unit 2 The Richest Man in America.doc

Does being rich mean you live a completely different life from ordinary people? Not, it seems, if your name is Sam Walton. 有钱是否意味着过一种完全不同于普通人的生活？看来未必，如果你的名字叫萨姆沃尔顿。 THE RICHEST MAN IN AMERICA, DOWN HOMEArt Harris 1 He put on a dinner jacket to serve as a waiter at the birthday party of The Richest Man in America. He imagined what surely awaited: a mansion, a Rolls-Royce for every day of the week, dogs with diamond collars, servants everywhere. 美国乡巴佬首富阿特哈里斯 他穿上餐服准备到美国首富的生日聚会上去担任侍者。在他的想象里，他定然会看到：豪宅，主人天天要坐的罗尔斯罗伊斯轿车，戴着钻石颈圈的家犬，到处可见的仆人。 2 Then he was off to the house, wheeling past the sleepy town square in Bentonville, a remote Arkansas town of 9,920, where Sam Walton started with a little dime store that grew into a $6 billion discount chain called Wal-Mart. He drove down a country road, turned at a mailbox marked Sam and Helen Walton, and jumped out at a house in the woods. 他动身前往那所宅邸，开着车穿过本顿维尔镇冷冷清清的市政广场。本顿维尔镇是阿肯色州一个人口仅有9,920的偏远小镇，萨姆沃尔顿就在该镇从一个专卖廉价商品的小店起家，逐渐发展成为价值60亿美金资产的廉价连锁店沃尔玛公司。 侍者上了一条乡间车道，转过一个标着“萨姆和海伦沃尔顿”的信箱，在一幢林间住宅前跳下了车。 3 It was nice, but no palace. The furniture appeared a little worn. An old pickup truck sat in the garage and a muddy bird dog ran about the yard. He never spotted any servants. 房子还不错，但绝对不是宫殿。家具略显陈旧，一辆旧的轻便货车停在车库里，一条土褐色的捕禽猎犬在院子里窜来窜去。根本没看见任何仆人的身影。 4 It was a real disappointment, sighs waiter Jamie Beaulieu. “太令人失望了，”侍者杰米鲍尤叹道。 5 Only in America can a billionaire carry on like plain folks and get away with it. And the 67-year-old discount king Sam Moore Walton still travels these windy back roads in his 1979 Ford pickup, red and white, bird dogs by his side, and, come shooting season, waits in line like everyone else to buy shells at the local Wal-Mart. 只有在美国，一个亿万富翁才能像普通百姓一样，安稳地过着普普通通的日子。67岁的廉价店大王萨姆穆尔沃尔顿仍然开着他那辆红白两色的1979年出厂的福特牌轻型货车穿行在弯弯曲曲的乡间小道上，身边坐着他的捕禽猎犬。当狩猎季节来临时，他跟别人一样在当地的沃尔玛商店排队购买猎枪子弹。 6 He doesnt want any special treatment, says night manager Johnny Baker, who struggles to call the boss by his first name as a recent corporate memo commands. Few here think of his billions; they call him Mr. Sam and accept his folksy ways. Hes the same man who opened his dime store on the square and worked 18 hours a day for his dream, says Mayor Richard Hoback. “他不要任何特殊待遇，” 夜班经理乔尼贝克说，他费了好大的劲才如公司最近一份备忘录所规定的那样对自己的老板以名相称。这里几乎没人去想他的亿万身价，他们称他为萨姆先生，丝毫不以他的平民作风为怪。“他还是那个在市政广场开廉价店，为了自己的梦想每天工作18个小时的人，一点没变，”市长理查德霍巴克说。 7 By all accounts, hes friendly, cheerful, a fine neighbor who does his best to blend in, never flashy, never throwing his weight around. 人人都说他为人友善，性情开朗，是个好邻居；他尽力与人们融洽相处，从不炫耀，也从不盛气凌人。 8 No matter how big a time he had on Saturday night, you can find him in church on Sunday. Surely in a reserved seat, right? We dont have reserved seats, says Gordon Garlington III, pastor of the local church. 无论他星期六晚上的夜生活过得多晚，星期日你还是能在教堂见到他。当然是坐在他的包座上，对吗？“我们不设包座，”当地教堂牧师戈登加林顿第三说。 9 So where does The Richest Man in America sit? Wherever he finds a seat. Look, hes just not that way. He doesnt have a set place. At a church supper the other night, he and his wife were in back washing dishes. 