Mr Mercer

John Thomson, from Edinburgh, was one of the first Western photographers to travel to the region, documenting the people, landscapes and artifacts of eastern cultures in the 1860s.
愛丁堡人約翰?湯姆森是首位來到香港的西方攝影師，他用鏡頭記錄了19世紀(jì)60年代香港人的生活，香港的美景以及蘊含東方文化的手工藝品。

An album of his incredible pictures, which he took around 150 years ago, sold at auction today for nearly ￡50,000.
后來這些由約翰攝于150年前的“香港印象”被放進一本影集里，然后以5萬英鎊的價格拍賣了。

Among the 38 prints are images of the Happy Valley race course, Victoria Peak, street and garden views, Chinese shop fronts, villagers and the famous dragon procession as well as portraits of Mr Mercer's pony, named Tommy.
這本相冊集收錄了38張照片，有歡樂谷賽馬場、維多利亞港、街道和花園、商鋪柜臺、村民、舞龍隊伍和幾張墨瑟先生的一匹名叫湯米的小馬的照片。墨瑟先生曾任香港殖民大臣。

The album, which has been passed through Mr. Mercer's family, went under the hammer at Christie's in London, where it was snapped up by an anonymous bidder for ￡47,500.
這本影集原本由默瑟先生一家保管，后來在倫敦佳士得以47，500英鎊的價格被一位匿名買家買走。

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Hong Kong

An album of photographs of Hong Kong taken in the 1860s, which show the country's famous waterfront before dozens of high-rises were built, has sold for nearly ￡50,000.
一本攝于19世紀(jì)60年代的香港影集以5萬英鎊的價格拍賣成交，這本影集記錄了這座中國著名港口城市高樓林立前的古老風(fēng)采。

Happy Valley race course

A picture of the Happy Valley race course was part of the 38-image set, taken by Scottish photographer John Thomson, which sold at Christie's in London today.
今天在佳士得拍賣的38張照片全部出于蘇格蘭攝影師約翰?湯姆森之手，其中一張是歡樂谷賽馬場。

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Hong Kong's street

Mr Thomson gave the album to William Thomas Mercer, who had retired as Hong Kong's Colonial Secretary, and the photographs have been passed down through his family since.
湯姆森先生把這本影集贈給了當(dāng)時已經(jīng)退休的原駐香港殖民大臣威廉姆?湯姆斯?默瑟先生，此后這本影集便被墨瑟先生的家人代代相傳。

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Hong Kong's villages

The incredible photo album sold for ￡47,500 today after spending nearly 150 years in the Mercer family.
在由墨瑟先生家人保管了近150年后，今天這本影集以47，500英鎊的價格拍賣成交。

Chinese shop's front

The pictures give a rare insight into what life in Hong Kong was like before it became a global financial hub.
這組珍貴照片生動地揭示了成為國際金融中心前的“香港印象”。

The scrapbook

The album was sold alongside a scrapbook (pictured), which shows Mr Mercer (right, standing next to his wife), who was Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1854 to 1868.
拍賣時影集的旁邊還配有一本剪貼薄也是由照片組成，這本剪貼薄記錄了墨瑟先生（最右邊，旁邊是他的妻子）在1854年至1868年間出任香港殖民大臣時的生活。

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Mr Mercer

Mr Mercer travelled to Hong Kong in the 1840s before working his way up to the position of Administrator of the colony.
早在19世紀(jì)40年代墨瑟先生就到訪過香港，那是他還沒有出任香港管理者。

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