176 Investing 3

投资顾问Jerry跟客户Frank见面,建议他投资电动汽车电池技术的开发,Frank似乎有顾虑。

F: I don't know....sounds like a gamble to me.

J: All investing is a gamble! But sometimes gambling pays off big time!

F: That's true...but sometimes you lose your shirt.

J: I'd recommend we take it step by step. The first step is to do lots of research. We really have to do our homework.

F: And then? What's step two?

J: I'm recommending buying a small Chinese company called WinTron Power. They hold several key patents and they have a good R&D department.

Frank觉得投资电池技术的开发听上去有些象gamble,赌博,可是话说回来,投资就要有风险,堵注下对了就会赚一大笔钱,pay off big time, 全军覆没则会,lose your shirt,倾家荡产。Jerry已经做好了全盘规划,第一步是要做一下市场调查,do our homework,意思是先做好准备工作。第二步是收购一家叫WinTron Power的小公司。这家公司掌握着好几项关键专利,而且有优秀的R&D Department,研究和开发部。

F: How much is this going to cost me?

J: The initial investment is about five million.

F: Five million U.S. dollars? That's steep!

J: Yes...but you could end up becoming a major supplier to the auto companies of the future. Invest millions for a chance to make billions.

F: It's a tempting idea. It could be huge.

Jerry说,首期投资the initial investment估计要500万美元,Frank 说,that's steep. 这么多钱, steep is spelled s-t-e-e-p, steep,意思是倾斜度大,坡陡,也有过份的意思,比如说 The price is steep,意思是价钱太贵。 Jerry 劝他说,如果成功,投个几百万,就有机会赚回几十亿,是个上算的买卖。Frank说,It's a tempting idea,他好象动心了。

J: China has the potential to be the leader in the field. This is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I think it would be foolish to let it slip away.

F: Jerry...you sold me. I'll get working on this project right away. This could be my big break! Thanks for the info!

J: Just doing my job.

Jerry说,This is an once-in-a lifetime opportunity,这可是千载难逢的好机会,过了这个村就没这个店了;这样的机会千万不能错过。Frank终于被说动了。他说,you sold me,意思是你把我说服了。This could be my big break,这回没准我的机会来了。 Big break,往往用来指突如其来的好运气。Jerry,回答说,Just doing my job. 这是我份内的工作,这是我应该做的。