VOA标准英语2008年-For a Gem Stone, Cut and Polish Make the Differ

A gem¹ stone plucked from the earth, the sea, or riverbed, often travels across continents to cutting and polishing workshops; and those are increasingly found in India. Far away, the Belgian city of Antwerp is still king in diamond trading. In these two places combined, more than a million people make a living cutting and trading diamonds. Sonja Pace, with additional reporting by Mandy Clark, narrates² this segment on the gem trade. (Part 3 of 5)
　
Gem stones come to Mumbai to be cut and polished

Gem stones come to Mumbai, a busy street in India's commercial hub, to be cut and polished. Nowadays, the majority of the world's diamonds, mostly small stones, are polished in India - in Mumbai, Gujarat, or Jaipur.

The stones are inspected and sorted according to color. They are checked for flaws in the stone, magnified with careful consideration how best to cut. Diamonds are the hardest natural material and only a diamond can cut another diamond. But, it's still precision work - one false move and a stone can shatter.

Sanjay Kambne has been doing it for years. "These are very precious stones," e explained Kambne. "We have to be careful in handling them and working on them."

Working around such precious materials was also a bit daunting³ for electronics engineer Jayshri Bajaj. Bajaj says she was frightened when she actually held a diamond in her hand - and surprised to see an original.

Bajaj helps maintain the equipment in the workshops. For her, as well as Sanjay Kambne and some one million Indians working in diamonds, it's a good way to support their families.
　
India's fascination⁴ with gems⁵ and jewelry⁶ goes back centuries

India's fascination with gems and jewelry goes back centuries, explains Sanjay Kothari, head of India's Gem and Jewelry Export Promotion⁷ Council. "Since the early years of the 16th, 17th and 18th century, the time of the Maharajas, India has had an affinity⁸ for diamonds, jewelry and gold," explains Kothari.

Kothari says gems again became big business in the 1950's and 60's. "Though we do not have any indigenous⁹ production of the raw material, all the goods are imported," says Kothari, "and that is how it developed from the 60's to today, and last year the exports were to the tune¹⁰ of $20 billion."

The business is growing at 15 to 20 percent annually¹¹.

Halfway¹² across the world, the Belgian city of Antwerp has long been synonymous with diamonds, and to this day it is the world's largest diamond trading center.

Philip Claes is secretary-general of the Antwerp World Diamond Center. "Eighty percent of all rough diamonds are traded in Antwerp, and 50 percent of all polished diamonds are traded in Antwerp," says Claes. "In figures, we have a turnover¹³ of over $40 billion each year."

More than 1,800 diamond companies are based in Antwerp. That is definitely why George Read comes to the city. He's a senior vice¹⁴ president with Shoregold, a diamond mining company in Canada.

He carefully sifts¹⁵ through an assortment¹⁶ of rough diamonds laid out on the table in front of him. "The overall parcel here - we're here in Antwerp to have it re-valued," explains Read. "Presently, we're looking at an overall value of $172 a carat. The world average is presently $80 a carat."
　
Antwerp used to employ 25,000 cutters and polishers, but many jobs are shifting to India

Diamonds are weighed and valued in "carats." Besides carat weight and color, a gem stone's value is determined¹⁷ by clarity and cut -meaning the shape of the polished stone.

Antwerp used to employ some 25,000 cutters and polishers. But, most of those jobs have now shifted to India, where salaries and production costs are lower.

But in workshops in Antwerp or Mumbai, Tel Aviv or New York, it is in the hands of expert cutters that seemingly uninteresting hunks of dark rock are worked over - cut and polished into amazing, sparkling and glistening¹⁸ gems - ready to be set in jewelry and shown off and admired.

 

1 gem   

n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel

参考例句：

• The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。
• The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。

2 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

3 daunting   

adj.使人畏缩的

参考例句：

• They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
• Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。

4 fascination   

n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋

参考例句：

• He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
• His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。

5 gems   

growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长

参考例句：

• a crown studded with gems 镶有宝石的皇冠
• The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。

6 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

7 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

8 affinity   

n.亲和力，密切关系

参考例句：

• I felt a great affinity with the people of the Highlands.我被苏格兰高地人民深深地吸引。
• It's important that you share an affinity with your husband.和丈夫有共同的爱好是十分重要的。

9 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

10 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

11 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

12 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

13 turnover   

n.人员流动率，人事变动率；营业额，成交量

参考例句：

• The store greatly reduced the prices to make a quick turnover.这家商店实行大减价以迅速周转资金。
• Our turnover actually increased last year.去年我们的营业额竟然增加了。

14 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

15 sifts   

v.筛( sift的第三人称单数 )；筛滤；细查；详审

参考例句：

• He sifts you to free you from your husks. 他将你们筛选，使你们摆脱麸糠。 来自互联网
• The sunshine sifts through the cloud. 阳光透过云层照射下来。 来自互联网

16 assortment   

n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集

参考例句：

• This shop has a good assortment of goods to choose from.该店各色货物俱全，任君选择。
• She was wearing an odd assortment of clothes.她穿着奇装异服。

17 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

18 glistening   

adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。
• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》