文化推薦

The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World

《貨幣崛起:金融如何影響世界歷史》

Money, says the song, makes the world go round. It can also threaten to stop it. Thus, a book that explains the origin and growth of money, banks, stock markets, and the exotic growth of the financial instruments and institutions that often bewilder even those who live by them, is a valuable thing. Despite the fact that Niall Ferguson finished writing The Ascent of Money in the late spring of 2008, while the international financial crisis was still gathering momentum, this is a highly relevant book. Not the least of its merits is that Ferguson shows how alert he was to the possibilities for disaster inherent in the loose credit and securitization of bad debt from which so much money was made before the crisis unfolded. His was an alertness made possible by a grasp of history; Ferguson thereby vindicates the utility as well as the beauty of his craft.

就像那首歌所唱的,金錢推動世界。但金錢也會使世界停止。所以,一本解釋貨幣、銀行、股市的起源與發(fā)展,以及金融工具和金融機構(gòu)(對于許多金融工具和機構(gòu),金融從業(yè)人員也感到困惑)異乎尋常增長的書,就非常有價值。雖然尼爾?弗格森早在2008年暮春就已經(jīng)寫完《貨幣崛起》,當時國際金融危機還正蓄勢待發(fā),但這確實是一本非常及時的書。該書一個重要的價值在于,弗格森表明自己早已經(jīng)警覺到信貸寬松和壞賬證券化有可能引發(fā)災難,危機降臨前有人正是靠寬松的信貸和壞賬證券化賺了大筆錢。他的警覺得益于對歷史的理解;弗格森因此證明了自己方法的實用性和優(yōu)勢所在。

Not only is there much that is instructive and illuminating in Ferguson's account, there is much that is absorbing. Until you begin reading you might not imagine how engrossing a book about the history of money and finance can be. The story of money's origins, of the Italian Renaissance cities, of the founding and operation of the first limited liability company in the Netherlands, of the Rothschild banking dynasty's rise in the 19th century, of what caused the Great Depression, of the turn to house-owning debt, of today's massive and perhaps unhealthy symbiosis between borrowing America and lending, cheaply manufacturing China to make 'Chimerica' with most of the world's money and population in it, make an altogether gripping tale. Thoroughly recommended.

弗格森的敘述不僅給人啟迪,還引人入勝。你若不去讀,就無法想象一本有關(guān)貨幣與金融歷史的書會多么有趣。從貨幣起源、意大利文藝復興時期的城市、第一家有限責任公司在荷蘭的創(chuàng)立與經(jīng)營、19世紀羅斯柴爾德銀行王朝的崛起、到大蕭條產(chǎn)生的原因、住房貸款的出現(xiàn),再到今天美國借錢,中國貸款,二者形成龐大但可能不健康的共生現(xiàn)象,組成財富最集中、人口最多的“中美共同體”,作者講得妙趣橫生。強烈推薦閱讀。

The Job-Hunter's Survival Guide

《求職者生存指南》

The Job-Hunter's Survival Guide is a slim paperback manual of little more than 100 pages, chock-a-block with bullet points and tips, wrapped in a road-sign shade of yellow. The author, Richard Nelson Bolles, 82, wrote the best-selling What Color is Your Parachute? guide to job searching — now running at over 400 pages in the 2009 edition.

《求職者生存指南》是本薄薄的簡裝小冊子,僅有百頁出頭,滿是點句和小貼士,裝幀的底色是路標常用的黃色。作者理查德?尼爾森?波利斯現(xiàn)年82歲,曾寫過有關(guān)求職的暢銷書《你的降落傘是什么顏色?》——它的09版有400多頁。

'There are a lot of people hanging on the ropes in the present, brutal economy that don't have time to read a big book,' Bolles said. So he gave them a best-hits collection of advice, culled from his 40 years of career guidance:

“在現(xiàn)在無情的經(jīng)濟形勢之下,有很多人命懸一線,沒有時間看大部頭的書,”波利斯說。所以他根據(jù)自己40年的職業(yè)指導經(jīng)驗,給人們一些最佳建議。

Yes, unemployment is at its highest level in more than a quarter-century, but 'there are always jobs out there.' In May, the Labor Department said there were 2.6 million job openings. Competition is fierce for these openings, but keep telling yourself that there are always going to be vacancies, Bolles' book says.

