A thatcher is a person whose job is to make a roof out of dried plants — straw, reeds, palm leaves, whatever grows nearby. They tie the dried stalks into thick bundles and lay them over the roof frame, layer on layer, so rain runs down the outside and never reaches the wood. A good thatched roof can last thirty or forty years, so this is a real skill, not just piling grass on a house.

A thatcher is a personthatcher是一種工作， whose job is to make a roof out of dried plants職責是用曬乾的植物搭出屋頂—— straw, reeds, palm leaves, whatever grows nearby稻草、蘆葦、棕櫚葉，或附近長的任何東西。 They tie the dried stalks into thick bundles他們把曬乾的莖桿綁成一大束一大束， and lay them over the roof frame, layer on layer一層一層鋪在屋頂骨架上， so rain runs down the outside and never reaches the wood讓雨水順著外層流下去，永遠碰不到木頭。 A good thatched roof can last thirty or forty years一個好的茅草屋頂可以撐三、四十年， so this is a real skill所以這是真正的技藝， not just piling grass on a house不只是把草堆到屋子上而已。

It is a very old job word, and in most of the world it is now a very rare job. In England there are only a few hundred thatchers left, and they mostly repair old country cottages that the law protects. So when you meet this word in a British text, it often carries a feeling of the past, or of villages, or of expensive traditional houses.

It is a very old job word這是一個很古老的職業字， and in most of the world it is now a very rare job而現在在世界大部分地方，這都是非常罕見的工作。 In England there are only a few hundred thatchers left在英格蘭只剩下幾百位thatcher， and they mostly repair old country cottages that the law protects而且他們大多是在修理受法律保護的鄉村老屋。 So when you meet this word in a British text所以當你在英國文章裡遇到這個字時， it often carries a feeling of the past, or of villages, or of expensive traditional houses它常常帶著一種懷舊、村莊，或昂貴傳統房屋的感覺。

In parts of Asia and Africa, thatching is still ordinary building work rather than a heritage craft.

In parts of Asia and Africa在亞洲和非洲的一些地方， thatching is still ordinary building work蓋茅草屋頂仍然是尋常的建築工作， rather than a heritage craft而不是文化資產工藝。

Because old jobs became family names in English, Thatcher is also a common surname — that is where the name of the British prime minister Margaret Thatcher comes from. Her family did not make roofs; the name just travelled down through the generations, the same way Smith, Baker and Taylor did. Students meet the surname far more often than the job, so it is worth knowing both.

Because old jobs became family names in English因為在英文裡舊職業常常變成姓氏， Thatcher is also a common surnameThatcher也是常見的姓—— that is where the name of the British prime minister Margaret Thatcher comes from英國首相Margaret Thatcher（柴契爾夫人）的姓就是這樣來的。 Her family did not make roofs她的家族並沒有在蓋屋頂； the name just travelled down through the generations這個姓只是一代一代傳下來， the same way Smith, Baker and Taylor did就像Smith、Baker和Taylor一樣。 Students meet the surname far more often than the job學生遇到這個姓氏的機會，遠比遇到這個職業的機會多， so it is worth knowing both所以兩個意思都值得知道。