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Auction Kings 《珍品拍卖王》

课文朗读

课文讲解

At an auction house, you never know how much an item will cost, and that’s what makes going to an auction highly exciting. The intriguing show Auction Kings focuses on Gallery 63, just outside the city of Atlanta, and the people who run it. People with things to sell visit Paul Brown, who bought the auction house in 2005.

在拍卖行中，你永远不会知道一件商品价值多少，而这正是拍卖令人兴奋之处。《珍品拍卖王》这出引人入胜的节目聚焦于亚特兰大市外的Gallery 63以及使其运作的人们。有东西想卖的人会来拜访保罗．布朗，他于2005年买下这间拍卖行。

Brown is always enthusiastic about rare items, but he knows that properly appraising antique items requires an expert eye. Some objects are true treasures, while others are worthless frauds. After getting a professional’s opinion, the item goes on the auction block, and then into the hands of the highest bidder.

布朗总是热衷于稀有物品，但他知道适当地评估古董商品价格需要专家的眼光。有些物品是货真价实的宝物，但有些却是没有价值的假货。商品经由专家给予意见后送到拍卖会，再送到出价最高的下标者手上。

If an individual in the crowd sees something they wish to take home, he or she holds up a number card to make bids. The auctioneers call out prices and keep the audience excited. When the bidding cools off, the auctioneers count down, pound the gavel and announce that the item is “sold!” The fun of it is there’s no telling how high the prices will go.

如果群众之中有人看到某样想带回家的东西，他（她）会举起一张号码牌来下标。拍卖人喊出价格并使观众处于兴奋的状态。当下标的情况冷却，拍卖人倒数、拍板定案并宣布此商品被「卖出！」。其个中乐趣在于无法预料得标价将会飙到多高。

单词发音

Vocabulary

auction [ˋɔkʃən] n. 拍卖

At an auction, people make money offers to get what they want.

antique [ænˋtik] adj. 古老的；年代久远的

Antique furniture needs some repairs from time to time.

worthless [ˋwɝθlɪs] adj. 无价值的

I was tricked by the salesman into buying some worthless goods.

bidder [ˋbɪdɚ] n. 出价人；投标人；竞买人

Luke is the winning bidder of the old vase because he is willing to pay the most.

announce [əˋnaʊns] v. 宣布

The teacher announced in class the date of the final test.

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intriguing [ɪn`trigɪŋ] adj. 〔由于奇特﹑神秘或出人意料而〕引起好奇心的; 令人感兴趣的

appraise [əˋprez] v. 估计，估量；估价

fraud [frɔd] n. 假货

auction block 拍卖台 a platform from which an auctioneer sells

auctioneer [͵ɔkʃənˋɪr] n. 拍卖商

cool off 冷静下来

gavel [ˋgæv!] v. （拍卖商、法官、议长用的）小木槌

there’s no telling  不可能知道; 难以预料

课文朗读

课文讲解

One day a man comes into Gallery 63 with an item of historical importance, a desk that President Thomas Jefferson once owned. He tells owner Paul Brown that he hopes to get $6,000 for it. The piece looks antique and is in decent condition, but Brown wants to be sure. So, he calls up Dr. Lori, a former museum director that helps Gallery 63 research items’ histories. She verifies the desk’s past and says it could fetch $10,000, in spite of some minor wear and tear. When auction day comes, a battle of bids ends with an astounding price of $65,000.

某天，一名男子带着一件有历史重要性的物品－托马斯．杰佛逊总统曾拥有的书桌来到Gallery 63。他告诉保罗．布朗他希望以六千美金卖出。这件物品看起来是古物并且状态良好，但布朗想要查清楚。因此，他找一位前博物馆主任萝莉博士来帮Gallery 63查出这件物品的历史。她验证这张书桌的过去，并说尽管有些小磨损，它仍可售得一万美金。拍卖当天，竞标之后的得标金额是惊人的六万五千美金。

Another couple of items brought into Gallery 63, a rare Bigsby Guitar and a French Jeu de Course, turn out to be counterfeit. Despite not being authentic pieces, both items sell for more than expected. The sellers and auctioneers love to see the prices go sky-high, because they can collect more cash from each item sold. Winning bidders might spend more than they wanted to, but they are always pleased to collect their fascinating souvenir.

另两件被带到Gallery 63的物品一一把稀有的Bigsby吉他以及法国赛马桌上游戏，则被发现原来是赝品。虽然并非真货，这两件商品却都以超出预期的价格卖出。卖家及拍卖人乐于见到价格成为天价，因为他们可从每件售出的商品赚取现金。得标者也许花费超过自己的预算，但他们总是很高兴能为自己增添迷人的收藏。

－by Geoffrey Trager

单词发音

Vocabulary

historical [hɪsˋtɔrɪk!] adj. 历史的

The ancient statues in the museum have great historical value.

decent [ˋdisnt] adj. 象样的；还不错的

The meal was decent, but not anything special.

research [rɪˋsɝtʃ] v. 研究

After researching for many years, the scientist reported his discoveries in a speech.

fetch [fɛtʃv. 售得，卖得

Selling a diamond can fetch you a good amount of cash.

souvenir [ˋsuvə͵nɪr] n. 纪念品

The tourists took home a bottle of sand from the beach as a souvenir.

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verify [ˋvɛrə͵faɪ] v. 证明，证实

wear and tear 磨损,损耗

astounding [əˋstaʊndɪŋ] adj. 令人惊奇的，令人震惊的

counterfeit [ˋkaʊntɚ͵fɪt] adj. 伪造的；假冒的

authentic [ɔˋθɛntɪk] adj. 真正的，非假冒的

Auction Kings - Thomas Jefferson's Desk

Auction Kings - Bigsby Tailpiece Guitar