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Paper: Not Ready For the Recycling Bin 典雅坚韧：纸的无限可能

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Before the technological revolution, there was a time when paper dominated. People wrote letters, not e-mails; read books, not e-Books. For years, we’ve been moving toward a paperless world. Yet paper – with its long history – has played a priceless part in many world cultures and, for some artisans, it will never be “just packaging.”

在科技革命之前，曾经有段时间纸称霸一方。人们会写信，而非传电子邮件；人们会读书，而非读电子书。这些年来，我们已经渐渐走向一个无纸化的世界。然而纸因为走长久的历史，已在许多世界上很多文化里扮演了极重要的角色。而且，对于一些工匠而言，纸永远不只是用来「包装」而已。

As it happens, paper and cardboard can be environmentally sound, cheap, and durable materials. In Taichung, Carton King Creativity Park shows day-trippers exactly what paper can do. Strolling around the scenic gardens, you’ll spot a scaled-down Eiffel Tower and Hotel Burj Al Arab, constructed from a special paper-cardboard which, though it seems implausible, is both waterproof and fireproof! Rest your weary feet in the restaurant – you’ll find yourself sitting on a chair built from paper, eating off a table made from paper, and using crockery fashioned from paper! The park’s staff insists the chair is as strong as its conventional cousin, going as far as to suggest a complete house could be built and furnished from this super-sturdy “paperboard.”

碰巧的是，纸和硬纸板是很环保、便宜又耐用的材料。在台中，纸箱王创意园区便为一日游的旅客展示纸到底有多大的能耐。当你在园区内的景观花园散步时，你可以看到缩小版的艾菲尔铁塔和杜拜帆船饭店。这些都是由特殊的纸板制造出来的，而且这或许让人难以置信，但这些纸板既能防水也能防火！你也可以在餐厅让疲惫的双脚歇息，然后你会发现，你所坐的椅子是纸做的，用来吃饭的餐桌是纸做的，所使用的餐盘也是纸做的！园区的员工坚称，这些椅子和传统的椅子一样坚固，甚至表示整栋房子的建造和装潢都可以使用这种超级强韧的「硬纸板」。

Speaking of paper houses, the Paper Dome in Puli, Nantou has become a focal point of community life. Supported by 58 cardboard columns, the dome was built as a temporary replacement for a church after an earthquake in Japan in 1995. Ten years later, it was relocated to Puli, where it weathers the storms to this day.

说到纸房子，在南投埔里的纸教堂是小区生活的中心。纸教堂由58个纸制圆柱所支撑起来，原本是1995日本一次震后用来暂时替代原本教堂的建筑。10之后，它被迁移到埔里，至今平安地捱过无数的风雨。

The market for creative paper products and using the material innovatively isn’t folding. Perhaps paper hasn’t had its day, after all.

创意纸制品及创新纸料运用的市场还未减退，或许纸的时日还没到来呢。

−by Alice Davis

Vocabulary

单词发音

revolution [͵rɛvəˋluʃən] n. 革命

dominate [ˋdɑmə͵net] v. 支配﹐控制

priceless [ˋpraɪslɪs] adj. 无价的；稀世之珍的

sound [saʊnd] adj. 完好的; 健全的

durable [ˋdjʊrəb!] adj. 经久的，耐用的

stroll [strol] v. 散步

scenic [ˋsinɪk] adj. 景色秀丽的

construct [kənˋstrʌkt] v. 建造

weary [ˋwɪrɪ] adj. 疲倦的，疲劳的

furnish [ˋfɝnɪʃ] v. 为〔房屋或房间〕配备家具; 布置

sturdy [ˋstɝdɪ] adj. 坚固的，经久耐用的

temporary [ˋtɛmpə͵rɛrɪ] adj. 临时的；暂时的

relocate [riˋloket] v. 重新安置; 移迁; 搬迁

More Information

单词发音

artisan [ˋɑrtəzn] n. 工匠；技工

day-tripper 当天来回的短途旅客 a tourist who makes excursions lasting just one day

scaled-down [͵skeldˋdaʊn] adj. 缩小的; 按比例缩减的 to be reduced proportionally

implausible [ɪmˋplɔzəb!] adj. 难以置信的；不像真实的

off [ɔf] prep. 以……为依靠 Informal from

crockery [ˋkrɑkərɪ] n.（总称）陶器，瓦器

fashion [ˋfæʃən] v. 制作；使成形；形成

insist [ɪnˋsɪst] v. 坚决认为；强调

cousin [ˋkʌzn] n. 同性质的人[物]; 类似之物 something similar in quality or character

go as far as 更深入地 to be extreme in talking about or doing something

dome [dom] n. 圆屋顶

focal [ˋfok!] adj. 焦点的；在焦点上的

weather [ˋwɛðɚ] v. 平安度过（暴风雨）；经受住

fold [ˋfold] v. (企业或组织)停业，关门 to close, especially for lack of financial success; fail

have had its day (不再顺利、兴旺、强大等) 失势; 已经终结; 不再受欢迎了

haven't had its day 时日(终结)还没到来

Reading Questions

1. How does the article present paper in the opening paragraph?

A. As nothing more than packaging material.

B. As a useless product that should be rejected.

C. As playing an important role in our past.

D. As an item that is as popular now as it has always been.

2. Which of the following paper items is NOT mentioned in the article?

A. A place of worship.

B. Edible paper meals.

C. A four-legged piece of furniture.

D. A miniature copy of a world-famous tourist hotspot.

3. What does the expression “paper hasn’t has its day” mean?

A. Paper’s existence is not over.

B. Paper is a forgotten part of history.

C. Paper’s anniversary is never celebrated.

D. Paper is not given the recognition it deserves.

纸箱王创意园区

纸箱王专题

Paper Dome

埔里桃米小区～纸教堂

Answer