from the Earth
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents Introduction.
导言表。
4 How Are Gems Formed?
4宝石如何形成?
6 Try This.
6 试试这个
8 How Do Gems Get into Jewelry?
8 宝石如何进入珠宝?
10 What Makes Gems Valuable?
10是什么使宝石变得宝贵?
13 Hardness and the Mohs Scale.
13"硬"和"摩斯规模".
15 What Are Some Types of Gems?
15 一些类型的宝石?
16 Conclusion.
16 结论。
23 Glossary.
23 词汇表。
24 Introduction Many people consider gems to be Earth’s most beautiful creations.
导言 许多人认为宝石是地球最美丽的创造.
They are willing to spend thousands of dollars for even a small bit of that beauty.
他们愿意花上千美元 哪怕是一点点的美丽。
Sparkling gems are worn on the fingers, necks, and wrists of people around the world.
闪闪发光的宝石被佩戴在世界各地人们的手指,脖子和手腕上.
Families pass them down through generations.
家庭代代相传。
They can be found on crowns worn by royalty and on sacred religious objects.
它们可以在皇室佩戴的王冠上和神圣的宗教物品上找到.
Many gems decorate the most beautiful and valuable jewelry.
许多宝石装饰出最美最有价值珠宝.
A gem is any beautiful stone that can be used in jewelry.
宝石是任何美丽的石头,可以用于珠宝.
Most gems have beautiful colors or sparkle, and they are hard enough to hold up to daily wear.
多数宝石有美丽的颜色或花花相花,它们硬得无法承受日常穿戴.
There are three major types of gems.
宝石主要有三种.
The first two, crystals and stones, are made of minerals—the natural, nonliving substances that make up ordinary rocks.
前两个是晶体和石头,由矿物组成——构成普通岩石的自然和非活物质.
Crystals are very pure minerals that form in tight shapes and neat patterns.
晶体是十分纯净的矿物,以紧凑的形状和整洁的图案而形成.
Stones are mixed minerals that have beautiful colors and patterns, but do not have strict shapes.
石头是混合矿物,有美丽的颜色和图案,但没有严格的形状.
The third group, organic gems, comes from substances made by living things.
第三组有机宝石出自活物所制造的物质.
How Are Gems Formed?
宝石组怎么样?
Some of the most famous and expensive gems, including diamonds, emeralds, and rubies, are crystals.
一些最出名和最贵的宝石,包括钻石,翡翠,和红宝石等都是晶体.
Crystals are very pure forms of minerals.
晶体是非常纯净的矿物形式.
Every mineral is made of millions of particles called atoms, which are so small they are invisible to the naked eye.
每个矿物质都是由被称作原子的上百万个粒子所制成的,这些原子如此之小,肉眼看不见.
In ordinary rocks, many kinds of atoms are thrown loosely together without any kind of pattern or order.
在普通的岩石中,许多种类的原子被松散地抛出在一起,没有任何规律或顺序.
But in crystals, the atoms are arranged very precisely in neat, orderly patterns.
但是在晶体中,原子的排列非常精确地以整齐有序的规律来排列.
Crystals have flat sides, called faces, which form shapes.
晶体有平平的侧面,被叫作相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相
Different kinds of crystals form in different shapes, some of which are shown below.
不同种类的晶体会以不同的外形形成,有的在下方显示.
Some crystals form cubes, while others form long, six-sided columns.
有些晶体会形成立方体,而另一些晶体则会形成长的六边柱.
Most crystals form deep within the earth under very special conditions.
大部分晶体在非常特殊的条件下在地底深处形成.
Some, such as diamonds, form when the mineral is squeezed under layers of rocks.
有些,如钻石,在矿物被挤压到地层岩石下时会形成.
The squeezing forces the atoms to arrange themselves until they are in the smallest shape possible.
挤压会迫使原子自行安排,直到它们处于可能最小的形状.
Others, such as sapphires, form when a mineral gets so hot inside the earth that it melts.
其他的,例如蓝宝石, 形成当一个矿物质 变得如此热 在地球内部,它融化。
As it slowly cools, the atoms fall into place to make a regular crystal pattern.
随着它的缓慢冷却,原子就位以形成一个正态的晶体图案.
