英国学生科学读本 第77期:百货不如皮货(2)

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　　当人们从大窖中取出经过鞣革的皮毛之后就要进行晾晒, 卷起来保存。现在, 我们不能再把它们称作“皮毛”了, 因为它们已经变成了“皮革”。最后一个步骤就是涂刷：在它细小的毛孔上尽量多地涂抹动物油脂。如果我们希望将皮革制成黑色, 就必须在油脂中混入一些灯黑。

　　Leather is light, tough, flexible, and waterproof² ; 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 calf³ gives us the lighter⁴ leather which we want for the "uppers. "

　　皮革颜色明亮、质地坚硬、极富韧性, 还防水；而这些特性就使得它们成为了靴子和鞋子的最佳制作材料。为此, 人们用到了牛皮。这些大块的毛皮就被称作hides（兽皮）。厚度最大的牛皮用于制造鞋底, 而较为轻薄的小牛皮制成的皮革则是“鞋帮”的选材。

　　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 binding⁵ books, and for making slippers⁶. 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.

　　猪皮是鞍座的最佳制造材料。羊皮可以制作成美丽的搓纹革, 它能够装订图书或者制成拖鞋。许多小动物如小山羊、狗与羔羊的毛皮则可以用于制造手套。羊皮和狗皮的鞣革使用的是明矾水而非橡树皮。

　　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, 人们使用动物皮制造盛水的皮囊。如今, 东方还有一些国家仍然在使用这样的皮囊。过去, 人们经常使用皮革来制造各种衣物；毫无疑问, 这些衣物的使用寿命会很长很长。实际上, 鞣革的皮毛用处非常广泛。几百年以来, 英国总是流传着这样一句谚语, “百货不如皮货！”

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