雅思12test5passage1原文翻譯

雅思12test5passage1原文翻譯

第1段

Cork–the thick bark of the cork oak tree(Quercus suber)–is a remarkable material.It is tough,elastic,buoyant,and fire-resistant,and suitable for a wide range of purposes.It has also been used for millennia:the ancient Egyptians sealed their sarcophagi(stone coffins)with cork,while the ancient Greeks and Romans used it for anything from beehives to sandals.

木栓，即栓皮橡樹(栓皮櫧)厚實的樹皮，是一種非凡的材料。它堅韌，有彈性，能浮起來，而且還防火，適用于各種目的。它已經(jīng)被人們使用了數(shù)千年：埃及人用木栓來密封他們的石棺，而希臘人和羅馬人則用它制作從蜂箱到?jīng)鲂雀鞣N物品。

第2段

And the cork oak itself is an extraordinary tree.Its bark grows up to 20cm in thickness,insulating the tree like a coat wrapped around the trunk and branches and keeping the inside at a constant 20°C all year round.Developed most probably as a defence against forest fires,the bark of the cork oak has a particular cellular structure–with about 40 million cells per cubic centimetre–that technology has never succeeded in replicating.The cells are filled with air,which is why cork is so buoyant.It also has an elasticity that means you can squash it and watch it spring back to its original size and shape when you release the pressure.

栓皮橡樹本身就是一種不同尋常的樹木。它的樹皮可以長到20厘米厚，像外衣一樣將樹干和枝杈包裹起來，保持內(nèi)部溫度全年恒定在20度。很有可能是為了對抗森林火災(zāi)才形成的特點，栓皮橡樹的樹皮有著一種獨特的細胞結(jié)構(gòu)-每立方厘米大約有4千萬個細胞。這種結(jié)構(gòu)從來都沒有被技術(shù)成功的復(fù)制過。細胞中充滿了空氣，這也是為什么木栓浮力如此之大的原因。它同樣富有彈性。這意味著你可以將它擠壓變形。釋放壓力后，看著它恢復(fù)原來的形狀和大小。

第3段

Cork oaks grow in a number of Mediterranean countries,including Portugal,Spain,Italy,Greece and Morocco.They flourish in warm,sunny climates where there is a minimum of 400 millimetres of rain per year,and not more than 800 millimetres.Like grape vines,the trees thrive in poor soil,putting down deep roots in search of moisture and nutrients.Southern Portugal’s Alentejo region meets all of these requirements,which explains why,by the early 20th century,this region had become the world’s largest producer of cork,and why today it accounts for roughly half of all cork production around the world.

栓皮橡樹生長在許多地中海國家，包括葡萄牙、西班牙、意大利、希臘和摩洛哥。它們在溫暖、陽光充沛的地區(qū)中茂盛生長。那里每年降水量不小于400厘米，但又不多于800厘米。像葡萄藤一樣，這些樹木在貧瘠的土地中茁壯生長。它們的根系深入土地以尋找水分和養(yǎng)料。葡萄牙南部的Alentejo地區(qū)符合所有這些要求。這也是該地區(qū)在20世紀初成為世界上最大的木栓生產(chǎn)商的原因，以及為什么直到今天，它還占著全世界木栓產(chǎn)量的一半左右。

第4段

Most cork forests are family-owned.Many of these family businesses,and indeed many of the trees themselves,are around 200 years old.Cork production is,above all,an exercise in patience.From the planting of a cork sapling to the first harvest takes 25 years,and a gap of approximately a decade must separate harvests from an individual tree.And for top-quality cork,it’s necessary to wait a further 15 or 20 years.You even have to wait for the right kind of summer’s day to harvest cork.If the bark is stripped on a day when it’s too cold–or when the air is damp–the tree will be damaged.

