劍橋雅思12Test8Passage1閱讀原文翻譯 The History of Glass

劍橋雅思12 Test8 Passage1閱讀原文翻譯

第1段

From our earliest origins, man has been making use of glass. Historians have discovered that a type of natural glass — obsidian — formed in places such as the mouth of a volcano as a result of the intense heat of an eruption melting sand — was first used as tips for spears. Archaeologists have even found evidence of man-made glass which dates back to 4000 BC; this took the form of glazes used for coating stone beads. It was not until 1500 BC, however, that the first hollow glass container was made by covering a sand core with a layer of molten glass.

從我們最早的起源開始，人類就一直在使用玻璃。歷史學家發(fā)現(xiàn)，一種通常形成于火山口一類的地方（由于火山爆發(fā)的高溫融化了沙子）的天然玻璃-黑曜石-被當作矛尖使用。考古學家甚至發(fā)現(xiàn)過可以追溯到公元前4000年的人造玻璃的證據(jù)，即用來包裹石頭珠子的玻璃涂層。然而，直到公元前1500年，通過用融化的玻璃覆蓋沙子模型才制作出第一個中空的玻璃容器。

第2段

Glass blowing became the most common way to make glass containers from the first century BC. The glass made during this time was highly coloured due to the impurities of the raw material. In the first century AD, methods of creating colourless glass were developed, which was then tinted by the addition of colouring materials. The secret of glass making was taken across Europe by the Romans during this century. However, they guarded the skills and technology required to make glass very closely, and it was not until their empire collapsed in 476 AD that glass-making knowledge became widespread throughout Europe and the Middle East. From the 10th century onwards, the Venetians gained a reputation for technical skill and artistic ability in the making of glass bottles, and many of the city’s craftsmen left Italy to set up glassworks throughout Europe.

從公元前1世紀開始，吹玻璃就是制作玻璃容器最常見的方法。由于原材料中存在雜質(zhì)，這一時期制作的玻璃顏色各異。公元1世紀，制造無色玻璃的方法被發(fā)明出來。這些玻璃可以通過添加有色材料來沾染其他顏色。同樣在該世紀，羅馬人將玻璃制造的秘密帶到歐洲。但他們十分嚴密的保守制作玻璃的工藝和技術(shù)。直到羅馬帝國于公元476年崩潰，玻璃制作的知識才在歐洲和中東廣泛傳播。從10世紀開始，威尼斯人因制作玻璃瓶子的高超技術(shù)和藝術(shù)水準而聲名遠揚。這座城市的許多手工藝人離開意大利，在歐洲各地建立自己的玻璃作坊。

第3段

A major milestone in the history of glass occurred with the invention of lead crystal glass by the English glass manufacturer George Ravenscroft (1632—1688). He attempted to counter the effect of clouding that sometimes occurred in blown glass by introducing lead to the raw materials used in the process. The new glass he created was softer and easier to decorate, and had a higher refractive index, adding to its brilliance and beauty, and it proved invaluable to the optical industry. It is thanks to Ravenscroft’s invention that optical lenses, astronomical telescopes, microscopes and the like became possible.

玻璃發(fā)展史上的一個重要里程碑是英國玻璃制造商George Ravenscroft (1632-1588)發(fā)明了鉛水晶玻璃。為了消除在吹制玻璃中有時發(fā)生的霧化效應，他在該過程所使用的原材料中加入了鉛。他制造的新玻璃更柔軟，更容易裝飾，并且有著更高的折射率，增加了玻璃本身的亮度和美感。這對于光學工業(yè)來說價值無限。正是由于Ravenscroft的發(fā)明，光學鏡片、天文望遠鏡、顯微鏡和諸如此類的東西才成為可能。

第4段

In Britain, the modern glass industry only really started to develop after the repeal of the Excise Act in 1845. Before that time, heavy taxes had been placed on the amount of glass melted in a glasshouse, and were levied continuously from 1745 to 1845. Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace at London’s Great Exhibition of 1851 marked the beginning of glass as a material used in the building industry. This revolutionary new building encouraged the use of glass in public, domestic and horticultural architecture. Glass manufacturing techniques also improved with the advancement of science and the development of better technology.

