VOA标准英语2011--Gold Rush Hits US House Parties

Gold Rush Hits US House Parties

Even as world financial markets fluctuate, interest in gold holds fast. Over the years, more investors¹ have put their assets in this precious metal. As interest in buying gold has spread, so has the popularity of gold parties, where participants sell their golden treasures and walk away with cash.

“I have a gold tester so I just clip it here, and I test it," says Cisca Uribe, a "My Gold Party" representative. "And it will tell me what the karat is.”

Selling gold harkens back to a time when economies were more elemental. Uribe buys gold for a company called “My Gold Party.” While others might hoard² it, the women at the party have come for the specific purpose of selling their gold. Gold parties are festive³ events where people enjoy wine and conversation. But it is business too.

“I brought some old earrings⁴ that were given to me when I was younger, from my parents and some jewelry⁵ from old boyfriends,” says Susan Johnson, a party guest.

Johnson is pleased when her 14-karat items weigh in at five grams, bringing her a total of $243.96 from Uribe.

Since the 2008 economic recession, investors have bought gold to shield their assets. As gold prices soar, so do the profits of “My Gold Party.”

“With the gold party, it’s kind of a win-win," Uribe says. "You get to leave with money instead of spending money.”

Justina Buckles⁶ brought earrings and a couple of necklaces to sell. She will walk away with $109. “I am pretty excited about it because the jewelry wasn’t worth anything to me. It was things I wasn't wearing. Things that were broken or missing parts.”

While some made money on one side of the room, several guests examined silver jewelry on sale across the room, where Uribe's colleague hosted a silver party.
But Ana Shyburgh was unable to sell a pair of earrings an ex-boyfriend gave her.

“They are not gold. I have to throw them away," she says, adding the jewelry turned out to be as fake as the relationship.

Her golden treasure turned out to be just trash.

1 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

2 hoard   

n./v.窖藏，贮存，囤积

参考例句：

• They have a hoard of food in the basement.地下室里有他们贮藏的食物。
• How many curios do you hoard in your study?你在你书房里聚藏了多少古玩？

3 festive   

adj.欢宴的，节日的

参考例句：

• It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood.当时是圣诞节，每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
• We all wore festive costumes to the ball.我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。

4 earrings   

n.耳环( earring的名词复数 )；耳坠子

参考例句：

• a pair of earrings 一对耳环
• These earrings snap on with special fastener. 这付耳环是用特制的按扣扣上去的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

6 buckles   

搭扣，扣环( buckle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She gazed proudly at the shiny buckles on her shoes. 她骄傲地注视着鞋上闪亮的扣环。
• When the plate becomes unstable, it buckles laterally. 当板失去稳定时，就发生横向屈曲。