2018-10-15

百万英镑名画拍卖现场，作者亲手毁了它

班克西（Banksy)，英国极具才气的街头艺术家，以诙谐幽默而又颠覆性的涂鸦深受资本市场青睐。二十多年来，他的名声越来越响，作品价值越来越高，但他的身份却一直是个谜团。没有人知道班克西是谁，除了他自己。

伦敦时间10月5日，班克西作品 Girl with Balloon （女孩与气球）在苏富比拍卖行以 104.2 万英镑 （约 940 万人民币）的价格拍出时，这位艺术家通过操控画作内置的碎纸机自毁画作，引起全球一片哗然。

本篇课程首发于2018年10月15日

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Banksy auction stunt leaves art world in shreds

① The mysterious British artist Banksy has played what could be one of the most audacious stunts in art history, arranging for one of his best-known works to self-destruct after being sold at auction for just over £1m.

② Girl With Balloon was the final item in an auction at Sotheby's in London last week and its sale price equalled the artist's previous auction record of £1.04m.

③ Shortly after the hammer came down on the item, however, the canvas began to pass through a shredder installed in the frame.

④ Banksy posted an image on social media of the shredded work dangling from the bottom of the frame with the title "Going, going, gone …"

⑤ Technicians at the auction house swiftly took it off the wall and carried it out of view.

⑥ The clearly surprised and shocked auctioneer declared to the packed saleroom: "We are going to move on."

⑦ The buyer of the shredded print will still go ahead with the £1m purchase amid claims that its value will have significantly increased following the self-destruction.

⑧ "Banksy has cleverly nestled himself in the pages of art history," Sotheby's said.

▍生词好句

stunt /stʌnt/: n. 噱头

audacious /ɔːˈdeɪʃəs; ɒːˈdeɪʃəs/: adj. 大胆的；敢于冒险的

shredder /ˈʃredə; ˈʃredər/: n. 碎纸机

dangle /ˈdæŋɡəl/: vi. 悬挂；提着来回摆动

packed /pækt/: adj. 挤满的；拥挤的

nestle /ˈnesəl/: vt./vi. (使) 安卧；(使) 依偎

▍词汇拓展

1. stunt: n. a stunt is something done mainly to attract attention

They dressed up as clowns and then jumped off London Bridge as a publicity stunt to get lots of publicity/public attention.

他们打扮成小丑从伦敦桥跳下去，以此为噱头吸引公众关注。

2. in shreds: an idiom that means damaged in some way or even means destroyed or ruined, and it can also mean cut into little pieces

His reputation is in shreds after the recent scandal.

最近的丑闻让他名誉扫地。

His ambitious plan was in shreds after he lost all his money.

在失去所有家当后，他雄心勃勃的计划也破碎了。

3. audacious: adj. If you do something that is audacious, it is risky and dangerous, but you want to take the risk.

4. self-destruct: vi. If something self-destructs, it destroys itself, especially in a way that is planned and deliberate.

5. shredder: n. a machine used for cutting paper into very small pieces

6. dangle: vi. to dangle means to hang loosely

There is a jade flower dangling from her necklace.

她的项链上挂着一枚花纹玉坠。

There is an electrical wire dangling from the wall. It might be dangerous.

电线从墙上垂了下来，有点危险。

7. out of view: If something is out of view, you cannot see it. It's not visible.

She turned a corner, and disappeared out of view.

她转过街角，消失在我的视野里。

I can't really see the river from my window. It's out of view.

从我的窗户看不到那条河，它在我的视野之外。

8. packed: adj. If a room is packed, it's very busy with lots of people in it.

The train station is packed. It's really crowded with people.

火车站有很多人，非常拥挤。

9. nestle: vt./vi. If you nestle yourself, you put yourself in a comfortable, cozy position.

Vila likes nestling on the sofa and watching TV.

维拉喜欢窝在沙发上看电视。

▍责任编辑

陶慧敏、李焕、陈鑫悦、章晓丹