by Michael Sexton 文/麥可.薩克斯頓
The last few weeks have been anything but calm in the world financial markets. Just last week, central banks worldwide pumped an unprecedented $323 billion into money markets to try to halt declines and restore investor confidence in futures markets. During that same week China (which now enjoys the biggest trade surplus over the U.S. in history) threatened to use its U.S. dollar holdings against us if our government instituted new trade restrictions on Chinese goods. Then the French government intervened to shore up funds that had invested in failed American sub-prime mortgage lenders. And then there were the falling stock prices around the world.
過去幾個星期以來，全球金融市場只有"冷"可以形容。單單上個星期，全球的政府挹注了3億2千3百萬美金進入金融市場，希望停止下跌以及使投資人恢復信心。同一時刻，中國(歷史上唯一對美國貿易順差的國家)威脅使用外匯存底的美金來抵制美國...假使美國有關單位對中國貨物制定新的限制條款。接著法國政府也介入支撐因為美國次級房貸而大受影響的資金。接著，全球股市因此而大跌不休。
For real estate investors, there were additional worries as more subprime lenders continued to announce major losses and at least one major player shut down.
對於不動產投資者來說，除了次級房貸，還有另外的事情要擔心，就是這些借貸者持續宣佈大筆的損失，並且至少有一間會倒閉。
And that all happened just one week. It’s enough to make even a gutsy real estate investor sit on the sidelines until it all blows over.
而這些事情僅僅發生於一個星期之內。而這時間已經足夠，就算再大膽的投資者，也只能站在旁邊，眼睜睜的看著事情爆發。
But is playing ostrich a good idea? Not necessarily.
但是，鴕鳥心態是好主意嗎?不盡然。
In uncertain times like these, it can be a good idea to switch your mental “camera” from wide-angle to macro. In other words, stop focusing on worldwide trends and focus instead on a very small area - like a particular region or town.
在如此不確定的時代，你可以把你的視野，從世界觀調整成宏觀。也就是說，不要再把焦點放在世界趨勢，轉而將焦點放在一個小區域，甚至是一個小鎮。
For example, one member of our Trump University team owns a home in a suburban town with excellent schools. A new train line that offers direct train service into Manhattan has caused property values to soar since it went into operation five years ago. Plus, there is a huge upscale mall in the town that pays tons of property taxes and keeps his property taxes down. He could sell his house for three or maybe even four times what he bought it for 14 years ago. Even if property values sag for six months or a year, he knows that they will come back because the investment is just so sound.
譬如說，川普大學裡的一個學員，擁有一間郊區的房子，附近也有很棒的學校。新的火車路線也提供了直達曼哈頓的服務，從五年前動工開始，他的資產價值持續往上攀升。另外，附近還有一間超大型商場，每年都繳交一大筆稅金，使得他的資產稅金不被提高。從14年前至今日，他大可以買進賣出自己的房子三次，甚至四次。就算其中有半年或是一年，價格可能會低落一點，但是他堅信價格始終會回穩以及自己的投資是正確的。
So should you watch major economic events from around the globe? Of course you should. But don’t forget that local real estate can be the greatest hedge of all. And then there’s the boom in foreclosures - an opportunity that might not come around again in our lifetimes.
所以，你應該關注在全球市場嗎?你當然要!但是別忘記，在地的不動產投資有可能是最好的防線，當有一些喪失品贖回權產生時，就是你最好的機會，也許，這些機會此生不會有第二次。
Michael Sexton is President of Trump University.
麥可.賽克斯頓/川普大學校長
2007年8月14日 星期二
2007年8月8日 星期三
動起來賺錢! =How to Motivate Yourself Financially=
by Donald J. Trump 文/唐納川普
I once knew a guy who had terrific ideas, would talk them up at hurricane force, and then go off and putter away at something else. He would lose his momentum before he even got going. What's the point?
我曾經遇過有絕妙想法的人，說起點子來滔滔不絕，之後卻無聲無息，被別的事情所羈絆。他在開始行動之前就已經失去動力了。這是怎麼回事?
I've met some brilliant businesspeople in my time, but some of them will never be billionaires because they never act on those brilliant ideas.
