Introducing dung beetles into a pasture is a simple process: approximately 1,500 beetles are released, a handful at a time, into fresh cow pats2 in the cow pasture. The beetles immediately disappear beneath the pats digging and tunnelling and, if they successfully adapt to their new environment, soon become a permanent, self-sustaining part of the local ecology. In time they multiply and within three or four years the benefits to the pasture are obvious

Introducing dung beetles into a pasture is a simple process:
approximately 1,500 beetles are released, a handful at a time, into fresh cow pats in the cow pasture.
將蜣螂引入牧場是一個簡單的過程：
大約 1,500 只蜣螂被一次一小把地釋放到牧場里新鮮的牛糞上。

• dung beetles：蜣螂，專門以糞便為食和筑巢。

• pasture：牧場。

• cow pats：牛糞（pats 是非正式說法，特指一坨一坨的牛糞）。

• a handful at a time：一次一小把。

The beetles immediately disappear beneath the pats digging and tunnelling
and, if they successfully adapt to their new environment,
soon become a permanent, self-sustaining part of the local ecology.
這些蜣螂立刻會鉆進牛糞下面挖掘和打洞，
如果它們成功適應新環境，
很快就會成為當地生態系統中永久且自給自足的一部分。

• digging and tunnelling：挖掘并打洞，這是蜣螂典型的行為。

• adapt to their new environment：適應新環境。

• permanent, self-sustaining part：永久且能夠自我維持的組成部分。

• local ecology：當地生態系統。

In time they multiply and within three or four years the benefits to the pasture are obvious.

隨著時間推移，它們會繁殖，
大約三到四年內，牧場的好處就會顯現出來。

• multiply：繁殖，數量增多。

• benefits to the pasture：對牧場帶來的好處，例如改善土壤、清理糞便、減少寄生蟲等。

Dung beetles work from the inside of the pat so they are sheltered from predators such
as birds and foxes. Most species burrow into the soil and bury dung in tunnels directly
underneath the pats, which are hollowed out from within. Some large species originating
from France excavate tunnels to a depth of approximately 30 cm below the dung pat.
These beetles make sausage-shaped brood chambers along the tunnels. The shallowest
tunnels belong to a much smaller Spanish species that buries dung in chambers that hang
like fruit from the branches of a pear tree. South African beetles dig narrow tunnels of
approximately 20 cm below the surface of the pat. Some surface-dwelling beetles,
including a South African species, cut perfectly-shaped balls from the pat, which are
rolled away and attached to the bases of plants.
?? 第一句：

Dung beetles work from the inside of the pat so they are sheltered from predators such as birds and foxes.

翻譯：
屎殼郎從牛糞內部開始工作，因此它們能受到保護，不容易被鳥類和狐貍等天敵發現。

關鍵詞解釋：

pat：牛糞餅（口語詞）

sheltered from：受到保護，免受……傷害

predators：捕食者（如鳥、狐貍）

?? 第二句：

Most species burrow into the soil and bury dung in tunnels directly underneath the pats, which are hollowed out from within.

翻譯：
大多數屎殼郎種類會鉆入土壤，并在牛糞正下方挖隧道，把糞便埋進去，這些糞便餅從內部被掏空。

關鍵詞解釋：

burrow into：鉆進（土壤）

tunnels：隧道

hollowed out：被掏空

?? 第三句：

Some large species originating from France excavate tunnels to a depth of approximately 30 cm below the dung pat.

翻譯：
一些來自法國的大型屎殼郎會挖掘深達約30厘米的隧道，在牛糞下方。

?? 第四句：

These beetles make sausage-shaped brood chambers along the tunnels.

翻譯：
它們會沿著隧道建造香腸狀的“育蟲室”（繁殖后代的空間）。

關鍵詞解釋：

brood chambers：育蟲室，昆蟲用于產卵和幼蟲成長的空間

sausage-shaped：香腸形狀的

?? 第五句：

The shallowest tunnels belong to a much smaller Spanish species that buries dung in chambers that hang like fruit from the branches of a pear tree.

翻譯：
一種體型更小的西班牙屎殼郎只挖淺淺的隧道，它們將糞便放在像梨樹果實一樣“懸掛”的育室中。

關鍵詞解釋：

shallowest：最淺的

hang like fruit：像水果一樣懸掛
?? 第六句：

South African beetles dig narrow tunnels of approximately 20 cm below the surface of the pat.

翻譯：
南非的屎殼郎會挖出約20厘米深的狹窄隧道，位于牛糞表面下方。

?? 第七句：

Some surface-dwelling beetles, including a South African species, cut perfectly-shaped balls from the pat, which are rolled away and attached to the bases of plants.

翻譯：
一些生活在牛糞表面的屎殼郎（包括一種南非種類）會從牛糞中切割出完美球狀的小糞球，把它們滾走，然后固定在植物根部。

For maximum dung burial in spring, summer and autumn, farmers require a variety of
species with overlapping periods of activity. In the cooler environments of the state of
Victoria, the large French species (2.5 cms long), is matched with smaller (half this size),
temperate-climate Spanish species. The former are slow to recover from the winter cold
and produce only one or two generations of offspring from late spring until autumn. The
latter, which multiply rapidly in early spring, produce two to five generations annually.
The South African ball-rolling species, being a sub-tropical beetle, prefers the climate of
northern and coastal New South Wales where it commonly works with the South African
tunneling species. In warmer climates, many species are active for longer periods of the
year.