Mysteries of vernacular: Dynamite - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

方言的神秘：炸药 - Jessica Oreck 和 Rachael Teel

Transcriber: Bedirhan Cinar Reviewer: Jessica Ruby

翻译人员: charles barefoot 校对人员: Xiang Li

Mysteries of vernacular:

方言的神秘：

Dynamite,

炸弹，

an explosive consisting of nitroglycerin,

一种含有硝酸甘油的炸药，

typically molded into sticks.

通常卷成棍状。

Dynamite, which coincidentally is closely related

炸弹 (Dynamite)，似乎机缘巧合，和另一个单词，

to the word dynasty,

王朝 (Dynasty), 联系到了一起，

has as much to do with familial persuasion

这不仅和语言学，

as it does etymology.

也与家庭渊源息息相关。

Following in the footsteps of his inventor father,

追随他发明家父亲的脚步，

Alfred Nobel took up engineering.

阿尔弗雷德·诺贝尔开始学习工程学。

In 1850, he was exposed to the work of Ascanio Sobrero,

1850年，他遇上了阿斯卡尼奥·索布雷洛的杰出作品，

the chemist who invented nitroglycerin.

也就是发明硝酸甘油的化学家。

More powerful than gun powder

这种比黑火药威力更强，

and extremely unpredictable,

更具有极度不稳定性的

this highly explosive liquid captivated Alfred.

高密度液体炸药，使阿尔弗雷德沉迷其中。

Working closely with his father,

和父亲一起工作时，

he began experimenting with nitroglycerin,

他开始使用硝酸甘油进行试验，

searching for a practical application for the compound.

思索着如何在实际生活中，能使用这种化合物。

After several explosions,

经过数次爆炸，

including one that killed Alfred's brother,

甚至包括有一次误杀了阿尔弗雷德的弟弟，

authorities banned nitroglycerin tests

政府下令严禁在斯德哥尔摩城内，

within Stockholm city limits.

进行任何硝酸甘油有关的实验。

Undeterred, Alfred moved his lab

阿尔弗雷德并没有放弃，他将实验室搬走，

and began experimenting with additives,

并开始尝试加入添加剂，

eventually finding one that transformed

最终找到一种能够

the dangerous liquid into malleable paste,

让危险的液体变成可塑的半凝固体，

easier to handle

使其容易使用，

and perfect for construction sites.

是建筑施工的完美帮手。

He named this material dynamite,

他美其名曰“炸弹” (Dynamite)，

from the Greek dunamis,

来自希腊权能之神，

meaning power,

万王之王 (Dunamis)，

and the common scientific suffix -ite.

以及常见的科学词根 -ite。

Explosives made Alfred a very wealthy man.

炸药让阿尔弗雷德家财万贯。

And, in an effort to balance

然而，为了让心灵得到平衡，

the destruction caused by his invention,

尤其这项发明带来的危害，

he created an endowment

他成立了一项基金会，

that would award Nobel Prizes

将诺贝尔奖项

to authors,

发给作家，

scientists,

科学家，

and advocates of world peace

以及世界和平的倡议者们，

for generations to come.

永世不断。