And still other gems, such as opals, form when minerals dissolve in water.
还有其它的宝石,如石窟等,在矿物溶于水后会形成.
As the water evaporates very slowly, the mineral left behind forms a crystal.
随着水的蒸发非常缓慢,留下的矿物形成晶体.
Diamonds are formed deep inside Earth’s mantle.
钻石在地幔深处形成。
Volcanic eruptions bring the diamonds to the surface.
火山爆发使钻石浮出水面.
VOLCANO LAYERS OFEARTH’SCRUST PRESSURE FROMGRAVITY HEAT HEAT DIAMONDS MANTLE MAGMA Make your own crystals!
沃莱克诺 地球科学家的热量 做你自己的结晶!
Rock salt, also known as halite, forms when salty seas evaporate.
石盐又名卤地盐,为咸海蒸发后所形成.
You can watch a much smaller version of this same process using just water and ordinary salt.
你可以用水和普通盐来观察这个过程的更小的版本.
water.
water水.
Stir it until it dissolves.
把它拖到溶解为止
no more salt will dissolve.
没有盐会溶解。
3 Put a clean toothpick in the water.
3个 在水中放出干净的牙签.
4 Place the cup somewhere warm in the sun.
4个 把杯子放入阳光下
As the water evaporates, crystals will form on the toothpick and the sides of the cup.
随着水分蒸发,水晶会形成于牙签和杯子的两侧.
5 Look at the crystals under a magnifying glass.
5 在放大玻璃下看晶体.
What do they look like?
他们长什么样?
How Do Gems Get into Jewelry?
如何做宝石 进入珠宝店?
Most mineral gems are found deep within the earth.
大部分矿物宝石都发现于地底深处.
Humans must dig mines to get them.
人类必须挖出地雷才能得到它们.
Because gems are so small and rare, mining is often still done by hand.
由于宝石如此之小而稀有,采矿往往仍由手工进行.
Miners must chip and cut at the rock, looking for individual stones embedded within it.
矿工们必须切碎并切割岩石,寻找嵌入其中的单个石头.
It takes a lot of work to find gems, and work costs money.
寻找宝石需要大量工作,工作需要花钱.
The rarer the gem and the harder it is to find, the more valuable it is.
宝石越稀有,也就越难找到,价值越高.
The minerals in stones do not form orderly patterns, and they may have other minerals mixed in.
石块中的矿物并不形成有秩序的形态,它们也可能有其他被混入的矿物.
Stones often form in layers that make streaks and lines, called the grain.
石头往往形成层层,形成花纹和花纹,称为"谷物".
Grain gives stones beautiful patterns and surfaces.
谷物给石头 漂亮的图案和表面。
Organic gems, which include pearls, amber, and coral, come from living things.
有机宝石,包括珍珠,琥珀和珊瑚等出自活物.
Pearls begin when a grain of sand gets trapped inside an oyster’s shell.
珍珠开始于一粒沙子被困在牡蛎壳中后.
The oyster covers the grain with layers of smooth nacre, the material it uses to build its shell.
牡蛎用平滑的鼻孔覆盖了谷物,是它用来制造外壳的材料.
Coral is made of skeletons left behind by millions of tiny sea creatures called coral polyps.
珊瑚由数百万被叫做珊瑚多肽的细小海生物所留下的骨架所形成.
Amber began millions of years ago when sticky sap oozed from trees and hardened.
琥珀开始于几百万年前 从树上被粘住并被硬化
Amber often contains the fossils of insects and spiders that got caught in the sap.
琥珀常含有被吸食到的昆虫和蜘蛛的化石.
Do You Know?
你知道吗?
Opals form when mineral- rich water evaporates from cracks underground.
当矿物质 -- 丰富的水从地下裂缝中蒸发时,会形成 Op.
This leaves a streak of mineral crystal in the rock.
这留下一串矿物质结晶在岩石上。
Streaks of crystal are called veins.
结晶的结晶称为静脉.
The best opals in the world are found in veins under the ground in the Australian desert town of Coober Pedy.
世界上最出名的圆柱花在澳大利亚沙漠城镇克伯佩地地(Coober Pedy)地底的血管中.
