2018考研英语双语阅读：“粉红之星”钻石在香港拍出天价

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　　“粉红之星”钻石在香港拍出天价 刷新全球宝石纪录

　　Pink Star diamond sets new world record in Hong Kong

　　近60克拉的无暇粉钻“粉红之星”近日被香港珠宝商周大福以7100万美元的高价买下，刷新了全球宝石的拍卖纪录。曾经在拍卖场上傲视群雄的宝石如今都在哪呢?一起来看看。

　　A rare diamond known as the Pink Star has been sold in Hong Kong for more than $71m (£57m), setting a new world record for any gemstone at auction.

　　在香港最近一次拍卖会上，一颗名为“粉红之星”的珍贵钻石以7100万美元(4.9亿元人民币)的成交价刷新了全球宝石拍卖纪录。

　　The oval-shaped 59.6 carat stone was bought after just five minutes' bidding at Sotheby's, reports said.

　　报道称，苏富比拍卖行起拍才五分钟，这颗重达59.6克拉的椭圆形钻石就被买走。

　　It is the largest polished diamond in its class to go under the hammer.

　　它是拍卖史上同等级抛光钻石中最大的一颗。

　　It sold for $83m in Geneva in 2013 but the buyer later defaulted. The record until now was held by the Oppenheimer Blue, which sold for $50m last May.

　　2013年，这颗钻石曾在日内瓦拍出8300万美元的高价，但之后买家违约了。迄今为止的世界记录由去年五月份卖出5000万美元的“奥本海默之蓝”保持。

　　Bidding for the gem, which was found by De Beers at a mine in Africa in 1999 and cut over a period of two years, began at $56m.

　　“粉红之星”是戴比尔斯公司于1999年在非洲的一个矿山中发现的。经过了两年的打磨，起拍价定为5600万美元。

　　Sotheby's said the buyer was Hong Kong jewellery retailer Chow Tai Fook Jewellery.

　　苏富比公司称，买方为香港珠宝零售商周大福。

　　Alexander Breckner, head of diamonds at jewellers "77 Diamonds", told the BBC that the stone was exceptional.

　　77钻石(77 Diamonds)珠宝商钻石部门的负责人亚历山大•布雷克纳向BBC表示，这颗钻石非常罕见珍贵。

　　"It's the largest pink diamond ever found in the history of humankind. It's an incredible colour to it.

　　“它是人类历史上发现的最大的粉色钻石，它的颜色令人叹为观止。”

　　"And the sheer size of the stone already makes it so rare and so beautiful."

　　“单是它的体积，就足以证明它的罕见和美丽了。”

　　Previous records set in stone

　　曾经刷新记录的宝石：

　　May 2016: A large diamond known as the Oppenheimer Blue set a new auction record, reaching a price of $50.6m. The 14.62-carat gem was sold after 20 minutes of phone bidding at Christie's auction house in Geneva. The buyer's identity is unknown.

　　2016年5月：一颗大蓝钻“奥本海默之蓝”以5060万美金的价格刷新了拍卖纪录。在日内瓦，佳士得公司主持了二十分钟的电话拍卖，售出了这颗重达14.62克拉的钻石。买方身份不明。

　　November 2015: The Blue Moon, a 12.03-carat ring-mounted blue diamond, caught the eye of Hong Kong tycoon Joseph Lau, who paid a record $48.4m for the cushion-shaped stone. He bought it for his seven-year-old daughter, renaming it the "Blue Moon of Josephine" after her.

　　2015年11月：“蓝月”，重达12.03克拉，镶嵌到指环上的钻石，吸引了香港富豪刘銮雄的关注，他花费4840万美元买下了这颗枕形钻石。他买下这颗钻石作为送给7岁女儿的礼物，并用女儿的名字将这颗钻石改名为“约瑟芬的蓝月”。

　　May 2015: An unnamed buyer made history after purchasing the Sunrise Ruby, a 25.59-carat "pigeon blood" coloured gemstone, for $30m. At that price, it became the world's most expensive precious stone other than a diamond.

　　2015年5月：一位收藏家匿名买走了“日出红宝石”，重达25.59克拉的鸽血红宝石，以3000万美元的价格创造了新纪录。这一成交价让它成为了除了钻石之外世界上最珍贵的稀有宝石。

　　November 2013: The "largest vivid orange diamond in the world", according to Christie's, attracted the highest price paid per carat for any diamond at auction, selling for $35m, or $2.4m per carat.

　　2013年11月：佳士得称，“世界上最大的艳彩橙色钻石”刷新了每克拉钻石拍卖价最高的记录。它的成交价为3500万美元，平均每克拉240万美元。

　　November 2010: The Graff Pink, a 24.78-carat "fancy intense pink" stone described as "one of the greatest diamonds ever discovered", auctioned for $46.2m. At the time it was believed to be the most expensive gemstone bought at auction and was sold to the well-known British dealer Laurence Graff.

　　2010年11月：“格拉夫粉钻”，这颗重达24.78克拉的“浓彩粉红”钻石被描述为“人类有史以来发现的最伟大的钻石之一”，拍卖成交价4620万美元。当时，它被认为是拍卖公司经手的最昂贵的宝石，被卖给了英国知名珠宝商劳伦斯•格拉夫先生。

　　英文来源：BBC

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