VOA慢速英语2011--Learning How to Make Soap

STEVE EMBER: I’m Steve Ember.
FAITH LAPIDUS: And I’m Faith Lapidus with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. While washing your hands have you ever wondered what materials are in a bar of soap and why it cleans? Today we answer that question with a visit to a soap maker¹ at her home in Falls Church, Virginia near Washington.
Mary Kearns creates soaps that contain inventive combinations of herbs and essential oils. She uses organic and fairly traded ingredients. And she takes great care to operate her Herban Lifestyle business in a way that is environmentally friendly.
(MUSIC)
STEVE EMBER: At the ArtSpring store in Silver Spring, Maryland, visitors can buy products made by local artists and artisans. They might notice some soaps wrapped in colorful paper. This is one of several places where Mary Kearns sells her Herban Lifestyle soaps and other body products.
MARY KEARNS: “People love natural soaps. I love seeing people’s reactions when they pick up a bar and smell it and get a smile on their face.”
Herban Lifestyle products include colorful fuzzy soaps, which are wrapped in wool
FAITH LAPIDUS: One way to learn more about soap-making is to watch Mary Kearns at work. She shows us the ingredients she will use. They include water into which she has dissolved lye, or sodium² hydroxide. She warns that working with lye can be dangerous because it burns the skin. She makes sure to wear special protective glasses and gloves when making soap.
Oil is the other important ingredient in soap. Different oils give a soap different properties. For example, olive oil makes a harder soap, while coconut³ oil makes a soap that produces suds.
MARY KEARNS: “I use organic coconut oil. Actually, all organic oils. And the palm kernel⁴ oil is organic and sustainably harvested.”
Mary Kearns mixing together the ingredients for lavender soap
FAITH LAPIDUS: Once the ingredients have been gathered and measured, it is time to start mixing them together.
MARY KEARNS: “Pretty basic ingredients. Three kinds of oils, water, lye. And then I mix it together. This is where the magical part happens.”
STEVE EMBER: First, she adds the water and lye solution little by little to a large pot of heated oil. Then, she uses an electric blender to mix the oils with the lye and water.
(SOUND)
When the soap has reached “trace” it means the liquid soap has come to a point where it will not separate back into oil and water. She then adds exact measurements of herbs or flowers and essential oils.
She adds the dried herbs and flowers for looks and texture⁵. The essential oils give the soap its intense smell. Ms. Kearns has many bottles of different kinds of essential oils that she buys from special organic producers.
Smelling the oil she has in the kitchen now is like breathing in an entire field of lavender flowers. This is exactly the kind of soap Ms. Kearns is making right now. She grows some herbs and plants in her garden. She buys the others.
Not all Herban Lifestyle soaps contain essential oils. Some people’s skin is too sensitive for essential oils, so Ms. Kearns also makes soaps that have no intense smell.
MARY KEARNS: “About half of my soaps have no added essential oils, it’s for people with very sensitive skin who want to avoid essential oils for any reason. And then the other half, I have fun playing with the different scents⁷”
FAITH LAPIDUS: Next, she pours the liquid soap into wooden mold forms. The forms make small rectangular soaps or large bricks of soap. Ms. Kearns puts paper on top of the molds. She lets them sit for a day or two in a warm place so the soap can dry and harden.
Once the soap has reached trace, it is poured into molds to harden and dry out
Later, she takes the soap out of the mold and places it in a storage area to cure or dry for four to six weeks. This curing process permits water to evaporate from the soap. The soap soon becomes firmer which helps it last longer.
(MUSIC)
STEVE EMBER: Understanding soap-making also requires a short chemistry and history lesson. Soap is made from a chemical reaction called saponification. During saponification, an alkali base such as sodium hydroxide reacts with a fat. This forms a small amount of alcohol called glycerol and a metal salt of fatty acids, or soap. Soap cleans because its molecules⁹ attach to nonpolar molecules like oil and polar molecules like water.
One end of the soap molecule⁸ is attracted to oil and keeps away water, while the other end attaches itself to water and repels¹⁰ oil. This special quality of the soap molecule allows it to suspend oils, which attract dirt. Water can then wash away the soap and the dirt.
FAITH LAPIDUS: No one knows exactly when humans first developed soap. Archeologists have found containers filled with a material similar to soap while studying the ancient cultures of Babylon and Egypt.
One story says that soap got its name from Mount Sapo, a place where ancient Romans used to sacrifice animals to their gods. Rainwater washed melted animal fat and wood ashes down the mountain into a river where women were washing clothes. The women found that the ashes and fat combination made their clothes much cleaner. The story may not be true. But it is likely that the discovery of how to make soap may have been accidental.
STEVE EMBER: Soap businesses began to appear in England, France, and Italy during the Middle Ages. By the twelfth century, soap- making centers had developed in cities such as Marseilles, France and Savona, Italy. Later, Bristol, England also became an important city for soap production. Two scientists helped modernize¹¹ soap production. The French chemist Nicolas Leblanc discovered how to make soda¹² ash from salt in the late eighteenth century. As a result, soda, a main material in soap, became easier to make.
But this process also released large amounts of deadly hydrochloric acid gas. The Belgian chemist Ernest Solvay later developed a better method of soda ash production in the eighteen sixties.
(MUSIC)
FAITH LAPIDUS: About twelve years ago, Mary Kearns bought a kit⁶ for making body care products at home. She discovered that she really enjoyed making soaps. She would sometimes sell them at her local farmer’s market. But it was her main career in psychology¹³ that took up most of her time.
MARY KEARNS: “Well, I have an undergraduate degree in art and then a doctorate¹⁴ in applied¹⁵ developmental psychology. And my specialty¹⁶ has been on health, so health psychology. What motivates people to take care of themselves or not take care of themselves. What are people’s attitudes and behaviors around wellness.”
STEVE EMBER: A few years ago, Mary Kearns returned to her love of soap-making and established her Herban Lifestyle business. She says she uses both her undergraduate and graduate training for her business. She has also studied the medicinal properties of herbs and plants.
FAITH LAPIDUS: Herban Lifestyle soaps are influenced by the natural colors and smells of the plant world. Mary Kearns points to a large collection of dried plants and herbs that go into making her soaps. MARY KEARNS: “It’s amazing the variety of colors, textures¹⁷ and scents that are just in natural plants. You don’t even need to use artificial colors. The rainbow is there.”
STEVE EMBER: One soap she makes is called “If They Bathed at Woodstock”. It contains hemp¹⁸ oil as well as the smell of orange and patchouli. “It’s a Sunshiney Soap” has a bright and pleasing smell. It contains calendula flowers and tangerine¹⁹ essential oils.
She also has soaps that are very popular with men. Her “MAN Beer Soap” is made from palm, olive and coconut oil. And, it has one unusual ingredient -- beer. Ms. Kearns says beer is soothing²⁰ to the skin and keeps it soft.
FAITH LAPIDUS: Many Herban Lifestyle soaps come wrapped in colored paper. Ms. Kearns chooses papers made from recycled materials, often with colors made from soy ink. One line of soaps has a very unusual wrapping. Her fuzzy soaps look like balls of wool, and they are, sort of. These soaps are tightly wrapped in brightly colored wool. As the soap dissolves, the wool slowly shrinks around the soap. Ms. Kearns says the wool serves several aims. It acts like a washcloth, helps remove dead skin cells and makes the soap last longer.
STEVE EMBER: Herban Lifestyle produces about three thousand bars of soap every year. The soaps are sold on the company’s website, and on other websites including Etsy and Ebay’s socially responsible store called World of Good.
Mary Kearns also sells her products at craft fairs and at stores in Washington, D.C, Maryland, Virginia and California. At eight dollars a soap, these products cost more than commercially produced soaps. But she says more and more people are willing to pay more for natural, hand-made products.
MARY KEARNS: “It’s in the last ten or fifteen years that people are going back to the artisan style soaps in a big way.”
FAITH LAPIDUS: We asked Mary Kearns for her advice when shopping for a bar of soap. She said to look for ingredients that you would eat, other than lye, of course. She says to look for pure oils and avoid unnatural²¹ fragrances²², which can contain harsh chemicals.
(MUSIC)
STEVE EMBER: This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I’m Steve Ember.
FAITH LAPIDUS: And I’m Faith Lapidus. You can see pictures of soap-making on our Web site, voanews.cn. Join us again next week for EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English.

