巴菲特致股东的信(2002年)⑩股东指定慈善捐赠⑪年度股东大会


Shareholder-Designated Contributions

股东指定慈善捐赠

About 97.3% of all eligible shares participated in Berkshire's 2002 shareholder-designated contributions program, with contributions totaling $16.5 million.

大约有 97.3%的有效股权参与伯克希尔在 2002 年的股东指定捐赠计划,捐出的款项总计约 1,650 万美元。

Cumulatively, over the 22 years of the program, Berkshire has made contributions of $197 million pursuant to the instructions of our shareholders. The rest of Berkshire's giving is done by our subsidiaries, which stick to the philanthropic patterns that prevailed before they were acquired (except that their former owners themselves take on the responsibility for their personal charities). In aggregate, our subsidiaries made contributions of $24 million in 2002, including in-kind donations of $4 million.

累计过去 22 年以来,伯克希尔总计已依照股东意愿捐赠出高达 1.97 亿美元的款项,除了之外,伯克希尔还通过旗下的子公司进行捐赠,而这些慈善活动都是早在他们被我们并购以前就行之有年的(扣除先前的老板自行本身负责的个人捐赠计划),总的来说,我们旗下的关系企业在 2002 年总计捐出 2,400 万美元,其中包含 400 万美元等值的物品。

To participate in future programs, you must own Class A shares that are registered in the name of the actual owner, not the nominee name of a broker, bank or depository. Shares not so registered on August 31, 2003 will be ineligible for the 2003 program. When you get the contributions form from us, return it promptly so that it does not get put aside or forgotten. Designations received after the due date will not be honored.

想要参加这项计划的人,必须拥有 A 级普通股,同时确定您的股份是登记在自己而非股票经纪人或保管银行的名下,同时必须在 2003 年 8 月 31 日之前完成登记,才有权利参与 2003 年的捐赠计划,当你收到表格后,请立即填写后寄回,以免被丢在一旁给忘记了,逾期恕不受理。

The Annual Meeting

年度股东大会

This year’s annual meeting will be held on Saturday, May 3, and once again we will be at the Civic Auditorium. The doors will open at 7 a.m., the movie will begin at 8:30, and the meeting itself will commence at 9:30. There will be a short break at noon for food. (Sandwiches will be available at the Civic’s concession stands.) That interlude aside, Charlie and I will answer questions until 3:30. Give us your best shot.

今年的股东会预计在 5 月 3 日周六举行,地点仍将选在市政礼堂,大门会在当天早上 7 点开放,同时电影短片照例会在 8 点半播放,正式会议则从 9 点半开始,扣除中午短暂的休息时间,(会场外有供应三明治等各类点心),除了中午休息时间外,查理跟我本人会在现场回答大家各类问题直到下午 3 点半,记得将你的问题准备好。

An attachment to the proxy material that is enclosed with this report explains how you can obtain the credential you will need for admission to the meeting and other events. As for plane, hotel and car reservations, we have again signed up American Express (800-799-6634) to give you special help. They do a terrific job for us each year, and I thank them for it.

后面附有股东会开会投票的相关资料,向各位解释如何拿到股东会入场及其它活动必须的识别证,至于有关机位、住宿、租车等预订服务,我们很高兴与美国运通(电话 800-799-6634)再次签约为您提供相关安排,每年他们都为大家提供非常好的服务,在此谨代表大家向他们说声谢谢。

In our usual fashion, we will run vans from the larger hotels to the meeting. Afterwards, the vans will make trips back to the hotels and to Nebraska Furniture Mart, Borsheim’s and the airport. Even so, you are likely to find a car useful.

一如往来我们会安排小巴士往来会场与旅馆之间,同时在会后小巴士还会载大家回旅馆或是到内布拉斯加家具店、波仙珠宝店及机场等地,当然即便如此你可能会觉得如果有一辆车会更方便。

Our exhibit area for Berkshire goods and services will be bigger and better than ever this year. So be prepared to spend. I think you will particularly enjoy visiting The Pampered Chef display, where you may run into Doris and Sheila.

今年伯克希尔各项产品及服务的展示场地将会比以往更大更好,所以请大家准备好大大地血拼,我想大家应该会特别喜欢 TPC 的摊位,在那里你很有可能会碰到 Doris 及 Sheila。

GEICO will have a booth staffed by a number of its top counselors from around the country, all of them ready to supply you with auto insurance quotes. In most cases, GEICO will be able to give you a special shareholder discount (usually 8%). This special offer is permitted by 41 of the 49 jurisdictions in which we operate. Bring the details of your existing insurance and check out whether we can save you money.