大多數(shù)栓皮森林為家族所有。許多這些家族企業(yè)，以及樹木自身，都有著200年左右的歷史。木栓生產(chǎn)是一種十分需要耐心的操作。從種下栓皮幼樹到第一次收獲需要25年，而且每棵樹的收割要間隔大約10年。對于高品質(zhì)的木栓來說，必須繼續(xù)等待15或20年才可以。人們甚至還要等待合適的夏日天氣才能收割木栓。如果剝離樹皮的天氣太過寒冷，或者空氣太過潮濕，樹木就會被損壞。

第5段

Cork harvesting is a very specialised profession.No mechanical means of stripping cork bark has been invented,so the job is done by teams of highly skilled workers.First,they make vertical cuts down the bark using small sharp axes,then lever it away in pieces as large as they can manage.The most skilful cork-strippers prise away a semi-circular husk that runs the length of the trunk from just above ground level to the first branches.It is then dried on the ground for about four months,before being taken to factories,where it is boiled to kill any insects that might remain in the cork.Over 60%of cork then goes on to be made into traditional bottle stoppers,with most of the remainder being used in the construction trade.Corkboard and cork tiles are ideal for thermal and acoustic insulation,while granules of cork are used in the manufacture of concrete.

木栓收割是一種高度專業(yè)化的職業(yè)。至今還沒有發(fā)明機器剝離栓皮的方法，所以這些工作由技藝高超的工人完成。首先，他們用鋒利的小型斧頭在樹皮上垂直切下，然后將它一點點的撬開。木片越大越好。技藝最純熟的栓皮工人會撬出一片半圓形的樹皮，其長度相當于地面到第一節(jié)樹枝的樹干長度。被放在地面上干燥4個月左右之后，它會被送到工廠里去。在那里通過加熱煮沸來殺死可能殘留在栓皮中的各種昆蟲。60%以上的栓皮隨后被用于制作傳統(tǒng)瓶塞，剩下的大部分會被用于建筑行業(yè)。軟木板和軟木磚是理想的隔熱、隔音材料，而軟木顆粒則被用于混凝土的制造。

第6段

Recent years have seen the end of the virtual monopoly of cork as the material for bottle stoppers,due to concerns about the effect it may have on the contents of the bottle.This is caused by a chemical compound called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole(TCA),which forms through the interaction of plant phenols,chlorine and mould.The tiniest concentrations–as little as three or four parts to a trillion–can spoil the taste of the product contained in the bottle.The result has been a gradual yet steady move first towards plastic stoppers and,more recently,to aluminium screw caps.These substitutes are cheaper to manufacture and,in the case of screw caps,more convenient for the user.

由于擔心軟木塞可能會影響瓶子中的液體，它作為瓶塞材料的實際壟斷地位在最近幾年迎來了終結(jié)。這是由一種叫做2,4,6-三聚苯甲醚的化合物引起的。這種化合物會在植物酚，氯和霉菌的相互作用中形成。哪怕是極其微小的濃度-低至每萬億三到四單位-也會破壞瓶中產(chǎn)品的口味。因此，人們先是逐漸卻堅定的使用塑料瓶塞，最近又轉(zhuǎn)向鋁制螺旋蓋。這些替代品不僅制造起來更為便宜，而且螺旋瓶蓋對用戶來說也更加方便。

第7段

The classic cork stopper does have several advantages,however.Firstly,its traditional image is more in keeping with that of the type of high quality goods with which it has long been associated.Secondly–and very importantly–cork is a sustainable product that can be recycled without difficulty.Moreover,cork forests are a resource which support local biodiversity,and prevent desertification in the regions where they are planted.So,given the current concerns about environmental issues,the future of this ancient material once again looks promising.

然而，經(jīng)典的軟木瓶塞確實有幾項優(yōu)勢。首先，它的傳統(tǒng)形象與高品質(zhì)物品更為匹配。這些東西與它長期聯(lián)系在一起。其次并且很重要的是，木栓是一種可以輕易回收的可持續(xù)產(chǎn)品。第三，栓木森林的資源可以支持當?shù)氐纳锒鄻有?，并阻止其所種植地區(qū)的沙漠化。所以，考慮到當前對環(huán)境問題的擔憂，這一古老材料的未來看起來再一次充滿了希望。

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