比特幣價格首次超過黃金
The price of a bitcoin has climbed above that of a troy ounce of gold for the first time on record after the cryptocurrency enjoyed a dramatic upswing in interest since last year.
一枚比特幣的價格已超過一盎司黃金的價格，這是有記錄以來的第一次。自去年以來，投資者對這種加密貨幣興趣猛增。Bitcoin has jumped by nearly 33 per cent this year to trade at $1,265 a troy ounce on Thursday amid a surge in interest in China, where the authorities fret the digital currency is being used to facilitate capital flight from the country. Bitcoin has risen nearly 200 per cent over the past 12 months, despite efforts to curb its use in China.
今年以來比特幣大漲近33%，週四達到每枚1265美元，這是因爲中國人對比特幣的興趣突然大增。中國當局擔心有人正利用這種數字貨幣將資本撤離中國。儘管中國採取措施限制比特幣的使用，但過去12個月裏比特幣價格上漲了近200%。
Of course, comparing gold to bitcoin is arbitrary, given that the precious metal is measured in weight – a troy ounce of gold (about 31 grams) cost $1,233 on Thursday – while the virtual currency beloved of technologists is entirely ephemeral and abstract. But the cross is nonetheless symbolic of its unexpected staying power and influence in certain circles.
當然，把黃金跟比特幣相比有失嚴謹。黃金這種貴金屬以重量來衡量價格——週四1盎司黃金（約31克）價格爲1233美元——而比特幣這種被技術專家喜愛的虛擬貨幣完全是虛無縹緲和抽象的。但是，這次價格超越突顯比特幣在某些圈子中有着出人意料的持久力和影響力。
Although most of the interest has shifted towards the potential wider usages of blockchain – the electronic ledger that underpins bitcoin – the Securities and Exchange Commission is currently considering a proposal for an exchange-traded fund backed by bitcoin.
雖然大部分人的興趣已轉向區塊鏈技術（即支持比特幣的電子賬目）潛在的更廣泛用途，但美國證交會(SEC)目前正在考慮一項推出由比特幣支持的交易所交易基金(ETF)的提議。SEC officials on February 14 met with Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss – the bitcoin ETF’s champions – to discuss the proposal and a decision is due by March 11, according to Bloomberg.
2月14日，美國證交會官員會見了比特幣ETF的倡導者泰勒?文克萊沃斯(Tyler Winklevoss)和卡梅倫?文克萊沃斯(Cameron Winklevoss)兄弟，一起討論了這個提議。彭博社(Bloomberg)表示，美國證交會將於3月11日前就此做出決定。The digital currency came close to the headline gold price in late 2013, when it spiked above $1,000 per dollar for the first time, but then quickly halved in value in 2014, traded sideways for much of 2015 before embarking on a sharp rally in the middle of last year.
2013年底，這種數字貨幣的價格首次突破1000美元，一度逼近黃金價格。但進入2014年，比特幣價格迅速被腰斬，在2015年大部分時間裏則呈橫盤走勢，然後在2016年中期開始了急速上漲。
