Benzene is a clear liquid that chemists get from coal, and also from oil. Factories use it to make plastics, dyes, and many other products.

Benzene is a clear liquid that chemists get from coal, and also from oilbenzene是一種化學家從煤、也從石油裡提煉出來的透明液體。Factories use it to make plastics, dyes, and many other products工廠用它來製造塑膠、染料和許多其他產品。

It has a sweet smell and it burns easily. In a science class you may see it as a ring of six carbon atoms — that ring is the famous shape of benzene.

It has a sweet smell它有股甜甜的味道，and it burns easily而且很容易燃燒。In a science class you may see it as a ring of six carbon atoms在理化課上你可能會看到它被畫成六個碳原子組成的環——that ring is the famous shape of benzene那個環就是benzene有名的形狀。

Though actually it is not a friendly smell to live with: if people breathe it often or get it on their skin, it can make them very ill, so workers keep it in closed tanks.

Though actually it is not a friendly smell to live with不過其實長期接觸這個味道並不好受：if people breathe it often or get it on their skin如果人常常吸入它，或沾到皮膚上，it can make them very ill會讓人生重病，so workers keep it in closed tanks所以工人會把它存放在密閉的槽裡。

Do not mix it up with benzine, which looks almost the same on the page. Benzene is this one chemical, used to make things in factories. Benzine is a mix of liquids from petroleum, used to clean clothes.

Do not mix it up with benzine不要把它跟benzine搞混，which looks almost the same on the page這兩個字寫出來幾乎長得一樣。Benzene is this one chemical, used to make things in factoriesbenzene是這一種特定的化學物質，用來在工廠裡製造東西。Benzine is a mix of liquids from petroleum, used to clean clothesbenzine則是從石油提煉出的混合液體，用來清潔衣物。