CUỐN 11 TEST 3

Lịch sử về lụa tơ tằm

The history of the world’s most luxurious fabric, from ancient China to the present day.

Lịch sử của loại vải xa xỉ bậc nhất thế giới, từ thời Trung Quốc cổ đại cho tới ngày nay.

Silk is a fine, smooth material produced from the cocoons - soft protective shells - that are made by mulberry silkworms (insect larvae).

Lụa là loại vật liệu mịn, trơn mượt tạo ra từ kén-lớp vỏ bảo vệ mềm-của con tằm (ấu trùng).

Legend has it that it was Lei Tzu, wife of the Yellow Emperor, ruler of China in about 3000 BC, who discovered silkworms.

Truyền thuyết kể lại rằng Lei Tzu, vợ của Hoàng Đế, người thống trị Trung Quốc vào khoảng 3000 năm trước công nguyên, đã khám phá ra con sâu tằm.

One account of the story goes that as she was taking a walk in her husband’s gardens, she discovered that silkworms were responsible for the destruction of several mulberry trees.

Truyền thuyết kể rằng khi đang đi dạo cùng chồng trong vườn, bà phát hiện thấy con sâu tằm chính là nguyên nhân phá hoại một số cây dâu tằm.

She collected a number of cocoons and sat down to have a rest.

Bà nhặt một số kén tằm và ngồi xuống nghỉ trong chốc lát.

It just so happened that while she was sipping some tea, one of the cocoons that she had collected landed in the hot tea and started to unravel into a fine thread.

Chuyện xảy ra khi bà đang nhấp vài ngụm trà, một cái kén tằm mà bà đã nhặt trước đó rơi vào trong trà nóng và bắt đầu bung ra thành những sợ chỉ mịn.

Lei Tzu found that she could wind this thread around her fingers.

Lei Tzu nhận thấy rằng bà có thể quấn những sợi chỉ này quanh tay mình.

Subsequently, she persuaded her husband to allow her to rear silkworms on a grove of mulberry trees.

Sau đó, bà đã thuyết phục chồng cho phép bà nuôi những con sâu tằm trên những lùm cây dâu.

She also devised a special reel to draw the fibres from the cocoon into a single thread so that they would be strong enough to be woven into fabric.

Bà cũng nghĩ ra một guồng quay đặc biệt để kéo những thớ của kén tằm thành các sợi riêng lẻ để chúng đủ bền có thể dệt thành vải.

While it is unknown just how much of this is true, it is certainly known that silk cultivation has existed in China for several millennia.

Tuy không biết bao nhiêu phần của câu chuyện trên là thật, nhưng rõ ràng rằng việc sản xuất lụa đã tồn tại ở Trung Quốc trong vài nghìn năm qua.

Originally, silkworm farming was solely restricted to women, and it was they who were responsible for the growing, harvesting and weaving.

Ban đầu, việc trồng dâu nuôi tằm chỉ được giao cho phụ nữ, người thì phụ trách nuôi tằm, người thì thu hoạch và người thì phụ trách dệt.

Silk quickly grew into a symbol of status, and originally, only royalty were entitled to have clothes made of silk.

Lụa tơ tằm nhanh chóng trở thành một biểu tượng cho địa vị, và ban đầu, chỉ có hoàng tộc mới có quyền mặc quần áo làm từ lụa.

The rules were gradually relaxed over the years until finally during the Qing Dynasty (1644—1911 AD), even peasants, the lowest caste, were also entitled to wear silk.

Luật này dần dần được lới lỏng qua nhiều năm, cuối cùng cho tới triều đại Qing (1644-1911 sau công nguyên), thậm chí nông dân, tầng lớp thấp nhất, cũng được quyền mặc lụa.

Sometime during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), silk was so prized that it was also used as a unit of currency.

Đôi khi vào triều đại nhà Hán (206 trước công nguyên-220 sau công nguyên), lụa cũng được coi là đơn vị tiền tệ.