那美国首富坐哪儿呢？哪儿有空位子就坐哪儿。“知道吗，他根本就不是那种人。他没有包座。前几天晚上教堂举行晚餐会，他和太太一起在后面洗盘子。” 10 For 19 years, hes used the same barber. John Mayhall finds him waiting when he opens up at 7 a.m. He chats about the national news, or reads in his chair, perhaps the Benton County Daily Democrat, another Walton property that keeps him off the front page. It buried the Forbes list at the bottom of page 2. 19年来，为他理发的总是同一个师傅。约翰梅霍早上七点开门会见到他等在门外。他跟人闲聊国内新闻，或是坐在椅子里看报，没准是本顿民主日报，这是沃尔顿的又一宗产业。这份报纸从来不让有关他的消息出现在头版上。 它将福布斯的富人排行榜塞在第二版的报尾。 11 Hes just not a front-page person, a newspaper employee explains. “他压根儿不是那种爱上头版新闻的人，”一位报社雇员解释说。 12 But one recent morning, The Richest Man in America did something that would have made headlines anywhere in the world: He forgot his money. I said, Forget it, take care of it next time, says barber Mayhall. But he said. No, Ill get it, and he went home for his wallet. 但最近有天早上，美国首富做了件在任何其他地方准会成为头条新闻的事：他忘了带钱。“我说，没事，下次一起付吧，”理发师梅霍说，“可他说，不行，我得回去拿，就回家去取钱包了。” 13 Wasnt that, well, a little strange? No sir, says Mayhall, the only thing strange about Sam Walton is that he isnt strange. 这一切，嗯，是不是有点怪？“一点也不，先生，”梅霍说，“萨姆沃尔顿惟一不同寻常的就是，他平平常常。” 14 But just how long Walton can hold firm to his folksy habits with celebrity hunters keeping following him wherever he goes is anyones guess. Ever since Forbes magazine pronounced him Americas richest man, with $2.8 billion in Wal-Mart stock, hes been a rich man on the run, steering clear of reporters, dreamers, and schemers. 然而，沃尔顿所到之处名人追星族紧跟不舍，他的平民习惯能保持多久，就很难说了。自从福布斯杂志宣布他拥有价值28亿的沃尔玛股票成为美国首富以后，他就成了一个东躲西藏的富人，他得甩开记者、寻梦者，还有图谋不轨者。 15 He may be the richest by Forbes rankings, says corporate affairs director Jim Von Gremp, but he doesnt know whether he is or not - and he doesnt care. He doesnt spend much. He owns stock, but hes always left it in the company so it could grow. But the real story in his mind is the success achieved by the 100,000 people who make up the Wal-Mart team. “他或许是福布斯排行榜的首富，”公司事务主管吉姆冯格雷姆普说，“但他并不知道自己是不是首富而且他也不在乎。他不怎么花钱。他是拥有股票，但他一直把股票留在公司里好让公司发展。而他脑子里真正想着的是沃尔玛十万员工共同取得的成功。” 16 Hes usually back home for Friday sales meetings, or the executive pep rally Saturday morning at 7 a.m., when Walton, as he does at new store openings, is liable to jump up on a chair and lead everyone in the Wal-Mart cheer: Give me a W! Give me an A! Give me an L! Louder! 他通常回来参加星期五的销售会议，或是星期六早晨7点的行政人员鼓劲会，届时沃尔顿会像分店新开张时那样，跳上椅子，带领大家呼喊沃尔玛公司口号：“给我一个W！给我一个A！给我一个L！大声点！” 17 And louder they yell. No one admits to feeling the least bit silly. Its all part of the Wal-Mart way of life as laid down by Sam: loyalty, hard work, long hours; get ideas into the system from the bottom up, Japanese-style; treat your people right; cut prices and margins to the bone and sleep well at night. Employees with one year on board qualify for stock options, and are urged to buy all they can. 于是大家越喊越响。没有谁说这样做有点傻。这都是萨姆定下来的沃尔玛生活方式的一部分：忠诚，勤勉，加班加点；从公司最底层起大家集思广益，日本管理方式；善待员工；尽可能降低价格、减少利润，一夜安睡到天亮。