英國學(xué)生科學(xué)讀本 Lesson 77 百貨不如皮貨(2)

When the tanned skins are taken out of the pits, they are well dried and rolled. After this has been done, we no longer call them "skins, " but "leather. " To finish the leather, it must be curried. This is done by rubbing into its pores as much oil and tallow as they will hold. If we want the leather to be black, we must mix some lamp-black with the tallow.

當人們從大窖中取出經(jīng)過鞣革的皮毛之后就要進行晾曬, 卷起來保存?，F(xiàn)在, 我們不能再把它們稱作“皮毛”了, 因為它們已經(jīng)變成了“皮革”。最后一個步驟就是涂刷：在它細小的毛孔上盡量多地涂抹動物油脂。如果我們希望將皮革制成黑色, 就必須在油脂中混入一些燈黑。

Leather is light, tough, flexible, and waterproof ; and because it has these properties it is the very best material for making boots and shoes. For this purpose leather made from the skins of cattle is used. These large skins are called hides. The thickest parts of the hide of the cow are used for the soles of boots. The thinner skin of the calf gives us the lighter leather which we want for the "uppers. "

皮革顏色明亮、質(zhì)地堅硬、極富韌性, 還防水;而這些特性就使得它們成為了靴子和鞋子的最佳制作材料。為此, 人們用到了牛皮。這些大塊的毛皮就被稱作hides(獸皮)。厚度最大的牛皮用于制造鞋底, 而較為輕薄的小牛皮制成的皮革則是“鞋幫”的選材。

The skin of the pig makes the best leather for saddles. The goat's skin produces the beautiful leather called morocco, which is used for binding books, and for making slippers. The skins of many small animals—such as the kid, the dog, and the lamb—are made into gloves. The skins of sheep and of dogs are not tanned with oak-bark, but are soaked in alum-water instead.

豬皮是鞍座的最佳制造材料。羊皮可以制作成美麗的搓紋革, 它能夠裝訂圖書或者制成拖鞋。許多小動物如小山羊、狗與羔羊的毛皮則可以用于制造手套。羊皮和狗皮的鞣革使用的是明礬水而非橡樹皮。

Before glass was in common use, bottles were often made of the skins of animals, and such bottles are still used in Eastern lands. Clothes for men and boys were often made of leather in the olden days; and, as you can fancy, these clothes lasted a very long time. In fact, the tanned skins of animals are so useful that it has been a saying or proverb in Great Britain for hundreds of years, "There's nothing like leather!"

在玻璃尚未普及之前, 人們使用動物皮制造盛水的皮囊。如今, 東方還有一些國家仍然在使用這樣的皮囊。過去, 人們經(jīng)常使用皮革來制造各種衣物;毫無疑問, 這些衣物的使用壽命會很長很長。實際上, 鞣革的皮毛用處非常廣泛。幾百年以來, 英國總是流傳著這樣一句諺語, “百貨不如皮貨!”

英語美文