Pink Diamond Ring Breaks World Record
打破世界紀錄的粉紅鑽石
Ling-Yi Hsieh, David Lee
【新聞關鍵字】
1. auction: v. 拍賣
2. vivid: a. 鮮豔的
3. flawless: a. 無瑕的
4. trigger: v. 觸發
5. brisk: a. 活躍的
6. bidding: (拍賣的)出價
7. smash: 打破
8. Geneva: n. 日內瓦
9. gem: n. 寶石
10. up for: ph. 打算
11. whopping: a. 巨大的
12. oval: a. 楕圓的
A rare 5-carat pink diamond was auctioned off for a record 10.8 million US dollars in Hong Kong on Tuesday, putting some shine back into the world’s
rare and large stones market which was badly hit by the financial crisis.
一顆珍稀的5克拉粉紅鑽石，週二在香港以1080萬美金的紀錄拍賣出，為受金融危機重創的珍稀大寶石市場照入些許光芒。
The stone, of a “vivid pink" hue and considered near perfect, but not quite flawless. It triggered brisk bidding in Christie’s autumn sales of Asian and Chinese art in Hong Kong.
這顆有著「鮮粉紅」色澤的寶石，被認為接近完美，但並非無瑕。它在克莉絲帝的亞洲暨中國藝術秋季拍賣中，點燃出價戰火。
The price smashed the previous record, set 15 years ago in Geneva for a near 20-carat stone that sold for 7.4 million US dollars.
其價錢打破了15年前在日內瓦，以740萬美金售出一顆近20克拉寶石的紀錄。
The South African-mined pink diamond was just a quarter the size of the
Geneva stone and not quite flawless, but the stone’s “vivid pink" is considered near perfect.
這顆採自南非的粉紅鑽石，只有日內瓦寶石的四分之一，且有些瑕疵，但它的「鮮粉紅」被認為接近完美。
The gem‘s per-carat price of 2.2 million US dollars was also the highest
ever paid for any diamond at auction.
每克拉220萬美金的價錢，也是鑽石拍賣會史上最高。
[Francois Curiel, Christie’s Europe Chairman]:
“No stone has ever been sold for two million dollars a carat. We were used
to, quote unquote, a million dollars a carat for colored diamonds but never
two million. So this is an absolute record that is not going to be broken
for a while, I believe."
克莉絲帝歐洲主席法蘭克伊斯．庫力歐說：「從沒有寶石賣到每克拉200萬美金。我們的有色寶石曾賣到每克拉100萬，但從沒到200萬。我相信這個不可撼動的紀錄在短時間內不會被打破。
Also up for auction from the same private collection, a whopping 16.65-carat sapphire ring sold for over 2 million US dollars and a 9.03-carat oval vivid yellow diamond ring sold for almost 1.3 million US dollars.
在同一批私人收藏中打算拍賣的有，超過200萬美金的巨大16.65克拉藍寶石戒指，和將近130萬美金的9.03克拉楕圓鮮黃鑽戒。
[Francois Curiel, Christie’s Europe Chairman]:
“All came from a private collector and we decided to sell this collection in
Hong Kong, rather than in New York, rather than in Geneva, because we
believe the market in Asia is absolutely booming. And I think the vendor, I
know the vendor is very happy with the prices which he wasn’t expecting."
克莉絲帝歐洲主席法蘭克伊斯．庫力歐說：「都是來自私人收藏家，而且我們決定在香港舉辦，不是紐約，不是日內瓦，因為我們相信亞洲市場正興旺。我想賣家，我知道賣家對這意料之外的價錢感到非常高興。」
Christie’s auction comes as a sagging dollar drives some investors to
convert currencies into gold and other assets.
克莉絲帝拍賣會就像疲軟的美元一樣，讓投資者將貨幣轉成黃金和其它資產。
本新聞影音出處：新唐人電視台英語
http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_life/2009-12-02/943281126774.html
更多相關英語學習集結處：
http://www.epochtimes.com/b5/ncid205.htm