员工进公司一年就有资格获得优先认股权，并一再鼓励他们尽能力购买。 18 After the pep rally, theres bird hunting, or tennis on his backyard court. But his stores are always on his mind. One tennis guest managed to put him off his game by asking why a can of balls cost more in one Wal-Mart than another. It turned out to be untrue, but the move worked. Walton lost four straight games. 鼓劲会之后，大家一起去打野禽，或在他家后院打网球。但他的那些商店总搁在他的心上。一位来打网球的客人为了分散他打球的注意力，故意问了一句为什么一筒网球在一家沃尔玛商店卖得比别的一家沃尔玛商店贵。此话并非实情，但这一招却真管用。沃尔顿连输四局。 19 Walton set up a college scholarship fund for employees children, a disaster relief fund to rebuild employee homes damaged by fires, floods, tornadoes, and the like. He believed in cultivating ideas and rewarding success. 沃尔顿为员工子女设立了大学奖学基金，为房屋遭受火灾、洪水、龙卷风等破坏的员工重建家园设立了灾难救助基金。他信奉广开思路、褒奖成功。 20 Hed say, That fellow worked hard, lets give him a little extra, recalls retired president Ferold F. Arend, who was stunned at such generosity after the stingy employer he left to join Wal-Mart. I had to change my way of thinking when I came aboard. “他会说，那人工作努力，奖励一下吧，”退休的前任总裁费罗尔德F阿伦德回忆道。他原先供职的雇主非常吝啬，所以离开那里加入沃尔玛公司之后，他对这种慷慨行为深感震惊。“我加盟沃尔玛后，不得不改变自己的思维方式。” 21 The reason for our success, says Walton, in a company handout, is our people and the way theyre treated and the way they feel about their company. They believe things are different here, but they deserve the credit. “我们之所以成功，”沃尔顿在公司宣传册上写道，“是由于我们的员工，是由于他们所受到的待遇以及他们对公司的感情。他们认为这里与众不同，但是这种荣誉他们受之无愧。” 22 Adds company lawyer Jim Hendren: Ive never seen anyone yet who worked for him or was around him for any length of time who wasnt better off. And I dont mean just financially, although a lot of people are. Its just something about him - coming into contact with Sam Walton just makes you a better person. 公司律师吉姆 亨德伦补充说，“我从没见过有谁为他工作或和他接触一段时间后而不受益的。我不仅仅是指钱财方面，当然许多人是更富有了。我是说他的某种内在的东西与萨姆沃尔顿交往会使你成为一个更健全的人。”Making the journey from log cabin to White House is part of the American Dream. But when Jimmy Carter was defeated in his attempt to gain a second term as President of the United States he found himself suddenly thrown out of the White House and back in his log cabin. This is how he coped. 从小木屋走向白宫是美国梦的一部分。可是，当吉米卡特连任美国总统的努力失败后，他发现自己一下子被赶出白宫，回到了自己的小木屋。本文叙述了他是如何应对的。 The Restoration of Jimmy CarterSara Pacher 1 Maybe its because I, too, was born and raised in a small south Georgia town, but I found sitting down to talk to Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter as comfortable as lazing in a porch swing on a summer afternoon, sipping iced tea. Just such a swing overlooks a roaring mountain stream at the Carters log cabin retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Along with the cabins other furniture, the swing was designed and built by the former president, a master woodworker who selects and cuts the trees for such projects from his 160-acre farm. He then strips off the bark and shapes the wood into furniture and other items. 吉米卡特的复元莎拉帕夏尔 或许因为我本人也生长在佐治亚州的一个南方小镇的缘故，我觉得跟罗莎琳和吉米卡特夫妇坐下交谈就如同在夏日午后荡在门廊的秋千椅上呷冰茶那么舒服。