LESSON 24

第24课

thoroughly

透

month

月

dried

干的

dyed

染色

cuts

削减

shearer

采煤机

sheep

羊

those

那些

spun

纺

dirt

污垢

otherwise

除此以外

woven

编织

cloth

布

wool

羊毛

rub

擦

SHEEP-SHEARING

剪羊毛

Sheep are washed and sheared some time in the month of June.

绵羊要在六月里洗澡和剪毛。

This should be done quite early in the month, before the hot days begin.

这项工作应该在六月尽早完成，否则天就开始热了。

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

对于旁观者来说，这是个好玩的游戏。

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

但对绵羊来说，则不太有趣。

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

绵羊的毛剪下来是最好的。否则，它们会在夏天里遭受痛苦。

Then they are thrown into the water, one at a time.

当冲洗羊群的时间到来时，它们会被驱赶到池塘或小河边。

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.

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。

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.

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。

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

这些羊毛随后会被染色，用来纺织成布料。

In a short time, before the cold winter comes, new wool grows out on the sheep.

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。

By the coming of spring there is so much, that it must be cut off again.

春天到来，羊毛又长出很多，它们会再次被剪下来。