VOA标准英语2008年-Glitter, Sparkle, Danger - International Gem Tr

The global trade in precious stones is a multi-billion dollar business. It touches the lives of people in the mines of South Africa, stone cutters of India, and countless¹ others around the world. These precious gems³ adorn⁴, kings, queens, movie stars and millionaires, and serve as that special gift for a birthday or a young bride. The gem² trade - a business that begins in the bowels⁵ of the earth and ends up in the glittering shops of Hollywood's Rodeo Drive or New York's Fifth Avenue - brings joy, wealth and glory to some, badly needed income to others and prolonged war and devastation⁶ to still more. VOA's Sonja Pace has this look at the gem trade, and the lives it touches. (Part 1 of 5)
　
The Crown Jewels are a part of Britain's royal heritage

They glitter and sparkle. Precious stones have fascinated men and women through the ages and still do - whether at a fashion and jewelry⁷ show in London or on the red carpet in Hollywood.

They come in all sizes, colors and shapes. Some are fairly common and affordable⁸. Others are rare, highly prized - such as the Crown Jewels - part of Britain's royal heritage. Queen Elizabeth wears them on state occasions. Otherwise, they're kept in the Tower of London, where they attract up to two and a half million visitors a year.

"What we've got here is very historical and worn by our sovereign, so that, of course, immediately takes it out of the public sector," says Keith Hanson, Chief Exhibitor at the Tower. "And, the fact that some of our jewels date back over 800 years and that we have the largest top quality white diamond in the world on display."

The use of precious stones goes back a long way. Rulers, nobles and warriors⁹ of many ancient civilizations favored them to show their status.

Turquoise¹⁰ and lapis lazuli were favored by the pharaohs of ancient Egypt and there is evidence that cross-border trade in gem stones was prevalent thousands of years ago.

"We were so surprised to have at the beginning of our history bracelets¹¹ from the tombs in Abydos in Upper Egypt using some kind of semi-precious stones, especially lapis lazuli, which doesn't exist in Egypt," explained Wafaa al Saddiq, Director-General of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. "This means they must have imported that stone from Afghanistan."

The Egyptian Queen Cleopatra was known to favor emeralds; the ancient Romans described diamonds as splinters from the stars; and in India, ancient manuscripts refer to gem stones as unique creations of Mother Earth.

Gem stones are a product formed by nature, mainly deep within the earth. Over the centuries, man has used all sorts of ways to get them out, including dynamite¹².
　
The process of retrieving¹³ gem stones is often back breaking work

It is often back breaking work. South African miner George Oloefse worked at it for nearly half a century. "I have five brothers, he said. "All of them worked in the mines, because my Dad worked in the mines."

Oloefse worked at the Cullinan diamond mine north of Johannesburg. South Africa has been a major diamond producer since the stones were first discovered there in the 1860s, and diamond mining still provides an important source of income.

Diamond mining provides vital revenues in other African countries as well.

Half-way around the world in India, the gem stone industry - in particular cutting and polishing - is big business.

For Jayshri Bajaj, who works in a diamond factory in Mumbai, it's her first job and her introduction to diamonds. "It's great to see a diamond for the first time," she said.

Bajaj is among one million Indians working in the gem trade, a vital source of income and an important segment of the country's growing economy.

The gem trade also helps feed families in impoverished¹⁴ corners of Africa, but it has a darker side. When the riches derived¹⁵ from it fall into the hands of despots and warlords, they can kill, and they have done so.
　
A gem stone's journey often ends in a jewelry shop on New York City's Fifth Avenue

But in the end, the gem stone's journey takes it to the jewelry shops - be they the big names on New York City's Fifth Avenue or the more affordable ones in cities and towns across the globe.

Della Tinsley of East London Design says jewelry is about the individual and marks important events in our lives. "People give you jewelry when you're 21, when you get married, when you have children," she notes, "and you inherit jewelry as well."

Gem stones have been prized throughout man's history and their appeal shows no sign of diminishing

1 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

2 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。

3 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。

4 adorn   

vt.使美化，装饰

参考例句：

• She loved to adorn herself with finery.她喜欢穿戴华丽的服饰。
• His watercolour designs adorn a wide range of books.他的水彩设计使许多图书大为生色。

5 bowels   

n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处

参考例句：

• Salts is a medicine that causes movements of the bowels. 泻盐是一种促使肠子运动的药物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cabins are in the bowels of the ship. 舱房设在船腹内。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 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。

8 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

9 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

10 turquoise   

n.绿宝石；adj.蓝绿色的

参考例句：

• She wore a string of turquoise round her neck.她脖子上戴着一串绿宝石。
• The women have elaborate necklaces of turquoise.那些女人戴着由绿松石制成的精美项链。

11 bracelets   

n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The lamplight struck a gleam from her bracelets. 她的手镯在灯光的照射下闪闪发亮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• On display are earrings, necklaces and bracelets made from jade, amber and amethyst. 展出的有用玉石、琥珀和紫水晶做的耳环、项链和手镯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 dynamite   

n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破)

参考例句：

• The workmen detonated the dynamite.工人们把炸药引爆了。
• The philosopher was still political dynamite.那位哲学家仍旧是政治上的爆炸性人物。

13 retrieving   

n.检索（过程），取还v.取回( retrieve的现在分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息）

参考例句：

• Ignoring all, he searches the ground carefully for any cigarette-end worth retrieving. 没管打锣的说了什么，他留神的在地上找，看有没有值得拾起来的烟头儿。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• Retrieving the nodules from these great depths is no easy task. 从这样的海底深渊中取回结核可不是容易的事情。 来自辞典例句

14 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》