沒錯,如今的失業(yè)率是25年來最高的,但“工作總是有的”。五月,勞工部稱有260萬個空缺職位。波利斯在書中告訴我們:這些崗位的競爭很激烈,但一定要不斷告訴自己,總會有空缺職位。

The average length of joblessness was 24.5 weeks in June, according to the government. You have some time. So sit down and figure out what you really want to do, as specifically as possible, Bolles says. Not what the marketplace is asking for, but what your ideal job would look like. 'The more focused you are, the more likely you're going to find a job.'

政府表示,6月份平均失業(yè)時間是24.5周。還有段時間要熬,波利斯說,坐下來,認真考慮自己想做什么,考慮得越詳盡越好。不是勞務(wù)市場要求什么,而是你理想的工作是什么。“你越專注,就越有可能找到工作。”

Post as complete a resume as possible everywhere online that you can: LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook, he advises.

他建議,在網(wǎng)上發(fā)布的簡歷越多越好:如在LinkedIn、Plaxo和Facebook等網(wǎng)站上。

Now, the key: Approach the companies you've deemed a good fit. Seek out potential employers - from the phone book, acquaintances, online searches or social-networking sites - and sell them on your specific skills, Bolles says. Even if they don't have anything to offer you, they'll find it easier to help you out.

現(xiàn)在,最重要的是:接觸你認為理想的公司。找出潛在的雇主——從電話本、熟人、網(wǎng)上搜索或社交網(wǎng)站那里——將你的獨特的技能賣給他們。波利斯談到,即使他們沒職位提供給你,(在收到你的簡歷后)他們也更容易幫助你。

That's the most active and hardest way to approach a job search, Bolles says, but much more effective than using online job boards or replying to companies' posted openings. You're offering your services rather sending in applications with swarms of others.

波利斯表示,這是最積極,也是最艱難的求職方法,但比使用網(wǎng)上求職平臺或回復公司發(fā)布的職位信息有效得多。你提供的是你的服務(wù),而非跟別人一樣一窩蜂地發(fā)送求職申請。

Royal Pains

《欲海醫(yī)心》

Clever summer amusement, Royal Pains is turning into one of the season's biggest new hits. True, you have to accept a pretty outlandish premise, but once you succumb to the series' charms, it's not that difficult to get into its sweet comic rhythms. Mark Feuerstein stars as Dr. Hank Lawson, who blows a promising New York City hospital career because he made a judgment call (a rich hospital donor died while he was saving the life of a poorer man), only to find not just a new job but a new lifestyle.

《欲海醫(yī)心》是一部優(yōu)秀的夏日消遣之作,已成為這個季節(jié)最火爆的新片。的確,你得接受古怪的故事背景,但一旦你折服于該劇的魅力,就很容易沉迷其喜劇節(jié)奏之中。由于其主觀判斷(在救一名窮人之時,給醫(yī)院捐錢的一位大款死亡),漢克?羅森醫(yī)生(馬克?弗瑞斯坦飾)毀掉了自己在紐約市行醫(yī)的大好前程,不過他不僅找到了一份新工作,還找到了一種新的生活方式。

During a stay in the Hamptons, Hank stumbles into the apparently real profession of 'concierge doctor' — medical pros hired by the wealthy to be their on-call providers. The job would stink of obnoxious privilege, except that Hank also has a conscience: He uses the money he makes treating rich clients to do pro bono care for locals who can't afford health care. 'We treat who needs treatment' is Hank's motto.

