VOA慢速英语 2008 0204a

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

The earliest process of making paper was done almost five thousand years ago in Egypt and the Nile Valley. In those days, paper was made from strips¹ of the papyrus² plant.

Modern paper-making began in China about two thousand years ago. This process produced paper from cloth, straw, wood or the bark of trees. The raw materials are struck over and over until they become loose. Then they are mixed with water.

After the water has been removed, the flat, thin form remaining is permitted to dry. This becomes a sheet of paper.

Large machines started to be used for making paper near the end of the sixteenth century. Today, paper-making is a big business. But it is still possible to make paper by hand, since the steps are the same as using big machines.

You should choose paper with small amounts of printing. Old envelopes are good for this reason. Colored paper also can be used, as well as small amounts of newspaper. Small pieces of rags or cloth can be added. These should be cut into pieces about five centimeters by five centimeters.

Everything is placed in a container, covered with water, and brought to a boil. It is mixed for about two hours with some common chemicals and then allowed to cool. Then it is left until most of the water dries up. The substance left, called pulp³, can be stored until you are ready to make paper.

When you are ready, the pulp is mixed with water again. Then the pulp is poured into a special box or mold⁴. The mold is made of small squares of wire that hold the shape and thickness of the paper. To help dry the paper, the mold lets the water flow through the small wire squares.

After several more drying steps, the paper is carefully lifted back from the mold. It is now strong enough to be touched.

The paper is smoothed and pressed to remove trapped air. You can use a common electric iron used for pressing clothes.

There are many other technologies for people making paper using small machines.

You can order more information about making paper from EnterpriseWorks/VITA. The address of the group’s Web site is enterpriseworks.org.

And that’s the VOA Special English Development Report. Transcripts⁵, MP3s and podcasts of our reports are at voaspecialenglish.com

1 strips   

n. 条，片 名词strip的复数形式

参考例句：

• Cut the vegetables into thin strips. 把菜切成细条。
• The baskets are woven from strips of willow. 这些篮子是用柳条编的。

2 papyrus   

n.古以纸草制成之纸

参考例句：

• The Egyptians wrote on papyrus.埃及人书写用薄草纸。
• Since papyrus dries up and crumble,very few documents of ancient Egypt have survived.因草片会干裂成粉末所以古埃及的文件很少保存下来。

3 pulp   

n.果肉，纸浆；v.化成纸浆，除去...果肉，制成纸浆

参考例句：

• The pulp of this watermelon is too spongy.这西瓜瓤儿太肉了。
• The company manufactures pulp and paper products.这个公司制造纸浆和纸产品。

4 mold   

n.模子，模型，铸模；vt.造型，浇涛

参考例句：

• Too often we try to mold our children into something they do not wish to be.我们常常试图把孩子塑造成他们自己不想成为的样子。
• Try to compact the sand into the mold.设法把这沙土堆积到模子里。

5 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句