时差N小时:撕纸的秘密

The way paper tears is related directly to how it ismade. Most paper is made from wood fibers. Logsare chopped into wood chips, mixed with water andchemicals, and run through a process that separatesthe wood fibers. The soupy mush that results iscalled pulp. The pulp is pressed onto a meshconveyor belt that squeezes the water out. As thepulp moves along the belt, the wood fibers line up inthe direction of the belt’s travel. This alignment ofthe fibers on the belt gives the paper a grain. Thisgrain is what causes the paper to tear straighter oneway than the other. When paper is ripped with the grain, the tear goes with the direction of thefibers, and is fairly straight. When you tear the paper across the grain,the tear tends towander as it works against the direction of the fibers.

【生词注释】

tear n. 撕

chop v.砍，劈

mush n.软糊状的东西

pulp n. 纸浆

alignment n.排列

grain n. 成粒状

【参考译文】

撕纸的方式直接同纸张的制作紧密联系。大多数纸都是由木纤维制成的。木头被砍成木片，同水和化学物质一起搅拌，经过一种流程将木纤维分开。产生的浆糊状的物质叫做“纸浆”。 纸浆再在网状的传送带上挤压，将水挤出来。随着纸张在传送带上移动，木纤维会向着传送带的方向排列。纤维在传送带上的排列会使纸张成粒状。这种粒状会使纸张在撕裂时在一个方向比另一个方向撕得直。当纸张顺着粒状撕时，撕的方向和木纤维的方向相同，撕得就会很直。当你从粒状中间撕纸时，因为撕的方向和木纤维方向相反，撕得就会弯曲些。