英国学生科学读本 第44期:砖是怎么做出来的(1)

 　　Lesson 44 How Bricks Are Made

　　第44课 砖是怎么做出来的

　　We know that bricks are made of burned clay; but let us try to learn something more about them. Have you ever measured a brick? If you do so, you will find that its length is nine inches, its breadth four and a half inches, and its thickness three inches. A good brick should weigh seven pounds.

　　我们知道，砖是由烧制的粘土做的。不过，我们再来学点儿关于砖的新知识吧！你量过砖的尺寸吗？量一下，就会发现长度是9英寸，宽度是5英寸，高度是3英寸。一块好砖的重量应该是7磅。

　　Notice what a regular shape the brick has, with its flat sides and its straight edges. It is because bricks are so regular in shape, in size, and in weight, that they make such a good material for building houses.

　　请注意，砖的形状非常规则，几个边都是平的，几个棱也都是直的。因为砖在形状、大小、重量上都非常标准，所以才成了修建房屋的好材料。

　　Let us go to a brick-field and watch the men while they are at work. Some men dig the clay, while others pick out any large stones that may be in it. The clay is then moistened with water, and ground in a kind of mill until it becomes a smooth paste.

　　咱们去砖瓦厂看看工人的工作。有些工人，把粘土挖出来；另外一些工人，把里面可能有的大石头挑出来；然后把粘土用水弄湿，在一种磨粉机里面碾碎，最后粘土变成了一种细细的糊状物。

　　It is then moulded by being pressed into wooden boxes of the right size and shape. The moulded bricks are next piled on barrows, and wheeled away to a field where they are laid in rows in the open air under low sheds. They are left here to dry for a few weeks.

　　然后把这种糊状物，填进木匣子，木匣子的尺寸和形状，都正好是砖的尺寸和形状。下一步，把完成了“坯体成型”的砖，堆到手推车上，运到另外的一片地方，把这些砖一排排放在露天，用低矮的棚子遮起来，放上几天，让砖干燥。