Norwegian (adj.挪威的) expressionist (n.表現主義者) Edvard Munch(n.蒙克)'s The Scream (n.吶喊) has become the most expensive artwork (n.藝術品) sold at auction (n.拍賣), after it fetched (v.售得) $119.9m.
The 1895 pastel (n.蠟筆畫) was bought by an anonymous (adj.匿名的) buyer at Sotheby's (n.蘇富比) in New York (n.紐約). Bidding (n.競投) lasted 12 minutes.
The work is one of four in a series (n.系列) by the Norwegian expressionist (adj.表現主義的) artist and was the only one still privately (adv.私人地) owned. It is also the only one to include a poem by Munch on the frame (n.畫框), which talks of the inspiration (n.靈感) behind the series of works.
Proceeds (n.收益) of the sale are to go towards founding (v.成立) a new museum (n.博物館), hotel and art centre in Norway (n.挪威).
Seven bidders (n.競投者) were competing (v.競爭) for the work, which had a starting price of $40m. The crowd broke into (v.爆發) applause (n.鼓掌), following the sale on Wednesday.
The previous (adj.以前的) record (n.紀錄) for an artwork sold at auction was for Picasso(n.畢加索)'s Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust (n.半身像), which sold for $106.5m in 2010.
According to Forbes (n.《福布斯》), The Scream is the eighth most expensive painting sold at a private or public auction, when prices are adjusted (v.調整) for inflation (n.通脹).
(BBC, May 3)
挪威表現主義者蒙克的《吶喊》，售得一億一千九百九十萬美元，成為了拍賣價最高的藝術品。
這幅一八九五年的蠟筆畫，在紐約蘇富比由一位匿名買家投得，競投為時十二分鐘。
這幅作品是該挪威表現主義畫家一系列四幅作品的其中一幅，而且是唯一仍然由私人擁有的。它也是唯一蒙克在畫框寫上了一首詩，描述他繪畫這系列作品背後的靈感。
售畫收益將用作在挪威成立一所博物館、酒店和藝術中心。
畫作在周三拍賣，底價四千萬美元，有七人競投，在場群眾在畫作售出後爆發掌聲。
在此之前，藝術品拍賣最高價的紀錄，是畢加索的《裸體、綠葉和半身像》，在二○一○年售得一億零六百五十萬美元。
根據《福布斯》資料，價格經通脹調整後，《吶喊》是私人或公開拍賣第八幅最昂貴的畫作。
（英國廣播公司，五月三日）
閱讀指引
1. expressionist (n, adj) /Ik'spreʃənIst/，iks-PRESH-shun-nist 表現主義者、表現主義的
解讀：名詞expressionism（讀如iks-PRESH-shun-ni-zm）是表現主義、表現派，是二十世紀初涵蓋視覺藝術、劇場、電影、音樂、文學等的一個派別，強調表現人的感受與情緒，而不重於以現實手法展現客觀物品或事件；expressionist可作名詞或形容詞。
2. auction (n) /'ɔ:kʃən/，AWK-shun 拍賣、拍賣會
解讀：auction有時可數、有時不可數，在第一段和最後第二段的at auction中不可數，在最後一段的at a private or public auction中則可數；如文中所示，auction前面常用介系詞at，此外，用by也常見，例如a jumble sale by auction是以拍賣方式售出舊雜物。
3. anonymous (adj) /ə'nnIməs/，a-NON-nim-muss 名字不公開的、匿名的
解讀：文中的anonymous buyer是匿名買家，又例如anonymous writer / author是匿名作者，anonymous source是匿名消息人士，anonymous letter是匿名信；prefer / wish to remain anonymous是指一個人不願透露姓名。
