Since that unrecorded day in prehistory

摘要

When some Stone Age primitive stubbed his toe on a gold nugget and took it back to his cave, gold has held a unique position in the affairs of man. At first, the shiny, yellow metal was prized as an adornment because of its brilliance and the ease with which it could be hammered into amulets and decorations, often with religious significance. As technology developed, man came to understand some of gold's other properties. Both practical and soul-stirringly mystical, it is unique among the world's elements. It is the king of metals. To begin with, the chemical symbol for gold is Au, from aurum, the Latin word for gold, derived from Aurora, the goddess of the shining dawn. Even chemists are moved to poetry when dealing with the stuff.