In the Australian Aborigine language, Coober Pedy means “white man in a hole.”
在澳大利亚原住民语言中,Coober Pedy的意思是“一个洞中的白人。 “
Opal mines are simple holes in the ground.
花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花花
A spider in amber Oysters create pearls.
琥珀牡蛎中的蜘蛛会生出珍珠.
When a miner finds a gem, it looks very different from the one you see in a ring or necklace.
当矿工找到宝石时,看起来与你在戒指或项链中看到的大相径庭.
The gem often has rough edges.
宝石往往有粗糙的边缘.
Its surface looks dull.
表面看起来很枯燥
Its shape is bumpy.
其外形起伏不定.
Gems often have cracks, dark marks, bubbles, and other flaws.
宝石经常有裂缝,暗痕,泡沫等缺陷.
Gem cutters, called lapidaries, cut gems into regular shapes that show off their best qualities and cover their flaws.
宝石切割器,被称作"活化器"(lapiders),将宝石切割成能展现出自己最优秀品质并弥补缺陷的常规形状.
Gem cutters once used diamond-edged saws and polishers, but recently they began using lasers to cut gems.
宝石切割器曾经使用过钻头锯和打磨机,但最近它们开始使用激光来切割宝石.
Most crystal gems are cut into flat surfaces called facets.
大部分的晶体宝石被切成平地表面,称为侧面.
Facets show off the gem’s color and pattern, and allow it to sparkle with reflected light.
Facets展现出宝石的颜色和图案,
Lapidaries cut different gems using several different cutting styles.
拉皮德用几种不同的剪接风格切割出不同的宝石.
The popular brilliant-cut style is often used with diamonds, which have more sparkle than color.
受欢迎的辉煌剪接风格常被用在"钻石"上,"钻石"的花花相花比花相花多.
This style has many facets that reflect light off the gem.
这种风格有许多方面可以反映出出出宝石外的光.
Deep green emeralds, in contrast, are often cut into a style called the step cut.
相形之下,深绿色的翡翠常被切割成一种叫"阶地剪"的风格.
This cut, with its rectangular facets, creates a wide, flat top of pure color.
这个切口,有其长方形的两面,形成了一个宽而平的纯色顶.
The rounded top and triangular facets of another style, the rose cut, are most often found on older gems.
另一种风格的圆形顶部和三角面,即玫瑰切口,最常出现在更古老的宝石上.
The oldest style of cut, the cabochon (KAB-uh-shon), is simply rounded and polished.
最古老的切口风格是克布克通(英语:KAB-uh-shon),只是被圆形并被打磨.
It is most often used with opaque or patterned stones.
它最常被用在不透明或有图案的石头上.
Other gems, such as jade and coral, can be carved into small sculptures.
其他宝石,如玉和珊瑚等可以被雕刻成小雕塑.
An uncut diamond looks uneven and flawed.
未切割的钻石看起来不均匀有缺陷。
A cut diamond reflects lots of sparkle.
一颗被切割的钻石 反映了大量的闪光。
Cutting styles (top and side views) show gems’ best features.
剪接风格(上下视图)显示了宝石的最佳特征。
What Makes Gems Valuable?
是什么使得宝石的价值?
Gems as a whole are valuable for two reasons: they are beautiful and they are rare.
宝石整体的价值有两个原因:它们美丽而罕见.
The prices of gems fluctuate over time.
宝石的价格随时间而波动.
Certain gemstones have been regarded as “precious” throughout the ages and in many cultures.
一些宝石在年代和许多文化中一直被视为“珍贵的”。
For example, although diamonds have always been regarded as valuable, their value has dramatically increased in the last century.
例如,虽然钻石一直被视为有价值钻石,但其价值在上个世纪已急剧增加。
This increase has occurred even though the supply of diamonds has grown substantially during the same period of time as a result of several large finds in South Africa.
尽管由于在南非发现了几个大型钻石,钻石供应在同一时期大幅度增加,但这一增长还是出现了。
Diamonds have become more valuable in the last century partly because of the increasing popularity of diamond engagement rings around the world.
