中国陶瓷鉴赏【经济学人精讲】第193期
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第193期精讲
本文选自经济学人2018年12月18日文章。无论是远古还是现代，瓷器都经久不衰，当马可波罗首次将中国陶瓷带到欧洲，陶瓷就深受欧洲人的喜爱。本文从四个方面讲述如何鉴赏陶瓷。
由于篇幅较长，本文节选原文标题和前两段进行精讲，帮助大家提高英语阅读和写作能力。
1 英文原文
Porcelain瓷器
An appreciation of porcelain in four objects
Why ancient traditions and modern innovations keep collectors coming back for more
Dec 18th 2018 | HONG KONG AND JINGDEZHEN
CUP THE Falangcai Poppy Bowl in your hands. Its rim pulls out, like a lower lip readying for a sip. The biscuit—the form of the vessel itself—is fine, semi-translucent when held to the light, weightless like the poppies and the yellow, pink and lavender blossoms that creep up its side. The pads of your fingers can feel the vegetation’s slight relief, the bolder buds of the flowers. The bare white glaze behind is flawlessly smooth.
In the 18th century, during the reign of the Qianlong emperor, this bowl was thrown, glazed and fired in Jingdezhen, a town near the Yangzi river. Jingdezhen’s potters had held the secret to the finest porcelain at least since the early days of the Tang dynasty, a thousand years before, and possibly for longer. It was then enamelled and finished in the Forbidden City’s workshops. It made its way to Europe, and eventually to the collection of a French opera singer. The opportunity to hold it comes in a viewing room in Hong Kong, five days before it is sold at auction for HK$169m ($22m) to a private collector.
2 选文精讲
Porcelain瓷器
An appreciation of porcelain in four objects 从四个角度鉴赏瓷器
Why ancient traditions and modern innovations keep collectors coming back for more 为什么古老的传统和现代的创新会让收藏家们流连忘返
CUP THE Falangcai Poppy Bowl in your hands. Its rim pulls out, like a lower lip readying for a sip. The biscuit—the form of the vessel itself—is fine, semi-translucent when held to the light, weightless like the poppies and the yellow, pink and lavender blossoms that creep up its side. The pads of your fingers can feel the vegetation’s slight relief, the bolder buds of the flowers. The bare white glaze behind is flawlessly smooth.
cup: vt. 放，拿（to take or place in, or as in, a cup: He cupped his ear with the palm of his hand.）
poppy: 罂粟花
biscuit: 通常意思是饼干、小点心，这里指陶瓷（Also called bisque. Ceramics . unglazed earthenware or porcelain after firing.）
fine：这里指细致的、精美的（delicate in texture; filmy: fine cotton fabric.）；此外，fine还有很多其它意思，例如顶级的（of superior or best quality; of high or highest grade: fine wine.），锋利的（keen or sharp, as a tool: Is the knife fine enough to carve well?）
translucent: 透明的；semi做前缀时指“一半的”，eg. semiconductor: 半导体，semi-final: 半决赛，semi-finals: 四强
lavender: adj. 淡紫色的，n. 薰衣草
pads of fingers: 指腹，指尖的意思
glaze: n. 釉, v. 给...上釉
将这只珐琅彩罂粟花纹碗放在手中把玩，它的边缘伸出来，就像准备抿一口的下唇。阳光下的这只碗是精致、半透明的，像罂粟花一样轻盈。黄色、粉色、淡紫色的花在碗身蔓延开来，指尖划过，可以感受到花的微展，凸起的花蕾，细腻的白釉光洁无暇。
In the 18th century, during the reign of the Qianlong emperor, this bowl was thrown, glazed and fired in Jingdezhen, a town near the Yangzi river. Jingdezhen’s potters had held the secret to the finest porcelain at least since the early days of the Tang dynasty, a thousand years before, and possibly for longer. It was then enamelled and finished in the Forbidden City’s workshops. It made its way to Europe, and eventually to the collection of a French opera singer. The opportunity to hold it comes in a viewing room in Hong Kong, five days before it is sold at auction for HK$169m ($22m) to a private collector.
enamel: 涂以瓷釉
在18世纪，乾隆皇帝在位期间，这只碗是在靠近长江的景德镇完成了拉坯、上釉和烧制。至少要追溯到一千年前的唐朝早期，景德镇的陶工就掌握了制作最好瓷器的秘密，这只碗在紫禁城的作坊里上釉并最终制作完成，它进入了欧洲，并最终被一位法国歌剧演唱家收藏。在香港的一间展厅，你还有机会欣赏它，不过这要在5天前了，这只碗以1.69亿港元(合2200万美元)的价格被拍卖给一名私人收藏家。