美语咖啡屋 Lesson 36: Jeannie Spinning Wool[1]

Y: 各位听众好，我是杨晨。欢迎您到美语咖啡屋！

J: Hello everyone! Welcome to American Cafe!

(Music break)

J: On today's American Cafe we're going to visit my home state - West Virginia. 西维吉尼亚！

Y: Yeh! 说起西维吉尼亚，我们知道西维吉尼亚以风景优美，民风纯朴而著称。是一个旅游的好地方。

J: Exactly! In fact, Yang Chen, I recently went there on a visit. I went to an arts-and-crafts festival in a town called Rennick. And there, I met a woman named Jeannie.

Y: Arts-and-crafts就是工艺美术的意思. 那么Jeannie从事的是那一种工艺美术呐。

J: Well, when I met Jeannie she was sitting at an old fashioned spinning wheel spinning wool.

Y: Wow. 她会纺毛线。Um, 那她还会作什么？纺毛线似乎还不能算是工艺美术啊。

J: Well, you're right. But Jeannie not only spins the wool, she is involved in an amazing process that begins with raising sheep and ends with a piece of art that you can wear. Jeannie from West Virginia.

实录1: Jeannie: My name is Jeannie and I'm from Rennick, WV. I grew up outside of Pittsburgh, but I've lived here for over 30 years now.

Y: Jody, 我记得，你好象说过你小时候也在匹兹堡附近住过？

J: Yeah, you have a great memory. I grew up outside of Pittsburgh just like Jeannie. It is such a small world. Now, back to Jeannie.

实录2: Jeannie: And I had for years a farm with a little flock¹ of Cotswold sheep. And so that's what I'm spinning today. Ah, It's kind of coarse² wool compared to some but it's very easy spinning.

Y: Jeannie刚才说的 "Cotswold sheep"是什么？

(Enter sheep sounds)

J: Oh, Cotswold sheep, oh, Yang Chen, that is simply a type of sheep. But that's not the important part. The important part is that the wool is very coarse and therefore it's easy to spin.

Y: 她这种羊毛比较粗，因为粗呢，所以就比较容易纺成毛线。

J: Right. Coarse is spelled C-O-A-R-S-E.

Y：纺毛线一定很难吧？

J: Well, let's hear Jeannie explain.

实录3: Jeannie: Oh man, well, you're taking raw wool and your putting a twist in order to get it hold it together to make yarn³ which you can then make into hats or sweaters or blankets or whatever.

Y: Jeannie真了不起。她从剪羊毛，到纺毛线，然后织成毛衣，或者帽子、毯子，她全都一手包办了。

J: She's amazing! She does everything. Well, almost everything. In our conversation she said she doesn't wash the wool 'cause (because) it's too difficult. But in her case, she begins by cutting the wool off the backs of the sheep with scissors.

(Enter sound of scissors)

实录4: Jeannie: Okay, in my case it came off the sheep with scissors. And the sheep stand up like little dogs and I cut the wool off of their backs. And it's a big job. And then it's very dirty so you need to wash it. And after washing it needs to be combed or carded so it's easily spun⁴.

Y: 羊毛剪下来不仅要清洗，她说还要comb。

J: Right comb C-O-M-B.

Y: 噢，就象梳头发那样。

J: Right! To comb your hair. She cuts the wool, sends it someone else to wash it, combs the wool, spins the wool into yarn and then knits⁵ the yarn into hats, sweaters or blankets. It's amazing!

Y: 看来除了清洗羊毛这一道程序其他都是她自己做的。哇，那种程序这么复杂。什么时候才能变成一件羊毛衫穿在我身上呐？

J: That's a good question. I asked Jeannie the same thing.

实录5: Jeannie: Well, it takes many many hours. I'd say a hat if you just counted the time for one hat probably takes 6 hours. A sweater I think takes 30-40 hours.

Y: 你想一件毛衣需要30到40个小时才完成。如果是我的话我一定没有这种耐心。

J: But you know, I think that Jeannie really loves the process not really the product.

实录6: Jeannie: I love the process of taking a raw thing like a dirty sheep and raising the babies and then ending up with incredible⁶ works⁷ of art.

J: Jeannie. She's wonderful. I just love her. Thanks for joining us on American Cafe.

Y: 谢谢大家收听美语咖啡屋。我们下次节目再见！

1 flock   

n.羊群，一群，大量；vi.群集，聚集，成群

参考例句：

• A flock of customers were waiting for the store to open.一群顾客在等候着商店开门。
• A few sheep have been lost from the flock.羊群里少了几只羊。

2 coarse   

adj.粗的，粗糙的；粗劣的；粗俗的

参考例句：

• His coarse habits have gradually fined away.他的粗俗习惯渐渐变得文雅起来了。
• She never wears clothes made of coarse material.她从来不穿粗布衣服。

3 yarn   

n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事

参考例句：

• I stopped to have a yarn with him.我停下来跟他聊天。
• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。

4 spun   

v.纺，杜撰，急转身

参考例句：

• His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。
• Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。

5 knits   

v.（使）愈合( knit的第三人称单数 )；编结；（使）紧密地结合；织平针

参考例句：

• A broken bone soon knits up. 骨折了能很快接上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This wool knits up well. 这种毛线很好织。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 incredible   

adj.难以置信的，不可信的，极好的，大量的

参考例句：

• Some planets run at incredible speed.某些星球以难以置信的速度运行着。
• Her answer showed the most incredible stupidity.她的回答显示出不可思议的愚蠢。

7 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。