The History of Clothing衣服的历史

It is not certain when people first started wearing clothes， however， anthropologists estimate that it was somewhere between 100，000 and 500，000 years ago. The first clothes were made from natural elements： animal skin， fur， grass， leaves， bone， and shells. Garments1 were often draped2 or tied; however， simple needles made out of animal bone provide evidence of sewn leather and fur garments from at least 30，000 years ago.

人类穿衣始于何时无法确知，但据人类学家估计，是距今10万至50万年之间的某个时段。最初制成衣物的材料均来源于自然，如动物的毛皮、青草、树叶、骨头及贝壳。人们通常直接将衣服披挂或捆系在身上；不过，取材自兽骨的简易缝衣针证明，至少在3万年前，人类就已拥有了缝制而成的裘革服装。

When settled neolithic3 cultures discovered the advantages of woven fibers over animal hides4， the making of cloth， drawing on5 basketry techniques， emerged as one of humankind’s fundamental technologies. Hand in hand with the history of clothing goes the history of textiles. Humans had to invent weaving， spinning， tools， and the other techniques needed to be able to make the fabrics used for clothing.

受新石器时代定居文化影响，相较于兽皮，织物纤维的独特优势日渐被人类所发掘。以篮编工艺为灵感的织布技术出现，成为人类历史上最为重要的技术之一。纺织品制作是与服装制作同步发展的。为了制成各式服装所需的织物，人类发明了编、纺技术，制造出相关工具，并研创了其他一系列必要工艺。

Ready-Made Clothing

成衣

Before sewing machines， nearly all clothing was local and hand-sewn， there were tailors and seamstresses6 in most towns that could make individual items of clothing for customers. After the sewing machine was invented， the ready-made clothing industry took off7.

在缝纫机出现之前，几乎所有服装都由手工缝制，在本地生产。大多数市镇都有自己的男女裁缝，他们为顾客量身定制出服装。而在缝纫机被发明之后，成衣业则开始蓬勃发展。

The Many Functions of Clothes

衣服的诸多功用

Clothing serves many purposes： it can help protect us from various types of weather， and can improve safety during hazardous8 activities such as hiking and cooking. It protects the wearer from rough surfaces， rash-causing9 plants， insect bites， splinters10， thorns and prickles11 by providing a barrier between the skin and the environment. Clothes can insulate12 against cold or heat. They can also provide a hygienic13 barrier， keeping infectious and toxic materials away from the body. Clothing also provides protection from harmful UV radiation14.

衣服有很多用处：它不仅能在各种天气状况下给我们提供防护，也能在诸如徒步和烹饪等危险活动中让我们更安全。衣服在皮肤和环境之间立起了一道屏障，使穿衣者避免被粗糙表面划伤、接触引发皮疹的植物、遭昆虫叮咬、让碎片或棘刺扎到。衣服可以隔绝冷热，同时也是一道卫生防线，将有传染性和毒性的物质挡在体外。衣服还能抵御有害的紫外线辐射。

The most obvious function of clothing is to improve the comfort of the wearer， by protecting the wearer from the elements15. In hot climates， clothing provides protection from sunburn or wind damage， while in cold climates its thermal insulation properties are generally more important. Shelter usually reduces the functional need for clothing. For example， coats， hats， gloves， and other superficial layers are normally removed when entering a warm home， particularly if one is residing or sleeping there. Similarly， clothing has seasonal and regional aspects， so that thinner materials and fewer layers of clothing are generally worn in warmer seasons and regions than in colder ones.

衣服最为显著的功效即是提高穿衣者的舒适感，令其不受恶劣天气困扰。在炎热的气候条件下，衣服可以使人免受日晒风吹；而在寒冷气候下，衣服的保暖性能通常更为重要。若有住处，人类对衣服功用性方面的需求通常就降低了。打个比方，进入一个温暖的寓所时，人们通常会脱下或摘掉诸如外套、帽子、手套等服饰，当这里是他们安居或休憩之所时尤其如此。同样，衣服也带有节令和地域的属性，故而同较寒冷的季节和地区相比，在较温暖的季节和地区，人们所穿的衣料更薄、衣物层数更少。

Clothing performs a range of social and cultural functions， such as individual， occupational and sexual differentiation， and social status. In many societies， norms about clothing reflect standards of modesty16， religion， gender， and social status. Clothing may also function as a form of adornment17 and an expression of personal taste or style.

衣服也具有一系列社会和文化功能，例如，人用穿衣来彰显个性、职业和性别上的差异及社会地位。在诸多社会，衣着规范折射出相应的得体准则、宗教、性别和社会地位。另外，衣服也起装饰作用，体现出个人品味或风格。

Some clothing protects from specific environmental hazards， such as insects， noxious18 chemicals， weather， weapons， and contact with abrasive substances19. Conversely， clothing may protect the environment from the clothing wearer， as with doctors wearing medical scrubs20.

有些衣服还能防御特定的环境危害，譬如虫豸、有毒化学物质、恶劣天气、武器，以及同磨料的接触。反过来，衣服亦能令环境免受穿衣者的破坏，例如医生们所穿的外科手术服。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者）