It's 1905, Northern California.

時值 1905 年的北加州。

Frank Epperson is eleven years old.

法蘭克．愛普森是一位 11 歲的男孩。

He's sitting on his front porch making a sort of DIY drink that's very popular at this time.

他坐在家裡的前廊，做著一種當時非常流行的自製飲料。

He has just poured a sugary soda powder into a glass of water and is mixing enthusiastically with a wooden stir stick.

他剛把甜的蘇打粉倒入一杯水中，並興奮地用小木棍攪拌著。

We don't know exactly how the next 24 hours play out, but we can imagine that something catches Frank's attention and he abandons his drink mid-stir.

我們無從得知接下來 24 小時發生了什麼事情，但是可以想像某件事讓法蘭克分心，讓他拋下了攪拌到一半的飲料。

After a cold Bay Area night, Frank rediscovers his mixed drink the next morning.

度過灣區冷冽的夜晚後，法蘭克隔天一早發現了他的飲料。

It's frozen solid.

它已經結成冰了。

But instead of throwing it out, Frank pulls the icy block of soda out of the glass by the embedded stir stick and, in a moment of vision, licks it.

但與其將它丟掉，法蘭克用攪拌棒把汽水冰磚從杯子裡拉了出來，靈機一動地舔了那塊冰磚。

Delighted by his invention, Frank begins making the frozen treat for friends,

被自己的發明大大驚豔的法蘭克開始製作冰磚給朋友吃，

and as he grows older, begins selling them as Eppsicles, a contraction of his last name and the word icicle.

他更在長大後，開始以愛普森棒為名販售這些冰磚，這個英文名是他自己的姓氏和「冰柱」這個詞的結合。

It is rumored that later, Frank's own kids dubbed the icy delicacy, Pop's 'cicle.

據傳在之後，法蘭克的小孩稱這個冰品為「老爸的冰棒」。

Others claim the name is a combination of lollipop and icicle.

其他人則聲稱這個名字是棒棒糖和冰柱兩字的組合。

Regardless where the name comes from, the popsicle is here to stay.

無論名稱的由來，冰棒在此時便已風靡各地延續至今。

Approximately 2 billion popsicles are sold each year.

每年都約有 20 億根冰棒被售出。