上周六，“披头士”乐队已故成员约翰•列侬生前使用过的一个马桶在拍卖会上拍得9500英镑（约合近1.5万美元）的高价。据介绍，这个马桶为瓷制，蓝白相间，是列侬在1969年至1971年间在英格兰南部寓所中使用过的。在列侬家中更换新马桶时，一位建筑工人将其带回家中收藏，至今已有40年之久，直到近期这位建筑工人辞世，才将其拿出来拍卖。对于这样的高价，拍卖方感到有些意外，他们之前对该拍品的估价仅为750到1000英镑。

A toilet that belonged to late Beatle John Lennon fetched 9,500 pounds ($14,740) at auction on Saturday.

A toilet that belonged to late Beatle John Lennon fetched 9,500 pounds ($14,740) at auction on Saturday, around 10 times its estimate, the sale organizers said.

Lennon, who was murdered in New York in 1980, had the porcelain lavatory removed from Tittenhurst Park in Berkshire, southern England, where he lived from 1969 to 1971, and replaced with a new one.

The builders who took away the white and blue lavatory were told to "put some flowers in it or something," according to the auction catalog.

Builder John Hancock stored it in his shed for 40 years until he died recently and the lavatory was sent for sale, British media reports said.

The toilet was among Beatles memorabilia sold at auction as part of the Beatle week festival in Liverpool, the group's native city in northwest England. The pre-auction estimate was 750 to 1,000 pounds.

Anne-Marie Trace, who works at the Beatles Shop in Liverpool which organized the sale, said the high price paid had taken the organizers by surprise.

"I think it's the most unusual item we've ever had in our auction," she told Reuters.

The buyer was not identified but Trace said it was likely it was "going overseas."

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(Agencies)

（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）