評論
打印
1. Buffett auctioned his 20-year-old wallet on December 3, 1999 and received a high bid of $210,000 which went to a charity, Girls Inc. of Omaha. The story about the battered old black billfold broke in The Wall Street Journal (December 2,1999). "I've never gone for the top of the line," Buffett was quoted.
1. 1999年12月3日，巴菲特拍賣(auction)了跟隨他20年之久的錢包，高達21萬美元的拍賣所得(a high bid of $210,000)全部捐給了慈善機構（charity）奧馬哈女童之家。《華爾街日報》(1999年12月2日)刊登(break-broke-broken vt. 透露, 說出)了有關這個黑色舊皮夾(the battered old black billfold)的故事，報紙援引(quote v. 引用, 援引; quotation n. 引用, 引述)巴菲特的話說：“我還從來沒有上過頭條(the top of the line)。”
2. The wallet survived the dunking in a Minnesota lake after a fishing boat capsized leaving Buffett dogpaddling. Buffet didn't include his credit cards, driver's license or a pass for free McDonald's hamburgers. He did include an expired half-price pass from Hooter's restaurant chain given to him for allowing the chain to note Buffett's birthday on their calendar. "I plan to leave the name of a stock tip in it for whoever buys it," Buffett told the Journal. It turned out to be First Industrial Realty Trust.
2.這個錢包曾經被水浸泡過。一次，巴菲特在明尼蘇達州的一個湖中釣魚時，船翻了(a fishing boat capsized)，害得巴菲特在湖中練狗刨。這次拍賣不包括他的信用卡、駕照以及換取麥當勞漢堡包的免費券(a pass for free McMonalds hamburgers)。但是，包含一張到期的(expired)呼特餐飲連鎖店的半價優惠卡，那是巴菲特允許呼特餐飲連鎖店在臺歷上注明了自己生日所得到的禮物(回報)。“不管誰（whoever）買下錢包，我都打算在里面留一條股票信息(the name of a stock tip)”，巴菲特在接受《華爾街日報》采訪時說。這只股票后來被證實是第一工業房地產信托公司(First Industrial Realty Trust)。(turn out 結果是，原來是)
3. Television interviewer Bob McCartney of KETV in Omaha asked Buffett if he thought the wallet bidding would get to the seven figure mark. "No, no, I don't think so...if it got that high, I'd be sorry I didn't sell it myself." When the subject came up of the Hooter's pass, Buffett said: "It expired, and they didn't offer me a renewal." As for the stock tip, Buffett said there might be "a little mention" of a company Berkshire bought that wasn't public knowledge yet.
3. 奧馬哈的KETV電視臺記者鮑勃·麥卡特采訪巴菲特時問他，事先有沒有想到會拍賣到七位數(the seven figure mark)。“沒有，沒有，絕沒想到，早知道能賣這么高的價格，我還不如親自賣。”談到(come up 提及；提到)呼特餐飲連鎖店的優惠卡，巴菲特說“優惠卡到期了，呼特不給我續辦。”至于(as for)說股票信息，巴菲特說他“略微提到”(a little mention)一個伯克希爾公司購買的公眾還不知道的（that wasnt public knowledge yet）公司。
4. John Morgan of Wayzata, Minnesota, won the wallet with a $210,000 bid. Morgan was born and raised in Omaha in an area that was served by Girls Inc. Reports said Morgan would share the stock's name with people who gave $1,000 or more to Girls Inc., whose board (偏意: n. 董事會,委員會) is headed by Buffett's daughter, Susie, who came up with the auction idea. So what's her next auction item proposal? Buffett told the Omaha World-Herald (December 2, 1999): "I can't talk to her anymore. I've got to watch it. It may be my underwear next time."
