为什么古巴项链如此昂贵 | 昂贵之谜：英语精读讲义

Even in the high-end world of jewelry, 語法

即使在高端珠宝界，

Cuban link chains are a symbol of luxury.

古巴链也是奢华的象征。

This 18 karat gold chain is worth $27,000,

这条18K金链价值2.7万美元，

and some of the most valuable chains will cost 10 times that.

而一些最珍贵的链子，价格能达到它的10倍。

Making a single chain requires the skill of more than five experienced jewelers

制作一条链子，需要五名以上经验丰富的珠宝工匠通力合作

and can take over 12 hours.

而且可能要花12个多小时。

So, how exactly are Cuban link chains made?

那么，古巴链到底是怎么做出来的？

And Is that what makes them so expensive? 語法

这就是它们如此昂贵的原因吗？

Somebody had to literally take 14 hours of their day

有人一天里真的得拿出整整14个小时

running hot steel through machinery

让炽热的钢材穿过机器

to then turn it by hand 表達脈絡

接着用手工扭转

to then file it by hand

再用手工锉磨

to then polish it by hand.

最后用手工抛光。

You're not just wearing a chain, 表達脈絡

你戴着的不只是一条链子，

you're wearing somebody's blood, sweat, and tears 習語

你戴在脖子上的，是某个人的血、汗与泪水，

and passion around your neck.

还有他的热情。

The origin of the Cuban link chain is tough to pinpoint,

古巴链的起源很难确定，

but it likely didn't start in Cuba.

但它很可能并非源自古巴。

It was a quintessential part of hip hop style in the 70s and 80s 文化背景

在20世纪70和80年代，它是嘻哈风格中不可或缺的一部分，

and grew in popularity as hip hop became more mainstream in the US. 短語搭配

随着嘻哈文化在美国逐渐进入主流，它也越来越受欢迎。

But not all Cuban link chains are created equal. 習語

但古巴链并非全都一样。

Many Cuban link chains are made by machines

许多古巴链由机器制造，

in countries like the US, Italy, and China.

产地包括美国、意大利和中国等国家。

But the authentic and most expensive ones

但真正地道、也最昂贵的古巴链，

are made by hand at just a few shops in Miami.

只在迈阿密少数几家店里以手工打造。

When you move into the higher end of Cuban link chains,

当你进入古巴链的高端市场，

which you get into the $50,000, $80,000, $100,000 chains,

也就是价格达到5万、8万甚至10万美元的级别时，

those have to be handmade.

这些链子就必须手工制作。

One because of the attention to detail,

一是因为必须注重细节，

the file, the tight links.

包括锉磨工艺和链环的紧密度。

It's like going to a Ferrari dealer. 表達脈絡

这就像去法拉利经销商那里。

You could buy a Ferrari off the lot 用詞

你可以买一辆现车法拉利，

or you could have it made to how you want. 語法

也可以按自己的要求定制。

This is a custom build.

这就是定制款。

A chain like this goes through 30 manual and time-consuming stages. 短語動詞

像这样的链子要经过30道耗时的手工工序。

The skills come from your ability and practice and knowledge.

这种技艺来自能力、练习和知识。

Worldwide, I can't tell you an exact number.

全世界具体有多少人会做，我说不准。

Within South Florida, there's a handful of people, 習語

在南佛罗里达，也只有寥寥几个人，

literally a handful of people that can do this.

真的是屈指可数的人能做。

Not only is this process incredibly labor-intensive, 語法

这个过程不仅极其费工，

it's also dangerous.

还很危险。

Chino and his crew work with 1,000° flames

Chino和他的团队要面对1,000度的火焰，

to melt down the gold and form it into a bar. 短語動詞

用它熔化黄金，再铸成金条。

You've definitely got to be paying attention to what you're doing in this job. 語法

做这份工作时，你绝对得时刻留意自己在做什么。

One mess up,

只要出一次差错，

you're going to hurt yourself.

你就会受伤。

There has been people that have lost fingers in this business.

