Alan Johnston, BBC News

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Background: 世界上最名贵的小提琴是意大利提琴制造家， 史特拉第瓦里(Stradivari)所制的提琴。这些古董琴以完美的音质著称，其中一把珍藏提琴去年创下了近1千万英镑的成交纪录。但在美国近期的一次试验中，结果显示名贵古董提琴未必比现代提琴好。这一结论引起了位于北意大利史特拉第瓦里故乡的不满。

For generations lovers of classical music have believed that when it comes to the violin, there is nothing finer than the sound of a Stradivarius. But research in America has challenged the mystique surrounding the famous old instruments.

Tests involving more than 20 professional violinists were conducted in a hotel in Indiana. The violinists were made to wear goggles that blinded them.

They couldn't tell whether they were playing an antique Stradivarius, or a brand new instrument. And most of the musicians decided that they liked the new ones best.

But they've been unimpressed by this in a place called Cremona, the home town of the Stradivarius violin. At the instrument museum there, a spokesman said the American survey was no more than "media hype".

He said that for hundreds of years the world of music had recognised the quality of the Stradivarius.