4.明尼蘇達州威扎塔的約翰·摩根出價21萬美元競得那個錢包。摩根生于(bron)奧馬哈，長于(raise)奧馬哈，該區域正是奧馬哈女童之家為之提供服務的地區。有報道稱，凡向奧馬哈女童之家捐資1000美元以上者，摩根愿與之分享(share with)該股票的名字。奧馬哈女童之家的負責人是巴菲特的女兒蘇珊。正是蘇珊想出來（come up with）這個拍賣他父親錢包的主意。那么，接下來她打算拍賣什么呢?巴菲特對《奧馬哈世界導報》(1999年12月2日)說：“我不會告訴她，我要等等看(I’ve got to watch it.)。也許下次的拍賣品是我的內衣(underware)。”
5. Morgan is a successful businessman who co-founded an equipment-leasing company, took Winthrop Resources public and in 1997 sold it to Minneapolis-based TCF Financial Corp. Morgan and two partners sold the business for $325 million. Each of the three partners received about $60 million. In January, 1999 the three partners formed Rush River Group to invest in over-the-counter stocks. Rush River has a stake in Grow Biz and Morgan is now the CEO of Grow Biz which owns a large number of retail stores. (stock n. 公債; 股份; 股票stake n. 股份, 利害關系)
5.摩根是一位成功的商人，他與人合伙創辦了溫斯羅普資源公司，從事設備租賃業務(equipment-leasing company)，然后又設法使之上市(take … public)。后于1997年將它出售給總部設在明尼阿波麗斯市的TCF金融公司，售價(sell for)為3.25億美元，三個合伙人每人分得(receive)大約6000萬美元。1999年1月，這三人又合伙成立(form)拉什河集團，投資于場外交易市場的股票(to invest in over-the-counter stocks)。拉什河集團在羅比茲公司擁有股份，該公司旗下有大量零售商店（a large number of retail stores）。摩根現任其首席執行官。
6. Morgan, the first graduate from high school in his family, was told by his guidance counselor that he should be a bricklayer. Instead he worked his way through college. After Morgan won the wallet, Buffett took him to dinner. (I met Morgan at Berkshire's Annual Meeting festivities in 2000 and offered to sell him my wallet. He didn't express the slightest interest.)
6.摩根是他們家的第一位高中畢業生，高中就業指導曾建議他當一名磚瓦匠，可是，他卻設法完成了大學學業(work one's way through 從頭到尾做)。摩根競買錢包成功后，巴菲特同他共進晚餐。(2000年伯克希爾的股東年會上，我遇到了摩根，我提出把我的錢包賣給他，他卻一丁點兒興趣都沒有。)
7. The secret stock tip of First Industrial Realty Trust, a Chicago based REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) that owns warehouses and distribution facilities was revealed in a Wall Street Journal story (December 17, 1999). (There was a report in 2001 that Buffett had sold his stake by then.) Fred Henry, a 40-year-old well-digger in Oakland, Iowa, who contributed to Girls Inc. and received the tip from Morgan confirmed the name of the stock to the Journal. How often do well-diggers source(偏意：vt. 向…提供消息) the Journal about a stock tip in an old billfold?
7.《華爾街日報》的一篇報道(1999年12月17日)披露出(reveal)錢包里的秘密股票信息。第一工業房地產信托公司是一家總部設在芝加哥的房地產投資信托公司，擁有眾多倉庫（wearhouses）和配送設施。(2001年有報道稱巴菲特在當年(by then)出售了他持有的這支股票。)費雷德·亨利是愛荷華州奧克蘭的一名40歲的打井工。他向奧馬哈女童之家捐款(contribute to)并從摩根那里獲得股票信息。他向《華爾街日報》證實(confirm)了該股票的名字。打井工人向《華爾街日報》透露有關舊錢包里的股票信息，真是少有的事。
8. The Buffett family has long supported Girls Inc., and did it in an unusual way on September 15, 2000. Author Maya Angelou was scheduled to speak at a luncheon but became ill. A 15-year-old, Shadea Gallion, whose dream it had been to meet Dr. Angelou introduced a last minute replacement. "Dr. Angelou is truly a phenomenal woman. It was my greatest honor to introduce her. It is still an honor to be here. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Warren Buffett."
