VOA标准英语2008年-Stones Born Deep in the Earth Journey to Polish

Gems² come in all sizes, colors and shapes, but they have one thing in common, they shine and sparkle as they catch the light, dazzling the beholder³. But, this is not how they start out. Gem¹ stones are forged deep in the earth and, in the rough, appear unremarkable to the untrained eye. But, those in the know can spot a jewel and foresee its travels from the mine shaft⁴, the river bed, the gravel⁵ pit to the jeweler's display case. Sonja Pace, with additional reporting by Mandy Clark, narrates⁶ this story of the birth of a gem stone and the beginnings of its journey. (Part 2 of 5)
　

Perhaps the most fabled7 gem is the diamond

Gem stones come from all corners of the globe, but perhaps the most fabled gem is the diamond, and its most famous source is South Africa.

For generations men have ventured deep into the earth to bring the rough stones up from mines like the Cullinan mine, north of Johannesburg. It was backbreaking work and often dangerous, but recently technology has helped.

George Oelofse worked in the mines here for nearly half a century before retiring. He still comes here to show visitors around.

"I've noticed quite a huge increase in technology in the mines [from] the way we started out," says Oelofse. "If you take this mine for instance, the pipe that is here, we had over 12,000 people, but that was hard work, that was pick and shovel⁸ work, and nowadays we do it with machines."

Diamonds were formed millions of years ago from carbon under extreme heat and pressure more than 100 kilometers beneath the earth's surface. They are found in volcanic⁹ "pipes" called kimberlite, named after Kimberley, the place in South Africa where diamonds were first discovered on the continent in the 1860's.

That discovery set off a diamond rush and frantic¹⁰ digging, and over a century later men like George Oelofse and Peter Sedibane have carried on that tradition, extracting these precious bits of mineral.

Oelofse says he would like his children to follow in his footsteps. "I have two sons but unfortunately they are not interested in mining," he says. "They've decided¹¹ no, that was enough. I have five brothers, all of them worked in the mines as well because my Dad worked in the mine."
　

Sedibane has worked in the mines for 32 years

Peter Sedibane has worked in the mines for 32 years. Speaking in his native Setswane, he says life as a miner is not bad.

"My kids stay here with me and my wife stays back home, but she comes to stay with us for three months and then goes back home to take care of the rest of the family," he explains. And, that's the way it's been for generations.

"So, lots of families had to be patient with their fathers being away, and so if anybody is out there to look and find out where their great-great grandparents were in the diamond era time, they can come here and remember what their parents and their great-grandparents did for their future," says Phenyo Marumo, marketing¹² manager at the Kimberley Mine Museum.
　

Gems are mined from all over the world, not just in South Africa

It's not just in South Africa. Gems are mined all over the world - from deep in the ground, from river beds, off-shore and in open gravel pits. And it's often back breaking work, men digging and sifting¹³ in open pits in search of diamonds.

South Africa has been surpassed by Botswana as Africa's largest diamond producer, but the stones are also mined elsewhere on the continent, including in Namibia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone.

According to industry sources, Russia produced the most diamonds in 2007, and Canada came in at number three.

Men have dominated the industry, but women are getting into the business.

"I've always loved crystals," says Janine Chaveau, a diamond trader in Johannesburg, "and from that I thought that I love them so much, [then] on to the diamonds."

While the giant diamond conglomerate¹⁴ De Beers still controls about half of the world's diamond production, independent buyers like Chaveau have gotten into the trade. Chaveau says that since millions of dollars can be at stake, trading in diamonds can be risky¹⁵.
　

Once the trader is satisfied that the diamonds are real, the deal is made and the diamonds move on

"Often you'll get there and they will show you the diamonds, and they will say 'this is so many million,'" she says, "and you come back the next day, and then it is [substituted with] glass."

Once the trader is satisfied that the diamonds are real, the deal is made and the diamonds move on. The dealer¹⁶ weighs them and ships them off to be cut. "I've now valued these diamonds," said Chaveau. "Now, we're parceling them to go off to India."

And, the gem's journey continues from the African mines to Asia and beyond.

1 gem   

n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel

参考例句：

• The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。
• The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。

2 gems   

growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长

参考例句：

• a crown studded with gems 镶有宝石的皇冠
• The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。

3 beholder   

n.观看者，旁观者

参考例句：

• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 看起来觉得美就是美。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It has been said that art is a tryst, for in the joy of it maker and beholder meet. 有人说艺术是一种幽会，因为艺术家和欣赏者可在幽会的乐趣中相遇在一起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 shaft   

n.(工具的)柄，杆状物

参考例句：

• He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。
• This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。

5 gravel   

n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石

参考例句：

• We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
• More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。

6 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

7 fabled   

adj.寓言中的，虚构的

参考例句：

• For the first week he never actually saw the fabled Jack. 第一周他实际上从没见到传说中的杰克。
• Aphrodite, the Greek goddness of love, is fabled to have been born of the foam of the sea. 希腊爱神阿美罗狄蒂据说是诞生于海浪泡沫之中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 shovel   

n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出

参考例句：

• He was working with a pick and shovel.他在用镐和铲干活。
• He seized a shovel and set to.他拿起一把铲就干上了。

9 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

10 frantic   

adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的

参考例句：

• I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
• He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

12 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

13 sifting   

n.筛，过滤v.筛( sift的现在分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审

参考例句：

• He lay on the beach, sifting the sand through his fingers. 他躺在沙滩上用手筛砂子玩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was sifting the cinders when she came in. 她进来时，我正在筛煤渣。 来自辞典例句

14 conglomerate   

n.综合商社，多元化集团公司

参考例句：

• The firm has been taken over by an American conglomerate.该公司已被美国一企业集团接管。
• An American conglomerate holds a major share in the company.一家美国的大联合企业持有该公司的大部分股份。

15 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

16 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。