Isilika—“Owona Mchako Wodidi”
NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EJAPAN
EZINYE zezona zinxibo zihle ehlabathini—kuquka ikimono yaseJapan, isari yaseIndiya nehanbok yaseKorea—zinento ezifana ngayo. Zonke ezi zinxibo zidla ngokwenziwa ngesilika, ilaphu elikhazimlayo nelingowona mchako wodidi. Ukususela kubalawuli bangaphambili ukusa kubantu abaqhelekileyo banamhlanje, abantu ehlabathini lonke baye bachukumiseka bubuhle besilika. Kodwa oku bekungasoloko kunjalo.
Mandulo isilika ibisenziwa kuphela eTshayina. Akukho mntu wumbi ebekwazi ukuyenza, yaye nabani na eTshayina owayenokudiza ihlebo lombungu ovelisa isilika wayenokubulawa. Ekubeni babembalwa abantu abazi indlela eyenziwa ngayo, isilika yayibiza isityhwentywe semali. Ngokomzekelo, kubo bonke uBukhosi baseRoma, isilika yayixatyiswe gqitha.
Ekuhambeni kwethuba, yonke isilika eyayivela eTshayina yayilawulwa ngamaPersi. Noko ke, ixabiso layo lalisaphakamile yaye imizamo yokuyifumana ngaphandle kokudlula kubarhwebi basePersi yawa phantsi. Wandula ke uMlawuli waseByzantium, uJustinianus wavela necebo. Malunga nowama-550 C.E., wathumela iimonki ezimbini njengeentlola eTshayina. Kwiminyaka emibini kamva zabuya. Kwiintswazi zazo zoqalo zazifihle into ekudala ilindelwe—amaqanda ombungu ovelisa isilika. Uhili wayephumile ezingcongolweni. Abantu abaninzi bakwazi ukuvelisa isilika.
Imfihlelo Yokuveliswa Kwesilika
Isilika iveliswa luhlobo oluthile lwemibungu. Kukho iindidi ezininzi gqitha zemibungu yesilika, kodwa olona hlobo luvelisa isilika ekumgangatho ophezulu yiBombyx mori. Kufuneka inkitha yemibungu ukuvelisa amalaphu esilika, nto leyo ebangele ukuba le mibungu ifuywe ukuze ivelise isilika esetyenziswa kwezorhwebo. Intsapho kaShoichi Kawaharada ehlala eGunma Prefecture, eJapan, yenye yeentsapho ezinokuba ngama-2 000 kweli lizwe esawenzayo lo msebenzi unzima kangaka. Indlu yakhe enemigangatho emibini, eyakhiwe ngenjongo yokufuya le mibungu, yakhiwe ethambekeni elijongene negcume lemithi yequnube lasendle (1).
Umbungu wesilika oyimazi ubeka amaqanda anokuba ngama-500, yaye la maqanda angangentloko yenaliti (2). La maqanda aqanduselwa emva kweentsuku ezingama-20. Le mibungu mincinane itya ngendlela emangalisayo. Ubusuku nemini, itya amagqabi equnube lasendle—yaye itya kuphela la magqabi equnube lasendle (3, 4). Kwiintsuku nje ezili-18, le mibungu iza kube ikhule ngokuphindwe ngama-70 kunemizimba yayo yaye iya kube yobuze izihlandlo ezine.
Kwifama kaMnu. Kawaharada kufuywe le mibungu enokuba ngama-120 000. Xa isitya kuvakala ingxolo ngathi ngamathontsi emvula awa kula magqabi. Ngexesha umbungu wesilika sele ukhulile, uya kube unobunzima obuphindaphindwe ngama-10 000! Ngoku sele ukulungele ukuqalisa ukuvelisa amaqombolokoshe.
Ukuveliswa Kwesilika Ngokuzolileyo
Xa umbungu ukhule ngokupheleleyo, umzimba wawo uyakhanya, nto leyo ebonisa ukuba lixesha lokuqalisa ukusonta. Xa le mibungu iqalisa ukungqunga ifuna indawo yokuqandusela, ifanele ifakwe kwiibhokisi ezahlulahlulwe zangamagunjana. Xa ilapho, ikhupha imisonto ecekethekileyo nemhlophe (5), izigquma ngesilika.
Eli lelona xesha lixakekileyo kuMnu. Kawaharada, ekubeni yonke le mibungu yesilika ingama-120 000 iqalisa ukusonta phantse ngexesha elinye. Ezi bhokisi zinamagunjana zixhonywa kwigunjana eliphezulu elipholileyo kumgangatho wesibini wendlu yakhe (6).
