纺织英语第三版黄故课文翻译电子版课文.doc

Lesson One Cotton Growing Cotton is the worlds most widely used fiber. Its popularity stems from both its relative ease of production and its applicability to a wide variety of textile products. The price of cotton yarn, however, is strongly dependent upon the cost of labor, so that in the industrialized nations, where labor is expensive, cotton yarns may be relatively high priced. Until relatively recent times, however, cotton was not as widely used as wool and linen. This was because it was easier to spin wool or flax into yam because of their greater length. In addition, cotton fibers have to be separated from the seeds to which they cling. This procedure was very tedious and time-consuming when done by hand. Early machinery could be used on only the longest staple cotton. So labor costs tended to be very high. The invention of the saw-type cotton gin made possible the exploitation of the short staple fiber, which thrived in the Carolinas and Virginia of the United States. The dramatic increase in productivity, coupled with the low cost of labor in the southern United States, gave cotton a continually expanding portion of the world textile market. Increasing mechanization of fiber and yarn production helped keep the cost of cotton goods low. The, development of the textile machinery enlarged the production base. Cotton cultivation requires warm climates with a high level of moisture or irrigation. The growing season is from six to seven months long. During this period the seeds sprout and grow, producing a white blossom in about 100 days. The blossom produces a seed pod, which matures during the next two months. When the pod bursts, the cotton fibers are ready for picking. Before yam manufacture, cotton is graded, sorted, and blended to insure uniform yam quality. Cotton is graded on the basis of color, staple length, fineness, and freedom from foreign matter. In the United States, cottons are divided into grades according to length of staple,