20152016学年高中英语Unit1Culturalrelics课外阅读课件新人教版必修

CulturalRelicsonTheirWayHomeCulturalrelicsasremnantsofhistory,areregardedasrecordsoftheriseandfallofanation.ManyChineseculturalrelics,whichhavebeenscatteredaroundtheworldoverthelastcentury,havestartedtoreturnhometothecollectionsofChineseculturalinstitutions,enterprisesandresidentsoverthepastdecade.Readingpractice1:ThiswaveofreturningartifactshasarousedissuesconcerningtheprotectionofChina'sculturalheritageandthedevelopmentoftheantiquemarketinthecountry.Thehotartmarkethascontributedtothecurrent'tidalwave',amongotherfactors,saidKouQin,assistantgeneralmanageroftheBeijing-basedChinaGuardianAuctionCo.Morethan30percentoftheartworksappearingatthecompany'sautumnauctionwerecollectedfromoverseas.ThecomingGuardianauctioncouldn'tbetakingplaceatabettertime.TheChineseartmarketshowedsignsofheatingupagainafortnightago,whenanalbumofflower-and-birdpaintingsbyChineseartistQiBaishi(1863-1957)hitacontroversiallyhighpriceof16.61millionyuan(US$2million).•Thepricewas10timestherecordpriceQi'sworkfetchedinglobalartcirclesin1998.•Theriseinthepriceofartworkinitshomecountry,andtheforthcomingreturnofthecountry'srelicsfromoverseashavebeenanaturalresultoftheeconomicboom,saidZhangYongnian,directorofthenon-governmentalChinaCulturalRelicsRecoveryFund.ItoccurredinJapanandtheRepublicofKorea(ROK)whenJapaneseandKoreanartpiecesbegantoreturnfromoverseasinthe1980sand1990s.Likeotherancientcivilizations,Chinahasseenmanyculturalrelicstakenoverseaswhenthecountrywassubjectedtowarsandinternationalbullying,saidZhang.In1860,invadingBritishandFrencharmieslootedandburneddowntheOldSummerPalace,whichwasknownthenasthegardenofgardens.In1900,theinvadingBritish,American,German,French,Russian,Japanese,ItalianandAustriantroopssparkedlootingthroughoutBeijing,includingtheForbiddenCity,theSummerPalace,templesandmausoleums,governmentofficesandresidentialhouses.ItemshousedinBeijingfromtheYuanDynasty(1271-1368)todate,fromhistoricalfilestonationaltreasures,havebeensweptaway,accordingtoofficialdocumentsfromtheQingDynasty(1644-1911).Ofthenumerousculturalrelicsthatweretakenoutofthecountryinthe100yearsaftertheFirstOpiumWar(1840-42),alargenumberarenowstoredatmajorpublicmuseumsinEuropeandtheUnitedStates,saidLinShuzhong,aprofessorwiththeNanjingAcademyofArts.Forinstance,relicsfromtheOldSummerPalacehavebeenshowcasedintheBritishMuseumandtheFontainebleauArtMuseuminFrance.•Therelicsthathavereturnedmostlycomefromindividualcollectorsandprivatemuseums,saidZhang.Zhangsaidtherearethreemajorwaysforacountrytorecoverculturalrelicsfromoverseascollections:toapplyinternationalconventions,topurchasethemandtogetthembackasdonations.DifficulthomecomingSomeChineseexpertsarguethatthecountryshouldstopbuyingpilferedculturalrelicsandsimplyaskforthemtobereturnedbyapplyinginternationalconventions.ChinasignedtheUnitedNationsEducational,ScientificandCulturalOrganization(UNESCO)ConventionontheMeansofProhibitingandPreventingtheIllicitImport,ExportandTransferofOwnershipofCulturalPropertyin1970andtheInternationalInstitutefortheUnificationofPrivateLawConventiononStolenorIllegallyExportedCulturalObjectsin1995.Readingpractice2:Manysignatorycountries,suchasChina,EgyptandGreece,hopetorecoverculturalobjectsstolenfromtheircountriesunderthoseconventions.Butunfortunatelythecountrieswiththemostvaluableculturalrelicsfromothercountries,especiallydevelopingones,includingtheUnitedStatesandBritain,havenotsignedthetwoconventions.InternationalinstitutionshavemadeseveralmajordonationsandreturnedChineseculturalrelicstotheirhomesince1949.In1951and1954theLeningradUniversity,theLeninLibraryandtheSovietUnionAcademyofSciencesopenedtheircollectionsandreturned64volumesofthe600-year-oldYongleEncyclopediatotheChineseGovernment.Chinahasalsoboughtculturalrelicsback,saidZhang.StatisticsprovidedbytheChineseSocietyofCulturalRelicsshowthatmorethan3,000culturalrelicscamefromoverseasin2002andweresoldinChina,butnostatisticsweregivenonwhethertheystayedinthecountry.AmongthemalargepartwerebroughttotheChinesemarketbyauctioneers,accordingtosociety.Theshortageinrelicsuppliesspurredusontosearchoverseas,saidKouQin.Kousaidthatin1993and1994,thefirsttwoorthreeauctionhousesfoundedinBeijingsoldartworkswhichweremainlyconfiscatedfromhouseholdsduringtheculturalrevolution(1966-76).Theownersoftherelicscouldn'tbefoundaftertheturbulent10-yearperiod.Someseniorcollectorsalsohadpiecesintheircollectionauctionedoffsothattheywouldbeabletomoveoutoftheirshabbyquartersintolargerandbetterhousesorapartments.In1996,thenumberofauctionhousesinBeijingwasmorethan20.However,artcollectorshavedeclinedtosellmorepiecesaftertheyhadmovedintolargerhouses.Theadditionalcashtheyearnedfromauctionshadfoundnoidealchannelforinvestments.•Meanwhile,State-ownedantiqueshops,amajorsupplierforauctioneers,couldprovidelessandlessrealrelics.•Asthesupplyproblemsbecameapparent,theauctioneershaveturnedtopartsofthecountrytheyhadneglected,suchasEastChina'sJiangsuandZhejiangprovincesandNorthwestChina'sShaanxiProvince,andalsotooverseas.ReclaimingculturalrelicsfromoverseasCulturalrelicexpertsandNGOshavesetthewheelsi