美国学生世界地理教材 第179期:狮子和太阳(4)

 In Tehran is the most famous jeweled throne in the World. It is called the Peacock Throne. 德黑兰有世界上最著名的宝石御座，叫做“孔雀宝座”。

It is made of solid gold and the back is in the form of a peacock's tail studded with rubies¹, emeralds, and sapphires—red, green, and blue precious stones. 它是由纯金制成的，靠背形似孔雀的尾巴，上面镶有一颗颗珍贵的红宝石、绿宝石、蓝宝石。

All jewels, such as diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, come out of the ground—all except one. But one jewel does not come out of the ground. 所有的宝石，如钻石、红宝石、绿宝石都来自地里，只有一个例外，有一种宝石不是来自地里，

It comes out of the water, out of an oyster². This jewel is the pearl. 它来自水里，产自牡蛎，这就是珍珠。

The oyster makes a pearl around a grain of sand that has gotten into his shell and annoys him. 牡蛎的贝壳进入一粒沙子，就会让它不舒服，

So at the center of each pearl is a tiny grain of sand. 于是，围绕这粒沙子就慢慢形成了一颗珍珠。

It takes an oyster four or five years to make a pearl the size of a pea. 因此每颗珍珠的中心都有一粒小沙子。一只牡蛎需要花上四五年的时间才能形成一颗豌豆大小的珍珠。

In the Persian Gulf³ the finest pearls are found. 在波斯湾人们发现了世上最好的珍珠。

The oysters⁴ are not good to eat, but are gathered for the pearls that are to be found in them. 牡蛎并不适合做食物，但是采集牡蛎是为了在它里面找到珍珠。

Men dive for the oysters, staying under the water long enough to go down to the bottom, 人们潜入水中采集牡蛎，尽可能久地屏住呼吸，好在水下停留足够长的时间，

gather a basket of oysters and come up to the top—as long as they can hold their breath. 采到一篮子的牡蛎，再回到水面上来。

You can probably hold your breath only half a minute, but a pearl-diver can hold his for a minute or longer, 你大概只能屏住呼吸半分钟，但是潜水采珠人至少可以屏气达一分钟。

and it is said that some have been able to do so for an hour—but that is a fairy-tale. 据说，有些人能屏气达一小时之久——但那是瞎说的。

A little boy wrote this composition telling how it is done, They clamp clothes-pins on their noses and stuff wax in their earses to keep out the waterses. 一位小男孩写下这样一篇作文，告诉人们如何能做到这一点,他们用衣夹夹住鼻子，用蜡塞住耳朵防止进水，

Then they fasten heavy stones to their feetses and jump overboard from small boatses. 在脚上绑上大石头，然后从小船上跳下去。

Many pearl-divers lose their lives each year. 每年都有很多潜水采珠人丧生。

They burst a blood vessel⁵ or are drowned or stung to death by a poisonous fish called the ray. 他们或爆了根血管而死，或者溺水身亡，或者被一种叫做“鳐”的有毒的鱼刺伤而死。

But millions of dollars' worth of pearls are gathered each year to ornament⁶ the necks and fingers of queens and ladies all over the World. 但是，每年价值数百万元的珍珠被采集上来，佩戴在全世界各国女王和女士的脖子上和手指上。

1 rubies   

红宝石( ruby的名词复数 )； 红宝石色，深红色

参考例句：

• a necklace of rubies intertwined with pearls 缠着珍珠的红宝石项链
• The crown was set with precious jewels—diamonds, rubies and emeralds. 王冠上镶嵌着稀世珍宝—有钻石、红宝石、绿宝石。

2 oyster   

n.牡蛎；沉默寡言的人

参考例句：

• I enjoy eating oyster; it's really delicious.我喜欢吃牡蛎，它味道真美。
• I find I fairly like eating when he finally persuades me to taste the oyster.当他最后说服我尝尝牡蛎时，我发现我相当喜欢吃。

3 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

4 oysters   

牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We don't have oysters tonight, but the crayfish are very good. 我们今晚没有牡蛎供应。但小龙虾是非常好。
• She carried a piping hot grill of oysters and bacon. 她端出一盘滚烫的烤牡蛎和咸肉。

5 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

6 ornament   

v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物

参考例句：

• The flowers were put on the table for ornament.花放在桌子上做装饰用。
• She wears a crystal ornament on her chest.她的前胸戴了一个水晶饰品。