Introduction to Literary Chinese - Lesson 7, Text 2
Adapted from the 1927 book by J. Brandt
物質
Substances of Matter.
有水一塊。以火煮之。化爲水。
If we take (lit. there is) a piece of ice and heat it upon (lit. by) the fire, it will change into water.
更煮之。化爲汽。
(If we) heat it more, it will change into vapor.
是一物而三變也。
They are the three states of one thing (lit. one thing and three changes).
氷體堅凝。故爲定質。
The composition of ice is hard, therefore it is a solid substance.
水體流動。故爲流質。
The composition of water is liquid, therefore it is a liquid (fluid) substance.
汽則升於空中。有時可見。有時不可見。故爲氣質。
The vapor rises in the air; sometimes it is visible to us, sometimes not. It is a gaseous substance.
惟油亦然。稍冷之時。即凝結爲定質。
And (with) oil it is exactly the same. Being slightly cooled it condenses and becomes a solid substance.
燃之以火。則自焚而成氣質矣。
(If we) heat it upon the fire, it burns and changes into a gaseous substance.
要之遇冷則氣變。爲流。流變爲定。
To sum up, under the influence of cold gaseous substances change into fluids, and fluids change into solids.
遇熱則定變爲流。流變爲氣。
Under the influence of heat solids change into fluids, and fluids change into gaseous substances.
凡世間無生之物多有此三變而水。與油其最著者矣。
All inanimate objects upon the earth for the most part have those three changes, but water and oil are particularly conspicuous (in that respect) (lit. water and oil those which are particularly curious).