1.Let us tear a piece of blotting-paper across and look at the torn edges.We see that the paper is made of a great many very fine little threads or fibres.If we pull a cotton thread or a piece of twine①to pieces，we shall find that it also is made of fibres.
2.In the twine and the thread the
fibres lie side by side，and are spun
or twisted together.But in blotting-
FIBRES IN TWINE（捻在一起的纤维）
FIBRES IN BLOTTING-PAPER
（吸墨纸中的纤维）.
paper，and in all other kinds of paper，the fibres run in all directions，crossing one another without any arrangement at all.
3.Blotting-paper will soak up ink because it is full of tiny spaces or pores，as we call the little holes between the fibres.Writing-paper does not soak up ink as blotting-paper does.Both kinds of paper are made out of fibres in the same way，but the pores in writing-paperare filled up with a very weak glue②，which is called size.
①Twine，string；cord of twisted threads.
②Glue，a sticky substance got by boiling the hoofs of animals.
4.Paper used to be made only from cotton and linen①rags.It is now made also from wood，from straw，and from several kinds of grass.All these are fibrous materials，and fibres are needed for making all kinds of paper.
5.The best paper is still made from rags.The rags are first sorted into linen and cotton，and into coloured and uncoloured rags.They are then put into machines，where they are beaten and pulled to pieces by iron nails.
6.The torn rags are then boiled in water to which lime and soda have been added.This mixture removes all grease，stains，and colouring matters.The clean white rags are next put with water into another machine，which pulls the fibres apart，tears them into small pieces，and beats them into a soft white paste or pulp.
7.Boys dip into this pulp square trays②or frames，withbottoms made of thin wire threads，and take up just enough pulp to cover the trays.The water runs off through the wire bottoms，and a thin sheet of the fibres is left behind.This sheet is pressed between layers of felt till it is dry，and it is then just like thin blotting-paper.
8.If it is to be made into writing-paper，the sheet is next dipped into size，and then dried again.Last of all a fine polish is given to the writing-paper by passing it between smooth steel rollers.
9.If you hold up a piece of writing-paper to the light，you will probably③see letters marked on it.These letters are called the water-mark，and they are made by means of wires fixed in thebottom of the tray in which the pulp was taken up.
①Linen，cloth made from flax.
②Square trays，trays having four sides of equal length.
③Probably，likely.
10.The paper used for printing newspapers and books is now made by machinery in rolls or webs several miles in length.
11.Paper is sometimes used for making collars and cuffs，trays，water-pipes，boats，and even wheels for railway carriages.Paper was not used in Britain until about four hundred years ago.Before that time all writing was done on parchment，which is the prepared skin of the sheep.
SUMMARY
Paper is made from fibrous substances such as rags，wood，straw，and grass.The best paper is made from rags.The rags are sorted，pulled to pieces by a machine，and boiled in water with lime and soda，after which they are made into a paste or pulp.Wire trays are dipped in the pulp and lift sheets of the fibres，which，when dried，are like thin blotting-paper.Writing-paper is made by dipping these sheets in size to fill up the pores，and polishing them when dry between steel rollers.Blotting-paper is full of tiny pores.The water-mark is formed by wires fixed in the bottom of the trays.Paper for newspapers and books is made in webs.A great many different articles are made from paper.Parchment was long ago used in Britain for writing upon instead of paper.
【中文阅读】
1．我们撕开一张吸墨纸，仔细观察裂缝边缘。我们发现，这种纸由许多细线或者叫“纤维”（fibre）组成。扯开一根棉线或者麻绳，就会看到，它们同样由纤维构成。
2．在麻绳和细线中，纤维是并排的，拧在一起或者说相互交织在一起。然而在吸墨纸与其他所有种类的纸张中，纤维向各个方向发散，没有任何规律地相互交叉。
3．吸墨纸能够吸收墨汁，因为其内部充满了许多微小的缝隙与孔洞，这些小孔位于纤维之间。书写纸吸收墨汁的本领没有吸墨纸那么大。这两种纸都是通过相同的方法用纤维制成，不过书写纸内部的孔洞填充上了“胶料”①，这是一种粘性很小的胶水。
4．以前，人们只是利用棉布与亚麻布造纸。如今，木材、稻草以及若干种青草都成为了造纸的原料②。因为它们都是纤维性材料，而纤维是制造各类纸张所必须的。
5．不过品质最好的纸张依旧是由布料制成。首先，人们将麻布与棉布分开，然后再将染色的与未染色的破布分开。然后这些材料都被放入到机器之中，在铁钉的敲打下化为粉碎。
6．随后，人们将这些撕裂的破布放入水中，添加石灰和苏打。这种混合液体能够清理掉任何油脂、污点与有色物质。接下来，干净的白色破布与水一起放到另一台机器中，它可以将纤维撕成碎片，搅拌成柔软的白色纸浆。
7．工人们将方形托盘或框子深入到纸浆之中，这种工具的底部是细线做成的网。他们取出足够多的纸浆，覆盖整个托盘。随后，纸浆从网中流走，在托盘上留下一层薄薄的纤维。这层纤维经过数层毛毡的挤压，直到变干。随后，它就成为了很薄的吸墨纸的样子③。
8．如果要生产书写纸，那么这层纤维就需要浸入胶料，然后再次晒干。最后，人们通过光滑的钢辊对书写纸进行挤压，进行最后一道压光工序。
9．如果你举起一张书写纸，对准亮光，可能就会看到其中的字母。这些字母就是水印，人们在托盘底部装上各种造型的细线，当纸浆覆盖上去之后就会留下这些字母的形状。
10．如今，报纸与图书使用的纸张都是机器生产的，造出的纸卷可长达数英里④。
11．有时候，人们用纸张来制作衣领与袖口、托盘、水管、小船甚至火车车厢的轮子⑤。英国使用纸张的历史大约只有四百年。在此之前，人们使用经过特殊处理的羊皮作为书写介质⑥。
译注
①胶料用来防止纸张被水或其他液体浸润。在造纸工业中施加胶料的工艺过程称为施胶。除了课文中的“内部施胶”以外，还有在纸张表面涂上胶料的“表面施胶”。
②目前世界上的纸，原料主要是草浆和木浆。有很多树木种出来就是造纸用的。
③现在的夹网造纸，两张网构成的“网部”相当于文中带网的框架，纸浆不再是通过浸泡挂到网上去的，而是用“流浆箱”均匀地喷上去的。现在的“靴式压榨机”相当于文中的“毛毡”，用来进行第二次压榨脱水。之后，纸页要送到“干燥部”用高温进行第三次脱水。
④这种纸卷是用复卷机卷成的“卷筒纸”，此外还可以直接切成平板纸。
⑤看到纸质火车轮，读者想必会感到很诧异。这是美国人理查德·阿兰（Richard N.Allen）在1869年的发明，其实一部分部件依然是金属的，叫它“纸车轮”并不准确。这种车轮曾经风行一时，后来随着金属加工业的改进，和火车提速给车轮带来的巨大压力，才退出了历史舞台。
⑥这英国课本居然没有提到纸是中国的四大发明之一。一般认为，中国最早的纸出现在西汉时期，3-4世纪已经用纸取代了竹简和帛。造纸术8世纪从中国传入阿拉伯地区，14世纪传入意大利，15世纪末传到英国，到20世纪初正好是400年左右。历史上的羊皮纸（parchment），公元前170年左右在帕加马王国（Bergama，现在的土耳其）发明，原料是羊皮和小牛皮。现在的羊皮纸的原料也是植物，已经是不一样的东西了。
THE GARDEN SNAIL