Under the eaves of temples and homes, and under large trees, water does not hit the ground at all and if you search around the dry earth you will find many holes similar to mortar pits.
アリが おちてしもうと 出られません。
When an ant falls down (these holes) they cannot leave.
アリに とっては じごくのような ところなので、その あな は「ありじごく」と よばれます。
Because ants are trapped in a place like hell (?) this hole is called an “antlion pit”.
Not sure about this translation. Especially the “place like hell” part but I searched a few places and じごく only came up as meaning hell.
Wow, that first sentence was difficult and took me more than half an hour. I had no idea that such a fierce animal like an antlion even existed. Here is a very dramatic documentation.
When you look for powdery and dry ground in places where the rain does not strike, such as under the eaves of houses and temples or under large trees, you may find many mortar-like holes.
アリが落ちてしまうと出られません。
Ants that fall in them will not come out.
アリにとっては地獄のような所なので、その穴は「蟻地獄」と呼ばれます。
Because for the ants this place is like hell, these holes are called “ant hells”.
Too lazy to spoiler all the translations so only open if you want to actually read the translations. These pages were pretty rough too.
Translation of pgs 89 + 90
８９：
こうして、オスと メスが けっこんして、 メスは、水べの コケに たまごを うむのです。
In this way, males and females are married, then the expectation is that females, at moss along the waterside, lay eggs.
たまごは 小さいのに もう 光ります。
The eggs, although tiny, already shine.
よう中や さなぎの ときも ひかりますが、 一番 強く 光るのは、大人のホタルに なってからです。
Times when they’re larva and pupa, they also shine but the strongest shining is from adult fireflies.
９０：
ありじごくの そこには なにが あるの？
Antlion pits, what’s at the bottom?
家や お寺の 軒下や 大きな 木の 下など、雨が あたらず、 土が さらさらと かわいた 地面を さがすと、 すりばちのような あなが いくつも 見つかる ことが あります。
At home, under the temple’s eaves, under large trees, etc… places not being struck by rain, the earth rustles and is dry, if you search the ground you’ll find many mortar-like pits.
アリが おちてしもうと 出られません。
Ants fall in and before long they can’t get out.
アリに とっては じごくのような ところなので、その あな は「ありじごく」と よばれます。
Because the ant’s gripped by a place like hell, that place is called “antlion pit”
Me too, because I took 蟻地獄 for the animal and didn’t see that it is also used for the hole that the animal digs. I understood only after looking up 蟻 and 地獄.
Another difficulty:
The translation of the last sentence of this page doesn’t make sense if you use the correct “antlion pit”. It only works if you use the literal translation “ant hell”.
Yeah this page was really weird. I have never spent so long on the first chapter sentence. Usually google translate can clear up at least some confusion but not really in this case
The antlion hides at the bottom of the hill and quickly gouges any ant or other thing that slips inside, it leaps upon them and holds them in between its large jaws while dragging it within the hole.
)
