棕梠蠟的迷思 - 汽車討論

大家好!
小弟好陣子沒發表翻譯文章了，因為都在準備出國發表的事情與考試，這幾天放鬆點
幫大家看了這篇有關棕梠蠟的文章，由TH0001美容達人所題寫，其論點應該有一定的參考價值
參考譯文如下:

Hopefully this thread will help clear up some misconceptions about carnauaba wax as it applies to the automotive detailing industry.
希望這篇文章可以幫忙釐清一些汽車美容業對棕梠蠟的錯誤觀念

Myth One: My car wax is 61 percent carnauba wax by volume!!! It's the best (and only cost 2g's)!!!
迷思一:我的蠟是含有61%濃度的棕梠蠟!!!真是棒!(而且只要2000塊)!!!

Unlike the FDA which requires independent studies to make sure the labels on food are accurate, detailing companies basically answer to themselves (and their customers).
汽車美容業並不像食品管理局FDA會要求業者需要透過獨立研究來確保食品內容標示正確無誤，美容業者通常僅給基本答案(包括消費者)

Carnauba wax is harder then concrete in natural forum must be softened with solvents. California VOC regulations have limited the aggressiveness of the solvents that can be used, but it is safe to say that no more then 28% of the wax can be carnauba wax. So how do we arrive at this number (60% or more?)
棕梠蠟在天然狀態下比水泥還硬，必需透過一些溶劑來軟化。加州政府對有機揮發物管理條例限制了這些溶劑的強度，所以可以說約只能達到融入28%的棕梠成分含量，所以，怎有可能可以達到60%以上的棕梠蠟成分濃度呢?

Carnauba wax can be measured many ways but it should be measured in wet volume (that is the carnauba wax should be melted into a liquid forum). In general carnauba wax is shipped in very fine flakes, which would be there DRY volume.
棕梠蠟可透過好幾種方式測量濃度，但必須是濕重的型態(也就是說棕梠蠟應該要以液態蠟的形式才能測量)，然而，大部分的棕梠蠟都是切削成薄片的固體型態運送，所以這種薄片是乾重的型態。

An example would be to fill a 20 gallon garbage can half way up with feathers, then fill the rest up with water. Because of the light density and air gaps of the feather you could potential fill the rest of the can up with 16 gallons of water (so that only 1/5 the volume is actually feathers) and proclaim that it is 50% feather by volume (if you don't state that it is dry volume) where scientifically you would be at 20%.
例如一個20加侖容量的垃圾袋要填滿，可以一半放羽毛，再填入水，就可以完全裝滿。因為羽毛的密度小、間隙大，所以剩餘體積可能得填入16加侖的水才能完全裝滿體積(可以計算得到僅有五分之一是羽毛含量)。因此，大可以宣稱這袋子裡含有50%的羽毛(若沒有標示乾重的話)，不過依照科學實證論點，其實只有20%的含量而已。

Also, measuring product by weight (and thus density) is more accurate. Keep in mind that the oils and solvents added to the carnauba are usually two to three times heavier then the melted carnauba, so by weight the figure would drop to 10% (or so).
另外，以內含物的重量(或密度)作為測量方式是比較準確的。記得，一些油類與溶劑添加在棕梠蠟內的，通常都比棕梠濃度高達2~3倍以上，所以若以測量內含物重量的方式來看一棕梠蠟的話，其含量可能會降到10%左右。

It’s a play on marketing and in my opinion false advertising.
這是一種市場宣傳技巧，而對我來說則是謬誤的宣傳方式。

Myth Two: My wax is 100% carnauba.
迷思二:我的蠟是100%純棕梠蠟。
Well it cannot be more then roughly a 1/3 carnauba otherwise it would be like a block of concrete. However, if we look at the percentage of the wax in the product (assuming that no other waxes are blended in like bee's wax) then it is possible to have 100% of the wax content being carnauba.
嗯...一個蠟品內含棕梠的濃度應該不會超過三分之一以上，要不然會硬得跟一塊水泥一樣。然而，若我們只看一種蠟品的上的標示成分濃度(假設沒有其他種類的蠟混合在裡面，如蜜蠟)，這就有可能被當成是100%純棕梠蠟!

Myth Three: The carnauba in my wax is #1 Ivory White Pure Carnauba!
迷思三:我的蠟內含等級最高的純白棕梠蠟成分

Automotive waxes feature #1 Yellow Carnauba. This is the highest form of natural carnauba wax and even then it is not an expensive product. "White" or "Ivory" carnauba wax does not exist, period. It is yellow (different shades of yellow depending on age) and it is either #1 or it isn't. Micro carnauba (finely milled) can look white, but in general the carnauba wax is whitened by a bleaching process or by tumbling the flakes in paraffin wax.
汽車蠟品等級第一最高的是黃棕梠蠟。這是天然棕梠蠟等級最高的種類，然而它並不貴。"純白"或"象牙白"棕梠蠟是不存在的。棕梠蠟是黃色的(黃的程度依其樹齡而有所差異)，並不論它是等級最高或不是。細棕梠蠟(精細研磨處理過)可能會看起來是白色的，但通常都是因為經漂白或融入石油蠟過程漂白的關係。

Myth Four: More carnauba is better
迷思四:棕梠蠟含量越高越好!

