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Lesson 67 A Talk About Wool
第67課 羊毛漫談
When we take a country walk in the spring-time, we see the sheep, with its thick, warm covering of wool. But when we see it in summer, its wool is very short. In June the farmer's men wash the sheep, and then with a big pair of scissors called shears they cut off its woolly covering or fleece.
到了春天, 我們漫步鄉間田野的時候, 便能夠看到身披厚厚絨毛的綿羊。然而, 夏天我們就會發現, 它們的羊毛變得很短。六月時分, 農夫們替羊洗澡, 然后使用一名叫羊毛剪的大剪刀把它們的羊毛全部剪下。
If we rub our hands on a sheep's back, we shall find that the wool is rather greasy. It is made greasy by a kind of oil which comes out of the sheep's skin. This oil or grease helps the wool to keep out the rain, and so the sheep do not get very wet, although they are often out in the fields while it is raining, and sleep on the damp grass.
在羊背上來回撫摸, 會發現羊毛非常油膩。這是因為綿羊的皮膚能夠分泌一種油。這種油（也叫油脂）有助于確保羊毛不會沾上雨水, 而綿羊也因此能夠避免渾身濕透。這樣綿羊就能經常會在雨天時徘徊在田野之間, 睡在潮濕的草地上。
Wool is used for clothing; but we could not wear the wool just as it is when shorn off the sheep's back. It must first be manufactured, or made into woollen cloth.
羊毛可以用來制造衣服；不過, 我們不能把剪下的羊毛直接當做衣服穿在身上, 首先要加工, 制作。
Let us look at some of the wool. It consists of a great number of very fine curly hairs or fibres. These fibres feel rough when they are drawn through the fingers, for they are covered with tiny scales.
我們來看看羊毛的結構。它由很多細致、卷曲的絨毛或纖維構成。撫摸這些纖維, 會感覺到它們非常粗糙, 因為上面覆蓋有細小的鱗狀物。
Most of the wool used in this country is sent to certain towns in Yorkshire, or in the west of England. There, at the factories, or woollen-mills, the fleeces are first pulled to pieces. Next, the raw wool, as it is called, is scoured or washed in warm water and soda, to remove the oil or grease. Then it is combed out, so that all the fibres are laid side by side.
英國出產的大部分羊毛都被運往約克郡或西部的某些城鎮。那里的工廠或羊毛作坊首先將羊毛扯開。然后這些所謂的原毛就會被放入蘇打溫水中清洗, 去除油脂。隨后, 仔細對羊毛進行梳理, 將它們整齊地排列在一起。
