The chemical element sulfur — a bright yellow, brittle solid that burns with a blue flame and gives off a sharp, choking smell. It sits around volcanoes and hot springs in yellow crusts, and it is one of the elements people have known and used since ancient times, long before anyone knew what an element was: for medicine, for bleaching cloth, for gunpowder, for matches.

The chemical element sulfur化學元素sulfur（硫） a bright yellow, brittle solid是一種鮮黃色、易碎的固體 that burns with a blue flame燃燒時會冒藍色火焰 and gives off a sharp, choking smell並散發出一股嗆鼻的刺激氣味 It sits around volcanoes and hot springs in yellow crusts它在火山和溫泉附近會形成黃色的結晶層 and it is one of the elements people have known and used since ancient times而且是人類自古以來就知道、使用的元素之一 long before anyone knew what an element was遠在還沒有人知道什麼是「元素」之前 for medicine, for bleaching cloth, for gunpowder, for matches用來做藥、漂白布料、做火藥、做火柴

Today most of it goes into making sulfuric acid, which is one of the most-produced industrial chemicals in the world. Its symbol is S and its atomic number is 16.

Today most of it goes into making sulfuric acid今天大部分的硫都被拿去製造硫酸 which is one of the most-produced industrial chemicals in the world而硫酸是全世界產量最大的工業化學品之一 Its symbol is S它的化學符號是S and its atomic number is 16原子序是16

Two spelling notes, and they matter. First, sulfur with an f is the American spelling; British English long wrote sulphur, and you will still see that in older British books. The international chemistry body (IUPAC) chose sulfur, so scientific writing worldwide now uses the f — even in Britain, where school textbooks changed over.

Two spelling notes有兩個拼法上的重點 and they matter而且很重要 First首先 sulfur with an f用f的sulfur is the American spelling是美式拼法 British English long wrote sulphur英式英文長久以來寫成sulphur and you will still see that in older British books在比較舊的英國書裡你還是會看到這個拼法 The international chemistry body (IUPAC) chose sulfur國際化學組織IUPAC選定了sulfur這個拼法 so scientific writing worldwide now uses the f所以現在全世界的科學寫作都用f這個拼法 even in Britain, where school textbooks changed over連英國的學校課本都改用這個拼法了

Second, the older English name for it is brimstone, which is why the Bible says 'fire and brimstone'; that word is now only used in that religious phrase and in the names of a few butterflies and plants.

Second其次 the older English name for it is brimstone它比較舊的英文名字叫brimstone which is why the Bible says 'fire and brimstone'這就是為什麼聖經會說「fire and brimstone」（烈火與硫磺） that word is now only used in that religious phrase and in the names of a few butterflies and plants這個字現在只出現在那句宗教用語，還有一些蝴蝶和植物的名字裡

The word also works as an adjective for the colour — a sulfur-yellow sky, a sulfur-crested cockatoo — meaning that particular pale, greenish yellow.

The word also works as an adjective for the colour這個字也可以當形容詞用來形容顏色 a sulfur-yellow sky, a sulfur-crested cockatoo像sulfur-yellow sky（硫磺黃的天空）、a sulfur-crested cockatoo（硫磺鳳頭鸚鵡） meaning that particular pale, greenish yellow指的就是那種偏綠的淡黃色