在漢普頓期間,漢克偶遇了一份看上去很體面的職業(yè),即“私人醫(yī)生”,為富人提供上門醫(yī)療服務(wù)。做這份工作有許多令人厭惡的特權(quán),但漢克良心未泯:他給富人診治掙錢之后,用這些錢給當?shù)刎摀黄疳t(yī)療費用的人免費看病。漢克的座右銘是:“我們診治需要診治的人”。

The result is unexpectedly whimsical fun. Feuerstein, who has labored through a bunch of lousy sitcoms including Conrad Bloom and Good Morning, Miami, has finally found a TV vehicle that suits his little crinkly eyes, big pecs, and brainy, chesty talent. His do-good doctor is paired with Hank's hustler brother, Evan (goofy Paulo Costanzo), a CPA who sees dollar signs and bikini babes in their future if they can monetize Hank's new medical practice to the max.

結(jié)果出人意料,卻趣味盎然。弗瑞斯坦曾傾力出演《康納德?布魯姆》和《早安,邁阿密》等多部劣質(zhì)肥皂劇,現(xiàn)在終于找到一部符合其布滿皺紋的小眼睛、大胸肌、恃才傲物特征的電視劇。漢克慈善行醫(yī),但其作為注冊會計師的弟弟伊萬(保羅?克斯坦佐飾)卻是好色之徒,總幻想著如果能最大程度地利用漢克的新工作來賺錢,未來金錢美女便應(yīng)有盡有。

Like its time-period companion Burn Notice, Pains has a sun-bright color palette: Every scene shimmers with baking heat. And you can't have hot summer escapism without romance, so Pains provides Hank with flirty Jill Casey (flinty Jill Flint), a noble administrator at Hamptons Heritage, a poorly equipped hospital that helps the less fortunate as best it can.

跟同時熱播的《火線警告》一樣,《欲海醫(yī)心》也有明媚的調(diào)色板:每一幕都熱情火辣。夏日幻想曲怎能沒有風流韻事,《欲海醫(yī)心》就給漢克配了風情萬種的基兒?凱西(冷艷美女基兒?弗林特飾),她心底善良,是漢普頓遺產(chǎn)醫(yī)院的院長。醫(yī)院設(shè)備簡陋,卻仍竭力為窮人看病。

If some of Hank's instant, accurate diagnoses beggar belief - he sizes up a chef who suffers memory loss after a kitchen quickie with a terse 'Sex can be a trigger for a stroke!' - well, as I say, if you buy the premise of the show, you buy Hank's quick, easy skills. No one's ever going to say Royal Pains is a classic addition to the medical genre, but it certainly is zippy fun.

漢克的一些快速而準確的診斷不免令人生疑,比如他很快就對一名在廚房匆忙云雨之后失憶的廚師作出診斷,而且只用“性可能引發(fā)中風!”這一句話。好吧,正如我所說,如果你相信該劇的背景,就會相信漢克精湛的醫(yī)術(shù)。沒人會說該片又給醫(yī)務(wù)劇增添了一部經(jīng)典,但它的確趣味橫生。

The Soloist

《獨奏者》

On paper, The Soloist sounds like a classic softhearted middlebrow awards-bait movie. Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) is a homeless schizophrenic on the streets of Los Angeles whose outward dementia - mismatched clothing topped by full sequined jacket; hair plastered down on either side; a mode of 'talk' that's really a jumble of word salad - conceals a delicate, refined soul obsessed with the beauty of music. Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times who meets Nathaniel on the street and learns, after a bit of investigating, that he was once a budding cello virtuoso at Juilliard. He writes a column about him, and as Nathaniel starts to gain a bit of notoriety, the two men redeem each other. Or not.

從理論上來說,《獨奏者》中規(guī)中矩,令人產(chǎn)生惻隱之心,像一部典型的有奪獎潛力的電影。納薩尼爾?埃爾斯(杰米??？怂癸?是洛杉磯街頭一名無家可歸的精神分裂癥患者,乍一看是癡呆患者——衣服亂搭,外邊裹著一件亮片夾克;頭發(fā)貼著頭皮左右分開;“說話的方式”雜亂無章——但這些的背后,隱藏著一顆敏感而優(yōu)雅,沉溺于音樂之美的靈魂。史蒂夫?洛佩茲(小羅伯特?唐寧飾)是《洛杉磯時報》的專欄作家,在街上偶遇納薩尼爾,經(jīng)過調(diào)查得知,他曾經(jīng)是茱莉亞音樂學院的一名初露頭角的大提琴師。洛佩茲寫了一篇關(guān)于他的專欄文章,之后納薩尼爾有了些名氣,二人惺惺相惜——也可能沒幫上什么忙。