Ngeli xesha, kwenzeka inguqulelo emangalisayo ngaphakathi kwalo mbungu. Emva kokuba amagqabi omthi wamaqunube asendle ecoliwe, aguquka abe yifibroin, uhlobo oluthile lweproteyin egcinwa kumadlala afumaneka kuwo wonke umzimba weli phuphu. Njengokuba le fibroin ingena phakathi kula madlala, igqunywa ngentlaka ethile ebizwa ngokuba yisericin. Ngaphambi kokuba iphume kwidlala lokusonta (spinneret), elisemlonyeni wombungu, imichako emibini idityaniswa ngesericin. Ithi ke le silika ilulwelo yakudibana nomoya, iqine ize ibe ngumsonto omnye.
Wakuba umbungu wesilika uqalise ukuvelisa isilika, awuyeki. Umbungu usonta isilika eziisentimitha ezingama-30 ukusa kwezingama-40 ngomzuzu, ngalo lonke elo xesha ujiwulezisa intloko. Kwelinye inqaku kuqikelelwa ukuba ukugqiba kwawo, uya kube ujiwulezise intloko izihlandlo ezingama-150 000. Emva kokusonta intsuku ezimbini nobusuku bazo, lo mbungu uya kube wenze umsonto oziimitha ezili-1 500 ubude. Obo bubude obuziphinda kane izakhiwo ezingoorhec’ izulu!
Kwiveki nje enye, uMnu. Kawaharada uza kube seleqokelele isilika kumaqombolokoshe angama-120 000, eza kwandula ihanjiswe iye kulungiswa. Ikimono yenziwa ngamaqombolokoshe angama-9 000 yaye lona iqhina nganokuba li-140, kanti sona isikhafu sinokwenziwa ngangaphezu kwe-100.
Indlela Elenziwa Ngayo Ilaphu Lesilika
Isilika ephuma kwiqombolokoshe iba ngathi yibhobhile. Oku kwaqala njani? Zininzi iintsomi namabali athetha ngale nkqubo. Kwelinye kuthiwa uKumkanikazi wamaTshayina uHsi Ling-Shi waphawula ukuba kuwe iqombolokoshe kumthi wequnube lasendle laza lawela kwikomityi yakhe yeti. Ezama ukulikhupha, wabona ukuba liphuma nomsonto ocekeceke wesilika. Yaqala njalo ke inkqubo yebhobhile, nto leyo namhlanje eyenziwa ngoomatshini.
Ukuze la maqombolokoshe athengiseke, kufanele kubulawe uphunguphungu ongaphakathi ngaphambi kokuba baqandusele. Oku kwenziwa ngobushushu. Amaqombolokoshe anesiphako akhutshelwa ecaleni, yaye lawo aseleyo alungele ukusetyenziswa. Kuqala, la maqombolokoshe afakwa emanzini ashushu okanye kumphunga ukuze kunyibilike incindi encangathi engaphakathi. Wandula ke umsonto ubanjwe ekuqaleni ngeebrashi ezijikelezayo (7). Imicu ephuma kumaqombolokoshe amabini okanye angaphezulu isenokudityaniswa ukuze yenze umsonto omnye, kuxhomekeka ukuba ufanele ube mkhulu kangakanani na. Lo msonto uyomiswa njengokuba usenziwa ibhobhile. Le silika ingekasukwa iphinde ifakwe kwenye ibhobhile enkulu ukuze ibe sisixa esinobude nobunzima obuthile obufunekayo (8, 9).
Usenokuba uyivile indlela elithambe ngayo ilaphu lesilika kangangokuba ubufuna ukusula ngalo ubuso. Yintoni eyenza lithambe kangaka? Enye into yindlela esuswa ngayo incindi encangathi egqume ifibroin. Xa le ncindi ingekasuswa, isilika iba rhabaxa yaye kunzima ukuyidaya. Ilaphu lokwenza isikhafu lirhabaxa, yaye oko kubangelwa yincindi ekulo.
Okwesibini, kuxhomekeka ekubeni imisonto yalo isontwe izihlandlo ezingaphi. Ilaphu laseJapan ekuthiwa yihabutai lithambile. Lishwabana kancinane okanye alishwabani kwaphela. Ukanti ilaphu ekuthiwa yicrepe lona liyashwabana kakhulu.
