万花筒 2011-02-26&02-27 中国藏家赴日寻宝

 It looks like one big treasure hunt, but this is Tokyo's antique mall. The hunters, Chinese art collectors looking to take back their prize cultural heritage. Growing wealth and a sense of national pride have made antique dealings a lucrative¹ business back home. That's driven eager collectors to scan the globe in search of long lost treasures.

 

This antique dealer² says so much of China's artwork was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. There is a limited supply back home. 

 

That limits send dealers³ and collectors to Japan, home to some of China's most treasured artwork. Many relics⁴ lost during wars and natural disasters ended up here in part because of the country's proximity⁵. Wealthy Chinese gifted valuable ceramics⁶ to Japanese friends they visited. Now these Chinese are buying them back.

 

Moyuki Narkamuda with the antique mall says there are a lot of counterfeit⁷ goods that have popped up in China. There is a sense that antiques found here are authentic⁸. 

 

Japan isn't the only country Chinese tourists are flocking to in search of these treasures. Europe is home to some of the most expensive Chinese antiques. In fact, last year, one collector purchased a vase for 68 million dollars.

 

That's more than 100 times the most expensive piece in this auction⁹. This cosmetics¹⁰ box from the 900s, just 300,000 dollars.

 

Narkamuda says antiques in Japan may not be as prized, but they are more accessible. The lower prices are a big draw for people hoping to cash in and China's antique rush is welcome news for the Japanese. Cash-strapped collectors have cut back as the country's economy struggled. Narkamuda says Beijing's rise is a win-win for China and Japan. 

1 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

2 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

3 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

4 relics   

[pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸

参考例句：

• The area is a treasure house of archaeological relics. 这个地区是古文物遗迹的宝库。
• Xi'an is an ancient city full of treasures and saintly relics. 西安是一个有很多宝藏和神圣的遗物的古老城市。

5 proximity   

n.接近，邻近

参考例句：

• Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。
• Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。

6 ceramics   

n.制陶业；陶器

参考例句：

• an exhibition of ceramics by Picasso 毕加索陶瓷作品展
• The ceramics bore the imprint of Luca della Robbia. 陶器上印有卢卡·德拉·罗比亚的字样。

7 counterfeit   

vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的

参考例句：

• It is a crime to counterfeit money.伪造货币是犯罪行为。
• The painting looked old but was a recent counterfeit.这幅画看上去年代久远，实际是最近的一幅赝品。

8 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。

9 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

10 cosmetics   

n.化妆品

参考例句：

• We sell a wide range of cosmetics at a very reasonable price. 我们以公道的价格出售各种化妆品。
• Cosmetics do not always cover up the deficiencies of nature. 化妆品未能掩饰天生的缺陷。