泰坦尼克号钥匙拍卖8.5万英镑 开启100年前的尘封记忆

A key which opened a life-jacket locker on the Titanic has been sold for 85,000 pounds.

日前，泰坦尼克号上打开救生衣柜的一把钥匙被拍出了85000英镑的高价。

It was among 200 items from the liner sold at an auction in Devizes.

在迪韦齐斯的这场拍卖会中，共有200多件泰坦尼克号相关物品被拍卖。

The key had been predicted to fetch up to 50,000 pounds. Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said the amount the key finally sold for "reflected its importance and unique nature".

这把钥匙最初估价为50000英镑。据拍卖师安德鲁·奥尔德里奇表示，钥匙的最终成交价格“反映了它的重要性和独特性质”。

The locker key had belonged to third-class steward Sidney Sedunary, from Berkshire, who perished when the Titanic went down in April 1912, after hitting an iceberg.

这把救生衣柜钥匙属于来自约克夏的三等舱乘务员西德尼·塞度那利，在1912年4月份泰坦尼克号撞上一座冰山沉没时，他也随之葬身大海。

Mr Aldridge said: "Without a doubt [he saved lives]. Here's a man who sacrificed his life to save others."

奥尔德里奇表示：“毫无疑问他拯救了很多人的生命。他牺牲了自己，拯救了他人。”

The auction in Devizes was one of the biggest involving Titanic memorabilia for many years.

迪韦齐斯的这场拍卖会是多年以来拍卖泰坦尼克号遗物的最大拍卖会之一。

A collection of letters written by Chief Officer Henry Wilde, who was second in command on the vessel, fetched 5,000 pounds at the auction.

几份由泰坦尼克号大副（船上职位第二高的人）亨利·王尔德所写的信件被拍卖出了5000英镑的价格。

In one of the letters, written onboard Titanic and posted at Queenstown (now Cobh) in Ireland, Wilde indicated he had misgivings about the new ship.

其中一封信是在泰坦尼克号上所写，并在爱尔兰昆士敦（今科夫)寄出，大副王尔德在信中表达了他对新船的疑虑。

"I still don't like this ship... I have a queer feeling about it," he wrote.

他在信中写道：“我还是不喜欢这艘船。我对它有一种奇怪的感觉。”

He had been expecting to take command of another ship, the Cymric, and only signed on to the Titanic on 9 April 1912, the day before it sailed.

他一直期待着指挥另一艘船“赛尔特号”，直到1912年4月9日他才最终签约登上泰坦尼克号--那正是泰坦尼克号起航的前一天。

After the collision, Wilde took charge of the even-numbered lifeboats, and oversaw their loading and lowering into the water. He was among those who died in the tragedy.

在撞击发生之后，王尔德负责偶数编号的救生艇，他对乘客登上救生艇、放救生艇入水的过程进行了监督。他是那些在这场悲剧中不幸遇难的人之一。

Mr Aldridge said: "It is without doubt one of the finest Titanic-related letters, written by one of the liner's most senior officers on Olympic stationery.

奥尔德里奇表示：“毫无疑问这是和泰坦尼克号相关的最优秀的信件之一，它是船上的一名高级人员用奥运文具书写的。”

"This lot reveals previously unknown details and shows Wilde's obvious disappointment in being transferred to Titanic.

“这揭示了人们以前不知道的关于王尔德的细节，显示了王尔德对登上泰坦尼克号一事所感到的明显的失望之情。”

"What is certain is that he worked diligently to load the boats once the seriousness of the situation was clear to him."

“但是有一点可以肯定的是，一旦他明白了形势的严重性，他就认真地指挥人们登上救生艇逃生。”

Also included in the sale was a postcard from the ship's senior wireless operator, 25-year-old Jack Phillips, from Farncombe in Surrey, who carried on sending distress messages to other ships as the Titanic sank.

在被拍卖的物品当中还包括泰坦尼克高级电报员杰克·菲利普斯的明信片，菲利普斯时年25岁，来自英国萨里法恩科姆，正是他在泰坦尼克号沉没时向其他船只发送了泰坦尼克号的遇险消息。

Phillips, who drowned, was described as "the man who saved us all" by survivor and fellow wireless operator Harold Bridge.

菲利普斯最终葬身大海，幸存者和另外一名电报员哈罗德称其“拯救了我们所有人”。

The card, signed "Love all, Jack", describes the weather as the ship left Cowes on the Isle of Wight. It was sold for 19,000 pounds.

这封明信片上写着“爱你们所有人，杰克！”，记述了泰坦尼克号离开怀特岛考斯时的天气情况。这封明信片最终被拍卖出19000英镑的价格。