What Cicadas Are Really Saying in Summer 279词｜中阶

一到夏天，很多地方的午后都会被蝉鸣填满。树上看不见几只蝉，声音却像从四面八方涌过来，越热越响，甚至会让人觉得整条街都在发出声音。我们习惯把它叫作“蝉在唱歌”，但对蝉来说，那不是随意的背景音乐，而是一种很重要的信号。今天这篇，就来看看夏天的蝉鸣到底在说什么。

On a hot summer afternoon, the sound of cicadas can seem to fill an entire street. The sound is not a song in the human sense. It is a signal. Most of the loud calling comes from male cicadas, which use sound to attract females. What we hear as summer background noise is, for them, an important part of communication.

在炎热的夏日午后，蝉鸣常常会让人觉得整条街都被声音填满。它并不是人类意义上的“唱歌”，而是一种信号。大部分响亮的叫声来自雄蝉，它们通过声音吸引雌蝉。我们听到的是夏天的背景音，对它们来说，却是一种很重要的交流方式。

Cicadas do not make sound with vocal cords like people do. Many species use special structures on the sides of their bodies called tymbals. These thin plates vibrate very quickly. The body then works a little like a small speaker, making the sound louder. Different species produce different rhythms and tones.

蝉不像人一样用声带发声。很多种蝉会利用身体两侧一种叫tymbals 的特殊结构。那些很薄的部分会快速振动，蝉的身体再像一个小小的扬声器一样，把声音放大。不同种类的蝉，也会发出不同的节奏和音调。

单词知识卡1名称：vibrate词性/释义：v. 振动；震动文中意思：指物体快速来回运动并产生声音或感觉，蝉的发声结构就是这样工作的。

常见搭配：vibrate quickly 快速振动The thin plates vibrate quickly to make sound. 薄片快速振动来发出声音。

vibrate with sound 因声音而震动The window can vibrate with loud music. 窗户会因很响的音乐而震动。

Warm weather matters because cicadas are cold-blooded insects. Their activity depends on the temperature around them. When it is warm enough, their muscles can work faster and the calls become more noticeable. That is why a sudden wave of cicada sound can make a summer day feel even hotter.

温度之所以重要，是因为蝉属于变温动物，它们的活动会受到周围温度影响。天气足够暖时，肌肉工作得更快，叫声也会更明显。所以一阵突然变响的蝉鸣，常常会让人觉得夏天好像又热了一点。

Cicadas are not trying to make noise for people. They are following a seasonal rhythm that has existed for a very long time. Their calls help them find mates, keep distance from rivals, and stay active during the warmest part of the year.

蝉并不是为了让人听见才制造声音。它们只是在遵循一种已经存在很久的季节节奏。叫声能帮助它们寻找配偶、和同类保持距离，并在一年中最温暖的时段保持活跃。

单词知识卡2名称：attract a mate词性/释义：吸引配偶文中意思：指动物通过声音、气味、颜色或行为吸引适合繁殖的同类。

常见搭配：attract a mate 吸引配偶Male cicadas call to attract a mate. 雄蝉鸣叫是为了吸引配偶。

attract attention 吸引注意Bright colors can attract attention in nature. 鲜艳的颜色在自然界中可以吸引注意。

Cicada sounds may feel like ordinary summer noise, but they are part of a much older conversation between insects, heat, trees, and time.

蝉鸣听起来像普通的夏日噪音，但它其实是一场更古老的对话，发生在昆虫、热量、树木和时间之间。

所以下次听见树上的蝉鸣，不妨把它当成夏天正在运转的一个小信号。它不只是在“唱歌”，也在提醒我们：天气变热了，生命正在用自己的方式回应季节。

雷小喵陪你从身边的现象和话题里，发现英语表达的另一种打开方式。