Donald Trump, The Master of the Deal

Donald Trump¹, The Master of the Deal

The institutions that finance what I have, they happen to be in love with Donald Trump, but they’re not in love with me because I’m a 1)nice guy or anything. They’re in love with me because everything I’ve done has been a tremendous winner.
-- Donald Trump

For the last two decades, the name Donald Trump has become almost 2)synonymous with the New York City 3)skyline. And as the 1990s headed to the end of the millennium², he was there adding one of his latest Trump triumphs. It was almost as big as his ego³. It was his latest deal. He had taken control of the old Gulf⁵ and Western Building and 4)turned it around. He gave it the Trump touch of gold, crystal and a skin of gleaming glass. He has taken over the 5)penthouse for himself and his family. From there, they can look out over the city he has conquered. 

It wasn’t easy. Donald Trump was born across the East River in the Borough⁶ of Queens, into a middle-class family. When he graduated from the New York Military Academy in 1964, there were a lot of opportunities opening up for him.

May 4th, 1975, is a milestone⁷ in the life of Donald Trump’s deal-making. He called a press conference to announce that he had made a deal with the Hyatt chain to go into a partnership⁸ to rebuild the old Commodore. That was only part of his amazing deal. This unknown, 6)untried dealmaker applied⁹ for and received a 40-year tax 7)abatement¹⁰ from the City. Then, with Hyatt and the City in his corner, he made deals with banks and a prestigious¹¹ private investment company, to give him 8)hefty loans. He still wasn’t finished. He then persuaded the City to accept his plan to cover the old concrete 9)facade¹² of the Commodore with gleaming glass. The first master deal of his life became a whirlwind of successful negotiations¹³, a pattern for the rest of his life.

His whirlwind behavior carried over to his romantic life. The stylish¹⁴ woman who had captivated the playboy was Ivana Zelnicek Skoumalova Vinclomeir. She was an Olympic skier¹⁵ from Czechoslovakia, via Canada, where she had become a top fashion model. She had moved to New York after meeting Donald in Canada, and ten months later they were married in Marble Collegiate Church, where some of New York’s social 10)elite¹⁶ have said their vows¹⁷ for generations. They moved into a modern apartment overlooking Central Park. Donald had high regard for Ivanna’s taste in decorating, so he put her in charge of the interior design of the Hyatt Hotel. It took two years, but in September of 1980, the first major deal of his life finally became a 11)going concern. The Grand Hyatt Hotel opened its doors for business. 

The Grand Hyatt was just the beginning. While getting ready for the hotel’s grand opening, Donald Trump was involved already in his next deal, the biggest one so far. He bought the property next to Tiffany’s on New York’s 12)swanky Fifth Avenue. But more than that, he got the 13)air rights over the prestigious jewelry¹⁸ store. Air rights may not mean much anywhere else, but in crowded Manhattan, the right to build straight up is pure gold. Now, not just his presence but his name would tower over the city. Construction began on what he 14)dubbed “The Trump Tower”, a sixty-eight story building, the tallest residential²⁰ concrete-walled building in Manhattan. 

Billions of dollars come and go, but Donald Trump has never lost his billion-dollar ego. Getting back operating control of his casinos has given him the cash flow to remain a major player in New York and Atlantic City, and he probably will never have trouble finding 15)backers. 

Cindy Adams (Columnist): He’s not purporting²¹ to be Mother Teresa. He is not purporting to be anything beyond what he is. He is what he is! He’s a high-class, 16)Wharton-educated, brilliant 17)conman. And I think he’s the best at it. 

Con⁴ man or master of the deal, where does he go from here?

Trump: First New York. Next, the world!

注释：
1) nice guy: trump 在非正式语中有“好人，好汉”的意思
2) synonymous [si5nCnimEs] a. 同义词的
3) skyline [5skailain] n.（建筑物、高山等在天空映衬下的）空中轮廓线
4) turn around 完全改变
5) penthouse  [5penthaus] n.（豪华的）顶层公寓
6) untried [5Qn5traid] a. 未经检查的；未试过的
7) abatement [E5beitmEnt] n. 消除
8) hefty [5hefti] a. 相当大（或多）的
9) facade [fE5sB:d] n.（建筑物的）正面，临街正面
10) elite [ei5li:t] n. [法] 精华，中坚分子
11) going concern 开张营业的商行；营业发达的商行
12) swanky [5swANki] a. 奢华的
13) air right（土地、不动产上面的）空间所有权
14) dub¹⁹ [dQb] v. 授予称号
15) backer [5bAkE] n. 支持者
16) Wharton 即Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania（宾夕法尼亚大学沃顿商学院），20世纪60年代，特朗普在那里学习商务。
17) conman [5kCnmEn] n. 骗子

