The bark of the cork-tree is first stripped off its trunk when the tree is about thirty years old. This bark is very rough and full of cracks. It is called virgin cork, and it is used to decorate green-houses and flowerboxes.

木栓栎树长到30年的时候, 就可以第一次剥树皮了。这一次剥下来的树皮非常粗糙, 满是裂纹, 叫做“头道皮”, 也叫“初生栓皮”, 用来装饰温室和花盆。

The bark soon grows again on the tree; and after ten years it is stripped off again. This time it is of a rather better quality. After this, the bark is taken off every eight or ten years. The best cork is got from trees that are about fifty years old.

不久, 树上就又长出树皮来。10年以后, 这些树皮就又剥下来了。这一次的质量就好多了。这以后, 每过8–10年就剥一次树皮。最好的树皮, 是大概50年的树出产的。

The cork is taken from the tree in large sheets, or planks, as they are called. These are scraped well, and are slightly burnt in order to close the pores or tiny holes, and to kill any insects that may be in them.

树皮是大片大片地从树上剥下来的, 这种大片的树皮片叫做plank, 人们把树皮打磨好, 拿火烤一下, 让树皮上的细孔或者小洞闭合, 也是为了杀死里面的一切昆虫。

The planks are then flattened out under heavy stones, after which they are boiled, and dried in the sun. In this state the sheets of cork are sent to our country; and here they are cut up with sharp knives into any shapethat may be wanted.

然后, 把树皮片用沉重的石头压平, 再用热水煮一遍, 在太阳底下晒干。这样处理过的软木板, 运到英国, 用锋利的刀子切成我们想要的任何形状。

Other trees would be killed if we were to strip off their bark, but the cork oak-tree seems to grow all the better for it. If its bark is not taken off, the tree dies when it is about sixty years of age; but trees that have been regularly stripped live to the age of about one hundred and fifty years.

别的树, 如果剥了树皮, 就活不下去了。但是栓皮栎树一旦剥了皮, 似乎反而长得更好。不剥皮的树, 大概60年就会死去, 但是, 每隔一段时间剥一次皮的树, 却能活大约150年。

 

英语美文