VOA慢速英语:How to Do It: Making Paper by Hand

The earliest process of making paper was done almost five thousand years ago in Egypt and the Nile Valley. In those days, paper was made from strips of the papyrus plant.
最早的造纸工艺大约出现在5000年前的埃及和尼罗河谷。当时的纸张是由造纸莎草的纤维制造而成。

Modern paper-making began in China about two thousand years ago. This process produced paper from cloth, straw, wood or the bark of trees. The raw materials are struck over and over until they become loose. Then they are mixed with water.
现代造纸技术于大约出现在2000年前的中国。这种工艺利用布料，稻草，木柴或者树皮造纸。原材料经过反复敲打，直至松散，之后掺水混合。

After the water has been removed, the flat, thin form remaining is permitted to dry. This becomes a sheet of paper.
等水沥干后，剩下平坦的薄薄一层烘干后就变成一张纸。

Large machines started to be used for making paper near the end of the sixteenth century. Today, paper-making is a big business. But it is still possible to make paper by hand, since the steps are the same as using big machines.
16世纪末开始使用大型机器造纸。今天，造纸已经变成一项大的产业。但是仍然可以手工造纸，因为整个过程和机器造纸是相同的。

You should choose paper with small amounts of printing. Old envelopes are good for this reason. Colored paper also can be used, as well as small amounts of newspaper. Small pieces of rags or cloth can be added. These should be cut into pieces about five centimeters by five centimeters.
你可以使用少量的印刷纸张造纸，旧信封就是很好的原材料，彩纸和少量报纸也可以。还可以加入一些小块烂布或织物。这些原材料需要剪切成5厘米见方的小方块。

Everything is placed in a container, covered with water and brought to a boil. It is mixed for about two hours with some common chemicals and then allowed to cool. Then it is left until most of the water dries up. The substance left, called pulp, can be stored until you are ready to make paper.
将所有材料都放入容器中，加水，然后煮至沸腾。用普通化学物质混合大约两小时，之后冷却。随后将其放置直到大部分水干燥。剩下的物质叫做纸浆，可以储存至准备造纸的时候。

When you are ready, the pulp is mixed with water again. Then the pulp is poured into a mold. The mold is made of small squares of wire that hold the shape and thickness of the paper. To help dry the paper, the mold lets the water flow through the small wire squares.
当你准备好之后，将纸浆再次与水混合。将纸浆倒入特殊的盒子或模具中。模具由小的正方形的铁丝做成，可以控制纸张的形状和厚度。为了使纸张风干，模具允许水通过铁丝流失。

After several more drying steps, the paper is carefully lifted back from the mold. It is now strong enough to be touched.
再经过几次干燥过程之后，将纸张小心地从模具中取出，此时的纸张已经很强壮，可以触摸了。

The paper is smoothed and pressed to remove trapped air. You can use a common electric iron used for pressing clothes.
纸张经过挤压来除掉空气，可以用烫衣服的电熨斗。

There are many other technologies for people making paper using small machines.
还有很多使用小型机器造纸的技术。

Internet users can do a search and find directions for making homemade paper. You can also order information about making paper from the website enterpriseworks.org.
互联网用户可以通过搜索，找到自制纸张的方法。你也可以从enterpriseworks.org网站获得造纸的信息。