在我有生之年，我遇過許多聰明的生意人，但是有些卻因為無法將這些絕佳的點子付諸實現，而不能成為百萬富翁。
Twenty percent of your priorities will give you eighty percent of your productivity. You should always focus your time, energy, and efforts on the top 20 percent of your priorities; that's a four-to-one return on your investment. So if you have a great idea, no matter how much work you know it will require, get going. Don't just sit there. There's nothing more criminal and self-destructive than having a great idea and then putting it off. As the saying goes, a slow starter is always the fastest finisher.
百分之二十的優先事項會给你帶來百分之八十的生產力，你應該把時間、精力、努力都放在這百分之二十的事項上面，這是一個四倍獲利的投資。所以當你有個好點子，別管有多少工作要去完成，做就對了!別老是坐在那邊空想。沒有什麼事情會比讓好點子半途而廢更罪惡、更糟糕的了。有句話是這麼說的: 慢開始者容易草草了事。
Get a move on. Being rich isn't a passive state. Ultimately, time is more valuable than money, because if you run out of money, you can start over again. But when you've run out of time, there's no starting over.
現在就動起來!消極絕不可能富有。最後你會發現，時間比金錢更重要，如果你沒錢了，你可以再賺。但是你沒時間了，是絕對不可能從頭再來的。
Donald J. Trump is Chairman of Trump University.
唐納川普是川普大學的董事長。
I once knew a guy who had terrific ideas, would talk them up at hurricane force, and then go off and putter away at something else. He would lose his momentum before he even got going. What's the point?
我曾經遇過有絕妙想法的人，說起點子來滔滔不絕，之後卻無聲無息，被別的事情所羈絆。他在開始行動之前就已經失去動力了。這是怎麼回事?
I've met some brilliant businesspeople in my time, but some of them will never be billionaires because they never act on those brilliant ideas.
在我有生之年，我遇過許多聰明的生意人，但是有些卻因為無法將這些絕佳的點子付諸實現，而不能成為百萬富翁。
Twenty percent of your priorities will give you eighty percent of your productivity. You should always focus your time, energy, and efforts on the top 20 percent of your priorities; that's a four-to-one return on your investment. So if you have a great idea, no matter how much work you know it will require, get going. Don't just sit there. There's nothing more criminal and self-destructive than having a great idea and then putting it off. As the saying goes, a slow starter is always the fastest finisher.
百分之二十的優先事項會给你帶來百分之八十的生產力，你應該把時間、精力、努力都放在這百分之二十的事項上面，這是一個四倍獲利的投資。所以當你有個好點子，別管有多少工作要去完成，做就對了!別老是坐在那邊空想。沒有什麼事情會比讓好點子半途而廢更罪惡、更糟糕的了。有句話是這麼說的: 慢開始者容易草草了事。
Get a move on. Being rich isn't a passive state. Ultimately, time is more valuable than money, because if you run out of money, you can start over again. But when you've run out of time, there's no starting over.
現在就動起來!消極絕不可能富有。最後你會發現，時間比金錢更重要，如果你沒錢了，你可以再賺。但是你沒時間了，是絕對不可能從頭再來的。
Donald J. Trump is Chairman of Trump University.
唐納川普是川普大學的董事長。
2007年8月7日 星期二
當一百萬美金不夠時... =When $Millions Just Aren't Enough=
by Michael Sexton 文/麥可.賽克斯頓
“In Silicon Valley, Millionaires Who Don’t Feel Rich,” an article in Sunday’s New York Times, profiles a millionaire named Hal Steger. Mr. Steger, a marketing executive, seems to have it made. He and his wife own their $1.3 million house free and clear. They have more than $2 million in savings.
周日的紐約時報有篇文章寫道:在矽谷，百萬富翁並不覺得有錢。這篇文章似乎是藉由一位市場行銷主管Mr. Steger的背景而寫成的，儘管他與妻子擁有一間價值130萬美金的豪宅以及超過200萬美金的銀行存款。
Yet Mr. Steger still goes to his office every day, where he usually puts in 12-hour days. He’s betting on the start-up company where he works to hit it big so he can make some real money.
