Gold Rushes: Old and New(a)|金价飙涨，淘金热再起

Gold Rushes: Old and New

by Sean Russell

Starting in 1848, the California Gold Rush saw nearly half a million people in search of instant wealth.

In 1848, American carpenter James W. Marshall discovered gold while building a sawmill on the American River near Sacramento, California. His discovery would usher in one of the largest migrations in human historyhe California Gold Rush.

At the time, there was no easy way to get to California. Many East Coast Americans traveled over 30,000 kilometers by sea around the tip of South America, a grueling journey that took five to eight months. Those who chose to travel overland took their chances with illness and even death. Still, the prospect of getting rich drew thousands upon thousands of men and women from the Americas, Europe, Australia, and China.

Those fortunate enough to have made it to California in one piece began their search in earnest. Some scouring the rivers with nothing but a pan and a shovel were lucky enough to find thousands of dollars' worth of gold each day. Others staking claims to pieces of land found little more than a few tiny gold specks. By the end of the Gold Rush in 1855, gold valued at over US$16 billion by today's standards had been unearthed. While a handful of people became rich beyond their wildest dreams, many returned home with little more than what they had started with. Ironically, James W. Marshall, the man who started it all, died penniless in a small cabin while continuing his search for gold.

In the end, the Gold Rush affected the lives of thousands of people and changed the face of California forever. To this day, California is called the Golden State and is still seen as a land of new beginnings, great wealth, and infinite possibilities.

金价飙涨，淘金热再起

始于 1848年的加州淘金热吸引了近 50 万人寻求一夜致富。

1848年，美国木匠詹姆士‧马歇尔在加州沙加缅度邻近的美利坚河上盖锯木厂的时候，发现了黄金。他的发现开启了人类史上最大批的移民潮之一──加州淘金热。

　　当时，要抵达加州并不容易。许多东岸的美国人经由海路绕过南美洲南端，航程超过 3 万公里，这是个长达 5 至 8 个月的艰辛旅程。选择走陆路的人则必须冒着染病，甚至是死亡的风险。即使如此，致富的远景仍旧吸引成千上万来自美洲、欧洲、澳洲和中国的男男女女。

　　毫发无伤抵达加州的幸运儿开始他们热切的追寻。有些人仅凭着淘金盘与铲子在河里淘金，1天就能幸运地找到价值数千美元的黄金。有些占据土地的人则只找到一些数量稀少的黄金微粒。到 1855 年淘金热的尾声，超过现值 160亿美元的黄金被开采出来。尽管有少数人成为作梦也想不到的富翁，许多人返乡时并没比当初好多少。讽刺的是，引发淘金热的马歇尔在持续寻找黄金时，最后身无分文地死于 1 间小屋里。

　　最终，淘金热影响了数千人的生活，也从此改变了加州的样貌。至今，加州被称为『金州』，人们也依旧视它为充满新开始、丰饶财富以及无限可能性的地方。