小譯說
羊駝又被大家戲稱為「草泥馬」，呆萌的外表讓它成為了名副其實的網紅。你了解這種可愛的生物嗎？跟隨小譯一起去看看吧！
Alpacas may just be the cutest of all the Camelidae family, which includes llamas, guanacos and vicunas from South America, and Bactrian and Dromedary camels from Asia and Africa. With their floppy furry tufts, slender necks, ingénue eyes and coy Clara Bow grins, they are the "it" girls and boys of the ungulate world.
羊駝也許是駱駝科大家族中最可愛的物種，駱駝科包括來自南美的大羊駝、原駝和小羊駝，以及來自亞洲和非洲的雙峰駝和單峰駝。羊駝有著鬆軟的茸毛、纖細的脖子、天真的眼睛和靦腆的笑容，它們是有蹄類動物界的可愛小孩。
But beyond their charming, quirky good looks, these creatures are responsible for bearing some of the silkiest, most versatile fiber found in nature, for which they are shorn annually.
不過除了迷人奇特的外表之外，它們還擁有自然界中最柔滑、用途最為廣泛的纖維，因此每年羊駝都離不開被剪毛的命運。
Alpaca is a specialty fiber that has been described as stronger than mohair, finer than cashmere, smoother than silk, softer than cotton, warmer than goose down and better-breathing than thermal knits. Along with that, alpacas themselves possess some pretty remarkable personality traits.
羊駝毛是一種特殊的纖維，據說比馬海毛更結實，比羊絨更細，比絲綢更順滑，比棉花更柔軟，比鵝絨更溫暖，比保暖針織品更透氣。同時，羊駝還有一些非常顯著的性格特徵。
The last weekend in September is National Alpaca Farm Days, so in honor of all things Vicugna pacos, we're filling you in on everything you never knew about these captivating camelids.
9月的最後一個周末是全美羊駝農場節，本文將向你介紹這些迷人駱駝科動物不為人知的那些事。
1.羊駝源自古老時代
1. They're ancient
Alpacas were domesticated by the Incas more than 6,000 years ago and raised for their exquisite fleece. Due to its quality and all of its superhero characteristics, alpaca fiber was reserved exclusively for the elite and nobility.
羊駝早在6000多年前就被印加人馴養，並因其精緻的毛而被飼養。由於羊駝纖維的上等品質和絕佳特質，當時只有精英和貴族才可擁有。
2.飼養羊駝很流行
2. They're trendy
In 1984, a small group of importers brought the first of a carefully selected herd to the United States and Canada, and they』ve been dotting the bucolic landscape ever since. The North American herd has grown from a few alpacas in zoos and private farms to about 20,000.
1984年，一小群進口商將第一批精心挑選的羊駝引入美國和加拿大，從那以後，羊駝就一直在這片田園風光中繁衍生息。北美羊駝已經從動物園和私人農場裡的屈指可數發展到約2萬隻。
3.羊駝毛品質上等、防過敏
3. They grow superlative, hypoallergenic fleece
Alpaca fiber is much like sheep’s wool, but warmer and not itchy. It is lacking in lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic and also allows it to be processed without the need for high temperatures or harsh chemicals in washing.
羊駝纖維很像羊毛，但更溫暖且不致癢。它缺乏羊毛脂，因此具有低致敏性，也無需通過高溫或刺激性洗滌化學物進行處理。
4.羊駝毛阻燃
4. They're flame-resistant
Well, technically their fiber is flame-resistant, meeting the standards of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's rigid testing specifications as a Class 1 fiber for use in clothing and furnishings.
從技術上講，羊駝纖維是阻燃的，符合美國消費品安全委員會嚴格的檢驗規格，是用於服裝和裝飾材料的Ⅰ類纖維。
5.羊駝毛防水
5. They're water-resistant
Like wool, alpaca fiber is water-resistant, but it can wick away moisture because of its unique ability to mimic cotton in moisture regain. These attributes are what make alpaca feel lighter than wool but warmer than cotton in cool and damp climates.
和羊毛一樣，羊駝毛防水，不過它具有像棉花一樣的吸溼性，而這種獨特能力使羊駝毛可以吸走水分。這些特性使羊駝毛在涼爽潮溼的氣候中比羊毛更輕，比棉花更暖。
6.羊駝毛有彩虹般的色彩
6. They come in a rainbow of hues
Alpaca fiber comes in 22 colors and hundreds of shades, from white to light rose gray to dark fawn, in addition to the blends that can be made from those, thus minimizing the need for pollution-intensive dying.
羊駝纖維有22種顏色和數百種色調，從白色到淺粉灰色，再到深黃褐色，應有盡有。這些多彩的羊駝毛不僅可以製成混紡纖維，還能因此減少染色帶來的汙染。
7.世界上有兩種羊駝
7. There are two types of alpacas in this world...
Alpacas come in two types: Suri and the huacaya. The suri has fiber that grows long and forms silky dreadlocks. The huacaya has a wooly, dense, crimped fleece — like a teddy bear — giving it a very wooly appearance. About 90 percent of all alpacas in the North America are huacayas.
羊駝有兩種：蘇力羊駝和瓦卡亞羊駝。蘇力羊駝的纖維很長，形成順滑的長絲。瓦卡亞羊駝毛髮濃密且捲曲，像泰迪熊一樣，看起來毛茸茸的。北美約90%的羊駝都是瓦卡亞羊駝。
8.羊駝可以雜交
8. They can mix and match
Alpacas and llamas can successfully cross-breed. The offspring they create are known as huarizo, which are valued for their longer fleece.
羊駝和大羊駝能成功雜交。二者的後代叫華裡柔，因其駝毛更長而更加珍貴。
9.羊駝共享一個「衛生間」
9. They share a bathroom
Alpacas use a communal dung pile (where they do not graze, thankfully). Because of their predisposition for using a dung pile, some alpacas have been successfully house-trained.
羊駝會在同一地點排便(謝天謝地，它們不在那吃草)。由於它們喜歡定點排便，一些羊駝已經被成功馴化，學會了不在室內大小便。
10.羊駝的叫聲
10. They hum and haw ... and orgle
Humming is the most common sound that alpacas make. Alpacas hum when they are curious, content, worried, bored, fearful, distressed or cautious. When startled or in danger, a staccato braying is started by one animal, then followed by the rest of the herd in the direction of the potential threat. During breeding, the male alpaca Romeo emits a unique throaty vocalization called 「orgling.」
「哼哼」聲是羊駝最常發出的聲音。它們在感到好奇、滿足、擔心、無聊、恐懼、痛苦或變得警惕時，就會發出「哼哼」聲。當受到驚嚇或處於危險中時，一隻羊駝會發出斷斷續續的叫聲，然後處於潛在危險中的其它羊駝也會跟著叫起來。在繁殖過程中，公羊駝會發出一種獨特的低沉的聲音。
During the National Alpaca Farm Days, alpaca farms across the country will open their gates to visitors of all ages to meet the wooly loves.
全美羊駝農場節期間，全國各地的羊駝養殖場將對所有年齡段的遊客開放，參觀者可以藉此機會去看看這群毛茸茸的小動物。
本文為百度翻譯原創內容
翻譯：張楚（北語） 編輯：Vivian
文章來源：mother nature network