2007年VOA标准英语-Looted African Statues Return Home

By Sean Maroney
New York
02 July 2007

This week, an American art collector returned nine carved statues, known as "vigango," to Kenya. The return comes two decades after they were looted from local burial sites. From New York, VOA's Sean Maroney reports the sale of stolen art is an international problem.

Experts estimate at least 400 of these vigango, valued at thousands of dollars each, are held in collections of individuals and museums worldwide. At least 19 museums in the United States alone showcase these statues.

Kelly Gingras is an art dealer¹ in the northeastern state of Connecticut. She discovered the nine vigango at an estate sale of a prominent New York couple, Jay Presson and Lewis Allen, who are known for their eclectic art collection. Gingras obtained permission from the couple's daughter to display the statues at her gallery. She says what happened next came as a surprise. "I typed it into [the online search engine] Google "vigango" and 'Kenya,' just because I research everything [because] I do sales, and pages and pages came up urging people to please bring these back, these are our ancestors' burial totems," she said.

It is not clear how many vigango were looted in recent decades from burial sites and homes in villages along the Kenyan coast.

Jonathon Reyman is an anthropologist² with the museum at Illinois State University. His museum has some 40 vigango and recently returned one after being contacted through the National Museums of Kenya by members of a Kenyan family who had proof that the statue belonged to them.

Reyman says it is very difficult to prove ownership of these artifacts. "Some of them are pretty distinctive³. Others, because of the ravages⁴ of time, become almost indistinguishable in their characteristics, so it would be very difficult, I think, for older ones to be reclaimed⁵ on the basis of a photo. I'm just not sure the photo would be distinctive enough," he said.

Reyman says people who think they may have had their property stolen should contact their local museum and send out a notice with as much information as possible.

He says museums cannot ignore the illicit⁶ trade of art. "I think it's a very serious problem. I can't give you a dollar amount, but I think it's a serious problem. But then so is the trade in ivory and in animal parts of other sorts. I mean, it's part of a general worldwide problem, and it's not limited to Africa," he said.

Interpol estimates that trade in non-Western cultural property is worth billions of dollars a year worldwide.

This year, the International Council of Museums published a list of Afghan antiquities⁷ at risk of being smuggled⁸ out of the country. Council officials say sites and monuments in Afghanistan are systematically⁹ being looted.

The cultural world was outraged¹⁰ at the massive looting of Iraqi museums and historic sites that took place in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion four years ago.

Russian cultural institutions have been plagued with thefts since the early 1990s when funding for preservation¹¹ was reduced. A Russian court sentenced the husband of a former museum curator to five years in prison this year following conviction for stealing valuable art objects from St. Petersburg's famed Hermitage Museum.

In regards to Kenya's vigango, poor youths are responsible for many of the thefts in order to make quick money from interested traders and collectors.

Art dealer Kelly Gingras says she understands many people buy art as an investment, hoping their collections will appreciate in value over time. She says more people would probably turn in their pieces to the authorities if they received some sort of compensation instead of the loss of both the art and money. "I think more people would come forward and say, 'yes, I would like to give these back,' and then they wouldn't feel as bad because it just wouldn't be I'm handing over my cash," she said.

But both Reyman and Gingras say they hope others will be inspired by their actions to return stolen art.

1 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。

2 anthropologist   

n.人类学家，人类学者

参考例句：

• The lecturer is an anthropologist.这位讲师是人类学家。
• The anthropologist unearthed the skull of an ancient human at the site.人类学家在这个遗址挖掘出那块古人类的颅骨。

3 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

4 ravages   

劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹

参考例句：

• the ravages of war 战争造成的灾难
• It is hard for anyone to escape from the ravages of time. 任何人都很难逃避时间的摧残。

5 reclaimed   

adj.再生的；翻造的；收复的；回收的v.开拓( reclaim的过去式和过去分词 )；要求收回；从废料中回收（有用的材料）；挽救

参考例句：

• Many sufferers have been reclaimed from a dependence on alcohol. 许多嗜酒成癖的受害者已经被挽救过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They reclaimed him from his evil ways. 他们把他从邪恶中挽救出来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

7 antiquities   

n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯

参考例句：

• There is rest and healing in the contemplation of antiquities. 欣赏古物有休息和疗养之功。 来自辞典例句
• Bertha developed a fine enthusiasm for the antiquities of London. 伯沙对伦敦的古迹产生了很大的热情。 来自辞典例句

8 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

9 systematically   

adv.有系统地

参考例句：

• This government has systematically run down public services since it took office.这一屆政府自上台以来系统地削减了公共服务。
• The rainforest is being systematically destroyed.雨林正被系统地毀灭。

10 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

11 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。