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The Black Star of Queensland 昆士兰黑星蓝宝石

 

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This stunning sapphire has made its way around the world, weaving in and out of spotlight and obscurity 这颗令人惊艳的蓝宝石闻名全球，时而受到瞩目、时而销声匿迹

 

A boy brought home a dull colored, half-pound stone he found on the hillside, and his father, Harry Spencer, thought of the perfect place for it. They would use it as a doorstep.

一名小男孩在山坡上找到一颗颜色黯淡、半磅重的石头，他把石头带回家，父亲哈利．史宾赛想出了放置这颗石头的最佳地点：那就是把它当成门挡。

 

The year was 1938, and their home was a modest shack in a sparsely populated, dusty stretch of gem-mining territory in central Queensland, Australia. The stone sat there for 10 years, until a jeweler recognized its potential and it was polished to reveal a six-pronged, mesmerizingly beautiful star – or so goes the story about the largest known star sapphire in the world.

当时是在一九三八年，他们家是个简陋的木屋，位于澳洲昆士兰中部人口稀少、灰尘弥漫的宝石矿区。石头一摆就是十年，直到一位珠宝商慧眼视璞玉，经过抛光后，它变成一颗令人目眩神迷、美丽的六射星光宝石──于是目前所知世上最大的星光蓝宝石的故事就此开展。

 

A star is born  璀璨星石的诞生

 

In about 1908, Harry Kazanjian’s family fled to France to escape the persecutions that preceded the Armenian genocide. When they tried to board a ship bound for the U.S., guards wouldn’t let young Harry on because of his infected eye. While his family sailed across the Atlantic, Harry stayed behind in Paris and apprenticed for his stonecutter uncle.

约在一九０八年，亚美尼亚种族大屠杀即将爆发之前，哈利．卡桑强的家人为了躲避屠杀前的迫害行动，而逃到了法国。他们试图搭船前往美国时，年幼的哈利却因为一只眼睛受到感染，警卫因此不让他上船。于是他的家人横渡大西洋，哈利却留在巴黎，当宝石切割师叔叔的学徒。

 

Kazanjian discovered he had a knack for envisioning a gemstone in the rough, the way sculptors see a finished work in a slab of marble. When he reunited with his family, he convinced his brother James to go into the gem business with him.

卡桑强发现自己有项本领，那就是他看到未加工的石头，就能想见琢磨成宝石后的模样，就像雕刻家在一块大理石上可以预见完成的作品一般。当哈利和家人重聚时，他说服哥哥詹姆士和他一起投入宝石业。

 

The brothers traveled the world buying rare and valuable stones. The Spencer family had sold them many blue and yellow sapphires. One day in 1947, Kazanjian saw a pile of black stones at their home that the Spencers had thought worthless. He asked to inspect them, thinking they might be star sapphires. Spencer told his son to go get the doorstop.

兄弟俩游走世界各地，购买罕见的珍贵宝石。史宾赛家族之前已经卖给他们很多蓝色蓝宝石和黄色蓝宝石。一九四七年的某一天，卡桑强在史宾赛家中看到一堆被史家人视若敞屣的黑色石头，就要求看看这些石头，认为这些可能是星光蓝宝石，史宾赛于是叫儿子去拿门挡过来。

 

In the fist-sized stone, Kazanjian spotted a copper glimmer, a hint of the impurity that sometimes grows along a sapphire’s crystals to create the star, an optical effect known as an asterism. He bought it, reportedly for $18,000, and brought it to the shop he ran with his brother in downtown L.A.

