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The little splints of wood which we call "matches" are made out of deal or pine wood which has been soaked in melted paraffin wax to make it burn more easily. The "heads" or tips of the matches consist of phosphorus and chlorate of potash, mixed with glue to make them stick to the wood. Other substances are also used, different manufacturers of matches using slightly different mixtures.
這種被我們稱之為“火柴”的薄木片由歐洲赤松（松樹）制成, 在液體的石蠟中浸泡過, 這樣燃燒起來就更加容易。火柴“頭”的成分包括磷與氯酸鉀, 人們利用膠水將它們固定在火柴棒上。當然, 不同廠家的火柴所使用的火柴頭成分稍微有些差異。
Phosphorus is a yellowish substance, like wax, which takes fire so easily that it must always be kept in cold water. It is a very dangerous substance to handle, and if you want to cut it you must hold it under cold water while you are doing so.
磷是一種類似蠟的黃色物質, 極為易燃, 因此必須保存在冷水之中。這是一種非常危險的物質, 想要切割磷, 也必須要在冷水中進行操作。
Chlorate of potash is got in the form of white crystals. It is a useful medicine. Perhaps you have had to suck some chlorate of potash lozenges when you had a sore throat. It is used for tipping matches, because it contains a good deal of the gas known as oxygen, which helps other things to burn.
氯酸鉀呈現白色水晶狀。這是一種非常有用的藥劑。也許你曾經就因為喉嚨疼痛而服用過氯酸鉀。人們之所以將其用于火柴頭之中就是因為它包含有大量的助燃氣體——氧氣。
A match-box has one side covered with some rough substance, such as sand-paper. By rubbing the head of a match against this sandpaper, heat is produced. The heat sets fire to the phosphorus, and the chlorate of potash assists in the burning; the paraffin wax next takes fire, and afterwards the wooden splint. Thus we get in a moment what it often takes the savage an hour or more to produce—a blazing piece of wood.
火柴盒的一側覆蓋有一些粗糙的物質, 例如砂紙。將火柴頭在砂紙上進行摩擦就能夠產生熱量。這些熱量可以點燃磷, 在氯酸鉀的助燃下, 石蠟便燃燒起來, 而整個火柴棒也就被點燃了。原始人需要花費一個小時甚至更長時間才能點燃一塊木頭, 而現在, 我們在一瞬間就可以實現這個目標。
There are some matches called "safety matches, " which will light only when they are rubbed on the box. This is because the phosphorus has been put on the box, instead of being added to the mixture with which the matches are tipped.
有些火柴被稱作“安全火柴”, 因為它們只有與火柴盒發生摩擦之后才會燃燒。這是因為人們將磷從火柴頭中轉移到了火柴盒之上。
A great many matches are made in Sweden, and sent to this country. The pine-tree, from which matches and match-boxes are made, grows very well in Sweden, and its wood is very cheap there. Every year many millions of boxes of matches are used in Britain, and in our large towns hundreds of children get their living by selling them in the streets.
許多火柴都是由瑞典制造, 然后轉運到英國。制作火柴棒與火柴盒的松樹在瑞典生長得特別茁壯, 價格也非常便宜。每年, 英國都需要使用數百萬盒火柴。在很多大城市中, 好多孩子都靠著在街上販賣火柴為生。