Government officials were paid their salary in silk, and farmers paid their taxes in grain and silk.

Chính quyền đã trả lương bằng lụa và những người nông dân trả thuế bằng lúa và lụa.

Silk was also used as diplomatic gifts by the emperor.

Lụa còn được dùng làm quà ngoại giao cho hoàng đế.

Fishing lines, bowstrings, musical instruments and paper were all made using silk.

Dây câu cá, dây cung, nhạc cụ âm nhạc và giấy đều làm từ lụa.

The earliest indication of silk paper being used was discovered in the tomb of a noble who is estimated to have died around 168 AD.

Dấu hiệu sớm nhất cho việc sử dụng giấy lụa được phát hiện trong ngôi mộ của một hoàng gia người được ước tính đã chết vào khoảng năm 168 sau công nguyên.

Demand for this exotic fabric eventually created the lucrative trade route now known as the Silk Road, taking silk westward and bringing gold, silver and wool lo the East.

Nhu cầu của loại vải cực đẹp này thậm trí đã tạo lên tuyến đường giao dịch thông thương nổi tiếng với tên gọi Con Đường Tơ Lụa, mang lụa đến phương tây và đổi lại lấy vàng, bạc cùng lông cừu cho phương đông.

It was named the Silk Road after its most precious commodity, which was considered to be worth more than gold.

Con đường được đặt tên là Con Đường Tơ Lụa dựa theo hàng hóa giá trị nhất, thứ được coi là còn giá trị hơn cả vàng.

The Silk Road stretched over 6,000 kilometres from Eastern China to the Mediterranean Sea, following the Great Wall of China, climbing the Pamir mountain range, crossing modern-day Afghanistan and going on to the Middle East, with a major trading market in Damascus.

Con Đường Tơ Lụa trải dài trên 6000 km từ phía Đông Trung Quốc tới biển Địa Trung Hải, dọc theo Vạn Lý Trường Thành, vượt qua dãy núi Pamir, băng qua vùng lãnh thổ Afghanistan ngày nay và đi tới vùng Trung Đông, với khu giao dịch chính ở Damascus.

From there, the merchandise was shipped across the Mediterranean Sea.

Từ đó, hàng hóa được vận chuyển qua biển Địa Trung Hải.

Few merchants travelled the entire route; goods were handled mostly by a series of middlemen.

Rất ít thương gia tham gia toàn bộ hành trình giao dịch, hàng hóa hầu như được truyền tay qua một vài người trung gian.

With the mulberry silkworm being native to China, the country was the world’s sole producer of silk for many hundreds of years.

Với dâu tằm xuất xứ từ Trung Quốc, đất nước này trờ thành nhà sản xuất lụa duy nhất trên thế giới trong hàng trăm năm.

The secret of silk-making eventually reached the rest of the world via the Byzantine Empire, which ruled over the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East during the period 330—1453 AD.

Bí mật của việc tạo sản xuất lụa tơ tằm cuối cùng đã hé lộ với phần còn lại của thế giới nhờ đế chế Byzantine, đế chế thống trị vùng Địa Trung Hải gồm phía Nam Châu u, Bắc Phi và Trung Đông trong suốt khoảng thời gian từ 330-1453 trước công nguyên.

According to another legend, monks working for the Byzantine emperor Justinian smuggle silkworm eggs to Constantinople (Istanbul in modern-day Turkey) in 550 AD, concealed inside hollow bamboo walking canes.

Theo như một truyền thuyết khác, các nhà sư làm việc cho hoàng đế Byzantine Justinian đã buôn lậu trứng của sâu tằm tới Constantinople (Istanbul ở Thổ Nhĩ Kì ngày nay) vào 550 trước công nguyên, bằng cách giấu bên trong những chiếc gậy ba toong rỗng bằng tre.

The Byzantines were as secretive as the Chinese, however, and for many centuries the weaving and trading of silk fabric was a strict imperial monopoly.

