3.8萬美元的天價iPhone外殼
When measured against other smartphones, the average price of Apple's iPhone already makes it a luxury item in most Asian countries.
就其平均價格和其他智能手機相比，在多數亞洲國家，蘋果公司(Apple Inc., AAPL)的iPhone手機本身已經就是款奢侈品了。But that hasn't stopped designers from offering even more extravagant iPhone cases with eye-popping price tags.
儘管如此，設計師們還是不斷推出越來越奢華，價格愈加令人瞠目的iPhone手機外殼。The latest entry is the Koku, a bedazzled case for the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S, which comes in both silver and gold varieties. The gold case is fitted out with more than 200 diamonds and sells for 3,776,000 Japanese yen, or more than $38,500.
最新上市的Koku，是一款專爲iPhone 5和iPhone 5S製作的系列手機外殼，分金、銀兩款，造型眼花繚亂。其中金款鑲有200多顆 石，售價3,776,000日圓，約合逾38,500美元。
Though the cases are currently sold only in Japan, the president of the Japanese jewelry company that makes them says he hopes to start selling them it world-wide.
儘管這些外殼目前只能在日本買到，但製作該產品的日本珠寶公司──秋山國際株式會社(Akiyama International Co.,簡稱：秋山國際)的總裁秋山酉太郎(Yutaro Akiyama)表示，希望開始面向全球發售。'Since iPhone is marketed globally, we'd like to promote these outside Japan as well in future,' Yutaro Akiyama, of Akiyama Co., told the Journal.
他對本報記者說道，蘋果手機佈局全球市場，因此我們也希望在未來將產品推廣到日本以外的國家。So, what makes the Koku so expensive? We broke down the cost.
那麼Koku手機外殼何以如此昂貴？讓我們來看看它的製作成本。Who Makes It: Japanese jeweler Akiyama and mobile phone company Phonet, both based in Yamanashi prefecture, teamed up on the Koku. Akiyama usually makes wearable women's accessories such as earrings, bracelets and pendants, while Phonet runs a dozen stores in Yamanashi.
由誰推出：總部位於山梨縣的秋山國際和移動手機公司Phonet Co.共同完成Koku的設計工作。秋山國際實際上是一家主要經營耳環、手鐲、掛墜等女性飾品的公司，而Phonet在山梨縣擁有十二家手機門店。What It's Made of: The gold iPhone case is made of 18-carat yellow gold studded with 207 diamonds weighing 1.71 carats in total. The less expensive version is made with silver and cubic zirconias, bringing the price down to a still-pricey 377,600 yen.
由何製成：金款iPhone手機外殼由18K黃金製成，表面鑲有207顆總重1.71克拉的 石。銀款外殼由銀和合成鋯石製成，售價雖較金款外殼低，但仍高達377,600日圓。Craftmanship & Design: Koku means 'time,' and the back of the case features a design of a clock face set against the outline of a solitaire-diamond ring. Above the XII symbol is a silhouette of Mount Fuji, Japan's tallest peak, whose height -- 3,776 meters -- inspired the product's aspirational price tag.
工藝/設計：Koku在日語中意爲“時間”，外殼的背面圖案是一枚時鐘錶盤模樣的指環，上面用鑲 勾勒出 石的外形。錶盤12點位置的上方則呈現以日本最高峯──富士山的形貌，該產品的價格正是由山的海拔──3776米得來。
How It's Made: The case was 'extremely difficult' to manufacture because the materials tended to shrink or lose their sheen during the casting process, said Mr. Akiyama.
生產過程：秋山稱，該外殼的生產工藝“極其精細”，因爲在鑄造的過程中要確保材料不會收縮或失去光澤。Exclusivity: Available only by order, only 15 gold and 15 silver cases will be produced and are targeted toward wealthy women in their 40s and 50s. According to Mr. Akiyama, the company has received one order for the silver version so far, but none have been placed for the gold one yet.
獨特性：產品只接受定製，公司計劃生產金款、銀款各15件，並將目標客戶羣定位在40至50歲、富有的女性消費者。據秋山稱，公司目前已經收到一份銀款手機外殼的訂單，尚未有人預定金款。