The Soloist is based on a true story, but it takes pains not to sweeten the facts. And so the film, directed by Joe Wright (Atonement), draws us in without offering the expected 'inspirational' catharsis. It's all a bit shapeless, yet made with sincerity and taste, and the two actors seize your sympathy. Downey plays Lopez with a missionary zeal but never sanctifies him, and Foxx gives a lyrical performance as a man so trapped in a whirlpool of feeling that he can't connect with anything but Beethoven. His madness has removed all impediments to bliss, and Foxx is such a good actor you can just about hear the music in his head.

《獨奏者》是根據(jù)真實故事改編,但極力不美化事實,為此頗費了一番功夫。喬?萊特(《贖罪》的導演)執(zhí)導的這部電影深深吸引了我們,可是并沒有人們所期待的“激勵靈魂”的結(jié)局。該片結(jié)構(gòu)松散,但充滿真誠與品位,兩位主演的表演直擊你的同情心。唐寧飾演的洛佩茲有傳教士般的熱忱,但也絕沒有將其神化。福克斯的表演百轉(zhuǎn)千回,像一個深陷感情漩渦的人,似乎與其心靈相通的只有貝多芬。他的瘋狂擊碎了所有通往極樂的羈絆,而?？怂寡菁挤浅＞?你幾乎可以聽到他腦子里的音樂。

Back on the Broomstick

哈利?波特系列小史

Harry Potter fans, your wait is finally over. Was it worth it? We will leave that answer up to you. When Warner Bros. decided to delay the movie adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to spread out its blockbusters, it meant you had to wait an extra eight months to see it. The last film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, came out in 2007. Order took in $938 million at the box office worldwide. The five films produced so far have made $4.5 billion at the box office worldwide. Now lets celebrate the general release with this list of a dozen favorite moments and key dates regarding author J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter saga.

哈利?波特的粉絲們,你們的等待終于結(jié)束了。值嗎?答案留給你們自己來回答。當華納兄弟為了分散大片檔期,而決定推遲上映電影版《哈利?波特與混血王子》后,你們不得不再等8個月才能看到它。該系列中的上一部電影《哈利?波特與鳳凰社》還是在2007年,全球票房總收入達9.38億美元。截至目前,五部哈利?波特系列電影在全球共賺得票房45億美元。我們現(xiàn)在來回顧一下同作者喬安?凱瑟林?羅琳與哈利?波特傳奇有關(guān)的大紀要和精彩瞬間,慶?！豆?波特與混血王子》上映。

July 31, 1965: Joanne Kathleen Rowling is born near Chipping Sodbury, England. She got the idea for the first book during a 1990 train ride from Manchester to London. Lacking a pen and too shy to borrow one, she was forced to remember the details until the end of the trip. She started writing the book in her spare time.

1965年7月31日:喬安?凱瑟林?羅琳出生于英格蘭切普索伯利附近。1990年,當她乘坐在一列從曼徹斯特開往倫敦的火車上時,產(chǎn)生了寫第一本書的靈感。當時由于沒有筆,又因為害羞不好意思向別人借,她不得不一路上記住細節(jié)。她在閑暇時刻開始寫這本書。

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: The book introduces the world in 1998 to the 11-year-old orphan who learns he is a wizard and that he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

《哈利?波特與魔法石》:1998年,這本書向全世界介紹了一名11歲的孤兒。他知道自己是魔法師,并在霍格沃茨魔法學校有一席之地。

2001: The movie version, starring Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) reaches theaters. It's startling when Professor Quirrell unwraps his turban to reveal that the evil Lord Voldemort, who was thought to be dead, has managed to regenerate himself onto the back of Quirrell's head.