GEICO 公司会再度派出各地区最优秀的业务员,在会场设立摊位,随时提供股东们汽车保单的报价,在大多数的情况下,GEICO 都可以提供给你一个相当优惠的股东折扣(大约 8%),这个特别优惠在我们有营业据点的全美 49 州中的 41 州都有效,各位记得将自己现在的投保资料带来,看看是否能帮自己省下一笔钱。

On Saturday, at the Omaha airport, we will have the usual array of aircraft from NetJets® available for your inspection. Just ask a representative at the Civic about viewing any of these planes. If you buy what we consider an appropriate number of items during the weekend, you may well need your own plane to take them home. Furthermore, if you buy a fraction of a plane, I’ll personally see that you get a three-pack of briefs from Fruit of the Loom.

周六在奥马哈机场,我们仍将展示一系列的机队供大家参观,请到市政礼堂向 EJA 的业务代表洽询参观的事宜,如果你股东会买了一大推相关产品,我相信你一定也需要用自己的飞机把它们带回家,甚至如果你真的买下飞机的部分所有权,我个人也亲自确定你收到一个 Fruit of Loom 生产的大行李箱。

At Nebraska Furniture Mart, located on a 77-acre site on 72nd Street between Dodge and Pacific, we will again be having “Berkshire Weekend” pricing, which means we will be offering our shareholders a discount that is customarily given only to employees. We initiated this special pricing at NFM six years ago, and sales during the “Weekend” grew from $5.3 million in 1997 to $14.2 million in 2002.

位于道奇街与太平洋街的内布拉斯加家具店 NFM,再度会有伯克希尔周特卖,我们将特别提供给股东原先只有员工可以享有的优惠价,我们在 6 年前首次推出这种促销活动,营业额更一举从 1997 年的 530 万美元成长到 2002 年的 1,420 万美元。

To get the discount, you must make your purchases during the Thursday, May 1 through Monday, May 5 period and also present your meeting credential. The period’s special pricing will even apply to the products of several prestigious manufacturers that normally have ironclad rules against discounting but that, in the spirit of our shareholder weekend, have made an exception for you. We appreciate their cooperation. NFM is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. On Saturday this year, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., we are having a special affair for shareholders only. I’ll be there, eating hot dogs and drinking Coke.

想要享有折扣记得在 5 月 1 日周四到 5 月 5 日周一间采购,并出示股东开会证明,在这期间的特卖活动也适用于许多原本从不打折的顶级品牌,这可是为了股东会才特别破例,我们很感谢他们的配合,NFM 的营业时间平日从早上 10 点到下午 9 点,周六及周日则从早上 10 点到下午 6 点,在今年的周六,我们将有一个股东会特卖会,时间从下午 6 点到下午 10 点,我本人也将出席,顺便吃点热狗配配可乐。

Borsheim’s the largest jewelry store in the country except for Tiffany’s Manhattan store will have two shareholder-only events. The first will be a cocktail reception from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, May 2. The second, the main gala, will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 4. Ask Charlie to autograph your sales ticket.

波仙珠宝-全美单店营业额仅次于纽约曼哈顿蒂芬妮的珠宝店,在股东会期间将会有两场专为股东举办的展览会,第一场是在 5/2 周五的鸡尾酒会,时间从下午 6 点到晚上 10 点,第二场大型售卖活动则在 5 月 4 日周日举行,从早上 9 点到下午 5 点,记得请查理在你的收据上签名。

Shareholder prices will be available Thursday through Monday, so if you wish to avoid the large crowds that will assemble on Friday evening and Sunday, come at other times and identify yourself as a shareholder. On Saturday, we will be open until 6 p.m. Borsheim’s operates on a gross margin that is fully twenty percentage points below that of its major rivals, so the more you buy, the more you save (or at least that’s what my wife and daughter tell me).

从周四到周一的股东会期间,波仙都将提供股东特惠价,所以如果你希望避开周五晚上到周日的拥挤人潮,你可以在其它的时间上门光顾,记得表明股东的身分,周六我们会营业到晚上 6 点,波仙的营业毛利要比其它主要竞争对手要低 20%以上,所以买得越多省得越多,(这是我的老婆跟女儿告诉我的)。

In the mall outside of Borsheim’s, we will have some of the world’s top bridge experts available to play with our shareholders on Sunday afternoon. We expect Bob Hamman, Sharon Osberg, Fred Gitelman and Sheri Winestock to host tables. Patrick Wolff, twice U.S. chess champion, will also be in the mall, taking on all comers blindfolded! Last year, Patrick played six games simultaneously with his blindfold securely in place and for the first time suffered a loss. (He won the other five games, however.) He’s been training overtime ever since and is planning to start a new streak this year.

