乔布斯是苹果的全部吗？
原文： 选自英国《金融时报》
译者： 爱尔兰都柏林大学 赖小琪
No one wants to pry into Steve Jobs’ health and everyone wishes him the best. But the inconvenient reality is that chief executives of public companies have limited rights to medical privacy. Apple’s market capitalisation is $320bn, but that is not the point. Shareholders own it, and Mr Jobs works for them. They deserve, therefore, more than a six-sentence e-mail giving no details on his sudden leave of absence, sent out on a national holiday the day before the release of full-year results. As it is, the leave – which is indefinite, unlike his 2009 absence, which gave a return date – will arouse great human concern.
没有人想去刺探史蒂夫•乔布斯的健康状况，并且大家都希望他平安无事。但是现实是， 一个上市公司的首席执行官并没有太多的医疗隐私。苹果公司的市值高达3200亿美元， 但这并不是最关键的。 这家公司为出资的股东所拥有，而乔布斯只是为他们打工而已。因此， 这些股东需要的， 并不仅仅是一封只有六句话的并且对乔布斯的突然休假没有任何详细说明的邮件。 这封邮件是在苹果发布全年业绩前一天发出的， 当天是国家法定假日。由此可见，乔布斯的此次休假，并不像2009年那次那样给出明确的回职日期。此次休假是无限期的， 这引起了投资者们的极大恐慌。
What should investors do? Ultimately, it depends on whether they adhere to a “great man” interpretation of Apple, or any company for that matter. Can a single man, however inspired, really continue to define an organisation that has been public for almost three decades, buffeted from all sides by industry and economic winds, and made up of thousands of interacting individuals and processes?
那么投资者应该怎么办呢？ 最后，这将取决于他们是否会坚持苹果公司的 “巨人论”， 或者相信别的公司也和苹果一样，存在着同样的 “巨人”。 一个人，不管其多么有创见， 是否真的能继续看清一个上市了三十年的， 经历了行业和经济风雨并且由成千上万紧密联系的个人和工作流程组成的公司呢？
The majority of Apple shareholders obviously think the answer is yes. Apple’s share price fell 7 per cent in German trading on Monday. For non-believers in the cult-like obsession with Mr Jobs, however, the weakness must be a buying opportunity. On 18 times 2011 earnings, Apple is hardly a bubble story. It is still growing strongly and has 30-odd per cent operating margins that are the envy of other phone and PC makers.
诚然， 苹果公司的大部分股东对这个问题的答案是肯定的。 该公司周一在德国的股价下跌7%。但是，对于那些不热衷于对乔布斯顶礼膜拜的人而言，股价的疲软正是买进的大好时机。 目前苹果的股价是其2011年预计收益的18倍，这离泡沫问题还远着呢。 如今苹果的股价仍然涨势不减，其营业利润高达30%有多，这让其他手机和个人电脑生产商眼红不已。
How important Mr Jobs actually is to Apple is unknowable today. But its board has created a monster by not reining in the perception that he is the company. Sure, everyone looks clever – and gets rich – when the man in black presents another whizz-bang device. Hopefully not soon, but one day he won’t. This episode is a wake-up call to any company perceived to be hostage to one person alone. Even if it is true.
至于乔布斯对苹果公司有多重要， 至今仍是个未知数。但是由于该公司的董事会一直以来没有澄清 “乔布斯就是苹果公司的全部”的谣言，如今他们也自招苦果。当然，当这个身穿黑衣的男人展示一款新的铃声不断的设备时， 每个人都显得特别聪明，而且变得越来越富有。但是终有一天，他再也无法向世人展示最新的设备，尽管大家都希望这一天不要这么快到来。这件事对于任何一个被公众理解为 “个人就是公司”的企业来说（即使那是真实情况），确实是一个深刻的教训！ |