2001年:由丹尼爾?雷德克里弗(哈利)、魯伯特?格林特(羅恩?韋斯萊)和艾瑪?沃特森(赫敏?格蘭杰)主演的首部哈利?波特電影上映。當奇洛教授解開頭巾,邪惡的伏地魔鉆了出來時,場景頗為令人毛骨悚然——人們原以為他已經(jīng)死去,卻沒想到他已經(jīng)設(shè)法借奇洛的后腦勺再生。

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Harry and his best friend Ron miss the train to Hogwarts, so they arrive in a flying car in the June 1999 novel. This thrilling sequence, which has Harry and Ron seemingly dangling high above the ground, was a hit when the movie came out in 2002.

《哈利?波特與密室》:1999年6月小說問世。此時哈利和他最好的朋友羅恩沒趕上去霍格沃茨的火車,所以他們坐上一輛飛車前往。這部續(xù)集情節(jié)驚心動魄,其中一個場景是哈利和羅恩在高空懸吊著。2002年電影版問世受到了廣泛熱捧。

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The wizard Remus Lupin's onscreen transformation from man to werewolf is a scary high point in the 2004 movie version. The book was published in September 1999.

《哈利?波特與阿茲卡班的囚徒》:在2004年的電影版中,巫師萊姆斯?盧平從人轉(zhuǎn)變成狼人尤其令人害怕。該書于1999年9月出版。

2001: Rowling marries Dr. Neil Murray at their home in Scotland.

2001年:羅琳在蘇格蘭的家中與內(nèi)爾?穆雷醫(yī)生結(jié)婚。

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The spooky appearance of the Dark Mark, the symbol of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters, frightens audiences in the 2005 movie. The Dark Mark -- a skull with a snake protruding through the mouth that seems to be made of angry black clouds -- causes panic among wizards because it means someone had been murdered. Harry, Ron and Hermione were becoming teenagers.

《哈利?波特與火焰杯》:黑魔標記是伏地魔及其食死徒的象征,外表可怕,這部2005年上映的電影嚇壞了眾多觀眾。黑魔標記是一顆頭顱,嘴里吐出一條蛇,身子如黑云。這在魔法師中間引起恐慌,因為它的出現(xiàn)意味著有人被殺害。在這部電影里,哈利、羅恩和赫敏已成為少年。

$1 billion: Forbes' estimation of Rowling's wealth. The magazine adds the author to its "World's Richest People" list in 2004.

10億美元:《福布斯》所估計的羅琳財產(chǎn)總額。2004年,該雜志將羅琳列入“世界富人榜”。

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Pranksters Fred and George Weasley lead a student uprising at Hogwarts by setting off fireworks and creating a giant swamp in a corridor in the 2003 novel. Readers are disappointed to find this memorable moment is not in the 2007 movie.

《哈利?波特與鳳凰社》:2003年小說出版。書中普朗克斯特?弗雷德和喬治?韋斯萊燃放煙火,在走廊制造大片沼澤,帶領(lǐng)霍格沃茨學生進行起義。但2007年的電影版中并沒有這令人難忘的一幕,這讓讀者很失望。

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Amazon receives more than 560,000 pre-orders for as anticipation peaks for the July 16, 2005, publishing date. Rowling's books always stress the wizarding world exists alongside the non-wizarding world but stays hidden. But she evidently had great fun imagining an emergency meeting between Britain's real Prime Minister and her Minister of Magic in this Half-Blood Prince. The Minister of Magic reveals himself to warn the Prime Minister that Voldemort is killing Muggles, or non-magical people.

《哈利?波特與混血王子》:2005年7月16日小說出版。這之前,人們對它期待甚高,亞馬遜網(wǎng)站收到了56萬個訂單。羅琳總是在書中強調(diào),魔法世界和非魔法世界共存,只不過魔法世界隱藏起來罷了。但在《哈利?波特與混血王子》里,真正的英國首相與魔法首相舉行了一場緊急會議。魔法首相現(xiàn)身,警告英國首相說,伏地魔正在殺害麻瓜(即不會魔法的人)。

July 21, 2007: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final book in the series, sells a record-setting 8.3 million copies in its first 24 hours. Harry faces a life-or-death struggle with Voldemort, for it has been foretold that neither can live while the other survives. Deathly Hallows is so long and complex that it will be split into two movies, due to reach theaters in 2010 and 2011.