坐落于蓝岭山脉的卡特夫妇幽居的原木小屋前，恰好就有这样的秋千椅，往下看去是一条咆哮的山间溪流。和小屋里别的家具一样，这秋千椅是前总统卡特设计和制作的。卡特是一位手艺高明的木工，为了制作这些家具，他从其方圆160英亩的农庄上亲自遴选并砍伐树木，而后剥去树皮，将木料制成家具及其他用品。 2 My daddy was a good man with tools, he recalls, so learning how to use them was as natural as breathing for us. If something broke, we had to fix it ourselves. You didnt call somebody in to repair something or replace it with something new. We had these skills - all farmers did during the Depression years. “我父亲擅长使用工具，”他回忆道，“因此学习使用工具对我们来说就像呼吸一样自然。要是有什么东西坏了，我们就得自己修。我们不会请人来修理或换新的。我们有这种手艺 大萧条时期，农民都有这一手。” 3 Over the years, Carter has made some 50 household items, about half of which he has given away as gifts. But some pieces still sit around the familys Plains house and have been in use for over 30 years. His wife is quick to point out, however, that his skills improved as time went on. When we came home from the Navy in 1953, he built a sofa for the back porch. He used nails then. Now he builds everything without nails. Hes studied woodworking and worked at it, and hes made really beautiful furniture for our home - including a pencil-post bed and tables by the side. 多年来，卡特制作了约50件居家用品，差不多有一半已作为礼物馈赠他人。但有些制品仍留在普兰斯的家里，都用了30多年了。不过，他妻子赶紧指出，他的手艺在不断提高。“1953年我们刚从海军退役回家时，他做了只放在后门廊用的沙发。那时他还用钉子。现在他做什么都不用钉子了。他研究木工工艺，下功夫制作，他给家里做的家具真的非常漂亮，包括一张细柱床和配套的床头柜。” 4 His woodworking talent served Carter well during his political campaigns, particularly when meeting factory workers. You dont have to say but a few things to people who work in a factory before they realize that you, yourself, have been a laborer. It may be a different kind of skill from theirs, but theres a bond, sort of like a brotherhood, among people who work with their hands. 卡特的木工才干在政治竞选中，尤其是在与工厂工人见面时发挥了很好的作用。“你不用跟在工厂干活的人多说，他们就会明白，原来你本人也是个劳动者。你的手艺或许跟他们不一样，但在干体力活的人之间有种天然的纽带，好似手足之情。” 5 Once he campaigned his way to the presidency, Carter occasionally managed to slip in a few hours at the carpenters shed at Camp David, because, in his opinion, What we need in our lives is a stock of factors that never change. (1)I think that skill with ones own hands - whether its tilling the soil, building a house, making a piece of furniture, playing a violin or painting a painting - is something that doesnt change with the ups and downs of life. And for me, going back to the earth or going back to the woodshop have always been opportunities to reinforce my basic skills. (2)No matter if I was involved in writing a book, conducting a political campaign, teaching at Emory University or dealing with international affairs, I could always go back - at least for a few hours at a time - to the woodshop. Thats meant an awful lot to me. Its a kind of therapy, but its also a steadying force in my life - a total rest for my mind. 卡特一路竞选当上总统之后，偶尔也设法悄悄溜到戴维营的木工场干上几个小时，因为在他看来，“我们在生活中需要一些永远不变的要素。我认为手艺 不管是耕地，造房子，做家具，拉小提琴，还是画图 这些东西不会因生活的起起落落而改变。至于我，回到农场种地或重返木工场一直是我增进基本技能的机会。无论我在写书，从事政治活动，在爱莫瑞大学教书，还是处理国际事务，我总会设法抽空回到木工场，每次至少呆上几个小时。这对我十分重要。这是一种理疗，同时也是我生活中的一种稳定力量 是身心的完全休息。” 