在英國，現(xiàn)代玻璃產(chǎn)業(yè)直到1845年廢除消費稅法之后才開始真正起步。在這之前，玻璃作坊中所融化的玻璃被征以重稅，而且這一稅收在1745年到1845年之間被持續(xù)收取。Joseph Paxton為1851年倫敦世界博覽會所設(shè)計的水晶宮殿標志著玻璃開始作為一種材料被應用于建筑工業(yè)中。這一革命性的新建筑鼓勵在人們在公共、私人以及園藝建筑中使用玻璃。隨著科學的進步和更好技術(shù)的出現(xiàn)，玻璃制作工業(yè)也有所提升。

第5段

From 1887 onwards, glass making developed from traditional mouth-blowing to a semi-automatic process, after factory-owner HM Ashley introduced a machine capable of producing 200 bottles per hour in Castleford, Yorkshire, England — more than three times quicker than any previous production method. Then in 1907, the first fully automated machine was developed in the USA by Michael Owens — founder of the Owens Bottle Machine Company (later the major manufacturers Owens- Illinois) — and installed in its factory. Owens’ invention could produce an impressive 2,500 bottles per hour. Other developments followed rapidly, but it was not until the First World War, when Britain became cut off from essential glass suppliers, that glass became part of the scientific sector. Previous to this, glass had been seen as a craft rather than a precise science.

從1887年開始，玻璃制作從傳統(tǒng)的人工吹制進化到半自動流程。當時的工廠主HM Ashley在英格蘭約克郡的Castleford引進了一臺每小時可以生產(chǎn)出200個瓶子的機器。這比之前任何生產(chǎn)方法都快了不止3倍。隨后，1907年，美國的Michael Owens（Owens Bottle Machine Company的創(chuàng)始人，即后來的大型制造商Owens-Illinois）開發(fā)出第一臺全自動機器，并將它安裝在自己的工廠里。Owens的發(fā)明可以每小時制造出令人驚嘆的2500個瓶子。其他的進展很快跟上。但直到第一次世界大戰(zhàn)，英國失去其主要的玻璃供應商，玻璃才成為科學研究的一部分。在此之前，玻璃被當作是手工藝品，而非精確的科學。

第6段

Today, glass making is big business. It has become a modern, hi-tech industry operating in a fiercely competitive global market where quality, design and service levels are critical to maintaining market share. Modern glass plants are capable of making millions of glass containers a day in many different colours, with green, brown and clear remaining the most popular. Few of us can imagine modern life without glass. It features in almost every aspect of our lives — in our homes, our cars and whenever we sit down to eat or drink. Glass packaging is used for many products, many beverages are sold in glass, as are numerous foodstuffs, as well as medicines and cosmetics.

如今，玻璃制造是一門大生意。它已經(jīng)成為競爭激烈的全球市場上一項現(xiàn)代高科技產(chǎn)業(yè)。質(zhì)量，設(shè)計和服務水平對于維持市場份額至關(guān)重要。現(xiàn)代玻璃工廠能夠在一天里制造數(shù)百萬各種不同顏色的玻璃。其中綠色、棕色和透明色仍然最為流行。我們很難想象沒有玻璃的現(xiàn)代生活。它幾乎出現(xiàn)在我們生活的方方面面-在我們的家里，汽車里，以及任何我們想要坐下吃飯或者喝水的時候。玻璃包裝被用于許多產(chǎn)品，很多飲料都以玻璃瓶的形式出售，同樣的還有無數(shù)的食物，藥品和化妝品。

第7段

Glass is an ideal material for recycling, and with growing consumer concern for green issues, glass bottles and jars are becoming ever more popular. Glass recycling is good news for the environment. It saves used glass containers being sent to landfill. As less energy is needed to melt recycled glass than to melt down raw materials, this also saves fuel and production costs. Recycling also reduces the need for raw materials to be quarried, thus saving precious resources.

玻璃是回收利用的理想材料。隨著越來越多的消費者關(guān)心環(huán)境問題，玻璃瓶罐的受歡迎程度與日俱增。玻璃回收對于環(huán)境來說是條好消息。它能夠留下本來要送往垃圾填埋場的玻璃容器。由于融化回收玻璃所需要的能量比融化原材料要少，這一舉措也可以節(jié)省燃料和生產(chǎn)成本?；厥找矔档烷_采原材料的需求，并因此節(jié)約寶貴的資源。

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