2016年英语四级背诵经典短文二十（含译文）

　　Collectibles

　　Collectibles have been a part of almost every culture since ancient times.

　　Whereas some objects have been collected for their usefulness, others

　　have been selected for their aesthetic beauty alone. In the United

　　States, the kinds of collectibles currently popular range from

　　traditional objects such as stamps, coins, rare books, and art to more

　　recent items of interest like dolls, bottles, baseball cards, and comic

　　books.

　　Interest in collectibles has increased enormously during the past decade,

　　in part because some collectibles have demonstrated their value as

　　investments. Especially during cycles of high inflation, investors try to

　　purchase tangibles that will at least retain their current market values.

　　In general, the most traditional collectibles will be sought because they

　　have preserved their value over the years, there is an organized auction

　　market for them, and they are most easily sold in the event that cash is

　　needed. Some examples of the most stable collectibles are old masters,

　　Chinese ceramics, stamps, coins, rare books, antique jewelry, silver,

　　porcelain, art by well-known artists, autographs, and period

　　furniture. Other items of more recent interest include old

　　photograph records, old magazines, post cards, baseball cards, art glass,

　　dolls, classic cars, old bottles, and comic books. These relatively new

　　kinds of collectibles may actually appreciate faster as short-term

　　investments, but may not hold their value as long-term investments. Once a

　　collectible has had its initial play, it appreciates at a fairly

　　steady rate, supported by an increasing number of enthusiastic

　　collectors competing for the limited supply of collectibles that become

　　increasingly more difficult to locate.