In the layers of clay and sandstone between the seams of coal we often find the remains of plants very well preserved indeed. In the coal itself it is very hard to tell one plant from another, for they have all been crushed together.

在煤层之间的粘土层和砂岩层里面，我们经常会找到保存得十分完好的植物遗骸。可是，在煤层里面，就很难把一棵棵植物分开，因为植物全都压碎了，混在一起了。

To get coal, men called miners, or colliers, dig deep holes straight down into the earth, until they reach the seams of coal. These deep holes are called pit shafts.

有一些叫做“矿工”的人，在地上挖出深洞，深洞笔直地向下延伸，一直挖到煤层。这些深洞就叫“矿井”。

From the bottom of the shaft the miners cut low passages through the seams, and dig out the coal. These passages often extend for miles. In some coal mines seams of coal are worked which are three thousand feet below the surface of the ground.

矿工们从矿井底部，在煤层里开凿出巷道，把煤挖出来。这些巷道经常会有好几英里长。在一些煤矿里，矿工开采的煤层，足有地表之下3000英尺深。

Some day you will, I hope, go down a coal mine. You will have to get into a big cage or box, which is fastened to a strong wire rope, and is lowered down the pit shaft by means of a steam-engine.

我希望将来你也能下到煤矿里看一看。你必须坐在大笼子，或者大箱子里面，箱子拴在一条牢固的钢丝绳上，用蒸汽机放到矿井里面。

You then will walk along the low passages cut in the coal seam, and you will see men with pick-axes breaking down and cutting out great blocks of the coal.

然后你就可以沿着煤层中开凿的巷道走一走，会看见人们拿着镐头，把大块的煤砍下来，挖出来。

These lumps of coal are put into little wagons or trucks, which are pulled by ponies to the bottom of the pit shaft. Then the trucks are put into the cage, and hoisted up the shaft by the steam-engine. Last of all, the railway brings the coal to the town where you live.

这些大块煤，放进小小的矿车里面，然后用小马，把矿车拉到矿井底部，把矿车放进笼子，再用蒸汽机沿着矿井升上去。最后，用铁路运输，把煤送到你居住的城市。

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