Brocade is a kind of silk fabrics woven with raised patterns resembling embroidery. It has a unique look, colorfully luxurious, and is amazingly soft to the skin. Handmade brocade evolved over more than 20 centuries, but at present, it has given way to the modern textile industry. It is manufactured under automatic control, using a jacquared loom equipped with electronic devices. Brocade factories specialize in making fabrics, which can be used for traditional products or modern vests, skirts or jackets. There are four local-styled brocades, which are known across the country. They include Shu Brocade (蜀锦) from Sichuan Province, Yun Brocade (云锦) from Nanjing, Song Brocade (宋锦) from Suzhou and Zhuang Brocade (壮锦) from the Guangxi Autonomous Region.
Notes：1）luxurious豪华的；2）amazingly令人惊奇地；3）auto-matic自动的；4）jacquared提花织机
10.中国的四种地方“锦”有什么区别？
How do these four Chinese local brocades differ?
Yun Brocade. Yun means“cloud”, and this style looks like colorful clouds due to the high-quality of silk and exquisite skill. From the Yuan to the Ming dynasties, Yun Brocade was mostly used for imperial garments.
Song, or Suzhou Brocade. This style disappeared at the end of the Ming Dynasty, but soon revived at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty. Being characterized by harmonious colors and geometrical patterns, it falls into large and small types according to size. The large brocade, also called Heavy Brocade, is mainly used to mount pictures; the Small Brocade is used to decorate small articles.
Zhuang Brocade of the Zhuang ethnic nationality. Local articles, including quilt covers, tablecloths, and scarfs, are woven by weaving machine, and its patterns include figures, flora and fauna and geometrical patterns.
Shu Brocade of Sichuan Province. Towards the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, a device was invented in Sichuan to weave raised designs on fine silk. This new technique greatly enhanced the quality of silk products, and Shu Brocade became an important article of tribute to the imperial court. In the Tang Dynasty, it was produced with a large number of marvelous patterns. There were designs lined with flowers, the red lion and phoenix, and pairs of pheasants or sheep or other animals that highlighted the central feature. At that time only high officials and nobles lords could afford the brocade.
Notes：1）garment衣服；2）geometrical几何图案的；3）flora植物群；4）fauna动物群；5）marvelous非凡的
11.蜀锦有没有流行的图案？
Are there any fashionable patterns of Shu Brocade?
Fangfang Brocade (方方锦， check-patterned brocade). First, a loom is used to weave a single-colored brocade base. On this colorful warp and weft, silk threads are woven into check-shaped patterns. Finally a flower is added to each check.
Yuehua Brocade (月华锦， moonlight brocade). Groups of colorful warp and weft silk threads are interwoven according to designated patterns. The weaving visually transforms from light to dark colors. Then decorative patterns are added by means of tow-to-thread spinning.
Huanhua Brocade (浣花锦， fallen flower and flowing river). Plum, peach and other flowers are woven on brocade fabrics, and the overall pattern takes the form of a pleasant scene with fallen flower and flowing river.
Pudi Brocade (铺地锦), which means adding flowers to a brocade fabric. First, the brocade base is woven into geometric figures with small flower patterns. These support large flowers, which are added to make their pattern look more splendid.
Notes：1）loom织布机；2）warp经（纱）；3）weft（纺织物的）纬线
12.如何养护丝绸？
How do we maintain silk fabrics?
Tapestry satin, soft satin, silk brocade, georgette, light and thin silk yarns, or raw silk can’t be washed in water. Dry-cleaning is advised. However, there are some washable silk fabrics. The following are some necessary points that may help you wash these fabrics.
a. Don’t mix together dark-colored and light-colored silk fabric clothes or silk materials when washing them.
b. Wash immediately sweat-wetted pure silk clothes or soak them in fresh water. Make sure not to wash them in warm water at the temperature of 30℃ and above.
c. Use acid detergent or light alkaline detergent while washing silk fabrics. It is best to use a kind of special-silk-fabric-detergent.
d. Washing by hand is advised. Don’t twist silk fabrics hard or scrub them with a stiff brush. After washing, gently
press water out of silk fabrics by hand or with a towel. Dry these fabrics in the shade.
e. Iron-press washed silk fabrics when they are 80% dry, and don’t spray water directly on silk fabrics. Iron the interior covering rather than the exterior of silk clothes. The temperature at the flat of the iron should be between 100℃ and 180℃.
f. Fold silk fabric clothes up in good shape and storage them in a closet. It is inadvisable to put camphor or camphor balls in the same closet.
Notes：1）tapestry绒绣，织锦；2）georgette乔其纱；3）dry-clean干洗；4）washable可洗的；5）twist捻，搓；6）iron-press熨，烫平；7）closet橱柜；8）inadvisable不可取的