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It’s starting to get a bit chilly outside, so today, I’ve put on a thick sweater to help me keep cozy.
外面开始有点冷了，所以今天我穿上了一件厚毛衣来保暖。
It is really soft, and it’s also really warm.
它很柔软，也很温暖。
This sweater is extra warm and cozy because it’s made out of a special material.
这件毛衣特别暖和舒适，因为它是用一种特殊的材料制成的。
It’s made out of wool from a sheep.
它是用羊毛制成的。
Wool is actually the hair, or fiber, of animals like sheep, alpacas, and some kinds of goats and rabbits.
羊毛实际上是羊、羊驼、山羊和兔子等动物的毛发或纤维。
Like lots of animals, sheep are covered in hair.
像许多动物一样，羊身上长满了毛。
But sheep’s hair is different, because it’s not straight or short.
但羊的头发不同，因为它不是直的或短的。
Instead, sheep are covered in thick wool fibers, and their wool can be very curly.
相反，羊身上覆盖着厚厚的羊毛纤维，而且它们的毛会很卷曲。
Sheep grow wool to keep themselves warm outside, especially during cold winters.
绵羊种羊毛是为了在户外保暖，尤其是在寒冷的冬天。
The wool can catch on fences or low tree branches that a sheep walks through, and little pieces of it are shedding off all the time, so a sheep has to constantly grow more wool.
羊毛可以在羊走过的篱笆或低矮的树枝上沾到，小块的羊毛一直在脱落，所以羊必须不断地长出更多的羊毛。
But when winter is over and the warm spring begins, sheep usually don’t need their wool to stay warm.
但当冬天结束，温暖的春天开始时，羊通常不需要羊毛来保持温暖。
So that’s when farmers can give them a haircut.
所以农民们就可以给他们理发了。
Good question, Squeaks!
好问题，吱吱！
He wants to know how we get the hair off the sheep!
他想知道我们怎么把羊的毛弄下来！
A sheep haircut is a lot like the haircuts people get, except we call it shearing.
绵羊的毛型很像人们剪的发型，只是我们叫它剃毛。
To shear a sheep, farmers take a large pair of clippers and trim off the wool.
为了剪羊毛，农民们会用大剪刀剪羊毛。
Nope, if shearing is done correctly, it shouldn’t hurt the sheep at all.
不，如果剪羊毛的方法正确，它根本不会伤害羊。
Just like how getting your hair cut doesn’t hurt, shearing a sheep only cuts the wool, not the sheep.
就像剪头发不会受伤一样，剪羊毛只会剪羊毛，不会剪羊毛。
An average sheep produces around 10 kilograms, or about 20 pounds of wool every year.
一只绵羊平均每年产10公斤左右的羊毛，也就是20磅左右的羊毛。
That’s a lot of wool!
那是很多羊毛!
It’s as a 2 year old human baby!
就像一个2岁的婴儿!
Once a sheep has been sheared, the sheep can go back to its usual life in the fields.
羊一旦被剪了毛，羊就可以回到原来的生活了。
But there’s still a lot of work to be done to make the wool into a sweater.
但是要把羊毛制成一件毛衣还有很多工作要做。
The wool is taken to a place called a mill, which is like a wool factory.
羊毛被带到一个叫磨坊的地方，就像羊毛工厂一样。
When it arrives, it’s dirty, and it still looks like it just came off of a sheep.
刚剪下来时，它是脏的，而且它看起来仍然像是刚从一只羊身上下来的。
So, first, the wool is separated into different categories.
首先，羊毛被分为不同的类别。
Wool from the top of the sheep might be long and fine, but wool from the legs or the stomach of the sheep might be shorter or thicker.
从羊的顶部剪下的羊毛可能又长又细，但从羊腿或胃剪下的羊毛可能更短或更厚。
These different kinds of wool will make different things, like sweaters, socks, jackets, or even hats.
这些不同种类的羊毛可以制成不同的东西，比如毛衣、袜子、夹克，甚至帽子。
For a really soft sweater like this one, we’d use some of those long, fine pieces of wool.
