我们的故事

Imported from Turkey,The patterns of the most exotic tulips are created

从土耳其进口 样式最为奇异的郁金香是因为

By a virus that attacks only some bulbs,Making them rare and hard to cultivate.

一小部分球茎感染了一种病毒 使之成为最稀有且最难培育的品种

Today, a tulip bulb sells for about 50 cents.

今天 一株郁金香球茎售价约为五十美分

But in Holland in 1636, the rarest bulbs are selling

但在1636年的荷兰 最稀有的球茎要卖到

For 100 times their weight in gold.

同等质量黄金价格的一百倍

Amsterdam's merchants are inventing

阿姆斯特丹的商人们正在发明

New ways of making money: the birth of speculation.

赚钱的新方法 投机买卖诞生了

In the back rooms of taverns,Tulip merchants sell not flowers or bulbs,

在一些酒馆的密室中 郁金香商人们并不是在销售郁金香或球茎

But the rights to next year's harvest.

而是在销售下一年收割的权利

The world's first future's market.

这就是世界上第一个期货市场

Today all agricultural products are sold at futures markets.

现在 所有的农产品都在期货市场交易

You can buy crops that have not been harvested yet.

你可以购买还没有收割的农作物

Similarly tulips were bought in advance of their delivery date.

同样地 郁金香也在 交付日期前提前交易

In one month in November 1636,The price of tulip shares has quadrupled.

仅在1636年十一月这一个月中 郁金香期货合约的价格就已经翻了两番

Van Goyen sees an opportunity.

范·戈因看到了商机

Until now, if you weren't nobility or a great merchant,

直到如今 如果当时你不是贵族 也不是伟大的商人

you weren't wealthy,but here's a chance for the common people to become wealthy.

你就没法变得家财万贯 但现在有一个机会 能让普通人变得富有

Confident of a quick return,

范·戈因对于快速收益信心满满

Van goyen invests all his savings in tulip shares.

他把所有积蓄都投资到了郁金香期货合约上

重点讲解

1、speculation

推测;猜测;猜想

Critics of the project speculate about how many hospitals could be built instead.

对该项目持批评态度的人在推测如果改作他用不知可以建多少所医院。

It would be unfair to Debby's family to speculate on the reasons for her suicide.

猜测黛比自杀的原因对她的家人来说是不公平的。

投机;做投机买卖

Big farmers are moving in, not in order to farm, but in order to speculate with rising land prices.

大农场主正在不断涌进来，不是为了耕作，而是要利用不断上涨的地价进行投机。

The banks made too many risky loans which now can't be repaid, and they speculated in property whose value has now dropped.

各银行贷出去太多高风险贷款，目前无法收回，他们还进行地产投机，而地产的价值目前已经下跌了。

2、common

常见的;普遍的

His name was Hansen, a common name in Norway.

他的名字叫汉森，在挪威是一个常见的名字。

Oil pollution is the commonest cause of death for seabirds.

石油污染是造成海鸟死亡最常见的原因。

共有的;共同的

Moldavians and Romanians share a common language.

摩尔达维亚人和罗马尼亚人使用同一种语言。

Such behaviour is common to all young people.

这种行为在年轻人中司空见惯。