英国学生科学读本 第55期:缝衣针和大头针(2)

 　　But we must leave the pin, for it is the pin itself that holds the parts together.

　　但是必须把大头针留下，因为两块东西就是让大头针来固定的。

　　Pins are made of many sizes, and are either black or white in colour. They are prepared for sale by being pushed through paper which has been crimped in a machine.

　　大头针有很多尺寸，颜色大都是黑白两色。事先用机器在纸上压出褶皱，把大头针穿过纸，就可以销售了。

　　White pins are often covered with tin, and black ones with black paint. Let us rub¹ a pin on a stone, and soon we shall rub off the outside coating; then we shall find that the pin itself is made of yellow brass² wire.

　　白色的大头针一般是镀锡的，黑色的大头针则涂上了黑漆。咱们试着把大头针在石头上蹭一蹭，很快，就能把外面一层给蹭下来，然后就能发现，大头针是用黄铜丝做的。

　　Pins are now made by machinery³, and they have solid⁴ heads. Thirty years ago they were made by hand, and the head of each one was made of a bit of thin brass wire coiled⁵ round the shank.

　　现在，大头针是用机器加工的，“大头”和针柄是一个整体。30年前，大头针还是手工制造的，“大头”是用一点儿细细的黄铜线，缠绕在针柄上做出来的。

　　Brass pins have been in use in Great Britain for about four hundred years. Before that time, large pins made of bone, ivory⁶, or wood were used.

　　黄铜大头针已经在英国用了大约400年。更早的时候，人们用的大型大头针，是用骨头、象牙、木材做的。

　　Both needles and pins are small things, and they are very cheap. But that is no reason why we should waste them. A careful child will pick up, and will place in a pin-cushion, any needles or pins that may be found lying about. It is wrong to waste these useful things. If they are left lying about, they may do harm by sticking into some person's finger or foot.

　　缝衣针和大头针都是很小的东西，很便宜，但我们没有理由浪费它们。细心的孩子只要看见，什么地方有散放的缝衣针或大头针，都会捡起来，放到插针包上。浪费这些有用的东西是不应该的。要是谁也不管，让它们到处乱放，可能就会扎伤别人的手指头和脚呢！

1 rub   

n.摩擦，困难，障碍，难点，磨损处；vt.擦，搓，摩擦，惹怒；vi.摩擦，擦破

参考例句：

• Don't let the wire rub up against the pipe.别让电线碰到管子上。
• He used to rub up against many famous movie stars.他过去经常偶然碰到许多有名的影星。

2 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

3 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

4 solid   

adj.固体的，结实的，可靠的，实心的；n.固体，实心；adv. 一致地

参考例句：

• Water may change from a liquid to a solid.水可以由液体变为固体。
• I know that James is a solid type of person.我知道詹姆斯是个可信赖的人。

5 coiled   

v.将…卷[盘]成圈或螺旋形( coil的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）缠绕，盘绕

参考例句：

• The snake coiled up, ready to strike. 那条蛇盘绕起来准备攻击。
• a snake coiled up in the grass 一条蛇盘在草丛里

6 ivory   

n.象牙，乳白色；adj.象牙制的，乳白色的

参考例句：

• My grandmother has some jewelry made of ivory.我祖母有一些象牙首饰。
• It is carved from ivory.它是用象牙雕成的。