The deadly irony of gunpowder - Eric Rosado

致命的長生不老藥 - 火藥 - 艾瑞克‧羅沙杜

譯者: Elaine Cheng 審譯者: Geoff Chen

Everybody loves fireworks --

所有人都愛煙火--

the lights, the colors,

綻放的光芒，炫目的色彩，

and, of course, the big boom.

當然，還有那轟隆的爆炸聲響。

But the history of fireworks

但是煙火的歷史

isn't all hugs and celebrations.

可一點也不喜慶。

Long before epic fireworks displays,

遠在人們開始有煙火秀以前，

chemists in China invented the key ingredient

中國的化學家發明了

that propels those bright lights into the sky.

讓煙火沖上天際不可或缺的一樣原料，

That invention was what we now call gunpowder.

那就是火藥。

Our story begins back in ancient China

今天的故事源起於中國古代。

in the mid-ninth century

在西元九世紀中段，

where early Chinese alchemists

當時中國的煉丹師

were trying to create a potion for immortality.

各各都希望能研究出長生不老藥，

Instead, what they created was a flammable powder

但是，他們創造出的，卻是種易燃的粉末，

that burned down many of their homes.

而且還把許多術士的家給焚毀了。

They quickly realized that this black powder,

煉丹師很快就發現

which they called fire medicine,

這種被他們稱做"火藥"的黑粉，

was precisely the opposite of something

不但不會讓人長生不老，

that would make you live forever.

反而是會讓人提早往生!

In these early days,

在早期，

the Chinese hadn't yet figured out

當時的中國人還未研發出

how to make the powder explode;

讓火藥爆破的方法，

it was simply very flammable,

他們只知道這種粉非常易燃，

and their armies used it

而軍隊就拿火藥

to make flaming arrows

來製作會燃燒的箭

and even a flamethrower.

還有噴火器。

But once they figured out the right proportions

但是當他們研究出能造成爆破的

of ingredients to create a blast,

正確的配方後，

they began using the powder even more,

火藥的應用變的非常頻繁，

creating fireworks to keep evil spirits away

從驅趕妖魔的爆竹

and bombs to defend themselves

到用來抵抗蒙古人

against Mongol invaders.

入侵的炸彈。

It was these Mongols, most likely,

火藥會流傳到西方世界

who spread the invention of gunpowder

很有可能

across the world.

是因為蒙古人。

After fielding Chinese attacks,

在阻擋下中國的攻擊之後，

they learned how to produce the powder themselves

他們學會了火藥的製作方式，

and brought it with them

也把火藥隨著他們的征伐

on their conquests in Persia and India.

帶進了波斯和印度。

William of Rubruck,

而把火藥被帶進歐洲則很可能是

a European ambassador to the Mongols,

威廉‧盧布魯克，

was likely responsible for bringing gunpowder

一位被派遣到蒙古的歐洲大使，

back to Europe around 1254.

在1254年左右回到歐洲時引進的。

From there, engineers and military inventors

此後，工程師及軍火發明家

created all kinds of destructive weapons.

研發出了各式各樣的毀滅性武器。

From bombs to guns to cannons,

從炸彈，槍，到大砲，

gunpowder left its mark on the world

火藥以挺駭人的方式

in some pretty terrible ways,

在世界上留下了痕跡，

in contrast to the beautiful marks

跟那些在天空綻放的美好光景

it can leave in the air.

完全不同。

So, how does black powder propel

話說回來，到底火藥是怎麼把

fireworks into the sky?

煙火推上天際的?

You might have seen old Westerns or cartoons

你或許在老西部電影 或是卡通裡看過這個場景，

where a trail of gunpowder is lit

有人點燃一條用火藥灑出來的藥引，

and it leads to a large and obviously explosive barrel.

然後那條線會接到一個裝滿火藥的桶子，

Once the fire gets to the barrel,

一旦火燒到木桶，

a large boom occurs.

你就會聽到砰然巨響。

But why doesn't the trail itself explode?

但為什麼那條藥引不會爆炸?

The reason is that burning the powder

原因就是，藥引在燃燒時產生的

releases energy and gases.

能源和氣體，

While the trail is burning,

會在燃燒時被

these are easily released into the surrounding air.

釋放到周圍的空氣中。

But when the gunpowder

可是當火藥

is contained within the barrel,

裝在桶子裡時，

the energy and gases cannot easily escape

能源與氣體便無法被釋放，

and build up until

在累積到某種程度後...

BOOM!

砰!

Firework canisters provide

煙火統提供

a single, upward-facing outlet

這個有爆發性的能源

to channel this explosive energy.

一個朝上的出口。

The wick ignites the gunpowder

火藥被藥引點燃後

and the energy takes

產生的能源會以

the easiest exit from the canister,

最容易的方式離開煙火筒，

launching the firework high into the sky.

把煙火送上天際。

The flame then makes its way

同樣的化學反應還會在高空產生一次，

through the firework's encasing

當火苗在高空點燃

and the same reaction occurs

包在發射筒裡的第二組火藥時，

high above our heads.

煙火就會在天空中綻放。

So, while the Chinese alchemists

雖然中國古代的煉金術士

never found the compound for eternal life,

最終沒有研究出長生不老藥，

they did find something

他們的發現

that would go on to shape all of civilization,

變成了世界史中重要的轉捩點，

something that has caused

也造成了

many tragic moments in human history,

歷史上無數悲劇，

and yet still gives us hope

卻又在節慶時

when we look up in celebration

賜予了我們

at the colorful night sky.

夜空中綻放絢爛色彩的希望。