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The first pairs of jeans were designed for durability. Named for the French city of N?mes, denim was constructed as a sturdy cotton weave worn by sailors.
牛仔裤最初是为耐用性而被设计出来的。它以法国城市尼姆命名，牛仔布是水手服装采用的一种结实的棉织品。
This rugged material got even stronger in the 19th century, when Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis added metal rivets to reinforce stress points.
在19世纪，这种材料的耐用性变得更佳，列维·斯特劳斯和雅各布·戴维斯在服装的应力点添加了金属铆钉用以加固。
Their design introduced a new brand of durable trousers for California miners that could withstand years of wear and tear.
他们为加州矿工设计出了一种新的耐用长裤，这种长裤可以经得起多年的磨损。
Over the course of the 20th century, these working-class pants have transformed into fashion icons.
在20世纪，这种本为工人设计的裤子成为了一种时尚的标志。但
But as the demand for jeans has gone up, their durability has gone down.
随着人们需求的增加，牛仔裤的耐用性也下降了。
Today, most pairs last no longer than a year. And each new pair you buy has a much higher cost than you might think.
现在的大多数牛仔裤穿不过一年。并且每一条牛仔裤的代价都出乎意料的高。
Every pair of jeans begins its life in a cotton field. It takes about 0.7 kilograms of cotton to produce a single pair of pants.
牛仔裤初始于棉田。生产一条牛仔裤大概需要0.7公斤的棉花。
Growing this much cotton requires roughly 10,000 liters of water, not to mention various herbicides and pesticides, which can contaminate groundwater.
棉花的种植需要大约10000升水，更不用说各种除草剂和杀虫剂对地下水的污染。
The cotton is harvested by hand or industrial machines and transported to textile factories where it's spun into yarn.
棉花通常通过机器或手工收割，然后运到纺织厂织成纱线。
At this point, it's typically combined with plastic fibers like spandex to increase the yarn's elasticity.
它通常会与氨纶等塑料纤维结合来增加纱线的弹性。
These plastic threads make modern jeans more comfortable and flexible, but also much less durable.
虽然这让牛仔裤变得更加舒适、有弹性，但也降低了布料的耐用性。
Next, the yarn is dyed jeans' trademark blue. Historically, this color came from natural plant-derived indigo.
接着，纱线会被染成牛仔裤标志性的蓝色。历史上，这种靛蓝会从天然植物中提取。
But most modern manufacturers use a synthetic dye made from petroleum byproducts and toxic chemicals.
但现在大多数制造商会使用合成染料，成分包括各种石油副产品和有毒的化学品。
Once dyed, the cotton-plastic blend is woven into denim sheets, which are then cut and sewn into jeans.
染色后，布料会被编织成牛仔布，裁剪、缝制后变成牛仔裤。
After assembly, some jeans undergo additional procedures to get a distressed look.
组装后，一些牛仔裤会被做旧、磨损。
This often includes chemical sprays and multiple cycles of acid-washing, the toxic runoff can turn rivers indigo-blue.
通常化学喷雾和酸洗等过程的堆积物极其有害，连河流都能染成靛蓝色。
Finally, there are the zippers, buttons, and rivets made of copper and other metals, whose mining is yet another source of environmental degradation.
最后，拉链、纽扣和铆钉由铜和其他金属制成。它们的开采是环境退化的另一个来源。
All in all, the manufacturing process for a single pair of jeans emits over 33 kilograms of carbon -- the equivalent of driving over 110 kilometers.
一条牛仔裤的制造过程能排放33公斤的碳--相当于开车开了110多公里。
But this process doesn't just damage the environment.
这个过程不仅仅会破坏环境。
Much of the world's cotton is grown in developing countries, with poor labor practices and few protections for workers.
大部分棉花种植在缺乏正当劳动法规的发展中国家。
Cotton here is often picked by children or forced labor, and most jean manufacturing plants frequently expose workers to toxic chemicals throughout production.
这里的棉花通常由童工或强制性劳役采摘，并且，工人们在生产过程中经常接触有毒的化学品。
One particularly dangerous technique called sandblasting involves spraying jeans with fine sand at high pressures
其中包括喷砂，需要工人们在高压下用细砂喷涂牛仔裤，
and has been linked with numerous cases of incurable and often fatal lung disease.
能导致许多无法治愈、通常致命的肺部疾病。
Like many globally produced products, jeans are made in poor countries and bought in rich ones.
像许多全球化的产品一样，牛仔裤由穷国生产，被富国购买。
All these pants will likely be washed dozens or even hundreds of times per year.
这些裤子每年要洗几十次到几百次。
This energy intensive process breaks down the plastics woven into each pair, releasing microplastics into the water and, perhaps most ironic of all, shortening the jean's lifespan.
洗衣的过程会分解编制进牛仔裤的塑料，将其释放到水中，最讽刺的可能是缩短了牛仔裤的使用寿命。
Like most waste, discarded jeans end up in landfills, where their decomposition releases methane gas, while their dyes and plastics leach into the soil and groundwater.
废弃的牛仔裤会被丢到垃圾填埋场，分解的过程中会释放甲烷气体，染料和塑料则渗入土壤，污染地下水。
Some companies are working on solutions here, from using organic cotton to recycling and reusing denim.
一些公司已经在寻找解决方案了，其中包括使用有机棉或回收再利用牛仔布。
You can also help reduce the environmental impact of your favorite pants by buying used jeans and buying fewer pairs altogether.
你也可以来帮助保护环境，少买几条牛仔裤，或买二手的。
Denim manufacturers also recommend only washing your jeans once every 10 wears. And, when possible, air dry your pants to reduce energy consumption.
牛仔布制造商也建议穿满10次再洗。并且晾晒裤子来减少能源消耗。
Life cycle and labor problems like these extend far beyond just jeans.
诸如此类的生命周期和劳动力问题不仅仅是牛仔裤而已。
Some governments are pursuing policies to make companies more responsible for worker pay and welfare, but unsustainable practices still run rampant throughout the fashion industry.
一些政府正在推行政策，让企业对工人的工资和福利负责，但这种做法仍然在时尚界泛滥。
So when the price tags on your clothes seem like a steal, it's important to consider who's actually being robbed.
所以当你觉得一件衣服的价格太便宜时，应该思考它真正代价是什么。
