Lesson17 Umbrellas
The umbrella is a very ordinary object． It keeps the rain in bad weather and the sun off in good． Most umbrellas fold up，so it's easy to carry them．
However， the umbrella did not begin its life as an ordinary object． It was a sign of royalty or importance． Some African tribes still use umbrellas in this way today． Someone carries an umbrella and walks behind the king or important person．
Umbrellas are very old． The Chinese had them in the eleventh century B．C． From there， umbrellas traveled to India， Persia， and Egypt．
When the Spanish explorers went to Mexico， they saw the Aztec kings using umbrellas． English explorers saw Native American princes carrying umbrellas on the eastern coast of North America． It seems that people in different parts of the world invented umbrellas at different times．
England was probably the first country in Europe where ordinary people used umbrellas．
Everybody uses umbrellas today． The next time you carry one， remember that for centuries only great men and women used them．

keep off 　 　 制止，使避开，不让接近
royalty ? 王权，皇室
the Aztec kings　 阿兹特克王
Native Americans prince 印第安王子

伞
伞是一件非常普通的物品。它可以在恶劣的天气里挡雨，在晴好的天气里遮阳。大部分的伞可折叠，所以携带方便。

然而，伞在发明之初并非一件普通物品。它是王权或重要性的象征。一些非洲的部落至今仍以这种方式使用伞——一个人拿着伞走在国王或重要人物的后面。
伞有着悠久的历史。中国人在公元前11世纪就发明了它，随后又传到了印度、波斯和埃及。
当西班牙探险家来到墨西哥，他们看到阿兹特克王使用伞。英国探险家在北美东海岸看到印第安王子拿着伞。世界各地的人似乎在不同时期发明了伞。
英国可能是欧洲最早的平民可以使用伞的国家。
如今每个人都使用伞。下次当你拿着伞的时候，别忘了好几个世纪中只有王公贵族才能使用它。