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1. Buffett auctioned his 20-year-old wallet on December 3, 1999 and received a high bid of $210,000 which went to a charity, Girls Inc. of Omaha. The story about the battered old black billfold broke in The Wall Street Journal (December 2,1999). "I've never gone for the top of the line," Buffett was quoted.
1. 1999年12月3日，巴菲特拍卖(auction)了跟随他20年之久的钱包，高达21万美元的拍卖所得(a high bid of $210,000)全部捐给了慈善机构（charity）奥马哈女童之家。《华尔街日报》(1999年12月2日)刊登(break-broke-broken vt. 透露, 说出)了有关这个黑色旧皮夹(the battered old black billfold)的故事，报纸援引(quote v. 引用, 援引; quotation n. 引用, 引述)巴菲特的话说：“我还从来没有上过头条(the top of the line)。”
2. The wallet survived the dunking in a Minnesota lake after a fishing boat capsized leaving Buffett dogpaddling. Buffet didn't include his credit cards, driver's license or a pass for free McDonald's hamburgers. He did include an expired half-price pass from Hooter's restaurant chain given to him for allowing the chain to note Buffett's birthday on their calendar. "I plan to leave the name of a stock tip in it for whoever buys it," Buffett told the Journal. It turned out to be First Industrial Realty Trust.
2.这个钱包曾经被水浸泡过。一次，巴菲特在明尼苏达州的一个湖中钓鱼时，船翻了(a fishing boat capsized)，害得巴菲特在湖中练狗刨。这次拍卖不包括他的信用卡、驾照以及换取麦当劳汉堡包的免费券(a pass for free McMonalds hamburgers)。但是，包含一张到期的(expired)呼特餐饮连锁店的半价优惠卡，那是巴菲特允许呼特餐饮连锁店在台历上注明了自己生日所得到的礼物(回报)。“不管谁（whoever）买下钱包，我都打算在里面留一条股票信息(the name of a stock tip)”，巴菲特在接受《华尔街日报》采访时说。这只股票后来被证实是第一工业房地产信托公司(First Industrial Realty Trust)。(turn out 结果是，原来是)
3. Television interviewer Bob McCartney of KETV in Omaha asked Buffett if he thought the wallet bidding would get to the seven figure mark. "No, no, I don't think so...if it got that high, I'd be sorry I didn't sell it myself." When the subject came up of the Hooter's pass, Buffett said: "It expired, and they didn't offer me a renewal." As for the stock tip, Buffett said there might be "a little mention" of a company Berkshire bought that wasn't public knowledge yet.
3. 奥马哈的KETV电视台记者鲍勃·麦卡特采访巴菲特时问他，事先有没有想到会拍卖到七位数(the seven figure mark)。“没有，没有，绝没想到，早知道能卖这么高的价格，我还不如亲自卖。”谈到(come up 提及；提到)呼特餐饮连锁店的优惠卡，巴菲特说“优惠卡到期了，呼特不给我续办。”至于(as for)说股票信息，巴菲特说他“略微提到”(a little mention)一个伯克希尔公司购买的公众还不知道的（that wasnt public knowledge yet）公司。
4. John Morgan of Wayzata, Minnesota, won the wallet with a $210,000 bid. Morgan was born and raised in Omaha in an area that was served by Girls Inc. Reports said Morgan would share the stock's name with people who gave $1,000 or more to Girls Inc., whose board (偏意: n. 董事会,委员会) is headed by Buffett's daughter, Susie, who came up with the auction idea. So what's her next auction item proposal? Buffett told the Omaha World-Herald (December 2, 1999): "I can't talk to her anymore. I've got to watch it. It may be my underwear next time."
4.明尼苏达州威扎塔的约翰·摩根出价21万美元竞得那个钱包。摩根生于(bron)奥马哈，长于(raise)奥马哈，该区域正是奥马哈女童之家为之提供服务的地区。有报道称，凡向奥马哈女童之家捐资1000美元以上者，摩根愿与之分享(share with)该股票的名字。奥马哈女童之家的负责人是巴菲特的女儿苏珊。正是苏珊想出来（come up with）这个拍卖他父亲钱包的主意。那么，接下来她打算拍卖什么呢?巴菲特对《奥马哈世界导报》(1999年12月2日)说：“我不会告诉她，我要等等看(I’ve got to watch it.)。也许下次的拍卖品是我的内衣(underware)。”
5. Morgan is a successful businessman who co-founded an equipment-leasing company, took Winthrop Resources public and in 1997 sold it to Minneapolis-based TCF Financial Corp. Morgan and two partners sold the business for $325 million. Each of the three partners received about $60 million. In January, 1999 the three partners formed Rush River Group to invest in over-the-counter stocks. Rush River has a stake in Grow Biz and Morgan is now the CEO of Grow Biz which owns a large number of retail stores. (stock n. 公债; 股份; 股票stake n. 股份, 利害关系)
5.摩根是一位成功的商人，他与人合伙创办了温斯罗普资源公司，从事设备租赁业务(equipment-leasing company)，然后又设法使之上市(take … public)。后于1997年将它出售给总部设在明尼阿波丽斯市的TCF金融公司，售价(sell for)为3.25亿美元，三个合伙人每人分得(receive)大约6000万美元。1999年1月，这三人又合伙成立(form)拉什河集团，投资于场外交易市场的股票(to invest in over-the-counter stocks)。拉什河集团在罗比兹公司拥有股份，该公司旗下有大量零售商店（a large number of retail stores）。摩根现任其首席执行官。
6. Morgan, the first graduate from high school in his family, was told by his guidance counselor that he should be a bricklayer. Instead he worked his way through college. After Morgan won the wallet, Buffett took him to dinner. (I met Morgan at Berkshire's Annual Meeting festivities in 2000 and offered to sell him my wallet. He didn't express the slightest interest.)
