阅读理解
A kind of blue dye (颜料) called folium had been widely used to
paint pictures on the pages of manuscripts (手稿) created
in the Middle Ages. But long ago, this watercolor fell out of use.
"Manuscripts are an important part of the cultural
works of art in the Middle Ages," said scientist Maria in an email to CNN.
"Color is a basic feature of these manuscripts. To let ancient
manuscripts. keep a good condition for future generations, we sometimes need to
repaint their inside pictures through the ancient dye — like folium — that was
once used in these manuscripts. But everyone who knew how to prepare folium had
died long ago. So 'I led a team to study this dye."
Her team turned to books from the 1400s and found one that
described the plant that was its source. It is a tiny plant with silvery-green
leaves. Days later, the scientists reached a village in south Portugal, where
nobody knew this little plant. However, after carefully going through a plenty
of different plants growing there, the scientists finally raked out the
plant they wanted and brought some back to their laboratory.
Back in the lab, the scientists produced the dye with the
help of an ancient text on colors. The text has clearly described the ways to
make it. "It's cool to have done that work of looking in the historical
records and traveling back in time," says Casadio, who was not part of this
study. It recreates an ancient process. By making the dye, the scientists could
study its chemistry without experimenting on priceless delicate (易损的) works of art, she points out.
Now, the researchers don't know the dye's stability(稳定性)and its ability
against the environment that may wear and break it down over time. "To
know such information is necessary if we desire to make these colors last long
enough," Maria said. "So our study will continue."