这一行真有人因此失去了手指。

That bar passes through a rolling machine

金条要穿过轧机，

as many as 12 times just to make it thinner. 語法

多达12次，才能变得更薄。

Each of the nine jewelers at Gold Fever Miami has a specific job.

Gold Fever Miami的九名珠宝匠各有专职。

At the stretch bench,

在拉丝工作台上，

one jeweler can spend over an hour just stretching the wire to length. 語法

一名珠宝匠光是把金线拉到所需长度，就可能花一个多小时。

This isn't dirt.

这不是灰尘。

This is actual gold.

这可是真金。

If you look at my hands, 語法

你要是看看我的手，

you'll see the flakes of gold on them.

就能看到上面的金屑。

This wire then gets curled around a copper rod

接着，这根金线会绕在一根铜棒上卷曲，

to form the shape for the links.

做出链环的形状。

For smaller chains,

对于较细的链子，

a drill gets the job done. 習語

用电钻就能完成。

But thicker ones need the strength of two jewelers.

但较粗的链子需要两名珠宝匠合力才行。

The most crucial stage of the process comes next.

接下来是整个流程中最关键的环节。

It also requires the most skill.

也是最考验技术的环节。

The soldering is the most intricate part of what you're doing.

焊接是整个制作过程中最精细复杂的部分。

Essentially, what you're doing is you're heating up gold 語法

简单来说，就是要把黄金加热，

and right before it begins to break down and melt,

在它刚要开始分解熔化之前，

you're introducing solder.

加入焊料。

Solder is another type of metal

焊料是另一种金属，

that's used to permanently close each link.

用来永久封合每一个链环。

So, it's the balance of applying the right amount of flame with the right amount of uh technique 短語搭配

所以，关键是把火焰强度与操作技巧都拿捏得恰到好处，

to when those two metals meet,

这样当两种金属接触时，

that solder melts and fuses into the gold.

焊料便会熔化，并与黄金熔合。

So, if you left too long,

所以，如果加热得太久，

the whole thing is just liquid gold.

整条链子就会变成一摊金水。

If done way too early, 語法

如果操作得太早，

the solder won't melt properly

焊料就无法正常熔化，

and you won't get that fusion between the links.

链环之间也就无法熔合。

You can't mess that up 短語動詞

这一步绝不能出错，

or you're going to create gaps in the chain.

否则链子上就会留下缝隙。

And you can't be scared to stop and just do it all over again. 習語

你也不能害怕停下来，全部重做一遍。

It's no secret the price of gold

众所周知，黄金的价格

plays a part in determining the cost of these chains. 短語搭配

是决定这些链子成本的因素之一。

An ounce of gold costs $1,700 today.

如今一盎司黄金售价1,700美元。

But even the most high-end Cuban links are mixed with something else.

但即使最高端的古巴链，也会掺入别的材料。

Gold itself is a very soft material,

黄金本身非常柔软，

typically too soft to be made into jewelry on its own. 語法

通常软得无法单独制成珠宝。

It has to be alloyed with other metals. 用詞

它必须与其他金属制成合金。

White gold, for example,

以白色K金为例，

is an alloy of gold

它是一种黄金合金，

made with white metals like silver, zinc, and nickel.

由黄金与银、锌和镍等白色金属制成。

Those metals make the gold more pliable, 語法

这些金属会让黄金更具延展性，

allowing it to be stretched and twisted during the jewelry-making process. 語法

使它在珠宝制作过程中可以被拉伸和扭转。

But they can be especially difficult to work with.

但它们可能尤其难处理。

One small movement can make all the difference. 習語

一个微小动作就可能带来完全不同的结果。

In rare cases with white gold,

在极少数情况下，处理白色K金时，

this can happen.

就可能发生这种事。

This is the reason why it costs so much.

这就是它价格如此高昂的原因。

If any one of these links break,

只要其中一个链环断裂，

you then have to take it back to the soldering table,

就得把它拿回焊接台，

resolder it,

重新焊接，

and bring it back here and turn it again.