Maybe. Carnauba wax isn't exactly super reflective in natural form. It has a filmy, slightly opaque look. Medicine and gummy bears are both encased in carnauba wax and neither has a mind blowing, jaw dropping look. It is the silicone, oil, other waxes, and solvents added to the carnauba wax that produces the shine, wetness, gloss, etc. Carnauba wax does benefit from an optical illusion called "jetting". This slight distortion in the reflected light is what creates the illusion of wetness or depth on the surface, which is desirable for many people.
或許吧。棕梠蠟在天然型態下並不具有很高的亮度表現。它會有種朦朧薄膜狀的透亮感。在醫藥與樹脂軸承都可能有棕梠蠟存在，且不一定會有落滴形外觀存在。這有可能是添加矽、油脂類或其他種類的蠟及溶劑添加的結果，而產生高度光澤、濕亮感與透亮等。棕梠蠟有種稱做"Jetting"的光學幻象存在，這種輕微變形的反射光是造成烤漆表面濕亮感或深層感的主要因素，這也是許多人喜愛棕梠蠟的因素。

Keep in mind that only a small part of the look the wax produces is from the actual content of the carnauba. The rest is from the other ingredients. Also, the wax itself is rather cheap, so you end up paying more for a product that boasts of using the cheapest ingredient in the main formula.
要記得，其實一種蠟的外觀僅有少部分因素是源自於棕梠成分，其餘都是源自於其他成分含量的因素。另外，其實蠟本身是一種很便宜的東西，所以你大部份支付買棕梠蠟的錢，結果都是買了最便宜的成分蠟品虛名罷了。

Manufacturers spend a lot of money researching the proper amount and what type of ingredients to mix into the wax solution to achieve the desired results. If you ask your manufacturer how much carnauba wax is in the product, a good response would be enough to get the exact look and application feel to get the job done.
蠟品業者投注無數金錢研究最佳的棕梠蠟成分濃度，以及何種成分融入蠟內能有最佳效果。若你問某種蠟品製造者到底這罐蠟含有多少棕梠蠟在內，其最佳的回答方式應該是此產品上蠟時的感覺及下蠟後的外觀感受。

Myth Five: My wax is so high in carnauba that I have to warm it with my body heat and apply it by hand!!!
迷思五:我的蠟含有高濃度的棕梠成分，所以我必須要用雙手先溫熱好再用手掌上蠟。

Carnauba wax melts around 160 degrees F. unless you are The Human Torch, you are not melting anything. When mixed into a solution that offers more durability, the melting temperature is generally raised. Certain solvents will react with human oils and soften however. Besides if your wax melts at 98.7 degrees, imagine what happens when you pull your car in the sun!
棕梠蠟融點約於華氏160度F時(約攝氏71度C)。除非你是人體火柱!要不然你的手掌是不可能融化任何東西的!當棕梠蠟成分融入增加耐久度的溶劑時，其融點更是會上升。某些溶劑成分會和人體的油脂產生作用並軟化之，然而，除非你的蠟品融點在華氏98.7度F(攝氏37度C)，若是這樣...那你可以想想看你上蠟後的車若擺在太陽底下會是怎樣的情況!

Myth Six: My wax uses natural ingredients!
迷思六:我的蠟是純天然成分製成。

Muriatic Acid and cocaine are natural ingredients as well. So is sulfuric acid.
鹽酸和古柯鹼都也是天然成分，所以硫酸也是...

Myth Seven: My wax cost 2g's but I get a lifetime of refills and it has all the myths listed above. It’s a great deal!
迷思七:我的蠟花了我兩千塊買的，但我可以終身再拿回原廠裝滿都不用再花錢，並且有上述所有優點(迷思)，真棒!

Most waxes cost between 2 to 5 dollars to make and bottle. (5 dollars being VERY expensive). What we cannot account for is the R and D that goes into the product, as well marketing, etc... However, if you pay 2'gs for a 5 dollar wax (assuming it is very expensive to manufacture), receive a 100 dollar container, and life time refills, you are not getting a great deal by my simple, mid-western logic. That means you would have 1900 dollars in product that you would have to refill 380 times to break even (minus the shipping costs each time).
大部分蠟品成本約在2~5塊之間(製成裝罐出售，其實五塊算是很貴了)。但我們沒辦法計算的是設計研發成本、產品銷售推廣等等都需要花錢。不過，若你花兩千塊買了成本5塊的蠟(假設製造成本很貴)，外包裝需要100塊的成本，並且終身都可以免費回填裝滿。在我個人簡單的中西部思考邏輯看來，這並不划算。也就是說你花了1900塊買了這罐蠟，而你必須要回填裝滿380次才能夠回本(扣掉每次的運費)。


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翻譯完成，請各位多多指教並思考TH0001的觀點
其實在原文討論下面，也是有人提出不同的觀點
口袋裡有多少money，就買怎樣的東西...
選適合自己，好好用它，發揮它的最大效益
這樣就好