11.不仅是朵美丽的花（1154）

Lesson 11 Not Only a Flower

The tulip is the national flower of the Netherlands, and it's very special to the Dutch people.

Back in 1636, everyone in the Netherlands wanted this fancy and rare flower that was all the rage in Europe.

Lots of people started pouring money into tulips, and their price shot up twenty times in just a few months.

At the peak of the craze, one tulip bulb was as valuable as a small house.

The chance of making big money led many folks to save up just to buy tulips.

But, as always, the good times didn’t last, and soon the price of tulips crashed by 90%, leaving many broke.

Tea is the national drink of China, and people there have enjoyed it for thousands of years.

Chinese tea, a traditional export, has been sold worldwide.

Nowadays, people in China are getting excited about a special kind of tea.

This tea is unique because it can be pressed into bricks, making it last longer.

What's more, the longer you keep it, the more nutritious and flavorful it becomes, so its price goes up.

Because of this, folks selling these aged tea bricks are making a ton of cash.

The price has gone up ten times.

Right now, a 30-year-old tea brick that weighs about a pound costs around 20,000 Yuan.

Many think it's not just for drinking but also great as a gift or a collector's item, so its value could climb even higher.

Others argue that the tea's price has gone way beyond what it's really worth and suggest there’s a huge bubble.

It's true, the cost of anything can rise and fall, but lots of people are hoping to cash in before prices drop.

This is what you might call speculation.

For those in this line of work, life is definitely full of excitement.

1. The tulip is the national flower of the Netherlands, and it's very special to the Dutch people.

2. Back in 1636, everyone in the Netherlands wanted this fancy and rare flower that was all the rage in Europe.

3. Lots of people started pouring money into tulips, and their price shot up twenty times in just a few months.

4. At the peak of the craze, one tulip bulb was as valuable as a small house.

5. The chance of making big money led many folks to save up just to buy tulips.

6. But, as always, the good times didn’t last, and soon the price of tulips crashed by 90%, leaving many broke.

7. Tea is the national drink of China, and people there have enjoyed it for thousands of years.

8. Chinese tea, a traditional export, has been sold worldwide.

9. Nowadays, people in China are getting excited about a special kind of tea.

10. This tea is unique because it can be pressed into bricks, making it last longer.

11. What's more, the longer you keep it, the more nutritious and flavorful it becomes, so its price goes up.

12. Because of this, folks selling these aged tea bricks are making a ton of cash.

13. The price has gone up ten times.

14. Right now, a 30-year-old tea brick that weighs about a pound costs around 20,000 Yuan.

15. Many think it's not just for drinking but also great as a gift or a collector's item, so its value could climb even higher.

16. Others argue that the tea's price has gone way beyond what it's really worth and suggest there’s a huge bubble.

17. It's true, the cost of anything can rise and fall, but lots of people are hoping to cash in before prices drop.

18. This is what you might call speculation.

19. For those in this line of work, life is definitely full of excitement.

不仅是朵美丽的花

1. 郁金香是荷兰的国花，对荷兰人来说非常特别。

2. 回到1636年，荷兰的每个人都想要这种在欧洲异常流行的奢华而稀有的花。

3. 许多人开始投资于郁金香，几个月内其价格猛增了二十倍。

4. 在狂热的顶点，一个郁金香球茎的价值相当于一座小别墅。

5. 赚大钱的机会促使许多人开始存钱仅仅为了购买郁金香。

6. 但是，美好的时光总是短暂的，很快郁金香的价格暴跌90%，让许多人破产。

7. 茶是中国的国饮，中国人已经饮用了数千年。

8. 中国茶作为最传统的出口产品，已经销往世界各地。

9. 现在，中国人开始对一种特殊类型的茶感兴趣。

10. 这种茶因为可以压制成茶砖而独特，使其更能长期保存。

11. 而且，存放时间越长，它的营养价值越高，风味越佳，因此价格越高。

12. 正因如此，转卖这些陈年茶砖的人赚了一大笔钱。

13. 价格已经上涨了十倍。

14. 目前，一块重约500克的30年陈茶砖的价格约为20,000元。

15. 许多人认为，它不仅仅用于饮用，还是作为礼物或收藏品的绝佳选择，因此其价值还有上升空间。

16. 另一些人则认为，这种茶的价格已经严重偏离其实际价值，存在一个巨大的泡沫。

17. 的确，任何商品的价格都有涨有跌，但许多人希望在价格下跌之前赚一笔。

18. 这可能就是所谓的投机。

19. 对于从事这一行业的人来说，生活确实充满了刺激。