#大學英語聽力#
For many years we've been hearing about a so-called War on Christmas.
多年來，我們一直聽說一場所謂的聖誕節戰爭。
And for centuries we've heard that the meek shall inherit the earth.
幾個世紀以來，我們都聽說溫順的人會繼承地球。
But what we haven't heard a lot about is that for decades Christmas has been waging a war on the meek.
但是我們沒有聽到很多關於幾十年來聖誕節一直在對溫順的人發動一場戰爭。
I'm talking, of course, about decorative lights and insects.
當然，我說的是裝飾燈和昆蟲。
Outdoor lighting in general poses a deadly threat to insects.
室外照明通常對昆蟲構成致命威脅。
That's according to a study published online in November 2019 in the journal Biological Conservation, entitled 「Light Pollution Is a Driver of Insect Declines.」
這是根據2019年11月發表在「生物保護」雜誌上的一項研究得出的，題為「光污染是昆蟲衰退的驅動因素」。
The article notes that steep drops in insect numbers around the world have happened over the past couple of decades in what amounts to an 「insect apocalypse.」 The blame is usually assigned to 「habitat loss, chemical pollution (especially pesticide use), invasive species, and climate change.」 But the authors contend that the forces of lightness have not gotten their due.
這篇文章指出，在過去的幾十年里，世界各地的昆蟲數量急劇下降，這相當於一場「昆蟲啟示錄」。罪魁禍首通常是「棲息地喪失，化學污染(特別是殺蟲劑的使用)，入侵物種和氣候變化。」但作者認為，輕盈的力量並沒有得到應有的重視。
And they cite what they call 「diurnal bias.」
他們引用了他們所謂的「晝夜偏見」。
The allegorically intoxicated man famously searches for his lost wallet under the streetlight where he can see better.
這位寓言性的醉漢在路燈下尋找他丟失的錢包，在那裡他可以看得更清楚，這是出了名的。
Conversely, so may exist 「a preference among ecologists for studying daytime phenomena」—diurnal bias.
相反，可能存在「生態學家對研究白天現象的偏好」-晝夜偏見。
When would you rather count bugs, after a nice breakfast or four hours before breakfast when you can barely see your hand in front of your bleary eyes?
什麼時候你更願意數蟲子，在吃了一頓豐盛的早餐後，還是在早餐前四個小時，當你幾乎看不到你的手在你睡眼惺忪的眼前？
The research team thus asserts that a preference for sleeping at night 「has led insect conservationists to overlook another widespread habitat disturbance, pollutant, and method of insect control: artificial light at night (ALAN).」
研究小組因此斷言，對夜間睡眠的偏好「導致昆蟲保護論者忽略了另一種普遍存在的棲息地干擾、污染物和昆蟲控制方法：夜間人工照明(Alan)」。