勤劳的蚯蚓 The Earthworm
Earthworms are found in all parts of the world. They help to build the world. They help to prepare the earth to bring forth the food of man. Do you think that very strange?
Now let us see how this is done. The worms live underground. They make long, winding halls, like streets, some inches below the top soil. The halls or little tunnels help to keep the earth loose, so that the fine roots of the plants can grow well in it.
These tunnels also serve to help the air move more easily through the soil. By their constant motion below the surface the worms till the earth, as rakes, spades, or ploughs till it above.
The chief work of the earthworms is to enrich the soil. When they make their houses, they fill their long bodies with the earth, and carry it to the top of the ground. There they pile it in heaps, called worm-casts. Early in the day or after a rain you can find these worm-casts over all the garden paths.
There are so many worms busy all the time that each year they bring up tons of earth. They make the earth fine and loose by pinching it off with their mouths. Fields once stony and hard have become rich and fine.
世界各地都有蚯蚓，它们有助于建造世界，它们有助于土地里长出人类所需的粮食。你觉得这种说法很奇怪吗？
现在，让我们来看看蚯蚓是怎么做到这些的吧。蚯蚓在地下生存，它们在地下钻来钻去，把泥土钻成一条条蜿蜒绵长的孔道，如同街道一般。那些“长廊”或者“隧道”可以使泥土疏松，从而有利于植物的根部生长。
这些孔道也有助于空气轻易地进入泥土。蚯蚓在泥土里不停地钻来钻去，就如同人们在土地上用耙子、铲或犁松土一样。
蚯蚓主要的工作是使土壤更加肥沃。当它们建造房子的时候，总是让自己长长的身体里装满泥土，并把它带到地上，堆成小堆，这就是人们所称的蚯蚓粪。每天早上或下雨之后，你都可以在花园的小径上发现蚯蚓粪。
时时刻刻都有成千上万的蚯蚓在忙碌着，它们每年可以挖动数以吨计的泥土。它们用嘴疏松泥土并使之变得肥沃。那些本来硬如坚石的土壤，经它们钻动之后就变得肥沃而精细了。
词汇笔记
earthworm [ˈə:θwə:m] n. 蚯蚓
例 The oral opening in an earthworm is small.
蚯蚓的口是很小的。
plough [plau] n. 犁；耕地
例 He yoked the oxen to the plough.
他用轭把牛套上犁。
enrich [inˈritʃ] v. 使富足；使肥沃
例 By reading we enrich the mind, by conversation we polish it.
阅读使我们的思想充实，谈话使其更臻完美。
stony [ˈstəuni] adj. 石头的；石质的
例 The old bus rattled along over the stony road.
那辆旧公共汽车在石子路上嘎嘎地往前行驶。
小试身手
那些“长廊”或者“隧道”可以使泥土疏松，从而有利于植物的根部生长。
译_______________
蚯蚓主要的工作是使土壤更加肥沃。
译_______________
时时刻刻都有成千上万的蚯蚓在忙碌着，它们每年可以挖动数以吨计的泥土。
译_______________
短语家族
These tunnels also serve to help the air move more easily through the soil.
serve to：适用；有用；足够
造_______________
There are so many worms busy all the time that each year they bring up tons of earth.
bring up：提出；教育；养育
造_______________