Each week our staff of educators tries to introduce you to a person of interest in the financial world.

每個星期我們的教育工作者試著向你介紹一位在金融界有影響力的人

This could be a person in government or banking or an important investors or trader.

這可以是一位在政府單位，銀行的人或是一位重要的投資者或交易者

Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett is expected to release his much anticipated annual letter to shareholders on Saturday.

Berkshire Hathaway (註: Berkshire Hathaway為一總部位於美國內布拉斯加州奧瑪哈的多元控股公司) 的主席華倫‧巴菲特期望在星期六公布他投注很多心力，一年一度的給股東的信。

The letter, which will mark his 50th anniversary at the company's helm，

這封信將象徵他掌舵這家公司的第五十年頭

is expected to hit 20,000 words as he offers his thoughts on the past year and on investment ideas for the future.

預期將有近 2 萬個字因為他提供了過去一年的想法和未來的投資方向

Everybody knows the name Warren Buffett but most people know very little about the man

每個人都知道華倫‧巴菲特這個名字但是大部分的人對這個人知道的很少

himself although he is bigger than life. Born Warren Edward Buffett on August 30, 1930, in Omaha, Nebraska.

雖然他具有傳奇色彩。華倫‧艾德華‧巴菲特出生於 1930 年 8 月 30 號，在內布拉斯加州的奧馬哈市

Buffett's father Howard worked as stockbroker and served as U.S. Congressman.

巴菲特的父親豪爾是一名股票經紀人並在美國國會服務

His mother, Leila Stahl Buffett, was a homemaker. Buffett was the second of three children and the only boy.

他的母親萊拉‧巴菲特是一名家庭主婦。巴菲特在三個小孩中排行第二而且是唯一的男孩

Buffett demonstrated a knack for financial and business matters early on in his childhood.

巴菲特早在他童年時就展現了在財務和商業的天分

Friends and acquaintances have said the young boy was a mathematical prodigy,

朋友和認識他的人都說這個小男孩是一個數學神童，

and was able to add large columns of numbers in his head,

他可以在腦中做大量數字的加法，

a talent he still occasionally shows off to friends and business associates.

他現在依然偶爾會向朋友或是商業相關人士展現這項技能

He attended Columbia University for his advanced degree and in 1956, shortly after graduation,

他進入哥倫比亞大學攻讀高等學位，並在1956年，就在畢業後不久，

he formed the firm Buffett Partnership in his hometown of Omaha.

他在他的家鄉奧馬哈成立了巴菲特合夥公司。

His investment successes, particularly in buying undervalued companies whose stocks shortly began to rise,

他的投資成功， 尤其是購買不久前股價剛提昇的低價公司，

made him extremely rich and gained him the sobriquet, "Oracle of Omaha."

使得他非常富有並獲得「奧馬哈的神諭」的綽號

In June 2006, Buffett made an announcement that he would be giving his entire fortune away to charity，

在 2006 年六月，巴菲特宣告他將捐出他全部財產給慈善機構，

committing 85 percent of it to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

承諾將百分之 85 給比爾美琳達‧蓋茲基金會 (註：全球最大的慈善基金會，由比爾·蓋茨與梅琳達·蓋茨夫婦資助)

This donation became the largest act of charitable giving in United States history.

這次捐款變成美國歷史上最大規模的慈善捐獻

The majority of Buffett's considerable fortune was amassed through Berkshire Hathaway,

巴菲特可觀的財富主要來自 Berkshire Hathaway，

a company for which he is the largest shareholder and CEO. Once ranked as Forbes' wealthiest man in 2008,

他是這間公司最大的股東和執行長。曾經被富比士評為 2008 年最富有的人，

his net worth was estimated at roughly $44 billion in 2012.

他在 2012 被估計淨財產約有 440 億元

Now in his eighties, Buffett recently announced that he is battling prostate cancer.

現在 80 多歲，巴菲特最近宣告他正在和前列腺癌奮戰

He will begin treatment in July 2012 and expects to be able to fulfill his usual responsibilities at Berkshire Hathaway.

他將在 2012 年 7 月開始治療並希望仍可以處理 Berkshire Hathaway 的一般事務

"I feel great ... and my energy level is 100 percent," Buffett said in a statement.

「我感覺很棒，而且我的精力是百分之百的」巴菲特在一次發言中如此說

As of early 2013, Buffett was rated No. 15 on Forbes magazine's "World's Most Powerful People" list.

截至 2013 年初，巴菲特在富比士雜誌的「世界上最有影響力的人」列表中名列第 15 名