Why is cotton in everything? - Michael R. Stiff

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Carol Wang

Centuries ago, the Inca developed ingenuous suits of armor

數世紀之前，印加人 開發出了非常精巧的盔甲裝，

that could flex with the blows of sharp spears and maces,

被銳利的長矛和狼牙棒 擊中時能夠配合屈縮，

protecting warriors from even the fiercest physical attacks.

保護戰士不會受到 最猛烈的身體攻擊。

These hardy structures were made not from iron or steel,

這些結實的結構 並不是用鐵或鋼製成，

but rather something unexpectedly soft: cotton.

而是一種出乎意料的 軟性材料：棉。

These thickly woven, layered quilts of cotton

這些編織得很厚實、 多層襯墊的棉材料

could distribute the energy from a blow across a large surface area,

能把來自攻擊的能量 分散到很大的表面面積上，

shielding warriors without restricting their mobility.

在保護戰士的同時， 不會限制他們的行動力。

These seemingly contradictory features—

這些看似很矛盾的特徵——

strength and flexibility, softness and durability—

力量和靈活度，柔軟和耐受度——

have their roots in the intricate biology of the nearly invisible cotton fiber.

源於幾乎不可見棉纖維的 複雜生物學特性。

These fibers begin life deep within a cotton flower,

這些纖維的生命 始於棉花內部深處，

on the surface of a seed.

始於種子的表面。

As many as 16,000 fibers will festoon a single seed,

單一顆種子上就纏繞了 一萬六千條纖維，

bulging from the seed’s surface like miniature water balloons.

纖維從種子表面凸起， 好像迷你的水氣球。

Each cotton fiber, no matter how large it grows,

每一根棉纖維，不論長得多大，

is made of just one cell.

都只由一個細胞構成。

That cell has multiple layers of cell wall.

該細胞具有多層細胞壁。

After a few days, the sides of the first layer,

幾天之後，

第一層的邊，即初生細胞壁硬化，

called the primary cell wall,

stiffen, pushing cell growth in one direction

迫使細胞朝向一個方向生長，

and causing the fiber to elongate.

造成纖維增長。

The fiber elongates quickly for about 16 days.

纖維會快速增長十六天左右，

Then it begins the next stage: strengthening the cell wall.

接著進入下一階段：強化細胞壁，

It does this by making more of the carbohydrate cellulose.

通過製造更多碳水化合纖維素 來做到這一點。

Cellulose will make up 34% of the cell wall at this stage

在這個階段，纖維素 會構成 34% 的細胞壁，

and swiftly increases.

並快速增加。

This new growth also reinforces the cell wall

這種新的生長也會強化細胞壁，

by going against the grain of the existing wall.

因為它的生長方向 和既有的細胞壁紋路不同。

The strengthened wall is more rigid, restricting further growth.

強化的細胞壁比較堅固， 限制了進一步的生長。

That means if the fiber remodels its walls too early,

即，若過早重塑細胞壁， 纖維長度就會很短，

it will be short,

and ultimately make rough, weak fabrics.

最終就會製成粗糙、脆弱的織物。

But if cell wall strengthening begins too late,

但如果細胞壁的強化太晚才開始，

the wall won’t be sturdy enough—

細胞壁就不夠堅固——

producing fibers that are too weak to hold fabrics together well.

產生出來的纖維會太脆弱， 無法給織物良好的支撐力。

In ideal growing conditions—

最理想的生長條件——

with the right temperature, water, fertilizer, pest control, and light—

適宜的溫度、水、肥料、

害蟲控制，及光線——

a cotton fiber can grow up to 3.6 centimeters long

棉纖維可以長到 3.6 公分長，

with only a 25 micrometer width.

寬度只有 25 微米。

Long, fine fibers can wrap around one another

比起短而較粗的纖維，

長而細的纖維可以彼此包覆，

better than shorter, less fine fibers,

which means those long, fine fibers make stronger threads

即這些細長的纖維 能製成強度更好的線，

that hang together better as fabric.

做成織物時結合得更好。

Cotton with these qualities has diverse uses—

具有這些特性的棉，用途很多——

from soft textiles to the U.S. dollar bill,

從軟性紡織品到美金鈔票，

which is 75% cotton.

美金鈔票有 75% 是棉。

The next crucial stage of the cotton fiber’s growth

棉纖維生長的下一個關鍵階段

begins as it thickens its secondary cell wall

始於大量纖維素進入到第二層，

by depositing large quantities of cellulose into the secondary layer.

導致次生細胞壁開始增厚時。

Cellulose goes on to make up over 90% of the fiber’s weight.

此時纖維素繼續增加到 占棉纖 90% 的重量。

The more cellulose that gets deposited,

纖維素累積得越多，

the denser that secondary layer becomes—

第二層就會變得更密實——

and this determines the strength of the final fiber.

這就會決定最終纖維的強度。

This stage is essential for developing long-lasting material

若要開發出持久耐用的材料， 譬如製成 T 恤，

for the likes of, say, a t-shirt.

這個階段至關重要。

The garment’s capacity to withstand years of washing and wear

衣服對經年累月的清洗 和穿著的耐受程度，

is largely determined by the density of that secondary cell wall.

主要取決於次生細胞壁的密度。

On the other hand,

另一方面，衣服的柔軟度

its softness is strongly influenced by the length of the fiber,

則主要是受到纖維長度的影響，

established with the remodeling of the primary wall layer.

而長度的建立是要靠 重塑初生細胞壁層。

Finally, after about 50 days, the fiber is fully grown.

最後，在大約五十天後， 纖維完全長成了。

The living matter within the cell dies off,

細胞內部的活質都死光了，

leaving behind only the cellulose.

剩下的就只有纖維素。

The dried cotton seed pod, or boll, that surrounds the fibers cracks open,

包裹著纖維的乾燥棉種子莢 （或棉鈴）會裂開，

unveiling a burst of several thousand fiber cells in a fluffy mass.

綻開數千個纖維細胞， 成為一個蓬鬆的毛茸塊。

The thread-like fibers we see— thinner than a human hair—

我們看到像線一樣的纖維—— 比人類頭髮還細——

are the remains of those dense, dried out walls of cellulose.

是那些密實乾燥的纖維素 細胞壁所剩下來的部分。

Tens of thousands of these fibers spun into yarn

數萬條這種纖維會被紡成紗，

will go on to make everything from fabric, to coffee filters, diapers,

接著便可以製作各種東西， 從織物到咖啡濾紙、

尿布，以及漁網。

and fishing nets.

And with the help of modern science,

在現代科學的協助下，

cotton might soon be softer, stronger, and more resilient than ever

棉可能很快就會變得比過去 更軟、更堅固，且更有彈性，

as researchers investigate how to optimize its growth

因為研究者正在根據營養物、 氣候條件，以及遺傳學，

based on nutrients, weather conditions, and genetics.

探究如何將棉的生成做到最佳化。