钻石在上个世纪变得更加有价值,部分原因是钻石接触圈在世界各地越来越受欢迎。
Higher prices are also a result of global marketing efforts by companies that sell diamonds.
价格上涨也是钻石销售公司在全球销售努力的结果。
The value of an individual gem is determined by the gem’s hardness and a system called the “four Cs”: cut, carat weight, color, and clarity.
单个宝石的价值取决于宝石的硬度和称为"四个C"的系统:切割,克拉重量,颜色和清晰度.
Cut refers to how well the gem is cut and polished, or how beautiful the natural gem is.
剪接指宝石被切割和打磨的好,或者天然宝石有多美.
A poorly cut gem may look dull or uneven.
剪得不好的宝石看起来可能很枯燥或不平衡。
Carat weight is the size of the stone.
克拉重量是石块的大小.
One carat weighs about as much as a kernel of unpopped popcorn.
一克拉的重量 大约相当于内核 未被扑灭的爆米花。
The next of the four Cs, color, is one of the major reasons why gems are considered beautiful.
下回的"四C","颜色",是宝石被认为美丽的主要原因之一.
Unlike regular rocks, gems have bright, pure, intense colors.
与普通岩石不同,宝石有明亮,纯洁,强烈的颜色.
The stronger and purer the color, the more valuable the gem is.
颜色越强而纯正,宝石的价值就越高.
Often, the same mineral can form different-colored gems.
通常,同一种矿物可以形成不同颜色的宝石.
Red rubies and blue sapphires both contain the same mineral.
红宝石和蓝宝石都含有同一种矿物.
The different colors come from tiny bits of other chemicals mixed with the main mineral.
不同颜色来自与主要矿物相混合的其他化学物质的微小位.
It only takes one different atom in a thousand to change the color of a gem.
只有千分之一的原子才能改变宝石的颜色.
Clarity refers to how flawless the gem is.
明亮是指宝石的无瑕疵程度.
Gems with dark marks, cracks, and bubbles are less valuable than gems without these flaws.
有暗痕的宝石,裂缝和泡沫比没有这些缺陷的宝石价值更低.
Gems that are cloudy are also less valuable than clearer gems.
有云的宝石也不如更清晰的宝石有价值.
But clarity is often not as important as the size and rarity of a gem.
但清晰度往往不如宝石的大小和稀有程度重要.
Emeralds often have many flaws, but because they are so rare, a flawed emerald is more valuable than a flawless diamond.
翡翠经常有许多缺陷,但由于它们如此罕见,有缺陷的翡翠比无缺陷的钻石更有价值.
This uncut emerald shows many cracks and other flaws.
这种未剪接的翡翠显示了许多裂缝和其他缺陷.
Hardness and the Mohs Scale Hardness indicates how pure and tightly structured the mineral is in a gemstone.
硬度和Mohs缩放硬度表明矿物在宝石中是多么纯洁和严密的结构.
It tells how well a gem will hold up to daily wear.
说明宝石每天的磨损有多好
A geologist named Friedrich Mohs developed a scale to test the hardness of gemstones.
一位叫弗里德里希·莫赫斯(Friedrich Mohs)的地质学家开发出一个尺度来测试宝石的硬度.
He simply scratched one gem with another.
他只是把一颗宝石和另一颗宝石抓了起来
A gem can only scratch other gems that are softer than it is.
宝石只能刮去其他比它更柔软的宝石.
The softest mineral, talc, which cannot scratch anything else, is a 1 on the Mohs scale.
最柔软的矿物"talc",它不能刮出其他任何东西,是摩斯比例尺上的一个 1.
Diamond, the hardest substance on Earth, can scratch anything, but can only be scratched by another diamond.
钻石是地球上最难吃的物质,可以刮到任何东西,但只能被另一颗钻石刮到.
Diamond is a 10 on the Mohs scale.
钻石是摩斯级的10分
Most gems must be 5 or above to be strong enough for use in jewelry.
大多数宝石必须是5个或5个以上,才能足够坚固地用于珠宝.
What Are Some Types of Gems?
宝石是什么类型?
Diamonds form very deep in the earth as a result of huge amounts of pressure and high temperatures.
由于巨大的压力和高温,钻石在地上形成非常深.
