Auctionsarepublicsalesofgoods,conductedbyanofficiallyapprovedauctioneer.Heaskedthecrowedassembledintheauction-roomtomakeoffers,or“bids”,forthevariousitemsonsale.Heencouragesbuyerstobidhigherfiguresandfinallynamesthehighestbidderasthebuyerofthegoods.Thisiscalled“knockingdown”thegoods,forthebiddingendswhentheauctioneerbangsasmallhammeronatableatwhichhestands.Thisisoftensetonaraisedplatformcalledarostrum. TheancientRomansprobablyinventedsalesbyauction,andtheEnglishwordcomesfromtheLatinAutcio,meaning“increase.”TheRomansusuallysoldinthiswaythespoilstakeninwar;thesesaleswerecalledsubhasta,meaning“underthespear,”aspearbeingstuckinthegroundasasignalforacrowdtogather,InEnglishintheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturies,goodswereoftensold“bythecandle”;ashortcandlewaslitbytheauctioneer,andbidscouldbemadewhileitstayedalight. Practicallyallgoodswhosequalitiesvaryaresoldbyauction.Amongthesearecoffee,hides,skins,wool,tea,cocoa,furs,spices,fruitandvegetablesandwines.Auctionsalesarealsousualforlandandproperty,antiquefurniture,pictures,rarebooks,oldchinaandsimilarworksofart.Theauction-roomsasChristie’sandSotheby’sinLondonandNewYorkareworld-famous. Anauctionisusuallyadvertisedbeforehandwithfullparticularsofthearticlestobesoldandwhereandwhentheycanbeviewedbyprospectivebuyers.Iftheadvertisementcannotgivefulldetails,cataloguesareprinted,andeachgroupofgoodstobesoldtogether,calleda“lot,”isusuallygivenanumber.TheauctioneerneednotbeginwithLotIandcontinueinnumericalorder;hemaywaituntilheregistersthefactthatcertaindealersareintheroomandthenproducethelotstheyarelikelytobeinterestedin.Theauctioneer’sservicesarepaidforintheformofapercentageofthepricethegoodsaresoldfor.Theauctioneerthereforehasadirectinterestinpushingupthebiddingashighaspossible. TheRomansusedtosell_____byauction.
A.spoilt goods B.old-worn weapons C.property taken from the enemy D.spears正确答案C
