Why Don’t We Use Mothballs Anymore?
Also in: History
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If you've snooped through your grandma's attic or wound through the shelves at a vintage bookstore, then you might be familiar with mothballs, or rather their smell.
如果你曾翻过祖母的阁楼，或在一家旧书店的书架间穿梭，那么你可能对樟脑丸，或者说它们的气味，并不陌生。
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They have a sharp, overwhelmingly sweet, tar-like scent reminiscent of old tobacco smoke.
它们带有一种刺鼻、浓烈甜腻、焦油般的气味，让人想起老旧的烟草味。
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It smells so distinct that I bet you're wrinkling your nose right now, and it's also why we're not opening this bag.
它的气味如此独特，我敢打赌你现在正在皱鼻子，这也是我们不打开这个袋子的原因。
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But that smell, and really mothballs in general, are becoming far less common.
但那种气味，以及樟脑丸本身，正变得越来越不常见。
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We just don't really see or smell them much anymore, for more reasons than you might think.
我们现在很少再看到或闻到它们了，原因比你想象的要多。
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