Most diamonds form 140 to 190 kilometers (90 to 120 miles) beneath the Earth’s surface.
大多数钻石在地表下形成140至190公里(90至120英里).
Magma brings the diamonds close to the surface through volcanic pipes.
马格玛通过火山管将钻石带入地表附近.
In a few instances, diamonds have also been found in deposits left behind by melting glaciers.
在一些情况下,在冰川融化所留下的矿床中也发现了钻石。
The diamonds that reach the Earth’s surface may be up to 3 billion years old.
到达地表的钻石可能长达30亿年。
Diamonds are the hardest natural things in the world.
钻石是世界上最难的自然事物.
Because diamonds can cut anything, including metal and stone, flawed or unattractive diamonds are often put on saws and drill tips.
因为钻石可以切割出任何东西,包括金属和石头,有缺陷或没有吸引力的钻石往往被放入锯子和钻取小费上.
Most diamonds are almost colorless, but very rare diamonds can be intense yellow, red, or blue.
大多数钻石几乎都是无色的,但非常罕见的钻石可以是强烈的黄色,红色,或蓝色.
They are most often found in South Africa, Russia, and Australia.
最常见的是在南非、俄罗斯和澳大利亚。
Diamonds are extremely popular for engagement rings.
钻石对订婚戒指极为受欢迎。
The Mohs scale measures the hardness of various gems.
Mohs比例尺衡量出各种宝石的硬度.
For comparison, a fingernail has a hardness of 2.
作为比较,指甲有2个硬度.
5, and a penknife measures 5.
5和一刀一刀措施 5 (韩语).
One of the most famous diamonds, the Hope diamond, is not the largest, but it is an intense sky-blue color.
最出名的钻石之一"希望"钻石并非最大,而是一种强烈的天蓝色.
Its long history of theft and ownership by royalty and the rich gave it a legend of being cursed.
它长期被皇室和富人窃取和拥有的历史,使它传出被诅咒的传说.
The largest diamond ever found is the Cullinan diamond, which was discovered in South Africa.
迄今发现的最大钻石是在南非发现的克利南钻石.
It weighed over 3,100 carats and was as large as a pineapple.
它有3100多克拉重 有菠萝这么大
It was cut into nine gems, one of which, the Greater Star of Africa, weighs 530 carats.
它被切成9个宝石,其中一个是非洲大星,重达530克.
Rubies and sapphires are made of the same mineral, corundum (aluminum oxide).
Rubies和蓝宝石由同一种矿物corundum(氧化铝)所制取.
Rubies, one of the rarest gems on Earth, must be truly blood-red or pink to be properly classified as rubies.
鲁比斯是地球上最稀有的宝石之一,必须真血红色或粉红色才能被适当归类为红宝石.
The name ruby comes from the Latin word for red, ruber.
红宝石这个名字取自拉丁文"红","红".
The famous red color of rubies is caused by the element chromium.
红宝石出名的红色由元素铬所引起.
Any other form of the mineral corundum, no matter the color, is considered a sapphire.
矿物corundum的任何其它形式,无论颜色如何,都被认为是蓝宝石.
However, sapphires are most famous for their deep blue color.
然而,蓝宝石以深蓝色而出名.
One feature that can occur in both rubies and sapphires is an asterism, or star.
在红宝石和蓝宝石中都可以出现的一个特征是异形,即恒星.
An asterism is a bright star-shaped pattern within the stone caused by titanium oxide that reflects light very brilliantly.
异形是由氧化钛所引发的石内明亮的星形图案,非常辉煌地反映出光.
Star sapphires and star rubies are highly valuable and some of the most sought- after gems in the world.
恒星蓝宝石和恒星红宝石非常有价值 也是世界上最被追求的宝石
Red ruby (left) and two sapphires, one blue and one yellow This photo of the Hope diamond shows its actual size.
红宝石(左)和蓝宝石(一蓝色和一黄色) 这张照片显示了它的实际尺寸。
Do You Know?
你知道吗?
Graphite, or pencil lead, is exactly the same mineral as diamonds.
石墨或铅笔 和钻石完全一样
In graphite, the atoms are arranged in loose layers.
在石墨中,原子被排列为松散地层.