Người Byzantines đã giấu bí mật giống như người Trung Quốc, tuy nhiên sau nhiều thế kỉ việc dệt và mua bán lụa tơ tằm là viêc độc quyền của giới hoàng gia.

Then in the seventh century, the Arabs conquered Persia, capturing their magnificent silks in the process.

Thì vào thế kỉ 7, người Ả Rập đã thôn tính Persia và chiếm được loại lụa tuyệt đẹp này.

Silk production thus spread through Africa, Sicily and Spain as the Arabs swept, through these lands.

Việc sản xuất lụa lan rộng khắp Châu Phi, Sicily và Tây Ban Nha khi Ả Rập thôn tính những vùng đất này.

Andalusia in southern Spain was Europe’s main silk-producing centre in the tenth century.

Andalusia ở phía nam Tây Ban Nha là trung tâm chính sản xuất lụa tơ tằm của Châu u vào thể kỉ thứ 10.

By the thirteenth century, however, Italy had become Europe’s leader in silk production and export.

Cho đến thế kỉ thứ 13, thì Italy trở thành nước đứng đầu châu u và sản xuất và xuất khẩu lụa tơ tằm.

Venetian merchants traded extensively in silk and encouraged silk growers to settle in Italy.

Các thương gia tại thành phố Venice đã buôn bán lụa tơ tằm một cách rộng rãi và còn giúp sức để các người trồng dâu định cư ở Italy.

Even now, silk processed in the province of Como in northern Italy enjoys an esteemed reputation.

Thậm chí ngày nay, quá trình sản xuất lụa tơ tằm ở tỉnh Como phía nam Italy được coi là một thương hiệu.

The nineteenth century and industrialisation saw the downfall of the European silk industry.

Thế kỉ 19 cùng công nghiệp hóa đã chứng kiến ngành công nghiệp lụa tơ tằm của châu u đi xuống.

Cheaper Japanese silk, trade in which was greatly facilitated by the opening of the Suez Canal, was one of the many factors driving the trend.

Lụa tơ tằm rẻ hơn từ Nhật Bản, thông thương trở nên thuận tiện hơn nhờ việc mở kênh đào Suez, là một trong những yếu tố chính dẫn đến xu hướng này.

Then in the twentieth century, new manmade fibres, such as nylon, started to be used in what had traditionally been silk products, such as stockings and parachutes.

Rồi vào thế kỉ 20, sợi nhân tạo mới, như nylon, bắt đầu được sử dụng trong những sản phẩm mà theo truyền thống được làm từ lụa tơ tằm, ví như bít tất hay dù.

The two world wars, which interrupted the supply of raw material from Japan, also stifled the European silk industry.

Thế chiến thứ 2, đã làm gián đoạn nguồn cung cấp nguyên liệu từ Nhật Bản, cũng đã bóp nghẹt ngành công nghiệp lụa của châu u.

After the Second World War, Japan’s silk production was restored, with improved production and quality of raw silk.

Sau thế chiến thứ 2, việc sản xuất lụa của Nhật Bản được khôi phục lại đi kèm với sản lượng và chất lượng của lụa thô được cải thiện.

Japan was to remain the world’s biggest producer of raw silk, and practically the only major exporter of raw silk, until the 1970s.

Nhật Bản đã giành lại vị trí nhà sản xuất lụa thô lớn nhất thế giới và đặc biệt chỉ xuất khẩu duy nhất lụa thô, cho tới tận những năm 1970.

However, in more recent decades, China has gradually recaptured its position as the world’s biggest producer and exporter of raw silk and silk yarn.

Tuy nhiên, trong những thập kỉ gần đây, Trung Quốc dần dần giành lại của mình là nhà sản xuất và xuất khẩu lớn nhất thế giới về lụa thô và chỉ lụa.

Today, around 125,000 metric tons of silk are produced in the world, and almost two thirds of that production takes place in China.

Ngày này, có khoảng 125,000 tấn lụa được sản xuất trên thế giới và khoảng hai phần ba của chúng được sản xuất tại Trung Quốc.