周日下午,我们照例会在波仙珠宝店外面大厅为股东们举办的一场桥牌大赛,邀请多位世界级桥牌顶尖高手与大家同乐,Bob Hamman、Sharon Osberg、Fred Gitelman 及 Sheri Winestock 都将出席,另外Patrick Wolff-美国棋两度冠军,也会再度在会场蒙眼与所有挑战者对奕,去年他一口气同时与六位对手下棋,而且头一次落败,(不过他还是赢了其它五个对手),不过事后他已加紧练习,计划重新展开连胜的记录。

Additionally, Bill Robertie, one of only two players who have twice won the backgammon world championship, will be on hand to test your skill at that game. Finally, we will have a newcomer: Peter Morris, the winner of the World Scrabble Championship in 1991. Peter will play on five boards simultaneously (no blindfold for him, however) and will also allow his challengers to consult a Scrabble dictionary.

此外,Bill Robertie-史上惟二赢得两度世界双陆旗冠军的人,也会莅临测试各位双陆旗的实力,最后今年将会有一位新面孔-Peter Morris,他是 1991 年世界拼字大赛的冠军,Peter 这次将一口气挑战五位对手(当然他无法蒙眼),并允许其对手查阅字典。

We are also going to test your vocal chords at the mall. My friend, Al Oehrle of Philadelphia, will be at the piano to play any song in any key. Susie and I will lead the singing. She is good.

此外在会场我们也将测试各位的歌喉,我的好朋友来自费城的 Al Oehrle 将会在现场以钢琴做伴奏,任何歌任何 Key 都行,我内人苏珊跟我本人将会为大家开唱,她的歌声相当不错。

Gorat’s my favorite steakhouse will again be open exclusively for Berkshire shareholders on Sunday, May 4, and will be serving from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. Please remember that to come to Gorat’s on Sunday, you must have a reservation. To make one, call 402-551-3733 on April 1 (but not before). If Sunday is sold out, try Gorat’s on one of the other evenings you will be in town. Show your sophistication by ordering a rare T-bone with a double order of hash browns.

我个人最爱的牛排馆-Gorat's 为了伯克希尔股东年会破例在 5 月 4 日周日开门营业,从下午 4 点开始营业,一直到晚上 10 点,请记得周日事先若没有订位的人请勿前往以免向隅,要预约请在 4 月 1 日以后打电话(402-551-3733),若订不到周日的位子,也可以试试其它晚上,记得老练一点地点丁骨牛排加上双份的牛肉丸。

There won’t be a ball game this year. After my fastball was clocked at 5 mph last year, I decided to hang up my spikes. So I’ll see you on Saturday night at NFM instead.

很可惜今年将没有棒球赛可以看了,在我的快速球时速降到 5 英哩之后,我就决定要高挂钉鞋,所以周六晚上大家在 NFM 见。

* * * * * * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Next year our meeting will be held at Omaha’s new convention center. This switch in locations will allow us to hold the event on either Saturday or Monday, whichever the majority of you prefer. Using the enclosed special ballot, please vote for your preference – but only if you are likely to attend in the future.

明年我们的股东会将会移师到奥马哈新落成的 Qwest 会议中心召开,这项变更将得以使我们自由选择在周六或周一举行,只要大多数的股东同意,利用会议通知后附的选票,请选择你个人的偏好,当然最好是你未来有可能参加再投。

We will make the Saturday/Monday decision based upon a count of shareholders, not shares. That is, a Class B shareholder owning one share will have a vote equal to that of a Class A shareholder owning many shares. If the vote is close, we will go with the preference of out-of-towners.

我们将按股东投票的人头数而非股数来决定在周六或周一开会,也就是说持有一股 B 股的股东其投票权将与持有大量 A 股的股东一样,如果投票数过于接近,我们将以外县市来的股东意愿为优先考量。

Again, please vote only if there is a reasonable chance that you will be attending some meetings in the future.

再一次提醒大家,只有在将来有可能出席股东大会时,才建议你参与投票。

Warren E. Buffett
Chairman of the Board
February 21, 2003

沃伦.巴菲特
董事会主席
2003年2月21日

〔译文源于芒格书院整理的巴菲特致股东的信〕

© Copyright 2023 Meitiandudian. All Rights Reserved.