This makes graphite very soft—so soft that if you rub it on a piece of paper, the atoms break off, leaving a pencil mark.
这使得石墨变得非常柔软——如此地柔软,如果你将石墨涂入一张纸上,原子会破裂,留下铅笔标记.
In diamonds, those same atoms have been squeezed together so tightly that nothing except another diamond can scratch them off.
在钻石中,同样的原子被紧紧地挤压在一起,以至于除了另一颗钻石外,其他原子都无法将其刮去。
The quartz family is the most common of all crystals.
石英家族是所有晶体中最常见的.
Quartz is found all over the world, in all colors of the rainbow.
克特兹遍布世界各地,以彩虹的所有颜色出现.
Most quartz is so common that anyone can afford it.
大部分石英很常见,任何人都买得起.
The largest quartz crystal ever found was about 6 meters (20 ft) long.
出土的最大石英晶体长约6米(20英尺).
It weighed more than 44,000 kilograms (48 tons)— more than a loaded eighteen-wheeled truck.
它的重量超过44 000公斤(48吨)——超过一辆满载的18轮卡车。
The most valuable quartz is a multicolored stone called opal.
最有价值的石英是多彩石,取名"花花".
Opals shimmer with white, blue, and red-orange colors.
有白、蓝和红-橙色的花花花
They are most often found in Australia.
它们最常出现在澳大利亚.
Emeralds are known for their incredible green color.
翡翠以不可思议的绿色而出名.
Gem-quality emeralds are rare and usually small, but people prize their color so much that emeralds are more valuable than diamonds.
宝石品质的翡翠是罕见的,通常也很小,但人们奖励的颜色是如此之多,使翡翠比钻石更有价值.
The finest emeralds are found in Colombia.
最好的翡翠出现在哥伦比亚.
Beryl, the same mineral that forms emeralds, also forms a blue-green stone called aquamarine.
贝里尔是形成翡翠的同一种矿物,也形成一种叫"水ine"的蓝绿石.
Jade is one of the most prized stones.
杰德是最受珍贵的石头之一.
It occurs in lavender, white, and almost every shade of green, which is the most valuable.
它发生于薰衣草,白色,以及几乎每一个绿色的荫地上,这是最有价值的.
Jade is incredibly tough but easy to carve along its grain.
杰德非常坚硬,但很容易沿着它的谷物来雕刻.
Many civilizations, especially in Asia, used jade to make beautiful knives, swords, and axes.
许多文明,特别是亚洲的文明,都用玉来制作美丽的刀,剑,斧等.
Quartz crystals are common and can grow very large.
夸茨晶体很常见,可以生长出非常大.
Blue-green turquoise comes from the deserts of Iran, Tibet, and the southwestern United States.
蓝绿色绿地出自伊朗,西藏和美国西南部等地的沙漠.
This stone often has pretty spots and streaks running through it.
这石头经常有 漂亮的斑点和花纹贯穿它。
Much of the world’s turquoise is set in silver, as the Navajo Native Americans traditionally wore it.
世界许多绿地被放入银子中,
The Navajo believed turquoise to be pieces of the sky that had fallen to Earth.
纳瓦霍人认为"绿宝石"是坠入地球的天空碎片.
Natural pearls are strangely shaped and extremely rare.
天然珍珠形状奇特而极其罕见.
It takes an oyster many years to create a pearl from a tiny bit of sand.
牡蛎要花很多年才能从一丁点沙地上生出一颗珍珠.
Almost all of the beautiful round pearls in jewelry stores are cultured, or made by people.
几乎所有珠宝店的美丽圆珠都是由人来培育或制作.
Pearl farmers insert a round shell bead into an oyster’s shell.
珍珠农场主在牡蛎的外壳中插入一发圆壳珠.
The oyster covers the bead with nacre, creating a perfectly round pearl.
牡蛎用牛皮来覆盖珠子,形成一出完美的圆珠.
Cultured pearls come in every color of the rainbow, from creamy white to pink to yellow to green and even black.
有文化的珍珠会出现在彩虹的每一种颜色中,从奶油白色到粉红色再到黄色再到绿色甚至黑色.
Gemologists are scientists who study the chemical composition of gemstones.
