Mysteries of vernacular: Dynamite - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

字源探秘：炸藥 (Dynamite) - Jessica Oreck 和 Rachael Teel

Transcriber: Bedirhan Cinar Reviewer: Jessica Ruby

譯者: Patty Chuang 審譯者: Hao-Wei Chang

Mysteries of vernacular:

字彙的故事:

Dynamite,

炸藥

an explosive consisting of nitroglycerin,

一個含有硝酸甘油的爆炸物

typically molded into sticks.

通常塑造成棍狀

Dynamite, which coincidentally is closely related

'炸藥' 的英文字 (Dynamite)

很巧地與 '朝代' 的英文字 (Dynasty) 相關

to the word dynasty,

has as much to do with familial persuasion

意思與 '家族勸說' 及 '詞源學'

as it does etymology.

相同的關聯性

Following in the footsteps of his inventor father,

跟著發明家父親的腳步

Alfred Nobel took up engineering.

阿爾弗雷德·諾貝爾學過工程學 (Alfred Nobel)

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

他在 1850 年接觸到

阿斯卡尼奧·索布雷洛的研究成果 (Ascanio Sobrero)

the chemist who invented nitroglycerin.

也就是發明硝酸甘油的化學家

More powerful than gun powder

硝酸甘油比火藥還強烈

and extremely unpredictable,

也非常不穩定

this highly explosive liquid captivated Alfred.

阿爾弗雷德被這

具有強大爆破力的液體深深吸引

Working closely with his father,

在和他父親合作密切之下

he began experimenting with nitroglycerin,

他開始嘗識使用硝酸甘油

searching for a practical application for the compound.

為這化合物尋找一個實際應用的方法

After several explosions,

經過許多次的爆炸後

including one that killed Alfred's brother,

包括一次讓胞弟身亡的意外

authorities banned nitroglycerin tests

官方禁止斯德哥爾摩城市內

within Stockholm city limits.

進行硝化甘油實驗

Undeterred, Alfred moved his lab

堅持的阿爾弗雷德在實驗室搬遷後

and began experimenting with additives,

開始實驗使用不同的添加物

eventually finding one that transformed

終於找到可以把 這個具有危險性的液體

the dangerous liquid into malleable paste,

轉變成可塑性的膏狀物

easier to handle

也更好處理

and perfect for construction sites.

也更方便在工地使用

He named this material dynamite,

他之後稱這產物：炸藥 (Dynamite)

from the Greek dunamis,

字根來自希臘文的 dunamis

meaning power,

也就是 '力量' 的意思

and the common scientific suffix -ite.

然後再在加上普遍科學的字尾 -ite

Explosives made Alfred a very wealthy man.

這些炸藥物使阿爾弗雷德非常富裕

And, in an effort to balance

而為了平衡

the destruction caused by his invention,

他的發明物所造成的毀滅

he created an endowment

他成立了一個基金

that would award Nobel Prizes

這些基金是獎勵未來諾貝爾獎得主

to authors,

這些得主包含：作家

scientists,

科學家

and advocates of world peace

以及世界和平提倡者

for generations to come.

頒給未來世代