原文载于2006年4月7日《中国日报》 柳杰（音）文 坤书译
Gold jewellery prices hit record

    The retail price of gold jewellery has hit a record high in key Chinese cities, stimulated by a price surge for the precious metal in the international market.

    Most local consumers, however, continue to buy gold products to give as gifts rather than as investments.

    In department stores in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang Province, gold products were tagged at 202 yuan (US$25) per gram from Wednesday, the first time in 25 years that the price topped 200 yuan per gram.

    受国际市场金价飙升的影响，中国主要城市金饰品的零售价格创下新的纪录。

    然而当地的消费者购买黄金产品仍然是为了馈赠而不是为了投资。

    在中国东部浙江省省会杭州的百货商场，星期三金饰品上的标价是每克202元（25美元），25年来首次突破了每克200元。

    Price hikes were more moderate in Beijing, with the unit price of gold products with a purity of 99.99 per cent increasing from 165 (US$21) to 175 yuan (US$22) per gram.

    Gold jewellery retailed from 135 yuan (US$17) to 140 yuan (US$17.28) per gram nationwide in the same period last year.

    Lu Wenyuan, secretary-general of the China Gold Association (CGA), said the price increase was fuelled by the bullish global gold exchange market, as gold on Wednesday came close to a recent 25-year high. This was helped by a weak dollar, high oil prices and a rally in base metals.

    北京的涨幅要小些，纯度为99.99%的金饰品单位价格从每克165元（21美元）上涨到175元（22美元）。

    去年同期全国范围金饰品的零售价介于135元（17美元）至140元（17.28美元）之间。

    中国黄金协会秘书长陆文渊（音）说，金饰品价格的上扬乃是全球黄金牛市使然，星期三的金价已接近25年来的最高点。另外，美元的疲软、油价的居高不下、和贱金属的价格反弹都促使金价的飙升。

    Analysts said the price could soon hit US$600 an ounce, as investors remain positive. Investors have been impressed by gold's performance, with prices surging 40 per cent in the past 12 months to hit US$596.20 an ounce, or US$21 per gram, yesterday.

    According to Yin Ming, general manager of Zhejiang Mingpai Jewellery Co Ltd, the cost of raw gold exceeds 150 yuan (US$19) per gram, compared to more than 80 yuan (US$10) at the corresponding period last year. This means the sharp price surge in gold products is reasonable.

    "The narrowing margin has forced us to lift the retail price," said Wang Chunli, general manager of Beijing Caishikou Department Store, the largest gold jewellery retailer in terms of sales volume and revenue in the capital.

    分析家说，由于投资者一直看好，金价将很快触及每盎司600美元。投资者对黄金的表现信心十足，近12个月来金价上涨了40%，昨日金价每盎司达到596.20美元，每克21美元。

    浙江名牌金饰品有限公司的总经理尹敏（音）认为，加工前的黄金成本如今每克已经超过150元（19美元），而在去年同期则仅仅超过80元。这样，金饰品价格提升乃是意料中事。

    “日益缩小的利润空间使我们不得不提高零售价格，”北京金饰品销售量和销售收入均属首屈一指的菜市口百货商场总经理王春丽（音）说，

    Wang said she hopes the price would remain stable before the seven-day May Day festival holiday, usually a peak season for the sale of gold products. "Otherwise, sales might be influenced," said Wang.

    She said that since the majority of goods presented on counters were ordered last year, the price hike was relatively modest at present.

    "New orders are certain to be much more expensive. Even sharp price increases seem inevitable," said Wang.

    王春丽说，她希望五一节假日期间金价会保持稳定，节假日期间通常都是金饰品销售的高峰期。“否则，会影响到金饰品的销售，”

    她说摆在柜台上的绝大部分货品都是去年定购的，目前价格上涨的幅度不大。

    “新的定购肯定要昂贵得多。大幅度提价看来是不可避免了，”王春丽说。

    She and her counterparts had mixed feelings about the price rise. They said they are worried that the bullish market would affect consumers' desire to buy, although they expected consumers would buy more gold jewellery as an investment.

    Consumers, however, have indifferent attitudes, believing a piece of jewellery's value lies largely in its design and the skill in which it is made.

    Shopper Sun Ming, 32, said as the price of gold increased and was still climbing, he would not buy any gold jewellery.

    王春丽和她的同行对价格上涨喜忧参半。她们担心牛市会影响消费者的购买热情，虽然她们也指望消费者会作为一种投资工具去购买更多的金饰品。

    然而消费者却有不同的取向，他们认为金饰品的价值主要在于其设计和制作技巧。 
   

    32岁的孙明是一位热心的购物者，他说由于黄金价格居高不下，而且还有上涨的趋势，他不想在这段期间购买任何金饰品。

    "Those products are not investment products in the strictest sense," said Sun, adding that he hoped the nation would open more gold investment channels for individual investors. 

    Chinese individuals are still banned from selling and buying gold in banks and on gold exchange markets.

    Wang said sales of pure gold jewellery at Caishikou were stable.

    At the Shanghai Gold Exchange, China's only gold bourse, the price of gold with a purity of 99.99 per cent hit 152.59 yuan (US$19) per gram yesterday, up 2.19 yuan (27 US cents) from Wednesday, or an increase of 1.45 per cent.

    “那些金饰品都不是真正意义上的投资产品，”孙明说，他希望政府会为个人投资者开放更多的黄金投资渠道。

    银行和黄金交易市场上的黄金买卖仍然没有向中国的个人开放。

    王春丽说菜市口的纯金饰品的销售额相当稳定。

    在中国的唯一黄金交易所 -- 上海黄金交易所，昨天纯度为99.99%的金价达到每克152.59元（19美元），比星期三高出了2.19元，上涨了1.45%