然而Mr. Steger仍然每天去上班，並且一天工作12小時左右，他期望這間剛起步的公司能夠發展的更大，讓他賺到"真正的錢"。
And you know what? Mr. Steger is a very, very smart guy. He told the Times, “. . . a few million doesn’t go as far as it used to. Maybe in the ’70s, a few million bucks meant ‘Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,’ or Richie Rich living in a big house with a butler. But not anymore.”
但是，你知道嗎?Mr. Steger是個非常、非常聰明的人。他告訴紐約時報:有些百萬富翁生活並不如預期，也許在70年代有個一百萬美金代表著"富裕、有名氣的生活型態"，或者是住在有傭人的大房子裡，但也不過如此了。
He hasn’t let the word “millionaire” go to his head and make him think that he is better off than he really is - or that his financial future is assured.
他並沒有頂著"百萬富翁"的光環，也不認為自己真的有多棒，只想確保自己未來的經濟狀況穩定。
He’s looking toward the future. He is thinking like an entrepreneur, by working for a start-up. He has paid off his house and positioned himself to profit from all its future appreciation. He has saved money and invested it. He has steered clear of debt.
他總是展望未來，為這間公司工作時，能如企業家一般地思考。他已經付完房貸並且由未來的增值趨勢，讓自己能從中獲利。節省金錢，並且投資，一點負債也沒有!
In a way, Mr. Steger is a lot like our chairman Donald J. Trump. Neither man said, “I can rest on my achievements, because I am now rich.” Both men know that it is vital to stay hungry and keep growing.
某方面來說，Mr. Steger滿像是我們的董事長Donald J. Trump。有人說過:因為我富有，終於可以安息於我的成就。但是他們兩位都很清楚，保持活力的來源就是需要飢餓與成長的欲望。
Your first million is only your first. With the right outlook, far greater things are possible.
一百萬，只是第一步。有精準的眼光，任何美好的事情，都有可能發生。
“In Silicon Valley, Millionaires Who Don’t Feel Rich,” an article in Sunday’s New York Times, profiles a millionaire named Hal Steger. Mr. Steger, a marketing executive, seems to have it made. He and his wife own their $1.3 million house free and clear. They have more than $2 million in savings.
周日的紐約時報有篇文章寫道:在矽谷，百萬富翁並不覺得有錢。這篇文章似乎是藉由一位市場行銷主管Mr. Steger的背景而寫成的，儘管他與妻子擁有一間價值130萬美金的豪宅以及超過200萬美金的銀行存款。
Yet Mr. Steger still goes to his office every day, where he usually puts in 12-hour days. He’s betting on the start-up company where he works to hit it big so he can make some real money.
然而Mr. Steger仍然每天去上班，並且一天工作12小時左右，他期望這間剛起步的公司能夠發展的更大，讓他賺到"真正的錢"。
And you know what? Mr. Steger is a very, very smart guy. He told the Times, “. . . a few million doesn’t go as far as it used to. Maybe in the ’70s, a few million bucks meant ‘Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,’ or Richie Rich living in a big house with a butler. But not anymore.”
但是，你知道嗎?Mr. Steger是個非常、非常聰明的人。他告訴紐約時報:有些百萬富翁生活並不如預期，也許在70年代有個一百萬美金代表著"富裕、有名氣的生活型態"，或者是住在有傭人的大房子裡，但也不過如此了。
He hasn’t let the word “millionaire” go to his head and make him think that he is better off than he really is - or that his financial future is assured.
他並沒有頂著"百萬富翁"的光環，也不認為自己真的有多棒，只想確保自己未來的經濟狀況穩定。
He’s looking toward the future. He is thinking like an entrepreneur, by working for a start-up. He has paid off his house and positioned himself to profit from all its future appreciation. He has saved money and invested it. He has steered clear of debt.
他總是展望未來，為這間公司工作時，能如企業家一般地思考。他已經付完房貸並且由未來的增值趨勢，讓自己能從中獲利。節省金錢，並且投資，一點負債也沒有!
In a way, Mr. Steger is a lot like our chairman Donald J. Trump. Neither man said, “I can rest on my achievements, because I am now rich.” Both men know that it is vital to stay hungry and keep growing.
