使用一种纯天然方法给生活增添色彩

    This is the VOA Special English Development Report.
    这里是美国之音慢速英语发展报告。

    Dye can bring a little color to life. Most clothing is colored with dyes. Modern, manufactured dyes can be costly. Natural dyes from plant and animal products have been used since ancient times. So this week, we describe a natural way to dye wool.
    染料可以给生活增添色彩。多数衣服都是靠染料染色的。现代人造染料比较昂贵。从古时候起,人们就开始使用从动植物产品中提取的天然染料。本周,我们来谈谈给羊毛染色的纯天然方法。

    The advice comes from information written by Jenny Dean of the Intermediate Technology Development Group in Britain. This anti-poverty group is now called Practical Action.
    写信提出本期建议的是珍妮·迪安,来自英国中间技术开发小组(Intermediate Technology Development Group in Britain)。这是一个扶贫组织,现在名叫“实际行动”组织(Practical Action)。

    There are several methods to put dye onto material. The vat method, for example, can be used to dye wool with onionskins. For this example, use one hundred grams of natural wool. The wool must be clean. Leave it overnight in water and liquid soap. Then wash it with clean water that is a little warm. Gently squeeze out the extra water.
    给原料染色的方法有很多种。例如缸染法使用洋葱皮染羊毛。在这个例子中那个,取100克天然羊毛清洗,置于水和液体肥皂的混合液中浸泡一夜,然后用清洁温水把羊毛洗净,轻轻挤出多余水分。

    A solution called a mordant is used in the dying process. A mordant helps fix the dye to the material. Traditionally, mordants were found in nature. Wood ash is one example. But chemical mordants such as alum are popular today. Alum is sold in many stores. It is often mixed with cream of tartar, a fine powder commonly used in cooking.
    在染色过程中还将用到一种名为媒染剂的溶剂。媒染剂帮助染料附着于原料上。通常,媒染剂都取自天然,例如木灰。但如今明矾一类的化学媒染剂更受欢迎。明矾在很多商店都有销售。使用时通常混以酒石——一种烹调时常用的细粉状物质。

    Mix eight grams of alum with seven grams of cream of tartar in a small amount of hot water. Add the solution to a metal pan of cool water. Next, add the wool and place the mixture over heat. Slowly bring the liquid to eighty-two degrees Celsius. Heat the mixture for forty-five minutes. After it cools, remove the wool and wash it.
    把8克明矾和7克酸性酒石拌以少量热水混合。在盛有冷水的金属锅里加入溶剂。接下来,放入羊毛混合并加热。,使液体慢慢升温到82摄氏度。将混合物持续加热45分钟。冷却后,取出羊毛并清洗。

    To prepare the dye solution, cover thirty grams of onionskins with water. Use only the dry, brown outer skins. Boil the liquid until the onionskins lose their color, about forty-five minutes,. Remove the skins after the dye cools.
    为了制作染料溶剂,将30克洋葱皮用水浸没,注意只能使用干燥、褐色的洋葱皮。然后将水煮沸,直到洋葱皮掉色,这大概耗时45分钟。染料冷却后将洋葱皮清除。

    Now it is time to dye the wool. Place the wool into the dye and heat the mixture. Bring it to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to eighty-two degrees. Now heat the dye for about forty-five minutes or until the wool is the desired color. Keep in mind that wet wool looks darker than it is.
    现在就到给羊毛染色的时候了。把羊毛放进染料溶剂中并加热,先煮沸,然后快速降温到82度。此时继续加热大约45分钟,直到羊毛变成理想的颜色。请记住,湿羊毛看上去比它的实际颜色深一些。

    Once the dye cools, remove the wool and wash it. Now the wool is orange or yellow. Or at least it should be.
    一旦染料冷却,立即取出羊毛并清洗。现在,羊毛变为橙色或黄色的了。或者,至少它应该是那样的颜色。

    Internet users can get the full details at practicalaction.org. Again, the address is practicalaction dot org. And enter the word "dye," d-y-e, in the search box. We will post a link to the site at 51voa.com.
    互联网用户可以访问practicalaction.org,在网站搜索框中输入“染料”查看详细信息。我们也将在51voa.com网站上发布一个链接。