How to spot a counterfeit bill - Tien Nguyen

如何驗出假鈔 - 阮媞茵

譯者: Harry Chen 審譯者: Geoff Chen

It's estimated that for every 10,000 bills in the U.S.,

根據估計在美國每一萬張紙鈔

one of those bills is fake.

其中有一張會是假鈔

That may not sound like much,

這可能聽起來不像是太多

but it adds up to millions of dollars in cold hard cash.

但是這東西增加出數百萬美元的閒錢

Counterfeit money has the potential to cause all sorts of problems,

偽鈔有引發各種問題的可能性

from leaving you short $20 to destabilizing national economies.

從讓你短少 20 美元 以至於動搖到國家的經濟

But don't worry.

不過別擔心

You can help catch the counterfeits.

你可以幫忙抓出偽鈔

All you need are some simple tools and a bit of chemistry.

你只需要一些簡單的工具和少許化學劑

First up, the anti-counterfeit detection pen.

第一步：防偽筆

The pen looks like a highlighter

防偽筆看起來像螢光筆

and contains a solution of potassium iodide

內含碘化鉀或者碘試劑

and elemental iodine.

It reveals of the presence of starch,

它會顯現出澱粉漿的存在

which is commonly used to strengthen regular printer paper,

這東西一般被用來強化普通的印刷紙

but won't be found in real money.

在真鈔上卻發現不到

That's because authentic bills are made of cotton and linen

因為正版的紙鈔是以棉和亞麻製成

and are threaded with tiny red and blue fibers.

穿雜些許紅色和藍色的纖維絲

That material is made by a single, highly-guarded company

這種材料是由獨家、高度戒備的公司 「Crane & Co.」所製作

called Crane and Company,

which has been printing currency

該公司自從「保羅．列維爾」要求他們 金援「美國獨立戰爭」以來

since Paul Revere asked them to help finance the Revolutionary War.

就一直都在印製鈔票

The starch in many counterfeit bills, on the other hand,

另一方面在許多偽鈔上頭的澱粉漿

is made of two molecules:

是兩種分子所構成的：

amylopectin and amylose.

支鏈澱粉和直鏈澱粉

It's amylose that gives the fake away.

就是直鏈澱粉讓假鈔露出馬腳的

Its long chain of sugar molecules connected by oxygen atoms

它的長鏈糖分子被氧原子連結

forms a helical structure, like DNA.

形成像 DNA 一樣的螺旋結構

Iodide likes to squeeze inside this coil,

碘化物喜歡擠進這個迴圈裡面

forming a new compound that leaves a dark mark on the paper.

形成在紙上留下暗色記號的新化合物

However, in the absence of starch, there is no chemical reaction

因而沒了澱粉漿就不會有化學反應

and the mark will look light yellow.

而且這個記號看上去將會是亮黃色

So if the fake isn't printed on starchy paper,

因此要是假鈔並非以澱粉漿紙所印製

iodine solutions can't help you.

碘試劑也無用武之地了

That's one of the reasons U.S. bills printed since 1996

那就是美國在 1996 年後印刷紙鈔

have been chemically enhanced to include another counterfeit countermeasure:

已經做了化學加強的原因之一 來加進另一種偽鈔防治方法：

a strip that fluoresces under UV light.

「在紫外線下發出螢光的細線」

That's the same kind of light used at black light parties

那跟在螢光派對和機場安檢線 所用的光線一樣

and airport security lines.

The polyester strip printed with invisble ink

上了隱形墨水的聚酯纖維細線

is just one millimeter wide

只有一毫米寬

and is found in different positions depending on a bill's value.

依據紙鈔的面值會在不同的地方發現到

If you hold your dollar up to natural light,

如果你拿起美鈔對著自然光

you can see the amount and the word USA printed on the band.

你可以看見數值和 USA 字樣印在此線上

But under UV light, these strips really shine.

但是在紫外線下這些細線確實會發光

They contain molecules that can be excited by absorbing certain amounts of energy,

它們帶有藉由吸收相當數量之 能量而受到激化的分子

specifically, that given off by common UV light sources.

特別是一般紫外線光源所散發的能量

As these excited molecules return to their original states,

當這些激化分子被打回原形

they lose a bit of energy as heat and then radiate the rest as light.

它們在發熱時耗掉了一些能量 接著在發光時發散剩下的能量

Energy is inversely related to wavelength,

能量與波長反向關聯

which means that the longer wavelengths have lower energy.

代表著波長越長能量就越低

So the lower energy light given off by the strip

因此細線所散發的低能量光線 意味著著較長的波長

means longer wavelengths that fall in the visible range,

這能量就降低到了看得見的範圍

and suddenly we can see that which had been invisible.

突然地我們可以看到 原先無法見到的那條線

And if a glowing strip doesn't show up on a recent bill,

如果發光的細線並沒有在 一張新的紙鈔上顯現

you have a fake on your hands.

你手上拿到了假鈔啦

For times when you're not dealing with counterfeit masterminds,

當你並沒有用抓弊高手來處理的時候

looking for simple visual cues will do.

找尋簡便的視覺線索也能找出它

Make sure the portrait looks lifelike and not flat,

確定雕像的樣貌看起來 像真人而非是平面的、

the seal has perfectly even sawtooth points,

圖章有著完美均衡的鋸齒印、

the inked border is unbroken,

上了墨的邊線沒有中斷

and the serial number has precisely equal spacing between each number.

以及續號每一個數字之間 分毫不差地等距間隔開

So the next time you come across some dubious dough,

下一次你無意間發現可疑的鈔票時

have a closer look,

拿近一些看

pull out your iodine solution,

掏出你的碘試劑

or take it to a rave

或是帶著它到狂歡派對裡

and you just might catch a counterfeit.

你就可能抓到偽鈔了