对于像这样一件非常柔软的毛衣，我们会用一些又长又细的羊毛。
Next, the wool has to be cleaned.
接下来，必须把羊毛洗干净。
Sheep tend to roll around in the dirt and run through a lot of plants, so their wool can be filled with leaves, twigs, and even bugs.
羊喜欢在泥土中打滚，跑过许多植物，所以羊毛里可能塞满树叶、树枝，甚至虫子。
You're right, Squeaks!
你是对的,吱吱!
it is like a collection of things from the sheep’s home.
它就像从羊的家里收集的东西。
But I don’t want that whole collection in my sweater, so all of the wool is washed with soap and water.
但我不想在我的毛衣里全部收集，所以所有的羊毛都用肥皂和水清洗。
As the wool is washed, the dirt and plant bits come off, as well as lanolin, a greasy wax that covers and protects the wool.
当羊毛被洗净时，污垢和植物碎屑就会脱落，羊毛脂也会脱落，羊毛脂是一种覆盖和保护羊毛的油脂蜡。
Lanolin can be used to make hand lotions and other supplies, so it’s collected for later.
羊毛脂可以用来制造手用洗剂和其他用品，所以收集起来以后使用。
Once that’s done, the wool is clean!
一旦完成，羊毛就干净了!
Raw wool, or wool fresh off of the sheep, feels a bit waxy and looks dusty, but this clean wool feels softer and looks bright.
未处理的羊毛，或者是刚从羊身上取下来的羊毛，摸起来有点像蜡，看起来很脏，但是这种干净的毛毛摸起来更柔软，看起来更亮。
Once the wool is clean, it can be carded.
一旦羊毛干净了，就可以梳理了。
That’s when we pull all of the wool fibers apart, make sure they’re all going the same direction, and pull out any last seeds, twigs, or leaves stuck in the wool.
那就是我们把所有的羊毛纤维分开，确保它们都朝同一个方向，然后把最后的种子，树枝，或者留在羊毛里的树叶拉出来。
Most of the time this is done by a big machine.
大多数情况下，这是由一台大机器完成的。
Then the wool fibers are pulled into long pieces called roving.
然后把羊毛纤维拉成长条，叫做粗纱。
It is almost ready to be made into a sweater, but the roving has to be turned into one final product: yarn.
它几乎可以制成一件毛衣，但粗纱必须变成最终产品:纱线。
The roving pieces are spun together super tightly, making a long, thin rope of yarn, which can be dyed any color we want.
粗纱非常紧密地纺在一起，形成一根又长又细的纱线，我们想染什么颜色就染什么颜色。
Once the yarn is finished, it can be used to knit or crochet a sweater just like mine.
一旦纱线织好，它就可以像我的一样用来织或钩针毛衣。
Making wool into new clothes is like a giant science experiment, with people all over the world always trying new ways to raise healthy sheep, new tools to clean and card and spin the wool, and new patterns for making the comfiest clothes.
把羊毛制成新衣服就像一个巨大的科学实验，世界各地的人们总是在尝试新的方法来饲养健康的羊，用新的工具来清洁、梳理和纺羊毛，用新的模式来制作最舒适的衣服。
That includes new patterns like the one I used for your sweater, Squeaks.
这包括新的图案，比如我用在你的毛衣上的那种，吱吱。
I’m so glad you like it!
我很高兴你喜欢它!
Try it on!
试试！
You look as warm and woolly as a sheep.
你看起来像羊一样温暖而毛茸茸的。
What would you like to make with sheep’s wool?
你想用羊毛做什么?
Do you have any questions about life as a sheep, or how things are made, or anything at all?
你对一只羊的生命，或事物是如何产生的，或任何事情有任何疑问吗?
We’d love to hear them!
我们很想听听!
Ask a grown-up to help you to leave a comment below, or go to patreon.com/scishowkids and send us your questions.
让一个成年人帮你在下面留言，或者去patreon.com/scishowkids把你的问题发给我们。
We’ll see you next time here at the Fort!
我们下次在堡垒见!
