1.Let us take some of the white cotton off this reel，and try to find out what the thread of cotton is made of.We can pull the white thread to pieces，and then we see that it is made of many short fibresor hairs，which have beentwisted together.
COTTON FIBRE（棉纤维）
2.These little hairs do not grow on an animal；we get them from a plant.They are found inside the seed-pod of the cotton-plant.
3.The cotton-plant is a low bush or shrub，not more than four or five feet high.To see this plant growing，we must go to warm countries.
4.The seeds of the cotton-plant are sown in spring；and the plant grows so quickly that its large yellow flowers appear in a few months.
5.When the flowers drop off，we see large brown seed-pods.Soon these pods burst open，and then we see a ball of white cotton fibres，with some black seeds in the centre.
SEED-POD AND FIBRES（种荚和纤维）
6.The seeds are sown and the cotton is picked by black people or negroes.They can bear the heat of the sun far better than white people.
7.After the seeds have been taken out by a machine，the cotton is made into big bundles or bales.These bales of cotton are brought to England in ships.
8.The bales are taken from the ships to the cotton-mills.Here the cotton is again cleaned；and it is then carded，or combed out，so that all the fibres lie side by side.After this has been done，the fibres are spun or twisted into threads.
9.Now get a small bit of calico or muslin，and begin to fray outthe edge.If you are very careful，you can pull out little threads of cotton one by one.Soon you will pull all the calico into threads.
10.Look at the threads in the calico.There are two sets，crossing each other and going up and down as they cross，just as you see your mother crossing the threads of wool when she darns your stockings.
11.When threads are crossed in this way to make cloth，we say that they are woven.Weaving is done on a machine called a loom.Many people in England live by spinning and weaving cotton.Calico is bleached to make it white；or it can be dyed any colour that we like to make it.
SUMMARY
Cotton is got from the seed-pod of the cotton-plant，a low bush or shrub which grows in warm countries.The seed is sown and the cotton picked by negroes.The cotton-plant grows very quickly.When the pod bursts open，a ball of white fibres with black seeds in the centre is seen.After the seeds are taken out，the cotton is packed into bales and sent to the cotton-mills in England，where it is cleaned，carded，and spun into threads.The threads are then woven into cloth on a loom.
【中文阅读】
1．小朋友，咱们从这个轴子上拿下点儿白色的棉线来，看看棉线是什么做的。我们可以把这种白线拆成一条一条，然后就可以看见，棉线是很多短短的纤维或者“毛”拧在一起的。
2．这些毛并不是动物身上长的，而是从植物上采下来的，是在一种叫“棉”的植物的种荚里找到的。
3．棉花是一种矮灌木，顶多只有四五英尺高。要看见这种植物，一定要去比较暖和的地方。①4．棉花是在春天播种的。这种植物长得快极了，只要几个月，就会开出大大的黄花来。②5．花儿落了，就能看见大个儿的棕色种荚。种荚很快会裂开，我们看见的是“棉桃”，也就是棉花。棉桃是一团白色的棉纤维，中间有点儿黑色的棉籽。
6．工人再把棉籽播下去，把棉桃采下来。从事这些工作的大部分是黑人，他们承受日晒的能力要比白人强得多。③7．工人用机器除去棉桃里的棉籽，然后把棉花捆成大包将这些棉包用船运到英国。④8．人们把棉包从船上卸下来，送到棉纺织厂，再次对棉花进行清洁，然后进行“梳理”，让所有的棉纤维都排列整齐。梳理完了之后，再把棉纤维“纺”成棉线。
9．小朋友，请你拿一小块儿白棉布，动手把边儿上的线抽出来。要是你非常小心，就能一根根地抽出细细的棉线，很快就能把整块棉布都变成细线了。
10．仔细看看棉布里的细线。细线有横竖两组，交叉排成十字形，就像妈妈给你补袜子的时候，把羊毛线交叉排列起来一样。⑤11．把线这样交叉起来，用来做布的这个过程，叫做“纺织”。纺织用的机器就是织布机，英语叫loom。在英国有很多人靠纺线和织布为生。棉布可以漂白，变成纯白色，也可以染成我们想要的任何颜色。
译注
①1英尺=30.48厘米，四五英尺也就是122-152厘米。正常的棉花高度是1米以上，但也有少数种类可以长到3米高。棉花大概是从宋代开始传入中国的，现在从海南省到辽宁省和新疆都有分布。
②棉花的花，随着品种和开放时间的不同，可能有各种各样的颜色，不一定是黄色。
③这是当时英国的社会情况，也包含了一定的种族歧视。现在英国的农业基本已经实现了机械化，就没有这样的情况了。原文的“黑人”是Negro，这个词经过历史演变，现在有明显的种族歧视的意思，不能随便用了。美国黑人一般叫African American，英国黑人则没有常用的特定称谓，和其他人一样通称British。
④没除去棉籽的棉花叫“籽棉”，除去的叫“皮棉”。
⑤中国人穿的袜子大部分是棉线的，羊毛袜子一般在寒冷的地方才穿。
COCKS AND HENS
