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。

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