地质学家是研究宝石的化学成分的科学家.
Sometimes gemologists are experts in a particular gemstone, such as diamonds or rubies.
有时,地质学家是特定宝石,如钻石或红宝石的专家.
Gemologists who work in the laboratory can often identify which area of the world a particular gem came from by studying its chemical composition.
在实验室工作的地质学家通过研究其化学成分,往往可以识别出世界上哪个地区有某种特定的宝石.
They can also tell the difference between natural and synthetic gems by studying clues inside the gems themselves that give information about how the gem was formed.
他们也可以通过研究宝石内部的线索来分辨出天然宝石和合成宝石之间的区别,这些线索给出了宝石是如何形成的信息.
Natural pearls (inset) are rare and oddly shaped; cultured pearls are round.
天然珍珠(被套入)是稀有和奇特的形状;被培养出的珍珠为圆形.
Turquoise is often specked and striped with black.
绿宝石常被打出外形并被条纹用黑色.
Conclusion Beautiful gems can be found around the world.
世界各地都能找到美丽的宝石。
Many gems symbolize power and wealth.
许多宝石象征着权力和财富.
For centuries, people have killed and died for them.
几个世纪以来,人们为他们而杀人并死亡.
In some places, such as West Africa and Colombia, the gem trade is still filled with blood and violence.
在西非和哥伦比亚等地,宝石贸易仍然充斥着鲜血和暴力.
Mining gems with dynamite and strip mines is often dangerous, damaging both humans and the Earth.
以炸药和地铁矿开采宝石往往很危险,对人类和地球都造成破坏。
Scientists can grow gems in the lab that are identical to the finest natural gems but cost a thousand times less.
科学家可以在实验室里种出与最优秀的天然宝石完全相同的宝石,但成本却会低一千倍.
In the future, created gems might help fill our desire for gemstones’ beauty while preserving Earth and its people.
未来,创造出宝石可能有助于满足我们对宝石的美感,同时保护地球及其人民。
Glossary asterism (n.)
词汇表：星状光彩（名词）
a star-shaped reflective pattern inside a gem (p.
宝石内部的星形反射图案(p.
18) atoms (n.)
18) 原子 (n.
the smallest units of a chemical element (p.
化学元素最小的单位(p.
6) crystals (n.)
6) 结晶 (n.
minerals formed in regular, tight patterns (p.
由常态,紧态(p.
5) cultured (adj.)
5) 有文化(adj.
made with the help of human beings (p.
在人类帮助下制造(p.
21) embedded (adj.)
21) 嵌入(adj.
buried in; surrounded by (p.
埋入;被围(p.
10) facets (n.)
10) 方面(n.)
flat surfaces of a cut gemstone (p.
被切割出宝石的平地表面(p.
11) fluctuate (v.)
11)起伏(五.
to change; to shift back and forth or up and down (p.
; 前后转动或上下转动(p.
13) gemologists (n.)
13) 地理学家 (n.
scientists who study the chemical composition of gemstones (p.
研究宝石的化学成分的科学家(p.
22) grain (n.)
22) 谷物 (n.
lines and patterns made by layers of minerals in a stone (p.
由地层矿物在一块石头上所形成的线条和图案(p.
9) lapidaries (n.)
9) 鞭炮 (n.
gem cutters (p.
宝石切割器(p.
11) magma (n.)
11) 岩浆 (n.
melted, liquid rock beneath the Earth’s surface (p.
地表下被熔化的液态岩石(p.
16) nacre (n.)
16)纳克(n.
the material oysters use to make their shells and to make pearls (p.
牡蛎用来做贝壳和珍珠 (p.
9) opaque (adj.)
9) 不透明(adj.
not see-through (p.
不透视 (p.
12) organic gems (n.)
12) 有机宝石 (n.
gems made from substances created by living things (p.
由活物所创造的物质所制取的宝石(p.
5) polyps (n.)
5)多肽(n.
small sea invertebrates, such as coral, that have a tube-like body and a tentacled mouth (p.
小海无脊椎动物,如珊瑚有管状体和触角口(p.
9) This strip mine clears an immense area of land.
9) 这一条地矿清除出一幅广阔的土地.