Papermaking

Long ago, before papermaking was invented, people used things like heavy bamboo slips and expensive silk to write on. Bamboo slips were hard to carry around, and silk cost too much for everyone to use.

In the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a smart man named Cai Lun. He worked in the palace and saw how the emperor and ministers had a hard time dealing with those heavy bamboo slips. So, Cai Lun decided to make a better writing material.

He tried many things. At first, he used tree bark to make paper, but it didn’t work well. It was rough and easy to break. But Cai Lun didn’t give up. He kept trying.

Finally, after lots of experiments, Cai Lun found a great way. He mixed bark, hemp heads, rags and broken fishing nets. After cutting, soaking, steaming, stirring and drying these things, he made a new kind of paper. It was light, thin, flexible and cheap.

Cai Lun showed this paper to the emperor. The emperor loved it! This new papermaking method spread widely across the country.

People called it "Cai Hou Paper". Papermaking helped people write and record things better. It also went to other countries along the Silk Road and changed the world.

造纸术

很久以前，在造纸术被发明之前，人们使用笨重的竹简和昂贵的丝绸这类物品来书写。竹简不便携带，而丝绸造价太高，并非人人都能用得起。

东汉时期，有一位聪慧的人物名叫蔡伦。他在宫中任职，目睹帝王与大臣们使用笨重竹简时的种种不便。于是蔡伦决心造出一种更好的书写材料。

他尝试过很多材料。起初，他用树皮造纸，但是效果并不理想。造出的纸张粗糙，还容易破损。可蔡伦没有放弃，他不断尝试。

经过无数次实验，蔡伦终于找到了绝佳的方法。他把树皮、麻头、破布和破旧渔网混合在一起。经过裁切、浸泡、蒸煮、捶搅、晾晒一系列工序之后，造出了一种新型纸张。这种纸张质地轻薄、柔韧，而且价格低廉。

蔡伦把这种纸呈献给皇帝，皇帝十分喜爱！这套全新的造纸术在全国范围内广为传播。

人们把这种纸称作 “蔡侯纸”。造纸术让人们能够更好地书写、记录信息。造纸术还沿着丝绸之路传到其他国家，改变了整个世界。

重点短语

1. be invented 被发明
2. bamboo slips 竹简
3. carry around 随身携带；四处搬运
4. too much 太多（修饰不可数名词 / 动词 cost）
5. the Eastern Han Dynasty 东汉
6. have a hard time doing sth. 做某事很困难
7. give up 放弃
8. keep doing sth. 持续 / 一直做某事
9. lots of experiments 大量实验
10. hemp heads 麻头
11. broken fishing nets 破旧渔网
12. spread widely 广泛传播
13. along the Silk Road 沿着丝绸之路
14. record things 记录事物 / 信息

阅读理解问答题

问题

1. What disadvantages did bamboo slips and silk have as writing materials long ago?
2. Why did Cai Lun want to create a new kind of writing material?
3. What was the problem with the paper made from tree bark at first?
4. What materials did Cai Lun mix to make the new paper?
5. What two influences does papermaking have according to the passage?

参考答案

1. Bamboo slips were hard to carry around and silk cost too much for everyone to use.
2. Because he saw the emperor and ministers had a hard time dealing with heavy bamboo slips, so he decided to make a better writing material.
3. It was rough and easy to break, and it didn’t work well.
4. He mixed bark, hemp heads, rags and broken fishing nets.
5. First, it helped people write and record things better. Second, it spread to other countries along the Silk Road and changed the world.

免责声明：本文素材来自英语学习宝藏，旨在免费公益分享优质内容，仅供学习交流。