8.巴菲特家長期以來支持奧馬哈女童之家的事業，2000年9月15 日，他們采取了一種非同尋常的方式（in an unusual way）。作家瑪雅·安杰羅應邀出席當天的午餐會作演講，但是不巧，她因病不能到場。(be scheduled to do sth 預定，預期；計劃做) 15歲的沙迪·加林一直夢想能見到瑪雅·安杰羅，她向大家介紹最后關頭的救場者(a last minutereplacement)。“安杰羅博士是一位非常杰出的女性，能把她介紹給諸位是我最大的榮幸。在此，我仍然很榮幸地介紹今天的演講嘉賓，一起有請……沃倫·巴菲特先生。”
9. Buffett told the audience of 1,100 people, including donor John Morgan, that(引導賓語從句) while money can matter in determining who gets what opportunities, as the years go by "you measure your personal bank account by who loves you and how they love you."
9.巴菲特向包括捐款者(donor)約翰·摩根在內的1100名聽眾發表演講。他說，雖然（while）在決定誰獲得什么樣的機會方面金錢確實管用(money can matter；matter 偏意: vi. 要緊, 有關系)，但是隨著時光的流逝(as the years go)，“你是根據誰愛你和他們有多愛你來衡量你的一生。”
10. Buffett told his audience you only get one shot at life and told about longing for his first car at age 16. "I was 16 once," he said, "There wasn't anything I wanted more. But suppose someone told me that would be the only car I'd get in life?" Buffett said then he would have read the owner's manual many times to make the car last. "You only get one mind, one body and one opportunity in life. I suggest you think about the mind and body you've been given as a real asset."
10.巴菲特對聽眾說，人的一生只有一次機會（shot n. (口語)機會；十拿九穩獲勝的賭注）。他說，16歲時他盼望(long for)能有自己的第一部轎車。他說，“那時我最想要的就是一部車。如果(suppose)有人告訴我這是我一生中唯一的車，我會怎么辦呢?”巴菲特說，假如真是這樣，他將無數遍地閱讀操作手冊，從而使這部車能終生為他服務(to make the car last)。“你一生中只擁有一種思想，一個軀體，一次機會。我建議大家考慮一下，把你的思想和軀體看作是一項真正的資產(as a real asset)。”
11. Norma Deeb, executive director of Girls Inc., recalls how she thanked Buffett for stepping in for Dr. Angelou: "I asked Susie (Buffett's daughter) to tell me three things that her father liked...as I knew he wouldn't take money for a fee. She said he liked malted milk balls (the Whoppers brand), pastel licorice lozenges (the ones you find in big barrels in the grocery store) and honey ham. I put this little package together, drove to his house and knocked on his door. Warren came to the door and exclaimed, "Oh great. Whoppers!" he later told Susie that he would be happy to be a substitute speaker for me again... as he got a gift that he really liked.
11.回憶起因巴菲特頂替(step in for 頂替(某人))安杰羅博士臨時發表演講而表示謝意的情形，奧馬哈女童之家的執行董事(executive director)諾瑪·迪布說：“我讓蘇珊(巴菲特的女兒)告訴我，她父親喜歡的三樣東西，因為(as)我知道他父親不愿收取報酬。她告訴我她父親喜歡麥芽牛奶球(霍珀斯牌)，柔和(pastel)甘草潤喉糖(食品店里論大桶出售)和蜂蜜火腿。我拎著三個小包，驅車來到他家，按響門鈴。沃倫打開門，大叫（exclaim）：“哦，太好了，是霍珀斯牌的！”后來，他對蘇珊說他愿意再次替補演講……這一切只不過是由于他得到自己真心喜歡的小禮物而已。