Enye into ebalulekileyo yindlela edaywe ngayo. Kulula ukudaya isilika. Indlela eyilwe ngayo ifibroin yenza kube lula ngedayi ukungena elaphini, nto leyo eyenza isilika ibe nombala omhle. Ukongezelela, ngokungafaniyo namalaphu enziweyo, isilika inazo zombini iiathom (iipositive nenegative ions), nto leyo ethetha ukuba nayiphi na idayi iya kuvelisa umbala omhle. Isilika isenokudaywa ingumcu ngaphambi kokuba isontwe (10) okanye yenziwe ilaphu. Emva kokuba kuqaliswe inkqubo ethandwa gqitha yokudaya ikimono ekuthiwa yiyuzen, kuzotywa imifanekiso emihle ize idaywe ngesandla emva kokuba isilika iye yalukwa.
Ngoxa inkoliso yesilika ngoku isenziwa kumazwe anjengeTshayina neIndiya, abathungi abavunyiweyo baseFransi nabaseItali basankqenkqeza phambili ehlabathini lonke ngokuthunga impahla yesilika. Phofu ke, namhlanje kukho amalaphu enziweyo anjengerayon nenylon ekwenziwa ngawo iimpahla ezingabizi mali eninzi kangako. Phofu ke, onke loo malaphu akunakuwathelekisa nesilika. Umgcini weMyuziyam yeSilika eYokohama, eJapan uthi: “Nakuba inzululwazi iye yahambela phambili, ayikabikho indlela yokwenza isilika. Akukho nto singayaziyo ngayo, ukususela kwindlela eyileka ngayo nelaphu layo. Kodwa asikwazi ukuzenzela eyethu. Leyo yinto engummangaliso ngesilika.”
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26]
IIMPAWU Zesilika
Ukomelela: Umcu wesilika womelele njengowentsimbi olingana nawo.
Ukukhazimla: Isilika ikhazimla njengeperile. Oku kungenxa yomaleko wefibroin ongathi yinto enamacala amane nekwaziyo ukucalucalula ukukhanya.
Ithambile: Iiasidi zeamino eyilwe ngazo isilika zithambile. Kuthiwa isilika iluncedo kwizifo ezahlukahlukeneyo zolusu. Ezinye izithambiso zobuso zenziwe ngomgubo wesilika.
Ifunxa ukubila: Iiasidi zeamino nemingxuma emincinane efumaneka kwilaphu lesilika ifunxa ize ikhuphe ukubila okuninzi nto leyo ekugcina womile yaye upholile xa kushushu.
Imelana nobushushu: Isilika ayitshi msinya yaye xa itshile ayikhuphi zigesi zinetyhefu.
Ikhusela elangeni: Isilika itsala imitha yelanga eyingozi ize ikhusele isikhumba sakho.
Ayakhi lula i-static electricity: Ekubeni isilika inazo zombini iiathom kwaye igcina ukufuma, akulula ngayo ukuba yakhe istatic electricity, njengokuba kunjalo ngamanye amalaphu.
INDLELA OFANELE UYIPHATHE NGAYO Isilika
Ukuyihlamba: Ngokuqhelekileyo kubhetele ukuzisa edry cleaner izinto ezenziwe ngesilika. Ukuba kufanele zihlanjwe ekhaya, sebenzisa isepha engenamichiza namanzi afudumeleyo (afanele abe kwiqondo lama-30 ngokukaCelsius). Yiphathe ngobunono, musa ukuyixikixa okanye uyikhame. Mayomiswe ngumoya.
Ukuyiayina: Beka ilaphu phakathi kweayini nesilika. Zama ukulandela imicu yelaphu xa uayina yaye iayini ibe kwiqondo le-130 ngokukaCelsius. Musa ukusebenzisa umphunga omninzi, ukuba ufanele uwusebenzise.
Ukususa ibala: Ukuba kunyanzelekile, beka ilaphu lesilika phezu kwelaphu lize icala elingcolileyo lijonge kuwe. Libethe elo bala ngelaphu elifumileyo, ungalisuli. Emva koko loo nto yise edry cleaner.
Indawo yokuyibeka: Kuphephe ukufuma, ulumkele amanundu, yaye mayingabethwa lilanga. Yixhome kwihanger enesiponji, okanye mayingaxhonywa kodwa ibekwe phantsi yaye ingasongeki kaninzi.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]
Amaqombolokoshe esilika
[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 26]
Photos 7-9: Matsuida Machi, Annaka City, Gunma Prefecture, Japan; 10 and close-up pattern: Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, Japan