1 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

2 sodium   

n.（化）钠

参考例句：

• Out over the town the sodium lights were lit.在外面，全城的钠光灯都亮了。
• Common salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.食盐是钠和氯的复合物。

3 coconut   

n.椰子

参考例句：

• The husk of this coconut is particularly strong.椰子的外壳很明显非常坚固。
• The falling coconut gave him a terrific bang on the head.那只掉下的椰子砰地击中他的脑袋。

4 kernel   

n.(果实的)核，仁；(问题)的中心，核心

参考例句：

• The kernel of his problem is lack of money.他的问题的核心是缺钱。
• The nutshell includes the kernel.果壳裹住果仁。

5 texture   

n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理

参考例句：

• We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
• Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

6 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

7 scents   

n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉

参考例句：

• The air was fragrant with scents from the sea and the hills. 空气中荡漾着山和海的芬芳气息。
• The winds came down with scents of the grass and wild flowers. 微风送来阵阵青草和野花的香气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

9 molecules   

分子( molecule的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

10 repels   

v.击退( repel的第三人称单数 )；使厌恶；排斥；推开

参考例句：

• His manner repels me. 他的举止让我厌恶。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her callous attitude repels me. 她冷酷无情的态度引起我的反感。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

12 soda   

n.苏打水；汽水

参考例句：

• She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
• I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。

13 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

14 doctorate   

n.(大学授予的)博士学位

参考例句：

• He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
• Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士？

15 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

16 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。

17 textures   

n.手感( texture的名词复数 )；质感；口感；（音乐或文学的）谐和统一感

参考例句：

• I'm crazy about fabrics textures and colors and designs. 我喜欢各式各样的纺织物--对它的质地，色彩到花纹图案--简直是入了迷。 来自辞典例句
• Let me clear up the point about the textures. 让我明确了一点有关的纹理。 来自互联网

18 hemp   

n.大麻；纤维

参考例句：

• The early Chinese built suspension bridges of hemp rope.古代的中国人建造过麻绳悬索桥。
• The blanket was woven from hemp and embroidered with wool.毯子是由亚麻编织，羊毛镶边的。

19 tangerine   

n.橘子，橘子树

参考例句：

• Hand me of a the ripest tangerine please.请递给我一个最熟的橘子。
• These tangerine are transported here by air from Fuzhou.这些福橘是刚刚从福州空运过来的。

20 soothing   

adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的

参考例句：

• Put on some nice soothing music.播放一些柔和舒缓的音乐。
• His casual, relaxed manner was very soothing.他随意而放松的举动让人很快便平静下来。

21 unnatural   

adj.不自然的；反常的

参考例句：

• Did her behaviour seem unnatural in any way?她有任何反常表现吗？
• She has an unnatural smile on her face.她脸上挂着做作的微笑。

22 fragrances   

n.芳香，香味( fragrance的名词复数 )；香水

参考例句：

• The bath oil comes in various fragrances. 这种沐浴油有不同的香味。
• This toilet soap lathers so nicely and has several fragrances. 这种香皂起泡很多，并且有好几种香味。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》