopes to shine a little light on firefly conservation,

劉易斯希望能為螢火蟲保護工作提供一點啟示。

ensuring that these little bugs

確保這些小蟲子

will be able to dazzle us for years to come,

將能在未來的歲月裡讓我們眼花繚亂。

giving future generations the chance

給後代

to spend their summer nights

度過他們的夏夜

trying to catch lightning in a bottle.

試圖在瓶子裡抓住閃電。