南非引起鉆石潮的原因是什么？出臺《鉆石貿易法案》產生了什么不利影響

今天的這段對話，在討論鉆石，

南非引起鉆石潮的原因是什么？出臺《鉆石貿易法案》產生了什么不利影響

來聽今天的講解:

A: Nicole,  look at this !

尼科爾，看看這個！

B: Is that your engagement ring?

是你的訂婚戒指嗎？

A: Yes, it's a South African diamond.

對，是南非鉆戒。

B: I think those are the best in che world, it must have cost your boyfriend an arm and a leg.

我認為這是世界上最好的鉆石，一定花了你男朋友很多錢。   

A: You're night! It all started when in 1867 a pretty pebble found near the Orange River, in the wilds of South Afiica, was identified as a 21-carat diamond.

你說得沒錯！1867年，一顆漂亮的小石頭在南非奧蘭治河附近的荒野中被發(fā)現(xiàn)，后來被鑒定為21克拉的鉆石。

B: That's bigger than yours, bur not the biggest. Placer diamonds were found between the Vaal and Orange Rivers later in the year, and in March 1869 an 83-carat diamond tumed up.

那比你的這顆要大，但不是最大的。1867年下半年，在瓦爾河和奧蘭治河交界的地方找到了鉆石砂礦，1869年3月發(fā)現(xiàn)了一顆83克拉的鉆石。

A: So that must have been the start of the diamond rush. By the end of 1871 two well-defined areas were recognized as the source areas. or "pipes", for the diamonds. Four pipes were discovered all together at the town of Kiinberley.

所以這一定是引起鉆石潮的原因。到1871年末，有兩個地區(qū)被明確認定為鉆石區(qū)或管狀礦脈：在金伯利城共發(fā)現(xiàn)了4個管狀礦脈。

B: So many people worked there. In 1872 the pipes were giant open quames worked by 2500 miners and 10, 000 hired laborers neighbours.

所以很多人都到那里工作，1872年各礦脈都成為巨大的露天采掘場，有2500名礦工，還有1萬名雇傭工人。

A: That’s huge! But , as they went deeper, the more difficult it got. The number of claim owners in the Kimberley pit dropped dramatically as people bought out their neighbours.

真夠大的！可是后來這工作越來越難做了。而且，隨著有些人買下他們鄰居的土地所有權，金伯利礦坑產權擁有者人數(shù)也急劇下降。

B: Yes, but then the Diamond Trade Act allowed the companies to set up  "searching-houses" in a system of routine surveillance, searching, and strippmg by company police.

是這樣，而且當時出臺的《鉆石貿易法案》允許各公司在例行的日常監(jiān)督體制下設立 “搜身事”，由公司警察對工人進行搜身和脫衣服檢查。

A: The companies were forced by strikes to be more lenient to their white worken than to blacks. So. I guess this was the first apartheid.

由于罷工，公司不得不對他們的白人工人比對待黑人工人更寬大些。因此，我想這就是第一次種族隔離的出現(xiàn)，

B: Unfortunately, yes. The methods were successful. however. After De Beers set up its "searching-houses" in March 1883,its diamond production rose significantly, showing that there had been a hemorrhage of diamonds from the workings.

非常遺憾，確實是這樣。不過，這種方法的確奏效。1883年3月，德•比爾斯公司設立自己的“搜身室”之后，該公司的鉆石產量大大增加，這表明工作過程中一直存在鉆石大量流失現(xiàn)象。

A: The De Becn I think my 2lth  birthday present was by De Beers. Lord Rothschild, probably one of the most famous rich men in the world.

德•比爾斯公司？我記得我21歲的生日禮物就是這家公司出產的。是羅恩柴爾德勛爵，他可能是世界上最富有的人之一

B: It probably was. You know who headed De beers?Lord Rothschild, probably one of the most famous rich men in the world.

噢，所以這就是為什么我爸爸經常說：“你以為我是誰，羅恩柴爾德嗎？”

A: Oh, so that's why my dad always says. "Who do you think I am, Rorhschild?"

可能是吧。你知道德•比爾斯公司的領導是誰？

B: I'm going ro have their pale pinkish yellow diamond, called "Champagne"  for my engagement ring.

我想買個訂婚戒指，就是他們生產的淺粉紅色又帶點黃色的鉆石，叫做“香檳色”。

A: Good choice. After all, a diamond is for ever!

眼光不錯。畢竟鉆石是恒久不變的嘛。