卡桑强在这颗拳头大的石头上，看到铜色微光，有时候杂质沿着蓝宝石晶体生长，会产生称之为星芒的光学效应，铜色微光意味着杂质的存在。据说卡桑强以一万八千美元买下了这块石头，带回他和哥哥在洛杉矶市闹区所经营的店。

 

 

 

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sapphire [ˋsæfaɪr] n. 蓝宝石，青玉

make one’s way 有进展, 成功 to achieve recognition or success; advance

weave in and out (of something) 迂回曲折绕道前进 to move, drive, or walk in and out of something, such as traffic, a line, etc

obscurity [əbˋskjʊrətɪ] n. 不引人注目；隐匿

dull [dʌl] adj.（色彩等）不鲜明的，晦暗的；无光泽的

hillside [ˋhɪl͵saɪd] n. 山腰，山坡

doorstep [ˋdor͵stɛp] n. 门前的台阶; 门阶

shack [ʃæk] n. 简陋木屋，棚屋

stretch [strɛtʃ] n.（土地，时间的）延亘，连绵

jeweler [ˋdʒuəlɚ] n. 珠宝商；宝石匠

-pronged [prɔŋd]（构成形容词）表示……叉的，有……类型叉的（如：three-pronged 三叉的）

mesmerizing [ˋmɛsmə͵raɪzɪŋ] adj.令人着迷的; 催眠般使人着迷的

genocide [ˋdʒɛnə͵saɪd] n. 种族灭绝；集体屠杀 the murder of a whole group of people, especially a whole nation, race or religious group

precede [priˋsid] v. 发生在…之前；先于

apprentice [əˋprɛntɪs] v. 当学徒 to agree to work for a skilled person for a particular period of time and often for low payment, in order to learn that person’s skills

stonecutter [ˋston͵kʌtɚ] n. 石匠；琢石机

envision [ɪnˋvɪʒən] v. 想象，展望

slab [slæb] n. 大块

marble [ˋmɑrb!] n. 大理石

inspect [ɪnˋspɛkt] v. 检查；审查

glimmer [ˋglɪmɚ] n. 微光

hint [hɪnt] n. 少许，微量[S][（+of）]

asterism [ˋæstə͵rɪzəm] n.【矿】星芒

 

 

 

 

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Over months, Kazanjian worked, gently carving away to create a dome.

卡桑强花了好几个月的时间，小心地将这颗石头雕琢成圆顶形。

 

“I could have ruined it a hundred times during the cutting,” Kazanjian told a Los Angeles Times reporter at the time.

卡桑强当时告诉《洛杉矶时报》记者，「在切割的过程中，这颗宝石可能被我毁了的机率大概有上百次吧。」

 

In 1948, the “Black Star of Queensland” debuted in New York. At 733 carats, it was far larger than the Star of India, a 563-carat blue star sapphire previously known to be the largest. It was valued at $300,000, but the Kazanjians declared emphatically it wasn’t for sale.

一九四八年，「昆士兰黑星蓝宝石」在纽约首次亮相，它重达七百三十三克拉，远大过于蓝色星光蓝宝石「印度之星」，「印度之星」有五百六十三克拉，是之前所知最大的星光蓝宝石。「昆士兰黑星蓝宝石」价值高达三十万美元，但卡桑强家族断然表示，这颗宝石是非卖品。

 

Small-screen role  跃上小屏幕

 

Michael Kazanjian, Harry’s nephew, spent his summers and weekends as a child at his uncle’s shop, trying to emulate his craft on less valuable gems. He had watched in awe as his uncle polished the Black Star.

哈利的侄儿麦可．卡桑强，童年暑假和周末都耗在他叔叔的店里，试着在价值较低的宝石上努力效法叔叔的手艺。叔叔帮黑星蓝宝石抛光时，麦可在一旁看得钦佩不已。

 

One day, in 1971, he saw an opportunity to show it off when a Hollywood manager called him with an odd request: “Can you put a few million dollars of jewelry on Cher?” Sonny and Cher were taking a stab at something new: a television variety series. In their premier show, they planned a sketch where Cher would be decked out in valuable gems.

一九七一年某一天，好莱坞一位经理人打电话来，提出一个奇怪的要求，当时他看到向世人展现黑星蓝宝石的机会来了。那位经理人说：「你能帮雪儿准备价值数百万元的珠宝吗？」桑尼和雪儿正在尝试电视综艺节目这种新的表演型态，他们打算在第一集剧中，让雪儿戴着价值不菲的珠宝出场。

 

After its brief television fame, the stone sat out of public view for the most part, making only occasional appearances at private charity functions. It has never been worn since.

