当前位置:新东方在线 > 随身英语 > 正文


Knitting: a revival 织毛活儿再度兴起

分享到: 2012-08-27 00:00:00 BBC英伦网

摘要:还记得儿时每到生日都会收到妈妈亲手打得围巾吗?随着时代的变迁,生活节奏的加快,手织的物品越来越珍贵了。

Vocabulary: Knitting 针织

knitting

Knitting has become a part of social activities.

For many, knitting evokes images of elderly women weaving woolly jumpers for their grandchildren.

But the craft is undergoing a revival as knitters of all ages are picking up needles and yarns again. For Dr Sarah-Marie Belcastro, knitting is a mathematical challenge rather than about making garments: "Converting a smooth curve into a knitted pattern is a math problem because one has to figure out where exactly to place the discrete changes in curvature (…)" Like Dr Belcastro, many other knitters transform mathematical concepts into intricate patterns to better understand a shape or concept.

Knitting can also be a social event and has gained popularity in recent years. Many groups have started up around the world to bring strangers together into more close-knit communities. Men and women of all ages can attend the ‘Knit and Natter’ group, for instance, where people get together to practise the handicraft while having a good old chat.

Feminists have rejected knitting in the past because it was a craft learnt by women and was looked down on – but it is precisely because of its important social role that New Yorker Debbie Stoller believes knitting should be brought back into fashion. She established a popular knitting group that led to a string of 1,300 others. "In the same way that fishing is not just about getting something to eat, knitting is not just about making something to wear”, she says.

So it’s not just about ending up with woolly socks and scarves to give as birthday presents to family and friends. Whether those who attend go to spin a yarn, gossip or end up in stitches, it seems knitting can provide a therapeutic break in our modern lifestyles.

Glossary 词汇表 (点击单词收听发音)
to knit(手工)针织毛线活儿to weave编织,纺织a craft 一门手艺knitter(手工)针织者a needlea yarn纱线 a garment成衣a curve 曲线a pattern 花样,图案intricate 复杂精细的close-knit 关系紧密的to natter闲扯,瞎聊a handicraft 一个手艺,一件手工艺品 a string of一连串woolly羊毛的,毛茸茸的a scarf围巾 to spin a yarn 纺线,(成语比喻)讲故事,编故事in stitches缝针,(成语比喻)忍不住大笑therapeutic有理疗作用的,使人放松的


责任编辑:jiaxin