Bug Facers (Descendants of the Insectophagi)
虫面族(食虫者的后代)
Over time, their insectivorous ancestors came to resemble their prey. Hardened, leathery face-plates, once used for defense against stings and bites, ossified and became integrated into the jaw structure. Their hands and feet, with reduced numbers of fingers and toes, developed into pincer-like affairs. Even their metabolism reverted partially into ectothermy in the balmy, lazy climate of their planet.
随着时间的推移,它们的食虫祖先变得像自己的猎物。坚硬的革状面甲,曾用于防御昆虫叮咬,现已骨化并成为口器的一部分。他们的手指和脚趾的数量减少,演化成了钳状。在他们星球温和、稳定的气候中,甚至连他们的新陈代谢也部分回到了变温状态。
But it was none of those adaptations that gave them the edge in survival. Simply put, a congenital defect allowed them to regain their sentience. Even after the smothering by the Qu, the genes of the Star People remained dormant in their cells. Through pure coincidence, one lineage of the Insectophagi developed an atavistic throwback, resulting in larger brains. Which just happened to be useful in cracking open insect nests with crude stone tools.
但并不是这些适应给它们生存的优势。简单地说,一种先天缺陷使他们恢复了知觉。实际上Qu的窒息之后,明星人类的基因在他们的细胞中仍然处于休眠状态。这纯粹是巧合,食虫虫者的一个谱系发展出了返祖现象,导致大脑变大。这恰好对于用粗糙的石器打开昆虫巢穴很有用。
It was easy ride from there on. Although millennia-long in itself, the development from stone ax to spaceship was an eyeblink in geological time. Like many other species, the Bug Facers passed through consecutive cycles as agrarian (in their case hive- farming) empires, colonial endeavors, industrialization, massive world wars and finally, globalized world-states. But there was one thing that set their development apart from all other post-human species.
从那以后,发展变的很容易。虽然从石斧到宇宙飞船的发展本身需要数千年的历史,但在地质年代里,只是一眨眼的功夫。像许多其他物种一样,虫面族经历了循环的周期,如农业(在他们的例子中是养蜂业)帝国、殖民地冒险、工业化、大规模世界大战,最后是全球化的世界国家。但有一件事使它们的发展与所有其他后人类物种不同。
They faced another alien invasion.
他们面对着另一次外星人入侵。
History does not record much about the invaders, except that unlike the Qu, theirs was a singular effort and it was beaten off in an intense cycle of orbital and terrestrial wars. Although vanquished, the invaders did succeed in leaving behind their traces. They introduced their own flora and fauna, which flourished on the Bug Facer home planet long after they departed. More importantly, they imbibed the poor Bug Facers with a pathological inter-species xenophobia, to the point that they were fearful even of their post-human cousins on other stars.
历史上没有太多关于侵略者的记载,除了与Qu不同,他们取得了独一无二的结果,敌人在激烈的轨道和陆地战争循环中被击败了。尽管战败了,入侵者还是成功地留下了痕迹。他们引入了自己的动植物群,在他们离开很久之后,这些动植物群在虫面族的家园星球上繁衍生息。更重要的是,他们将一种病态的跨物种仇外心理灌输给可怜的虫面族,以至于他们甚至害怕其他星球上的后人类表亲。
Through an ironic twist of fate, their fears would be more than justified, though not just yet. The Bug Facers still had time.
通过一次命运的讽刺转折,他们的恐惧将是完全合理的,尽管现在还不是时候。
虫面族还有时间。

A Bug Face celebrity, arguably the most beautiful girl on their planet, poses before a coastal village. In the distance can be seen gasbag-like tree creatures, relics left over from the mysterious alien invaders.
一位虫面名流,可以说是他们星球上最美丽的女孩,在一个沿海村落前摆拍。在远处可以看到气囊状的树木生物,那是神秘的外星入侵者留下的遗迹。
虫面族(食虫者的后代)
Over time, their insectivorous ancestors came to resemble their prey. Hardened, leathery face-plates, once used for defense against stings and bites, ossified and became integrated into the jaw structure. Their hands and feet, with reduced numbers of fingers and toes, developed into pincer-like affairs. Even their metabolism reverted partially into ectothermy in the balmy, lazy climate of their planet.
随着时间的推移,它们的食虫祖先变得像自己的猎物。坚硬的革状面甲,曾用于防御昆虫叮咬,现已骨化并成为口器的一部分。他们的手指和脚趾的数量减少,演化成了钳状。在他们星球温和、稳定的气候中,甚至连他们的新陈代谢也部分回到了变温状态。
But it was none of those adaptations that gave them the edge in survival. Simply put, a congenital defect allowed them to regain their sentience. Even after the smothering by the Qu, the genes of the Star People remained dormant in their cells. Through pure coincidence, one lineage of the Insectophagi developed an atavistic throwback, resulting in larger brains. Which just happened to be useful in cracking open insect nests with crude stone tools.
但并不是这些适应给它们生存的优势。简单地说,一种先天缺陷使他们恢复了知觉。实际上Qu的窒息之后,明星人类的基因在他们的细胞中仍然处于休眠状态。这纯粹是巧合,食虫虫者的一个谱系发展出了返祖现象,导致大脑变大。这恰好对于用粗糙的石器打开昆虫巢穴很有用。
It was easy ride from there on. Although millennia-long in itself, the development from stone ax to spaceship was an eyeblink in geological time. Like many other species, the Bug Facers passed through consecutive cycles as agrarian (in their case hive- farming) empires, colonial endeavors, industrialization, massive world wars and finally, globalized world-states. But there was one thing that set their development apart from all other post-human species.
从那以后,发展变的很容易。虽然从石斧到宇宙飞船的发展本身需要数千年的历史,但在地质年代里,只是一眨眼的功夫。像许多其他物种一样,虫面族经历了循环的周期,如农业(在他们的例子中是养蜂业)帝国、殖民地冒险、工业化、大规模世界大战,最后是全球化的世界国家。但有一件事使它们的发展与所有其他后人类物种不同。
They faced another alien invasion.
他们面对着另一次外星人入侵。
History does not record much about the invaders, except that unlike the Qu, theirs was a singular effort and it was beaten off in an intense cycle of orbital and terrestrial wars. Although vanquished, the invaders did succeed in leaving behind their traces. They introduced their own flora and fauna, which flourished on the Bug Facer home planet long after they departed. More importantly, they imbibed the poor Bug Facers with a pathological inter-species xenophobia, to the point that they were fearful even of their post-human cousins on other stars.
历史上没有太多关于侵略者的记载,除了与Qu不同,他们取得了独一无二的结果,敌人在激烈的轨道和陆地战争循环中被击败了。尽管战败了,入侵者还是成功地留下了痕迹。他们引入了自己的动植物群,在他们离开很久之后,这些动植物群在虫面族的家园星球上繁衍生息。更重要的是,他们将一种病态的跨物种仇外心理灌输给可怜的虫面族,以至于他们甚至害怕其他星球上的后人类表亲。
Through an ironic twist of fate, their fears would be more than justified, though not just yet. The Bug Facers still had time.
通过一次命运的讽刺转折,他们的恐惧将是完全合理的,尽管现在还不是时候。
虫面族还有时间。

A Bug Face celebrity, arguably the most beautiful girl on their planet, poses before a coastal village. In the distance can be seen gasbag-like tree creatures, relics left over from the mysterious alien invaders.
一位虫面名流,可以说是他们星球上最美丽的女孩,在一个沿海村落前摆拍。在远处可以看到气囊状的树木生物,那是神秘的外星入侵者留下的遗迹。

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