某方面來說，Mr. Steger滿像是我們的董事長Donald J. Trump。有人說過:因為我富有，終於可以安息於我的成就。但是他們兩位都很清楚，保持活力的來源就是需要飢餓與成長的欲望。
Your first million is only your first. With the right outlook, far greater things are possible.
一百萬，只是第一步。有精準的眼光，任何美好的事情，都有可能發生。
2007年8月6日 星期一
非關休假! = Not Taking Vacations =
by Donald J. Trump 文/唐納.川普
Many Americans are giving up traditional vacations. The reasons range from having too little time off work to not having enough money to travel. But in many cases, people just aren’t in the habit of getting away from their jobs.
越來越多的美國人不在傳統的日子休假或度假了。原因有很多，不外乎離開工作的時間太少，抑或是沒什麼錢去旅遊，但許多情況是，人們只是不習慣離開工作。
All this has some experts worried.
有一些專家開始擔心這種情況。
They’re afraid that workers aren’t getting away from their jobs long enough to relax - both physically and mentally. And, because of that, they’ll suffer from some kind of work overload.
他們擔心這些持續工作的員工們渴望在身心上都能放鬆，也因為如此，他們有時候必須承受一些超過負荷的工作量。
It used to be that many people took two- and three-week vacations. Now, according to a recent online survey, one-third of people say they took five or fewer days of vacation in the past year.
一般人習慣安排個2-3個星期的假期，現在呢?根據網路調查，去年有三分之一的人只有五天，甚至更少的假期。
One in four people surveyed said they felt that their bosses didn’t encourage them to take vacations . . . and one out of three people said they stayed connected with their office - either by phone or computer - while they were gone.
調查結果顯示，有四分之一的人表示他們的老闆並不鼓勵他們去休假，超過三分之一的人表示他們就算他們外出，仍然必須用電話或是電腦保持聯絡。
Personally, I don’t see the problem. If people don’t take vacations, oftentimes it’s because they love their work and don’t need a break from it.
我個人認為，這並不是什麼大問題。如果人們不休假，通常只是他們喜歡工作，並且不想中斷工作。
And those are the kind of people I like to have working for me.
而這些，就是我喜歡來為我工作的人。
Donald J. Trump is Chairman of Trump University.
唐納川普/川普大學董事長
Many Americans are giving up traditional vacations. The reasons range from having too little time off work to not having enough money to travel. But in many cases, people just aren’t in the habit of getting away from their jobs.
越來越多的美國人不在傳統的日子休假或度假了。原因有很多，不外乎離開工作的時間太少，抑或是沒什麼錢去旅遊，但許多情況是，人們只是不習慣離開工作。
All this has some experts worried.
有一些專家開始擔心這種情況。
They’re afraid that workers aren’t getting away from their jobs long enough to relax - both physically and mentally. And, because of that, they’ll suffer from some kind of work overload.
他們擔心這些持續工作的員工們渴望在身心上都能放鬆，也因為如此，他們有時候必須承受一些超過負荷的工作量。
It used to be that many people took two- and three-week vacations. Now, according to a recent online survey, one-third of people say they took five or fewer days of vacation in the past year.
一般人習慣安排個2-3個星期的假期，現在呢?根據網路調查，去年有三分之一的人只有五天，甚至更少的假期。
One in four people surveyed said they felt that their bosses didn’t encourage them to take vacations . . . and one out of three people said they stayed connected with their office - either by phone or computer - while they were gone.
調查結果顯示，有四分之一的人表示他們的老闆並不鼓勵他們去休假，超過三分之一的人表示他們就算他們外出，仍然必須用電話或是電腦保持聯絡。
Personally, I don’t see the problem. If people don’t take vacations, oftentimes it’s because they love their work and don’t need a break from it.
我個人認為，這並不是什麼大問題。如果人們不休假，通常只是他們喜歡工作，並且不想中斷工作。
And those are the kind of people I like to have working for me.
而這些，就是我喜歡來為我工作的人。
Donald J. Trump is Chairman of Trump University.
唐納川普/川普大學董事長
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