One of the earliest forms of portable illumination, candles have served vital functions for humankind throughout history.
蜡烛是便携式照明的最早形式之一，在整个人类历史上一直起到至关重要的作用。
Historians believe the original candle may have been invented by primitive men who dipped dried branches in animal fat, thus producing a slow-burning and reliable source of light.
历史学家认为，原始的蜡烛可能是原始人发明的，他们将干燥的树枝浸入动物脂肪中，从而产生了缓慢燃烧且可靠的光源。
Reliefs belonging to the ancient Egyptians depict the use of candles by writers and philosophers who worked well after sundown.
古埃及人的浮雕描绘了在日落之后，作家和哲学家对蜡烛的使用场景。
These early candles were most likely developed from tapers that were made of fibrous materials mixed with wax or tallow (the white, nearly tasteless fat of cattle or sheep that was also used to make soap, margarine, and lubricants). As far back as 3000 B.C. , dish-shaped candles were used on the island of Crete.
这些早期的蜡烛，很可能是由混合有蜡或牛脂的纤维材料制成的锥形蜡烛（牛或绵羊的白色几乎无味的脂肪，也用于制造肥皂，人造黄油和润滑剂）。 早在公元前3000年 在克里特岛上使用了碟形蜡烛。
Candles have also been used for religious purposes. The Bible, for instance, makes numerous references to the use of candles, including the story of King Solomon who, after building the Temple, used ten candle-sticks to light the north and south ends of the structure.
蜡烛以前也用在宗教仪式上。 例如，圣经里头对蜡烛的使用进行了多次提及，包括所罗门王的故事，他在建造圣殿后，用十根蜡烛照亮了建筑物的南北两端。
In the Middle Ages, candlemaking became a popular occupation, as evidenced by the creation of many candlemakers' guilds throughout Europe. Later, candles were used as a means of keeping time. At auctions, the bidding time was limited by inserting a pin into a candle and letting the wax melt until the pin dropped, thus concluding that period of time.
在中世纪，蜡烛制造已成为一种流行的职业，这一点在整个欧洲建立了许多蜡烛制造商协会就可以证明。 后来，蜡烛被用来作为记录时间的一种手段。 在拍卖中，出价时间受到限制，方法是将大头针插入蜡烛中，让蜡融化，直到大头针掉下，从而结束这段时间，相当于我们现在手机上的秒表。
Although the materials that comprise a candle have changed through the years, the art of candlemaking has remained surprisingly similar to the original production processes. Candle wicks were, at first, made of reeds or rushes; eventually, various natural fibers were used. In 1824, Frenchman Jean-Jacques Cambaraceres introduced an important refinement in wick technology with the plaited wick, which burned more evenly than unplaited wicks. Twisted or plaited cotton still makes up most wicks today.
尽管构成蜡烛的材料多年来已经发生了变化，但蜡烛制作的技术，令人惊讶的是，与原始生产过程相似。 起初，烛芯是由芦苇或灯芯草制成的； 最终，采用了各种天然纤维制作烛芯。 1824年，法国人让·雅克·坎巴雷斯雷斯用编织的灯芯对灯芯技术进行了重要的改进，其燃烧比未折叠的灯芯均匀得多。 如今，大多数棉花芯仍然是扭曲或编结的棉线。
Animal or vegetable fats were used for the first candles. As candlemaking technology progressed, beeswax became widely used, mainly because of its pleasing odor and the absence of the mess that melting fats produced.
最初的蜡烛使用动物或植物脂肪制作。 随着蜡烛技术的进步，蜂蜡被广泛使用，主要是因为其令人愉悦的气味，以及不存在熔化脂肪时变得凌乱。
After the Revolutionary War, the whaling industry in America skyrocketed.
革命战争之后，美国的捕鲸业猛增。
The sperm whale was also used for its spermaceti—the wax taken from the oil of this huge mammal. This wax was used extensively as the fishing industry began to expand.
抹香鲸的鲸油也被人类用来做成蜡烛，蜡是从这种巨大的哺乳动物的油中提取的蜡。 随着渔业的发展，这种蜡被广泛使用。
The spermaceti candle was popular because it had no acrid odor, did not soften in summer temperatures, and burned evenly.
鲸油蜡烛之所以受欢迎，是因为它没有刺激性的气味，在夏季温度下不会软化，并且燃烧均匀。
Ozokerite, a colorless mineral hydrocarbon wax with a high melting point, was also popular in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. As candle technology advanced, animal fats were separated, leaving behind more desirable solid fatty acids such as stearine that had no odor and gave a brighter light.
地蜡是一种高熔点的无色矿物烃蜡，在17和18世纪也很流行。 随着蜡烛技术的发展，动物脂肪被分离出来，留下了更理想的固体脂肪酸，例如硬脂精，没有气味，能产生更明亮的光。