再拿回这里重新扭转。

Once the links are properly turned and tightened, 語法

等链环正确扭转并收紧后，

the chain will lie flat.

整条链子就会平整地铺开。

A jeweler must then file down the chain

接着，珠宝匠必须锉磨整条链子，

so that each side is level 語法

让两侧都保持平整，

and looks exactly the same.

看起来完全一致。

And here is where the passion of the jeweler comes into hand,

到了这里，珠宝匠的热情就会体现在手艺中，

to how beautiful he can make that shape.

看他能把这个形状做得多漂亮。

But these Cuban links in particular

但尤其是这种古巴链，

didn't become so sought 短語動詞

直到最近才变得如此抢手，

after or so valuable until recently.

也如此珍贵。

Google Trends shows that searches for Cuban link chains

Google Trends显示，古巴链的搜索量

began taking off in 2012. 短語動詞

从2012年开始迅速攀升。

And in the last 2 years,

而在过去两年里，

Gold Fever Miami's sales have grown 100 times over.

Gold Fever Miami的销售额增长了100倍。

The shop used to sell $2,000 worth of Cuban links a month. 語法

这家店过去每月卖出价值2,000美元的古巴链。

That number is now over $200,000.

如今这个数字已超过20万美元。

Whether you're the most famous 語法

无论你是最出名的说唱歌手，

or you're just starting off to legitimize yourself as a rapper,

还是刚刚起步、想证明自己是名副其实的说唱歌手，

you have to have jewelry.

你都必须有珠宝。

And if you have jewelry,

而只要你有珠宝，

you have a Miami Cuban link chain.

就一定有一条迈阿密古巴链。

In 2012,

2012年，

Jay-Z wore one of the priciest Cuban links made at the time, 語法

Jay-Z戴上了当时造价最高的古巴链之一，

worth $200,000.

价值20万美元。

A year later,

一年后，

Daddy Yankee debuted his 10 kilo Cuban link chain in a music video.

Daddy Yankee在一支音乐视频中首次展示了他的10公斤古巴链。

And there's even more traction in the music industry now. 用詞

如今，古巴链在音乐界的势头甚至更盛。

They're so intertwined with pop culture, 文化背景

它们与流行文化紧密交织，

more specifically hip hop and reggaeton. 表達脈絡

更确切地说，是与嘻哈和雷鬼顿音乐密不可分。

Just about every song that has a music video 短語搭配

几乎每一首拍了音乐视频的歌，

will have a rapper with a Miami Cuban link chain.

都会出现一名戴着迈阿密古巴链的说唱歌手。

It's become in a way like a status symbol. 用詞

某种意义上，它已经成了身份地位的象征。

We have customers that want to match their Rolexes

有些顾客想让自己的劳力士手表

to their chains.

与古巴链相配。

These versions are often decked out with diamonds, 短語動詞

这类款式通常镶满钻石，

which naturally makes them pricier.

价格自然也更高。

But Gus doesn't see demand slowing for chains like this

但Gus认为，无论是这种链子

or the more modest ones.

还是更朴素的款式，需求都不会放缓。

Right now, as of March of 2021, 短語搭配

目前，也就是截至2021年3月，

we are pumping anywhere from 10 to 15 kilos in 5 days, 語法

我们每5天就能生产10到15公斤的链子，

so per 5 weeks.

也就是按每5周来算。

And we still can't keep up with the demand. 短語動詞

即便如此，我们还是赶不上需求。

We still have a wait time of 5 to 7 weeks.

等待时间依然长达5到7周。

This, 語法

这一点，

coupled with the steep price of gold,

再加上高昂的金价，

means prices likely won't drop anytime soon.

意味着价格短期内可能不会下降。

My favorite part of the process

整个流程中，我最喜欢的部分

has to be the polishing.

一定是抛光。

It's when you see a beautiful piece of metal

在这一步，你会看到一块漂亮的金属

end up as a beautiful piece of jewelry. 短語動詞

最终变成一件精美的珠宝。

So, plus it's the last step,

而且，这还是最后一道工序，

so that means we're done.

也就是说，我们完工了。