【雅思阅读素材】阿联酋为骆驼定制紧身衣

如果高品质的运动服能让运动员如虎添翼，那么按理来说这种方法也应同样适用于动物。

Testing this theory is UAE-based camel and horse luxury products company Al Shibla. They recently launched a line of lycra-style outfits for camels, and they claim that the bizarre product has already garnered tremendous interest among stable owners in the Middle East.

阿拉伯联合酋长国一家生产马和骆驼奢侈用品的公司Al Shibla近日将这种想法付诸实际，推出了一款为骆驼量身定做的莱卡布（强力弹性纤维）衣服，公司称这种新奇产品在中东已经吸引不少骆驼场主的极大兴趣。

Made of soft, thick material that covers the body, the suits improve blood circulation by slightly constricting blood vessels. Worn before and after training, it increases blood and oxygen supply to the muscles, reducing the lactic acid build-up that causes cramping. The animal is covered entirely, except for the head and neck.

这种能包裹住全身衣服的面料既柔软又厚实，对血管的轻度压缩可促进血液循环。因此，在训练之前或之后穿上，可提高肌肉的血液和氧气供给量，从而减少会导致抽筋的乳酸含量。这款衣服除脖子和头部会覆盖全身。

Designed for use before and after races, the special leotards are meant to serve a dual purpose. “The full body suit can help racing camels run faster, while the cream of the species entered into camel beauty contests will have the ability to stand taller after using the suit,” the company wrote in their sales pitch.

这款设计为赛前和赛后穿着的特制紧身服具有双重功能。“在赛跑时覆盖全身的衣物有助于跑得更快，在选美比赛时又会让骆驼变得更高。”公司在产品简介中这么写道。

The suits can also be used during transportation, when camels tend to lose a lot of weight due to stress hormones working overtime.

这件衣服还可让骆驼在运输的行程中穿上，由于压力激素作用时间过长，骆驼在运输过程中会减少很多体重。

“We can compare it with the compression socks we get in the hospital. It activates the blood circulation in the muscle,” Wolter added. “If there’s a health problem, people usually just call the vet and ask for an injection, but there are physiotherapy treatments, and the compression suit is a physiotherapy treatment.”

“我们可以将其与医院的紧身袜做比较，紧身袜能促进肌肉的血液循环，”沃尔特补充道，“如果动物有健康问题，人们通常求助于兽医并要求注射药物，但除此之外还有物理疗法，而紧身衣就是一种物理疗法。”

The company launched the full body compression suit at the Al Dhafra Camel Festival in December, after months of designing the product to perfection. It was especially difficult to make a suit for camels, because unlike horses, they rest on folded knees with their breasts rubbing against the ground. So they had to use extra thick durable material for those parts. The suits aren’t ready-made, but will be tailored to fit each individual animal.

2014年12月，经过数月尽善尽美的设计后，该公司在阿联酋骆驼节当天发布了这款全身紧身衣。为骆驼制作衣服的难度非常大，因为骆驼和马不同，当它们弯下膝盖休息时，乳房会与地面摩擦，所以他们不得不在这些部位上使用更耐磨的厚布料。此外，这些衣服并非现成，而是会根据不同骆驼的体型做出调整。

The suits are quite expensive at Dhs 3,500 (almost $1,000) apiece, but Wolter says they are worth the price. “If you ship a camel from the UAE to Saudi or Qatar, it can lose 15kg to 30kg because of stress,” she explained. “Our research and testing has shown that we can get that down to about 7.5kg to 10kg by wearing our outfits. In addition to that, the outfit is like a thrombosis sock. It squeezes the muscle and ensures circulation.”

这款紧身衣单价高达3500迪拉姆（约合5900元人民币），但沃尔特表示物有所值。“如果你将一只骆驼从阿联酋运到沙特或卡塔尔，它会因心理压力而减少15至30公斤的体重，”她解释道，“我们的研究和测验已经表明这款衣服可以将这个范围缩小至7.5至10公斤。总之，这款衣服就像一只抗血栓袜，能挤压肌肉并确保血液循环。”

Vocabulary

lycra: 莱卡

lactic acid: 乳酸

physiotherapy: 物理疗法

compression suit: 紧身衣

ready-made: 现成的

thrombosis: 血栓症