6 When Im in the woodshop, he continues, I dont ever think about the chapter Im writing or the paragraph I cant complete or the ideas that dont come. Im thinking about the design of a piece of furniture, how the woods going to fit together, what joint Im going to use and whether or not my hand tools are sharp. “在木工场的时候，”他接着说，“我不会去想正在写的章节，不会去想写不下去的段落或搁浅的思路。我考虑的是一件家具的设计，木料该如何嵌合，用什么样的榫头，还有工具是否锋利。” 7 (3)In Jimmy and Rosalynn Carters recently published book, Everything to Gain, they explain frankly how they used back-to-basics skills to confront and resolve their painful political defeat, a sudden departure from Washington and their fears of an empty future. 在吉米和罗莎琳卡特最近出版的书名为好处说不尽的书中，他们直言不讳地解释了当他们遭遇痛苦的政治上的失败，突然告别华盛顿以及对茫然的未来感到惧怕时，他们是如何使用返璞归真的技能来面对和化解这些问题的。 8 In the book, Jimmy says, we try to relate our lives, not to the White House, but to Plains - for a couple of reasons. One, to show the attraction of a small town, and, second, to make it clear that the book is not just about a couple who happened to have been the First Family of the nation; its also written for the average person who loses a job, has an unexpected career change, has to move to a place not of his or her choice, has a last child leave home. Or for a married couple who suddenly find themselves at retirement age and living together for the first time all day long - not just at night. “在书里，”吉米说，“出于几种原因，我们试图将我们的生活与普兰斯而不是跟白宫联系在一起。其一，是为了展示小镇的魅力；其二是要清楚地表明，这本书写的并不仅仅是一对有幸成为美国第一家庭的夫妇的生活，它也是写给普通人看的，例如一个失去工作的人，突然遇到职业变迁的人，并非出于自己的选择而不得不迁居的人，一个连自己最小的孩子也长大成人离家而去的人，或者是写给一对突然发现已届退休年龄、第一次得从早到晚而不仅仅是夜里厮守在一起的夫妇看的。” 9 The Carters plunged with enthusiasm into such projects as laying a sidewalk and putting a hardwood floor in their unfinished loft. Rosalynn has picked up additional carpentry skills in working with one of their favorite organizations, Habitat for Humanity. This is a housing program for the homeless, helping them to build their own houses together with the help of volunteers. 卡特夫妇热情投入了诸如铺设人行道、在尚未完工的阁楼里铺硬木地板这类工程。在与两人最喜欢的一个机构“博爱居家”的共事过程中，罗莎琳学到了不少木工手艺。“博爱居家”是一项为无家可归的人创办的住房工程，帮助他们在志愿者的协助下建造自己的家园。 10 And we both spend a good bit of time on our farm, adds Carter. We take care of the timberlands. Sometimes we go for long walks in the woods. I may see a particular tree that I think would be suitable for four or five - perhaps, seven or eight - chairs or for some other piece of furniture. I usually select a tree close to home, though, since I have to carry the pieces back to the woodshop area. “我俩都在农场上花了不少时间，”卡特说，“我们护理林地。有时我们在林子里长时间散步。我或许会看到某棵我觉得适合制作四五把也许七把、八把椅子或别的什么家具的树。不过，我通常挑选离家近的树，因为我得自己把木料搬回到木工场地。 11 One of my favorite kinds of woodworking involves green wood, but theres a tremendous amount of hard labor involved in that. You have to try to handle the different rates at which the wood dries, so the joints get tight and durable. Its the kind of technical problem that appeals to me, says the former nuclear engineer. “我最喜欢的一件木工活是用湿材制作家具，不过这活要费很大的劲。你得处理好木料干燥后引起的不同的收缩率，以保证榫头紧固不松。我喜欢的就是这样的技术难题，”这位前核工程师说。 12 Obviously, most of