Three-century-old Violin Could Get $10 Million

A nearly 300-year-old musical instrument called a violin could soon sell for more than $10 million.

The instrument was made by Italian violin maker¹ Giuseppe Guarneri in 1736.

A French auction² house compares the violin to a painting by Leonardo da Vinci - the famous Italian painter.

The violin is owned by Regis Pasquier. He has played the instrument in concert halls around the world. Pasquier received the first prize for violin from the French National Conservatory³ of Music when he was only 12 years old. He is known as one of the top violinists in the world.

Sophie Perrine is with the Aguttes auction house, near Paris, France. Perrine said, "There are many violins, but this one is like selling a Rembrandt, a Goya, or even a Leonardo da Vinci painting."

The instrument is one of about 150 made by Guarneri. He is often compared to another famous Italian violin maker, Antonio Stradivari.

Pasquier bought the violin more than 20 years ago. He gave a concert the following day without even practicing on the instrument. Perrine noted⁴, "For him, this instrument was perfect."

Pasquier has since played the instrument in places like Carnegie Hall in New York and the Opera Garnier in Paris. The violin will be up for sale on June 3 following a three-day viewing. Perrine said it could sell for up to $10 million.

At that price, the violin would not even be the costliest⁵ in the world. In 2012, an unnamed buyer paid $16 million for a violin that was once owned by 19th-century violinist Henri Vieuxtemps. That violin is on loan to American violinist Anne Akiko Meyers for the rest of her life.

The most valuable violin is believed to be the Messiah Stradivarius. The violin is estimated to be worth $20 million. It can be seen at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford⁶, England.

Perrine said of the Guarneri violin, "It's both something very old but yet very current and alive."

She added, "This little thing will continue allowing people to hear its exceptional⁷ sound for years to come."

Words in This Story

auction - n. a public sale at which things are sold to people who offer to pay the most

viewing - n. looking at something carefully

allow - v. permit, let

1 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

2 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。

3 conservatory   

n.温室，音乐学院；adj.保存性的，有保存力的

参考例句：

• At the conservatory,he learned how to score a musical composition.在音乐学校里，他学会了怎样谱曲。
• The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants.这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 costliest   

adj.昂贵的( costly的最高级 )；代价高的；引起困难的；造成损失的

参考例句：

• At 81 billion dollars, Katrina is the costliest natural disaster in American history. “卡特里娜”飓风造成了近810亿美圆的损失，是美国历史上最严重的自然灾难之一。 来自互联网
• Senator John Kerry has proposed a tax on the costliest health plans sold by insurance companies. 参议员约翰？克里(JohnKerry)已经提议对保险公司销售的高价值的保险计划征税。 来自互联网

6 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

7 exceptional   

adj.优越的，杰出的，例外的，独特的，异常的

参考例句：

• He is a man of exceptional talent.他是位具有非凡才能的人。
• He showed exceptional musical ability.他显示出特殊的音乐才能。