这颗宝石在电视上出过短暂的锋头后，又从大众面前消失，只是偶而出现在私人慈善宴会的场合。从此再也没有人佩戴过它。

 

Love at first sight  一见钟情

 

Jack Armstrong says he was a 5-year-old when he first laid eyes on the Black Star. His father took him on a trip to Washington, D.C., where the Kazanjians had loaned the stone to the Smithsonian for a display with the Hope Diamond. Armstrong said he breezed past the diamond but became fixated on the sapphire. “It took my breath away.”

杰克．阿姆斯特朗说他第一次看到黑星蓝宝石是在五岁的时候，他父亲带他去华盛顿特区，当时卡桑强家族将黑星出借给史密森尼博物馆，和「希望之钻」一起展览。阿姆斯特朗表示，他经过钻石时很快就走掉了，但是对这颗蓝宝石却着迷不已，因为「它令我叹为观止。」

 

In 2002, Armstrong was introduced to the Kazanjians and invited to see their collection. When he saw the Black Star, he couldn’t believe he was looking at the stone from his childhood and immediately wanted to buy it.

二００二年，阿姆斯特朗认识了卡桑强家族，获邀欣赏他们的搜藏。当他看到黑星蓝宝石那一刻，简直无法相信眼前所见正是童年看到过的那颗宝石，阿姆斯特朗立刻就想买下它。

 

 

 

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dome [dom] n. 半球形物

debut [dɪˋbju] n. 首次露面；初次登台

carat [ˋkærət] n.（钻石等的重量单位）克拉（= 200毫克）a unit for measuring the weight of precious stones

emphatically [ɪmˋfætɪklɪ] adv. 强调地；断然地；明显地

in awe 敬畏地；心存敬畏；满怀敬意地

take a stab at  【口】尝试, 试图做 to take a turn at trying to do something

variety [vəˋraɪətɪ] n. 杂耍；综艺节目

premier [ˋprimɪɚ] adj. 首要的，第一的

sketch [skɛtʃ] n. 概略描述; 简述

deck out [（+in/with）]装饰着…, 穿上…put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive

function [ˋfʌŋkʃən] n. 盛大的集会（或宴会，宗教仪式）

lay eyes on 见到, 看到, 注意到 to see someone or something for the first time

loan [lon] v.【主美】借出，贷与

breeze [briz] v.一阵风似地走 to move quickly or casually

fixated [ˋfɪksetɪd] adj. 念念不忘的；迷恋的

take one’s breath away  激动得说不出话来；使惊羡不已；使某人大为惊讶或感动  if something takes your breath away, you feel surprised and admiration because it is very beautiful, good, or exciting

 

 

 

 

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After the sapphire had been in the family for more than 50 years, the Kazanjians decided to sell it to fund a scholarship at the Gemological Institute of America.

卡桑强家族拥有这颗蓝宝石已经五十多年了。后来他们决定割爱出售，以资助美国宝石学院的一项奖学金。

 

A month after Armstrong bought it for an undisclosed amount, he issued a press release saying the sapphire was available – for $50 million.

阿姆斯特朗买下宝石，买价没有公开，并在购买的一个月后发布新闻稿，开价五千万美元出售这颗蓝宝石。

 

“The sale of the Black Star sapphire is a huge event in the gem stone market,” Armstrong said in December 2002. “To have a stone like this come on the market is tantamount to having a Raphael painting suddenly emerge for sale; it happens maybe once, maybe twice in a lifetime.”

「黑星蓝宝石的出售是宝石市场的一大盛事，」阿姆斯特朗在二００二年十二月表示，「这样一颗宝石出现在市场上，相当于突然间有一幅拉斐尔的画待价而沽。这种事情一生中只可能遇到一、两次。」

 

The object of drama  争夺焦点

 

Gabrielle Grohe had never heard of the Black Star, and in hindsight, she might have wished it stayed that way. She was introduced to Armstrong in 2002.

嘉贝尔．葛洛依从来没听说过黑星蓝宝石，事后想起来，也许她倒希望自己永远没听说过。她在二００二年经人介绍认识了阿姆斯特朗。

 

Within days of their meeting, Armstrong told her about the stone and pressured her to buy it. She footed the bill, and he promised to pay part of it, Grohe contended.