2007年7月21日:《哈利?波特與死圣》是該系列的第七部,也是最后一部,發(fā)售僅24小時就賣出830萬冊,創(chuàng)下了歷史紀錄。曾經(jīng)有預示稱:哈利和伏地魔不能同時活著,所以他面臨一場生死決斗。《哈利?波特與死圣》故事漫長,情節(jié)復雜,得分成兩部電影,將分別于2010年和2011年上映。

4,000-plus: Pages of the seven novels combined.

4000多頁:七部小說頁數(shù)的總和。

Far

《遙遠》

Regina Spektor writes the kind of crazy-quilt confessionals we used to hear a lot from 1990s alt-rockers but don't get enough of these days. The Russian-born Lower East Side piano punk has the European yelp of Bj?rk, the loopiness of Fiona Apple, the too-much-information torridness of Tori Amos and the slanted critical eye of Liz Phair. But none of those girls ever interrupted a song about long-term commitment to uncork a flurry of dolphin noises, as Spektor does on Folding Chair, one of the stranger - and catchier - moments on her excellent third major-label record.

蕾吉娜?史派克特寫的歌曲像是細碎雜亂的懺悔。我們在上世紀90年代的另類搖滾中經(jīng)常聽到這種風格的歌,只是現(xiàn)在甚少耳聞。史派克特出生于俄羅斯,現(xiàn)居紐約下東區(qū)。這位彈奏鋼琴,唱著朋克的女生,聲音高亢似比約克,歌聲百轉(zhuǎn)千回似費歐娜?艾坡,熱情如火似多莉?艾莫絲,眼光挑剔似麗斯?菲兒。但所有這些女孩,都未曾在(唱一首有關(guān))長相廝守的情歌里狂飆海豚音,而史派克特卻在《折疊椅》里做到了。這首歌風格奇特,朗朗上口,收入在她第三張由大廠牌灌制的唱片里。

The 29-year-old singer-songwriter's 2004 disc, Soviet Kitsch, flaunted her exotic Old World accent on stark, ranting torch songs that followed a boozy logic. 2006's Begin to Hope had fuller production and great one-liners about being a doomed New York romantic. Produced by Jeff Lynne, Garret Lee, Mike Elizondo and David Kahne, Far matches Kitsch's rococo flow with the follow-up's pop smarts. On the jaunty, hip-hop-tinged Dance Anthem of the 80's, she wanders lonely streets with her slip hanging out, 'like a drunk, but not.' Laughing With begins as a meditation on God's wicked sense of humor and ends collapsing in an existential freakout over a soft beat and weeping cello. Spektor is a woman who doesn't need much excuse to have an emotional Chernobyl (in one song, it's finding a wallet with a Blockbuster card in it). But she's also the rare screwball who gets more universal as she gets weirder.

蕾吉娜?史派克特現(xiàn)年29歲,是一名創(chuàng)作型歌手。在其2004年專輯《蘇聯(lián)套娃》里,高唱凄涼而迷亂的感傷戀歌,向人們展現(xiàn)了自己的東方嗓音。2006年的《開始希望》制作更加精良,歌詞更加活潑俏皮,講述了一場注定失敗的紐約愛情故事?！哆b遠》由杰夫?林恩、加勒特?李、麥克?埃利桑多和大衛(wèi)?卡恩聯(lián)合制作,融合了《蘇聯(lián)套娃》的洛可可風,以及《開始希望》里流行元素。在洋洋得意、帶有淡淡嘻哈風的《80年代的歌舞》之中,她獨自漫步街頭,腳步踉踉蹌蹌,像是“酩酊大醉,但顯然又沒有”?！兑黄鹦Α芬詫ι系塾哪某了奸_始,繼而在輕柔的節(jié)拍和大提琴的哀怨之中嘎然而止。史派克特從不需要為自己無厘頭的情緒宣泄尋找理由。在其中一首歌,她撿到一個錢包,看到里頭有一張租碟店的會員卡后,她便異常興奮。但是她的確與眾不同,越古怪,越是有人愛。