All over the world, millions of people suffer great hardship. Many live in small huts with metal roofs and no windows. These people can hardly afford to have electrical power, and it goes without saying that their homes are in darkness all day. Many people operate small businesses in their homes, such as mending clothes, making furniture, or fixing things. Working without light is difficult, so what can they do? Actually, an answer came from a Brazilian mechanic named Alfredo Moser.
在全球各城市中，有數以百萬人的生活陷入困境。許多人住在鐵皮屋頂且無窗戶的小屋裡。這些人幾乎負擔不起家中的電力費用，不用說一定是整日生活在黑暗中。許多人靠自營家庭小生意維生，像修補衣服、製作傢俱或修理物品。在沒有光線的環境下工作很辛苦，所以能怎麼辦呢？事實上，一名叫做 Alfredo Moser 的巴西技工已經有了解決之道。
In 2002, Alfredo was upset about Brazil's frequent blackouts. One day, he noticed the sun's rays on a bottle of water making a reflection on the wall. It occurred to him that there was a way to bring light into his house. He used a plastic bottle filled with water and a little bleach. The bleach kept the bottle clean by stopping algae from growing in the water. Alfredo placed the bottle into a hole he made in his roof. As he expected, the bottle refracted sunlight from outside. It filled his room with the same amount of light that a 50-watt bulb makes.
在 2002 年的時候，Alfredo 對於巴西頻繁的停電感到十分苦惱。有一天，他注意到陽光照在水瓶的光線在牆上反射。這讓他想到，他有個辦法可以將光亮帶進他的屋子裡了。他利用裝滿水和加了一點漂白水的塑膠瓶。漂白水能維持瓶子清潔，不會長出綠藻。Alfredo 把瓶子裝在屋頂開出的洞。如同他所預料，瓶子折射外面的陽光。讓室內充滿相當於五十瓦燈泡的光線。
After Alfredo lit up his own home, he made bottle lamps for his neighbors. They were eager to have more light in their homes as well. Soon, people far from his hometown were talking about his invention. Bottle lamps even caught on in other countries. For example, in the Philippines, an organization called the MyShelter Foundation helps poor people use green technology. It uses the bottle lamps in its "One Liter of Light" project to help people without electricity. The lamps are also changing lives in India, Indonesia, and other places. Some people grow food by using light from the bottle lamps. Other people earn a little money by installing and repairing those lamps.
Alfredo 照亮自己家後，也替鄰居製作了瓶中燈。他們也渴望家裡有比較好的照明。不久，連遠在他家鄉外的人們也對他的發明津津樂道。瓶中燈甚至還在其他國家流行起來。例如像是菲律賓，那裡有個叫做我愛我家基金會的機構，協助窮困的民眾使用綠色環保科技。他們在「一公升的光」這個計畫中，使用瓶中燈來幫助無電可用的人。瓶中燈也改變了印度、印尼和其他地方人們的生活。有些人甚至利用瓶中燈的光線來栽種食物。其他人靠安裝及維修來賺點小錢。
A bottle lamp is a simple device. It costs almost nothing to make and install. Yet it is making life a little easier for millions of people caught in the poverty trap. It is also a great example of how a useful idea can grow. People living in poor or remote areas see their neighbors using a bottle lamp and realize they can get one very easily. Alfredo Moser has shown us how to change the world with a simple idea. He has also proved that not every great modern invention is dependent on high-tech design skills.
瓶中燈是個再簡單不過的裝置。製作和安裝幾乎花不到什麼錢。但是卻讓幾百萬深陷貧窮陷阱的人生活變得比較輕鬆。這也是一個妙點子如何發揚光大的最佳實例。當窮鄉僻壤的居民看到鄰居使用瓶中燈時，就會發現它有多麼唾手可得。Alfredo Moser 讓我們看到，一個簡單的巧思就能改變世界。他也證明了並非每個偉大的現代發明都需要高科技的設計技術。