他们见面没几天，阿姆斯特朗就告诉她有关黑星蓝宝石的事，大力敦促她买下来。葛洛依付了钱，而且坚称阿姆斯特朗曾答应出一部份的钱。

 

Soon, their relationship soured. He drank heavily, became abusive, and got angry when she brought up his promise to pay for the stone, she alleged. In September 2007, Grohe called the police and kicked him out.

但他们的关系很快地恶化。阿姆斯特朗酗酒，变得有暴力倾向，葛洛依指称，每次她提起他曾答应要付宝石的钱时，阿姆斯特朗就会勃然大怒。二００七年九月，葛洛依打电话报警，把阿姆斯特朗赶了出去。

 

The next month, Grohe met a potential buyer in Canada, where the sapphire was on display at the Royal Ontario Museum, with its value then estimated at $4.1 million. Armstrong foiled her efforts at a sale.

次月，葛洛依在加拿大和一位可能买家见面，当时黑星蓝宝石在安大略皇家博物馆展出，据估计市价为四百一十万美元。但阿姆斯特朗破坏了这宗买卖。

 

A legal dispute was quietly settled out of court in a confidential agreement. According to a court document, Armstrong agreed to pay $500,000 within three months to buy out Grohe. At 5 p.m., on the last day that he could claim ownership, a personal check from Armstrong arrived at Grohe’s attorney’s office. The check bounced. A few months later, a judge entered a final ruling: the stone was all hers.

这宗法律纠纷后来透过一项秘密协议在庭外悄悄和解。根据法庭文件指出，阿姆斯特朗同意在三个月内支付葛洛依五十万美元，以买断她的所有权。就在期限最后一天的下午五点钟，一张阿姆斯特朗开的个人支票送到了葛洛依律师的办公室。这张支票却跳票了。几个月后，法官做出最终裁决：宝石归她所有。

 

−by Victoria Kim

 

 

 

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gemological [ dʒemə`lɔdʒikəl] n. 宝石学

undisclosed [͵ʌndɪsˋklozd] adj. 未公开的；秘密的

tantamount [ˋtæntə͵maʊnt] adj. 同等的，相当于[F][（+to）]

contend [kənˋtɛnd] v. 声称

abusive [əˋbjusɪv] adj. 虐待的; 恶言谩骂的

bring up 提起……，谈到

allege [əˋlɛdʒ] v.（无充分证据而）断言，宣称

confidential [͵kɑnfəˋdɛnʃəl] adj. 秘密的；机密的

buy out 自...购买; 买下…的全部股份  to purchase the entire stock, business rights, or interests of.

 

 

 

 

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Vocabulary Focus

sparsely [ˋspɑrslɪ] adv. 稀疏地；稀少地 when something is small in numbers or amount, and often scattered over a large area

persecution [͵pɝsɪˋkjuʃən] n. 迫害，残害；惩罚 unfair or cruel treatment over a long period of time because of race, religion or political beliefs

knack [næk] n. 本领；熟练技巧 a skill or an ability to do something easily and well

in the rough 粗糙的, 未加工的 the unfinished condition of a gemstone before it has been cleaned, cut and polished 

impurity [ɪmˋpjʊrətɪ] n. 杂质；不纯之物 a substance that makes another substance lower in quality

emulate [ˋɛmjə͵let] v. 效法, 尽力赶上 to copy something achieved by someone else and try to do it as well as they have

fixate on 注视；凝视 to focus or concentrate one’s attention on one thing exclusively

in hindsight [ˋhaɪnd͵saɪt]  后见之明; 事后聪明 the ability to understand an event or situation only after it has happened

foot the bill 付账 to pay for something

sour [ˋsaʊr] v. 变得不愉快；厌烦 to become bad or unpleasant

foil [fɔɪl] v. 阻止; 挫败 to prevent someone from being successful

bounce [baʊns]  v.（支票）被拒付而退还给开票人 to pay with a check for which there is not enough money in the account

 

 

Black Star of Queensland