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Costly Jewel
Nguồn: Đỗ Mạnh Hà sưu tầm
Người gửi: Đỗ Mạnh Hà (trang riêng)
Ngày gửi: 16h:35' 01-12-2008
Dung lượng: 4.3 MB
Số lượt tải: 12
Mô tả:
Người gửi: Đỗ Mạnh Hà (trang riêng)
Ngày gửi: 16h:35' 01-12-2008
Dung lượng: 4.3 MB
Số lượt tải: 12
Mô tả:
Costly Jewel
November 21, 2005
Voice 1
Hello. I'm Marina Santee.
Voice 2
And I'm Elizabeth Lickiss. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Do you recognise this piece of music? It is called 'Diamonds are forever'. It is a very good song to start this programme with. Today on Spotlight we talk about the most beautiful, rare and costly of jewels - the diamond.
Voice 2
Many people have treasured diamonds above every other jewel. In the song 'Diamonds are forever' Shirley Bassey sings,
Shirley Bassey
'Diamonds are forever. They are all I need to please me'.
Voice 1
For many people owning a diamond is their greatest desire. So what makes the diamond so special?
Voice 2
Diamonds are minerals. They exist naturally. They are the clear form of pure carbon. Diamonds are made when carbon is heated to great temperatures and pressures. They form deep inside the Earth. So how do they come to the earth's surface? Scientists say that one way is through volcanoes. When volcanoes explode they throw all sorts of rocks and minerals to the surface - including diamonds. A diamond is probably the oldest thing that someone can own. Some scientists estimate that diamonds can be three billion years in age. People consider Africa to be the 'diamond continent' of the world. But the largest and most costly diamonds come from Australia. Most people believe that diamonds are clear - have no colour. But this is not true. Diamonds exist in a number of different colours. Red diamonds are the most rare.
Voice 1
Diamonds cost a great deal of money. But the price of a diamond depends on its quality and size. People measure the size of diamonds in carats. A carat is equal to one fifth of a gram. Diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to man. Small and damaged stones are useful in industry. This is because they are so hard that they do not wear out easily. But expert jewellers make the finest stones into jewellery for people to wear. It takes a skilled person to cut and shape a diamond. Natural diamonds are not very beautiful to look at. You can only see the beauty and shine from a diamond when it is cut correctly.
Voice 2
People use diamonds for royal crowns. The rich and famous like to be seen wearing them. But, although beautiful, diamonds do not always bring happiness to the owner. One of the most valuable diamonds in the world is the 'Hope' diamond. It is a deep blue colour and weighs forty-four carats. But 'Hope' was not a good name to give this diamond. People consider the 'Hope' diamond to bring bad luck. The diamond has been linked to a lot of tragic events in the past. The people who have owned this diamond have not led very happy lives. The French Queen, Marie Antoinette once owned it. Many pictures show her with the diamond round her neck. But all the riches in the world could not save her life. She was executed in October 1793.
Voice 1
People often give diamonds as love gifts. Diamonds are strong, and will last forever. People consider them to be a good gift to represent love. But giving a diamond does not mean that the relationship will definitely last. One famous diamond is called the 'Krupp' diamond. This stone weighs thirty-three carats. Experts consider it to be almost perfect. Famous actress, Elizabeth Taylor, owns it. Elizabeth's husband, the actor Richard Burton, gave her this diamond. He also gave her the Taj Mahal heart shaped diamond necklace. Each gift was supposed to represent his lasting love for her. But Elizabeth and Richard were divorced in 1976.
Voice 2
Owning a diamond may cost a lot of money. But the true cost of these stones is often much higher than anyone could imagine. Behind the beauty of some diamonds is often a story of suffering and pain. The high value of diamonds makes them the subject of violence and crime. Twelve-year-old Michael lives in Sierra Leone. Michael's family has all been killed or has gone missing. They were the victims of a gun battle over who owned a local diamond mine. Michael does not fully understand why his family was killed. They had nothing to do with the mine. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Michael remembers the night clearly. It was the night when his life changed completely. He was sitting with his family outside their home. They had just enjoyed a family meal. Then there was shouting. Guns were fired. Before they could run and hide they were all shot. Michael was lucky. He was not killed. But the killers left him all alone. For many months he survived by asking people for food. But then he found work. He now spends his day at the local diamond mine. The work is difficult and dangerous. But it does pay him money. Michael says,
Voice 3
'Diamonds have taken everything away from me. Now they are going to pay me back for everything I have lost.'
Voice 2
Michael is already trading with criminals. He has become a part of the vicious process that robbed him of his family. It is a big price to pay.
Voice 1
It may be too late to help Michael. But it is not too late to stop other children suffering like him. The Kimberley Process is an international plan to stop the trade in 'blood diamonds'. Experts give this name to any diamond that has been used by criminals to fuel conflict. Diamonds are of high-value. They are easy to hide. These two facts make them popular for weapons dealers and criminals. They can use the stones to purchase ammunition, guns and people willing to fight. Experts estimate that about five per cent of diamonds are used in this way. The Kimberley process wants to see every diamond sold with a certificate. A special paper document will be given to conflict-free diamonds. Countries that produce diamonds will be able to issue these certificates. Buyers can then know the history of the stones that they buy.
Voice 2
The Kimberley Process has the support of international diamond traders and political leaders. Among those supporting the process are the European Union, America, Russia, Israel and Canada. The industry trade body and the World Diamond Council also support the process. They want to stop more people being killed over diamonds.
Voice 1
But some people say that the certificate process will not work. Groups like Action Aid say that the process has a major problem. They say that no one has the job of making sure that the certificates are awarded correctly. Action Aid believes that it is possible for a country to issue a false certificate and no one will know.
Voice 2
There is much more work to do. The Kimberley Process is a good starting point. However, in the end, no process will work unless people want it to work. Individual people will have to decide if they really care where these diamonds come from or how they have been used? Only time will tell if Michael's life is worth more than that of a beautiful stone.
Voice 1
The writer of today's programme was Elizabeth Lickiss. The voices you heard were from United Kingdom. Computer users can hear our programmes on our website at www.radio.english.net. This programme is called 'Costly Jewel.' Thank you for joining us in today's Spotlight programme. Goodbye.
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