【四六级翻译素材】丝绸

Transcript

A kind of insect called a silkworm produces white, raw silk threads. Chinese people collect these raw threads, create yarn and weave them. The silk fabrics are soft, smooth and light. It is the best material used in making dresses. A sī chóu dress 2,000 years old was unearthed in a tomb. It weighs less than 50 grammes and can be put into a matchbox. Westerners cherish Chinese sī chóu. It was introduced to Rome around 100 BC by merchants. The route they travelled is called the Silk Road. Compared with other material, sī chóu is more delicate and light. The clothes made of sī chóu are the most comfortable. Now sī chóu clothes are prominent in modern fashions. Chinese sī chóu has been world famous for its high quality for thousands of years.

raw: /rɔː ; rɔː / adj. in its natural state; not yet changed, used or made into sth else 未经加工的；自然状态的

raw sugar原糖

weave:  /wiːv ; wiːv / v. make cloth, a carpet, a basket, etc. by crossing threads or strips across, over and under each other by hand or on a machine called a loom （用手或机器）编，织 A from B

The baskets are woven from strips of willow.

这些篮子是用柳条编的。

fabric: /ˈfæbrɪk ; ˈfæbrɪk / n. material made by weaving wool, cotton, silk, etc, used for making clothes, curtains, etc. and for covering furniture 织物；布料

cotton fabric棉织物

furnishing fabrics室内装饰织品 

unearth: /ʌnˈɜːθ ; ʌnˈɜːrθ / v. to find sth in the ground by digging 挖掘；发掘；使出土

to unearth buried treasures

挖掘地下埋藏的珍宝

delicate:  /ˈdelɪkət ; ˈdelɪkət / adj. light and pleasant; not strong 柔和的；清淡可口的；清香的

a delicate fragrance/flavour

清新的芳香；鲜美的味道

a river scene painted in delicate watercolours

用柔和的水彩画的河景

prominent: /ˈprɒmɪnənt ; ˈprɑːmɪnənt / adj. important or well known 重要的；着名的；杰出的

a prominent politician杰出的政治家

He played a prominent part in the campaign.

他在这次运动中发挥了重要作用。

Translation

中国是丝绸的故乡。栽桑、养蚕、缫丝、织绸是中国古代人民的伟大发明。商周时期丝绸的生产技术就已发展到相当高的水平。西汉时张骞通西域，把中原与波斯湾、地中海紧密联系起来，开辟了中外交流贸易的新纪元。从此中国的丝绸以其卓越的品质、精美的花色和丰富的文化内涵闻名于世，成为中国文化的象征。东方文明的使者。

China is the home of silk. Mulberry planting, sericulture, silk reeling and thickening are all great inventions of the ancient Chinese. As early as the Shang and Zhou Dynasties (1600BC-256BC), the Chinese people’s silk-weaving techniques had reached an extremely high level. During the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-25AD), Zhang Qian, an outstanding diplomat, travelled around central Asia and connected China with the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean, opening up a new era of Sino-foreign trade, exchange and communication. From then on, China’s silk became well known for its extraordinary quality, exquisite design and color, and abundant culture connotations. Hitherto, Chinese silk has been accepted as a symbol of Chinese culture and the emissary of oriental civilization.