6.摩根是他们家的第一位高中毕业生，高中就业指导曾建议他当一名砖瓦匠，可是，他却设法完成了大学学业(work one's way through 从头到尾做)。摩根竞买钱包成功后，巴菲特同他共进晚餐。(2000年伯克希尔的股东年会上，我遇到了摩根，我提出把我的钱包卖给他，他却一丁点儿兴趣都没有。)
7. The secret stock tip of First Industrial Realty Trust, a Chicago based REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) that owns warehouses and distribution facilities was revealed in a Wall Street Journal story (December 17, 1999). (There was a report in 2001 that Buffett had sold his stake by then.) Fred Henry, a 40-year-old well-digger in Oakland, Iowa, who contributed to Girls Inc. and received the tip from Morgan confirmed the name of the stock to the Journal. How often do well-diggers source(偏意：vt. 向…提供消息) the Journal about a stock tip in an old billfold?
7.《华尔街日报》的一篇报道(1999年12月17日)披露出(reveal)钱包里的秘密股票信息。第一工业房地产信托公司是一家总部设在芝加哥的房地产投资信托公司，拥有众多仓库（wearhouses）和配送设施。(2001年有报道称巴菲特在当年(by then)出售了他持有的这支股票。)费雷德·亨利是爱荷华州奥克兰的一名40岁的打井工。他向奥马哈女童之家捐款(contribute to)并从摩根那里获得股票信息。他向《华尔街日报》证实(confirm)了该股票的名字。打井工人向《华尔街日报》透露有关旧钱包里的股票信息，真是少有的事。
8. The Buffett family has long supported Girls Inc., and did it in an unusual way on September 15, 2000. Author Maya Angelou was scheduled to speak at a luncheon but became ill. A 15-year-old, Shadea Gallion, whose dream it had been to meet Dr. Angelou introduced a last minute replacement. "Dr. Angelou is truly a phenomenal woman. It was my greatest honor to introduce her. It is still an honor to be here. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Warren Buffett."
8.巴菲特家长期以来支持奥马哈女童之家的事业，2000年9月15 日，他们采取了一种非同寻常的方式（in an unusual way）。作家玛雅·安杰罗应邀出席当天的午餐会作演讲，但是不巧，她因病不能到场。(be scheduled to do sth 预定，预期；计划做) 15岁的沙迪·加林一直梦想能见到玛雅·安杰罗，她向大家介绍最后关头的救场者(a last minutereplacement)。“安杰罗博士是一位非常杰出的女性，能把她介绍给诸位是我最大的荣幸。在此，我仍然很荣幸地介绍今天的演讲嘉宾，一起有请……沃伦·巴菲特先生。”
9. Buffett told the audience of 1,100 people, including donor John Morgan, that(引导宾语从句) while money can matter in determining who gets what opportunities, as the years go by "you measure your personal bank account by who loves you and how they love you."
9.巴菲特向包括捐款者(donor)约翰·摩根在内的1100名听众发表演讲。他说，虽然（while）在决定谁获得什么样的机会方面金钱确实管用(money can matter；matter 偏意: vi. 要紧, 有关系)，但是随着时光的流逝(as the years go)，“你是根据谁爱你和他们有多爱你来衡量你的一生。”
10. Buffett told his audience you only get one shot at life and told about longing for his first car at age 16. "I was 16 once," he said, "There wasn't anything I wanted more. But suppose someone told me that would be the only car I'd get in life?" Buffett said then he would have read the owner's manual many times to make the car last. "You only get one mind, one body and one opportunity in life. I suggest you think about the mind and body you've been given as a real asset."
10.巴菲特对听众说，人的一生只有一次机会（shot n. (口语)机会；十拿九稳获胜的赌注）。他说，16岁时他盼望(long for)能有自己的第一部轿车。他说，“那时我最想要的就是一部车。如果(suppose)有人告诉我这是我一生中唯一的车，我会怎么办呢?”巴菲特说，假如真是这样，他将无数遍地阅读操作手册，从而使这部车能终生为他服务(to make the car last)。“你一生中只拥有一种思想，一个躯体，一次机会。我建议大家考虑一下，把你的思想和躯体看作是一项真正的资产(as a real asset)。”
11. Norma Deeb, executive director of Girls Inc., recalls how she thanked Buffett for stepping in for Dr. Angelou: "I asked Susie (Buffett's daughter) to tell me three things that her father liked...as I knew he wouldn't take money for a fee. She said he liked malted milk balls (the Whoppers brand), pastel licorice lozenges (the ones you find in big barrels in the grocery store) and honey ham. I put this little package together, drove to his house and knocked on his door. Warren came to the door and exclaimed, "Oh great. Whoppers!" he later told Susie that he would be happy to be a substitute speaker for me again... as he got a gift that he really liked.
11.回忆起因巴菲特顶替(step in for 顶替(某人))安杰罗博士临时发表演讲而表示谢意的情形，奥马哈女童之家的执行董事(executive director)诺玛·迪布说：“我让苏珊(巴菲特的女儿)告诉我，她父亲喜欢的三样东西，因为(as)我知道他父亲不愿收取报酬。她告诉我她父亲喜欢麦芽牛奶球(霍珀斯牌)，柔和(pastel)甘草润喉糖(食品店里论大桶出售)和蜂蜜火腿。我拎着三个小包，驱车来到他家，按响门铃。沃伦打开门，大叫（exclaim）：“哦，太好了，是霍珀斯牌的！”后来，他对苏珊说他愿意再次替补演讲……这一切只不过是由于他得到自己真心喜欢的小礼物而已。
