LESSON 24

SHEEP-SHEARING

剪羊毛

thoroughly month dried dyed cuts
shearer sheep those spun dirt
otherwise woven cloth wool rub

LESSON 24 - 图1

  1. Sheep are washed and sheared some time in the month of June. This should be done quite early in the month, before the hot days begin.

  2. It is fine sport for those who look on, but not much fun for the sheep.

  3. It is best for the sheep to have the wool taken off; otherwise they would suffer in the summer time.

  4. When the time comes for washing the sheep, they are driven to a pond or a little river.

  5. Then they are thrown into the water, one at a time. The men who are in the water catch them, and squeeze the wet wool with their hands to get the dirt all out of it.

  6. When the wool is thoroughly dried, the sheep are taken to the shearer; and he cuts off the wool with a large pair of shears.

  7. It is then dyed, spun, and woven into cloth.

  8. In a short time, before the cold winter comes, new wool grows out on the sheep. By the coming of spring there is so much, that it must be cut off again.

【中文阅读】

1．绵羊要在六月里洗澡和剪毛。这项工作应该在六月尽早完成，否则天就开始热了。

2．对于旁观者来说，这是个好玩的游戏。但对绵羊来说，则不太有趣。

3．绵羊的毛剪下来是最好的。否则，它们会在夏天里遭受痛苦。

4．当冲洗羊群的时间到来时，它们会被驱赶到池塘或小河边。

5．然后，它们被带进河里，一次一只。在水里的人们抓住它们，用手拧紧湿漉漉的羊毛，把泥土挤出去。

6．接下来，等羊毛彻底干燥，羊群会被送到剪羊毛工人那里。工人用一把大剪刀把羊毛剪下。

7．这些羊毛随后会被染色，用来纺织成布料。

8．不久，在寒冷的冬天到来之前，新的羊毛又在绵羊身上长了出来。春天到来，羊毛又长出很多，它们会再次被剪下来。