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So Apple needed a partner, one that could make a stable operating system,
所以蘋果需要一個合作伙伴提供穩定的操作系統，
preferably one that was UNIX-like and had an object-oriented application layer.
最好還是像Unix那樣的操作系統，具備面向對象的應用程序。
There was one company that could obviously supply such software -- NeXT,
當時，有一家公司顯然可以提供這樣的軟件，NeXT，
but it would take a while for Apple to focus on it.
但是還要過一段時間蘋果才會關注到這一點。
Apple first homed in on a company that had been started by Jean-Louis Gassée, called Be.
蘋果先是鎖定了一家由讓-路易·加西創建的公司Be。
Gassée began negotiating the sale of Be to Apple, but in August 1996 he overplayed his hand at a meeting with Amelio in Hawaii.
加西開始探討把Be賣給蘋果，但是1996年8月在夏威夷跟阿梅里奧開會時，他過于自以為是了。
He said he wanted to bring his fifty-person team to Apple, and he asked for 15% of the company, worth about $500 million.
他說他想帶50人的團隊加入蘋果，要公司15%的股杈，價值大約5億美元。
Amelio was stunned. Apple calculated that Be was worth about $50 million.
阿梅里奧聽罷目瞪口呆。蘋果當時對Be的估值只有5000萬美元。
After a few offers and counteroffers, Gassée refused to budge from demanding at least $275 million.
經過幾番討價還價，加西無法接受低于2.75億美元的報價。
He thought that Apple had no alternatives.
他以為蘋果沒有其他選擇了。
It got back to Amelio that Gassée said, "I've got them by the balls, and I'm going to squeeze until it hurts."
加西對別人說，“我拿住了他們的要害，我要一直捏到他們疼為止。”
