馬雲引領中國富豪收購波爾多酒莊
Asked once about how he became China's richest businessman, Jack Ma said the secret to success was investing in young and up-and-coming ventures.
曾有人問馬雲，他是如何成爲中國最富有的商人的。馬雲回答說，成功的祕訣在於投資年輕的以及成長中的企業。However, the billionaire web tycoon also has a soft spot for the old and venerated - at least when it comes to fine wine.
不過，這名身價億萬的互聯網大亨也對歷史悠久和尊貴的東西情有獨鍾。至少對於上好的葡萄酒是這樣的。In a move that France hopes will reverse a slide in the fortunes of its top winemaking area, Mr Ma is leading a massive Chinese scramble to buy up dozens of high-end chateaux to satisfy his country's growing thirst for top vintages.
近日，馬雲率領着一支龐大的中國隊伍投資了高端的波爾多產區，以滿足中國對頂級葡萄酒與日俱增的渴求，這一舉動也迎合了法國計劃挽回頂級釀酒區走下坡路現狀的希望。
Far from simply snapping up a few crates of Chateau Lafite Rothschild at 20,000 pound a bottle, Mr Ma shelled out 12m pound last month for the Chateau de Sours, an elegant 16th century estate in Entre-Deux-Mers.
不僅僅是以2萬英鎊一瓶的價格搶購幾箱拉菲莊園的名酒而已，馬雲還在上個月以1200萬英鎊的價格買下了地處兩河流域的十六世紀建造的薩爾斯城堡。What is more, on his recent visit to France, he also brought along a few wine-drinking billionaire chums, who between them now plan to buy up at least 30 more of the region's wine houses.
更重要的是，在他最近訪問法國的行程中，他還帶了幾個愛喝葡萄酒的億萬富翁朋友，他們現在計劃購買至少該地區30座以上的葡萄酒莊園。The deals could not come at a better time for Bordeaux's wine makers, who saw sales slide by 17 per cent in Europe last year, and who are facing competition from cheaper - but equally delectable - New World rivals in California and Australia.
這些交易對波爾多的酒商來說是一個千載難逢的機遇。因爲酒商們去年在歐洲的銷售量下滑了17％，他們面臨着來自新世界產地--如加利福利亞和澳大利亞--的更便宜但品質同樣上佳的葡萄酒的競爭。For with wine still very much a status drink in newly-wealthy China, a bottle of top-end Bordeaux is likely to go down far better at a rich guest's dinner table than a more competitively priced Chilean from Tesco's - even if the taste difference is not that much.
葡萄酒在富裕的新中國仍然是一個象徵地位的飲品，一瓶頂級波爾多葡萄酒對於奢華的宴會來說，可比在樂購超市買來的一瓶價格實惠的智利酒要尊貴得多，雖然它們口味也相差無幾。"The number of Chinese who can afford to buy imported wine at say a Euro 28 per bottle has actually doubled in the past three years from 17 to 38 million," said Suzanne Mustacich, author of the book Thirsty Dragon: China's Lust for Bordeaux.
“在中國，購買28英鎊一瓶的進口葡萄酒的人數在過去三年已經從1700萬人增長到3800萬人，翻了一倍還多，”講述中國對波爾多葡萄酒情有獨鍾的一本名爲《渴望之龍》的書籍作者蘇珊娜·瑪斯塔希說。Speaking of the chateaux purchases, she added: "They're protecting their money, they see it as a safe bet and they want a beautiful building, a slice of history. It's a great bling purchase for them."
而提到對酒莊的收購，她表示：“這是保護財產的一種做法，他們認爲這是一個安全的賭注，他們想要一座漂亮的建築，想要一片歷史的痕跡。這對於他們來說是一項巨大的購買奢侈品的行爲。”
