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There are twelve to a dozen.
12个是一打。
That’s what most of us learn in grade school.
这是我们大多数人在小学里学到的。
Twelve has been an important number across many civilizations for thousands of years.
几千年来，12一直是许多文明的重要数字。
It’s a highly "composite" number-- it can be evenly divided by a lot of smaller numbers.
这是一个高度“合数”--它可以被许多更小的数字整除。
Twelve is easy to divide up into twos, threes, fours, or sixes.
12很容易分成2、3、4或6。
This easy divisibility makes twelve a good number for measurement.
这种简单的可除性使12成为一个很好的测量数字。
Twelve inches to a foot.
12英寸等于一英尺。
Twelve months in a year.
一年中有12个月。
Two times twelve hours in a day, and five times twelve minutes in an hour and seconds in a minute.
一天是2个12小时，5个12分钟是1小时，5个12秒是1分钟。
It’s no wonder that we so often buy by the dozen or half-dozen.
难怪我们经常一打或半打地买。
But what’s called a “baker’s dozen” is actually thirteen.
但所谓的“面包师的一打”实际上是13个。
So what’s the deal with bakers?
面包师是怎么回事？
If a "baker’s dozen" is thirteen, that’s way less useful.
如果“面包师的一打”是13，那就没那么有用了。
Thirteen is a prime number-- it barely divides at all.
13是一个质数--它几乎不能被整除。
What’s the point?
这有什么意义呢？
What do bakers know that we don’t?
面包师知道什么是我们不知道的？
Today, this isn’t very common.
如今，这种情况并不常见。
Generally when you order a dozen donuts, you’ll get the expected twelve.
一般来说，当你点一打甜甜圈时，你会得到预期的12个。
But some bakers will still include an extra bun with an order as a nod to tradition—or just as a savvy customer service move.
但一些面包师仍然会在点餐时额外添加一个小圆面包，这是对传统的尊重--或者只是作为一种精明的客户服务举措。
In the past, keeping your customers happy wasn’t just good for business, it was good for your health.
在过去，让你的客户满意不仅对生意有好处，对你的健康也有好处。
There are a few theories as to how a baker’s dozen became thirteen.
关于“面包师的一打”是如何变成13个的，有几种理论。
But the most widely accepted is that bakers would throw an extra loaf into orders of a dozen to avoid a flogging.
但最被广泛接受的做法是，面包师会在一打的订单中多扔一条面包，以避免被打。
In medieval England, there were strict laws controlling the price of bread.
在中世纪的英格兰，有严格的法律控制面包的价格。
Bread had to be priced in relation to the price of the wheat used to bake it.
面包的定价必须与用来烘烤面包的小麦的价格挂钩。
If a baker was found to have cheated by shorting their loaves, things could go badly for them.
如果一个面包师被发现做短面包做弊，事情可能会变得很糟糕。
And "badly" in medieval England meant...they could be fined or even beaten.
而“糟糕”在中世纪英格兰的意思是，他们可能会被罚款，甚至被殴打。
Human rights violations aside, the big problem with these laws was that even careful bakers make mistakes.
撇开侵犯人权不谈，这些法律的最大问题是，即使是细心的面包师也会犯错。
Variations in rising, baking, and air content could all change the size of a loaf and made it hard to be sure it was the planned weight.
蓬松、烘焙和空气含量的变化都会改变面包的大小，使人很难确定它是计划重量。
And some bakers didn’t even have scales to weigh their dough on.
一些面包师甚至不用秤来称他们的面团。
Afraid of accidentally coming up short, some bakers would just throw an extra loaf into lots of twelve.
一些面包师担心不小心缺斤少两，就会往一打面包里再扔一条。
The extra made sure they were staying within the law-- and avoiding a flogging.
这条额外的面包确保他们遵守法律--并避免鞭打。
Some bakers even used fourteen instead of thirteen for a dozen.
一些面包师甚至一打用14个而不是13个。
Better safe than sorry, right?
安全总比后悔好，对吧？
Mathematically, twelve is probably still the better value for a dozen.
从数学上讲，12可能仍然比一打有更好的价值。
But now you know that bakers had their reasons.
但现在你知道面包师有他们的理由了。
