改变世界的17种物质

　　It's hard to imagine how life might have smelled for the human race prior to the invention of soap. More fastidious hygiene has also been important for stemming the spread of disease. Sodium stearate, the active ingredient in soap, works its magic by helping oil to dissolve in water. According to the United Nations Children's Fund, hand washing with soap prevents up to 1.4 million deaths per year through acute respiratory infections.

　　硬脂酸钠 NaC18H35O2

　　很难想象发明肥皂之前的人类生活中充斥着怎样的气味。而更好的卫生习惯也极大阻碍了疾病的传播。作为肥皂的重要组成部分，硬脂酸钠其魔法般的工作原理在于可以把油脂溶解在水中。据联合国儿童基金会统计，用肥皂洗手的行为每年可以让一百四十万人免于因严重呼吸道疾病而死亡。

　　SILICON — Si

　　In 1954 the first silicon transistor initiated what has become a A$160 billion global market in semiconductors. Silicon is a key component of computer chips and circuits and it's estimated that there are currently more than one billion computers in use worldwide. Silicon is also used in solar cells, waterproofing treatments and seals, explosives and breast implants.

　　硅Si

　　从1954年第一个硅晶体管诞生开始，现在已经发展为价值一千六百亿美元的半导体产业。硅是计算机芯片和电路的关键部件，据估计，目前全世界有超过十亿台计算机。另外，硅还被用于太阳能电池，防水密封，炸药以及胸部填充。

　　RUBBER — C5H8

　　Natural rubber has been gathered from the sap of plants for centuries. But rubber only began to be used widely after 1839, when Charles Goodyear found a way to make it strong, durable and elastic. In 1931 U.S. chemist Elmer Bolton developed a synthetic version, and in 2005 we produced 21 million tonnes, with tyres and tubes accounting for 56 per cent of consumption. Other applications include gloves, rubber bands and balloons. Even some rockets and missiles are powered by synthetic, rubber-based fuels.

　　橡胶C5H8

　　从植物汁液中收集天然橡胶已经有几个世纪的历史。不过，直到1839年之后橡胶才得到广泛应用，当时查尔斯·固特异发现了一种让它变得更强、更灵活，更持久耐用的方法。1931年，美国化学家埃尔莫·鲍尔顿发明了合成橡胶，仅2005年，全球就生产了两千一百万吨橡胶，其中百分之五十六被用于制造轮胎和各种软管。其他应用还包括手套、橡皮筋和气球。甚至一些火箭和导弹也由以橡胶为基础的合成燃料驱动。

　　SILICON DIOXIDE — SiO2

　　As the principal component in glass, silicon dioxide was used as early as 5000 BC. All the panes of glass in the world today cover about four billion square meters. Glass has also been essential for test tubes, telescopes, microscopes, mirrors and camera lenses.

　　二氧化硅SiO2

　　作为玻璃的主要成分，二氧化硅早在公元前5000年就被使用。如今全世界所有玻璃板总计约有四十亿平方米。此外，玻璃被用来制作试管、望远镜、显微镜、镜子和相机镜头。