第1段

Cork – the thick bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus suber) – is a remarkable material. It is tough, elastic, buoyant, and fire-resistant, and suitable for a wide range of purposes. It has also been used for millennia: the ancient Egyptians sealed their sarcophagi (stone coffins) with cork, while the ancient Greeks and Romans used it for anything from beehives to sandals.

第1段：

软木是软木树（栓皮栎）的厚树皮，具有非凡的特性。它具有坚韧、弹性、浮力和防火性，适用于各种用途。它的使用历史可以追溯到几千年前：古埃及人用软木密封他们的石棺，而古希腊和罗马人则将其用于制作蜂箱和凉鞋等物品。

第2段

And the cork oak itself is an extraordinary tree. Its bark grows up to 20cm in thickness, insulating the tree like a coat wrapped around the trunk and branches and keeping the inside at a constant 20°C all year round. Developed most probably as a defence against forest fires, the bark of the cork oak has a particular cellular structure – with about 40 million cells per cubic centimetre – that technology has never succeeded in replicating. The cells are filled with air, which is why cork is so buoyant. It also has an elasticity that means you can squash it and watch it spring back to its original size and shape when you release the pressure.

第2段：

软木树本身也是一种非凡的树木。它的树皮厚度可达20厘米，像一件外套包裹着树干和树枝，使内部温度全年保持在20℃左右。软木树的树皮发展出这样的结构，可能是为了防御森林火灾，它的细胞结构非常特殊，每立方厘米约有4000万个细胞，科学技术至今无法复制。这些细胞充满了空气，因此软木具有浮力。它还具有弹性，当你挤压它时，它会弹回原来的大小和形状。

第3段

Cork oaks grow in a number of Mediterranean countries, including Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Morocco. They flourish in warm, sunny climates where there is a minimum of 400 millimetres of rain per year, and not more than 800 millimetres. Like grape vines, the trees thrive in poor soil, putting down deep roots in search of moisture and nutrients. Southern Portugal’s Alentejo region meets all of these requirements, which explains why, by the early 20th century, this region had become the world’s largest producer of cork, and why today it accounts for roughly half of all cork production around the world.

第3段：

软木树生长在地中海多个国家，包括葡萄牙、西班牙、意大利、希腊和摩洛哥。它们适应温暖、阳光充足的气候，年降水量最低为400毫米，最高不超过800毫米。和葡萄藤一样，这些树木适应贫瘠的土壤，在寻找水分和养分时扎下深深的根系。葡萄牙南部的阿连特茹地区符合这些要求，这就解释了为什么到了20世纪初，这个地区成为世界上最大的软木生产地，为全球约一半的软木产量贡献了产地。

第4段

Most cork forests are family-owned. Many of these family businesses, and indeed many of the trees themselves, are around 200 years old. Cork production is, above all, an exercise in patience. From the planting of a cork sapling to the first harvest takes 25 years, and a gap of approximately a decade must separate harvests from an individual tree. And for top-quality cork, it’s necessary to wait a further 15 or 20 years. You even have to wait for the right kind of summer’s day to harvest cork. If the bark is stripped on a day when it’s too cold – or when the air is damp – the tree will be damaged.

第4段：

大多数的软木森林是家族所有的。许多家族企业以及树木本身已经有大约200年的历史了。软木生产首先需要耐心。从种植软木苗木到第一次收获需要25年时间，而且每棵树的收获之间必须间隔大约十年。而要生产出优质的软木，还需要额外等待15到20年。甚至连采收软木的季节都需要等待合适的夏日。如果在天气太冷或者空气湿度太大的时候剥去树皮，会对树木造成损伤。

第5段

Cork harvesting is a very specialised profession. No mechanical means of stripping cork bark has been invented, so the job is done by teams of highly skilled workers. First, they make vertical cuts down the bark using small sharp axes, then lever it away in pieces as large as they can manage. The most skilful cork-strippers prise away a semi-circular husk that runs the length of the trunk from just above ground level to the first branches. It is then dried on the ground for about four months, before being taken to factories, where it is boiled to kill any insects that might remain in the cork. Over 60% of cork then goes on to be made into traditional bottle stoppers, with most of the remainder being used in the construction trade. Corkboard and cork tiles are ideal for thermal and acoustic insulation, while granules of cork are used in the manufacture of concrete.

第5段：

软木采收是一项非常专业的工作。目前还没有发明出机械剥离软木树皮的方法，因此这项工作由一群高技能的工人团队来完成。首先，他们用小锋利的斧头沿着树皮做垂直切口，然后一块一块将其剥离。最熟练的擦软木皮工人会剥离出一块从离地面仅有一点到达第一根分枝处的半圆形树皮。然后，这些树皮在地面上晾干约四个月，然后被送往工厂，在那里被煮沸以杀死任何可能留在软木中的昆虫。超过60%的软木随后被制成传统的瓶塞，剩下的大部分用于建筑行业。软木板和软木瓷砖非常适合作为热和声音的绝缘材料，而软木颗粒则被用于混凝土的制造。

第6段

Recent years have seen the end of the virtual monopoly of cork as the material for bottle stoppers, due to concerns about the effect it may have on the contents of the bottle. This is caused by a chemical compound called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), which forms through the interaction of plant phenols, chlorine and mould. The tiniest concentrations – as little as three or four parts to a trillion – can spoil the taste of the product contained in the bottle. The result has been a gradual yet steady move first towards plastic stoppers and, more recently, to aluminium screw caps. These substitutes are cheaper to manufacture and, in the case of screw caps, more convenient for the user.

第6段：

近年来，由于人们对软木对瓶中内容物可能产生的影响表示关切，软木作为瓶塞材料的几乎垄断地位已经结束。这是由于一种名为2,4,6-三氯苯甲酚（TCA）的化合物的形成，它是由植物酚、氯和霉菌相互作用而产生的。即使只有三四万亿分之几的浓度，也足以破坏瓶中产品的口感。结果是，人们逐渐转向塑料瓶塞，最近更多地使用铝螺旋盖。这些替代品更便宜制造，对用户来说也更方便。

第7段

The classic cork stopper does have several advantages, however. Firstly, its traditional image is more in keeping with that of the type of high quality goods with which it has long been associated. Secondly – and very importantly – cork is a sustainable product that can be recycled without difficulty. Moreover, cork forests are a resource which support local biodiversity, and prevent desertification in the regions where they are planted. So, given the current concerns about environmental issues, the future of this ancient material once again looks promising.

第7段：

然而，传统软木塞确实有几个优点。首先，它的传统形象更符合长期以来与高质量产品相关联的形象。其次，软木是一种可持续循环利用的产品。此外，软木森林是一种可以支持当地生物多样性，并在种植区域防止沙漠化的资源。因此，鉴于当前对环境问题的关注，这种古老材料的未来再次变得充满前景。