But there is another gas, called nitrogen, said Harry which is mixed with the air; and it is this which prevents a candle from burning out too fast. “但是还有另一种气体,称为氮,”哈利说“它与空气混合,它正是可以防止蜡烛燃烧的太快。” Eh? said Mr. Bagges. Well, I do think we are under considerable obligations to nitrogen. “嗯?”Bagges先生说。“嗯,我认为我们应该思考关于氮的义务。 I have explained to you, uncle, continued Harry how a candle, in burning, turns into water. But it turns into something else besides that. The little bits of carbon that I told you about, which are burned in the flame of a candle, and which make the flame bright, mingle with the oxygen in burning, and form still another gas, called carbonic acid gas, which is very destructive to life when we breathe it. So you see that a candle-flame is vapour burning; and that the vapour, in burning, turns into water and carbonic acid gas. “叔叔,我已经向你解释过“,哈利继续说“在燃烧的蜡烛,如何生成水。但它除此之外也变成别的东西。我跟你说过的小分子的碳,在蜡烛的火焰中燃烧,使火焰更明亮,与氧气混合燃烧,并形成另一种气体,称为碳酸气体, 生活当我们呼吸它时它是非常具有破坏性的。所以你看,烛焰是蒸气燃烧;蒸汽,在燃烧,变成水和碳酸气体。”

Haven t you pretty nearly come to your candle s end? said Mr. Wilkinson.“你从没有看到你蜡烛熄灭吗?”威尔金森先生说。 Nearly. I only want to tell uncle that the burning of a candle is almost exactly like our breathing. Breathing is consuming oxygen, only not so fast as burning. In breathing, we throw out from our lungs water in the form of vapour, and carbonic acid gas, and take oxygen in. Oxygen is as necessary to support the life of the body as it is to keep up the flame of a candle. “差不多。我只想告诉叔叔,蜡烛的燃烧几乎就完全像我们呼吸。呼吸消耗氧气,只是不像燃烧如此之快。呼吸时，我们从肺里呼出蒸汽的形式的水,和碳酸气体,再吸入氧气。氧气是必要生命支持,就像它让蜡烛保持火焰。” Well, said Mr. Bagges, any more to tell us about the candle? Bagges先生说,“好了,还有其他的要告诉我们关于蜡烛吗?” If I had time, I could tell you a great deal more that Professor Faraday said about oxygen, and hydrogen,and carbon, and water, and breathing; but you should go and hear him yourself, uncle. “如果我有时间,我可以告诉你更多,法拉第教授关于氧气和氢气，碳和水,呼吸的说法,但是你应该去自己去听他说的,叔叔。” Eh? well I think I shall. Some of us seniors may learn something from a juvenile lecture, at any rate if given by a Faraday. And now, my boy, I tell you what, added Mr. Bagges; I am very glad to find you so fond of study and science; and you deserve to be encouraged; and so I ll give you a—what-d ye-call-it?—a galvanic battery on your next birth-day; and so much for your teaching your old uncle the Chemistry of a Candle. “嗯?我想我必须去。我们中的一些老年人可能会学到一些东西从一个年轻人的演讲,无论如何，如果是法拉第讲的话。现在,我的孩子,我告诉你,”Bagges先生补充道,“我很高兴发现你如此喜欢研究和科学;你应该被鼓励,所以我给你一个——它叫什么来着?——你的下一个生日的原电池,和为这么多你教你叔叔的蜡烛的化学知识。”