Butane is a gas. Factories press it into a liquid so it can sit in a small metal can. When you let it out, it becomes gas again and burns.

Butane is a gasbutane是一種氣體。Factories press it into a liquid工廠會把它壓縮成液體, so it can sit in a small metal can讓它可以裝進小小的金屬罐裡。When you let it out當你把它放出來, it becomes gas again and burns它會再變回氣體並燃燒。

People use it for cooking and heating: camping stoves, portable burners, some heaters. In Taiwan you meet it in cassette-stove cans, and also in cigarette lighters, which burn the same gas. It has no colour; a smell is usually added so you can notice a leak.

People use it for cooking and heating人們用它來煮飯和取暖: camping stoves, portable burners, some heaters像露營爐、可攜式爐具，還有一些暖爐。In Taiwan you meet it in cassette-stove cans在台灣你會在卡式爐的瓦斯罐裡看到它, and also in cigarette lighters也會在打火機裡看到, which burn the same gas它們燒的是同一種氣體。It has no colour它沒有顏色; a smell is usually added so you can notice a leak通常會加入一種氣味，好讓你能察覺到外洩。

The name is chemist-talk: but- means “four carbons,” and -ane is the ending for this family of simple carbon gases. A long way back, that but- piece is the same stem as the sour acid in rancid butter — so butane and butter are distant relatives, though actually nobody is cooking with butter-smell in the can.

The name is chemist-talk這個名字是化學術語: but- means "four carbons,"but-意思是「四個碳」, and -ane is the ending for this family of simple carbon gases而-ane是這一類簡單碳氫氣體的字尾。A long way back追溯得更早, that but- piece is the same stem as the sour acid in rancid butter這個but-字根跟酸敗奶油裡那種酸的字根是同一個來源 — so butane and butter are distant relatives所以butane和butter算是遠親, though actually nobody is cooking with butter-smell in the can不過實際上罐子裡的氣體聞起來完全不像奶油。

City pipe gas is mostly methane, a different gas; propane is a close cousin, also sold in tanks.

City pipe gas is mostly methane城市的管線瓦斯主要是methane（甲烷）, a different gas是不同的氣體; propane is a close cousinpropane（丙烷）是它的近親, also sold in tanks也是裝在瓦斯桶裡賣的。