The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched roof cottages around a church; a drive through a narrow village street lines with thatched cottages painted pink or white; the sight in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside.
俯瞰一个小村庄所在的山谷，一座教堂周围有着一些茅草屋；开车穿过一条狭窄的乡村街道，街道两旁是涂成粉红色或白色的茅草屋；这是英格兰部分地区的景象。大多数人都会同意，茅草屋顶是英国乡村吸引力的重要组成部分。

Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts practiced in the British Isles. Although thatch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches, too.
事实上，茅草屋顶是英论诸岛所有建筑工艺中最古老的。尽管茅草屋顶一直被用于农舍和农场建筑，但它也曾被用于城堡和教堂。

Thatching is a solitary craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practiced toady has changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are employed in England and Wales today, maintaining and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.
茅草屋顶是孤独的工艺品，通常以家庭为单位。自中世纪以来，今天所采用的茅草屋顶工艺几乎没有变化。如今，英格兰和威尔士雇佣了800多名全职茅草屋顶工，负责维护和更新旧屋顶，以及为新房子盖茅草。许多业主选择茅草不仅是因为它的美丽，还因为他们知道它能让屋里冬暖夏凉。

In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways. People in developing countries are often reluctant to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to import the necessary materials. Their temporary mud huts with thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defiance against the heat.
事实上，如果我们看看发展中国家，世界上有一半以上的人生活在茅草屋里，但他们的生活方式都不同。发展中国家的人们往往不愿意回到传统材料，而更喜欢现代建筑。然而，他们可能缺乏资金来进口必要的材料。采用茅草屋顶的临时泥屋通常只能维持六个月。以英国方式建造的茅草可以持续20到60年，是对抗高温的有效手段。