商界奇才特朗普

那些向我提供资金的机构，他们碰巧都喜欢唐纳德·特朗普。但他们喜欢我不是因为我是个好人什么的，他们喜欢我是因为我做的每件事都获得辉煌的成功。
——唐纳德·特朗普

过去二十年里，唐纳德·特朗普这个名字几乎成为纽约市高层建筑的代名词。随着二十世纪九十年代向新千年的迈进，他又赢得了一次“特朗普”式的胜利，这次胜利几乎如同他膨胀的自我那般强大。这是他最近的一次生意。他改造了旧的海湾和西部大楼，使其焕然一新；他以金碧辉煌、晶莹璀璨的特朗普风格来装饰它。他与家人住在顶层高级公寓，在那里，他们一家人可以俯瞰这个已经被他征服的城市。
这一切来之不易。唐纳德·特朗普出生于东河对面皇后区的一户中产阶级家庭。1964年，当他从纽约军事学院毕业时，许多机会展现在他面前。
1975年5月4日是唐纳德·特朗普的商海生涯中的一个里程碑。他召开了一个记者招待会，宣布他将和凯悦集团合伙改造老肯蒙得饭店。那只是他令人吃惊的生意的一部分。这个不为人知的新手从市政当局那里申请并获得了长达四十年的减税期。有了凯悦和纽约当局的支持，他和银行及一家著名的私人投资公司进行接洽，获得可观的贷款。这还没有结束。随后他说服了市政当局采纳他的一项计划，用闪闪发亮的玻璃覆盖肯蒙得饭店陈旧的混凝土表面。这是他生命中第一桩具有奇才风范的生意，它成了一股引发诸多成功谈判的旋风，也成了一个贯穿他此后一生的典范。
他旋风般的作风延伸到他的爱情生活中。俘虏了这个花花公子的时髦女郎是伊凡娜·泽尔尼科娃·温克洛梅尔，她是捷克斯洛伐克的奥运会滑雪选手，经加拿大来到美国。在加拿大，她成为一个顶级时装模特；也是在那里，她遇到唐纳德，随后迁居至纽约。十个月后，他们在大理石联合教堂成婚，那里是几个世纪以来，纽约的一些社会名流举行婚礼的地方。他们搬进一套可以俯瞰中央公园的时髦公寓。唐纳德十分赞赏伊凡娜的装饰品味，所以让她负责凯悦大酒店的内部设计。装修花了两年时间，一直到1980年9月，唐纳德生命中的第一个主要投资项目终于开张营业了——凯悦大酒店迎来了首批客人。
凯悦大酒店只不过是个开始。在为酒店盛大的开张仪式做准备的时候，唐纳德·特朗普已经着手他的下一单房地产生意，也是目前为止最大的一单。他买下时尚前卫的纽约第五大街上邻近第凡内的一处房产。不过更重要的是，他得到了这家名望卓著的珠宝店上空的空间所有权。在其他地方，空间所有权或许无足轻重，但是在拥挤不堪的曼哈顿，建造高空建筑的权利实质上就是滚滚财源。如今，不光他的大楼，甚至连他的名字也被竖立在城市高空之上。他称之为“特朗普大楼”的建筑开始动工，这座68层楼的建筑是曼哈顿最高的混凝土墙的居民住宅楼。
数十亿美元转瞬消失，唐纳德·特朗普却从未失去过他无价的自尊心。重新掌握对赌场的控制权使他拥有了流动资金——他仍然是纽约和大西洋城的主要玩家；他或许永远不用担心找不到支持者。

辛迪·亚当斯（专栏作家）：他无意成为德兰修女。他无意去做任何超越真实自我的事。他就是他自己！他属于上流社会，是一名从沃顿毕业的、才气纵横的商业好手。我认为他是最精于此道的。
是骗子还是大师，他从此走向何方？

特朗普：先是纽约。然后，是世界！

 

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

3 ego   

n.自我，自己，自尊

参考例句：

• He is absolute ego in all thing.在所有的事情上他都绝对自我。
• She has been on an ego trip since she sang on television.她上电视台唱过歌之后就一直自吹自擂。

4 con   

n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的

参考例句：

• We must be fair and consider the reason pro and con.我们必须公平考虑赞成和反对的理由。
• The motion is adopted non con.因无人投反对票，协议被通过。

5 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

6 borough   

n.享有自治权的市镇；(英)自治市镇

参考例句：

• He was slated for borough president.他被提名做自治区主席。
• That's what happened to Harry Barritt of London's Bromley borough.住在伦敦的布罗姆利自治市的哈里.巴里特就经历了此事。

7 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

8 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

9 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

10 abatement   

n.减(免)税，打折扣，冲销

参考例句：

• A bag filter for dust abatement at the discharge point should be provided.在卸料地点应该装设袋滤器以消除粉尘。
• The abatement of the headache gave him a moment of rest.头痛减轻给他片刻的休息。

11 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

12 facade   

n.(建筑物的)正面，临街正面；外表

参考例句：

• The entrance facade consists of a large full height glass door.入口正面有一大型全高度玻璃门。
• If you look carefully,you can see through Bob's facade.如果你仔细观察，你就能看穿鲍勃的外表。

13 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

14 stylish   

adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的

参考例句：

• He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
• What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。

15 skier   

n.滑雪运动员

参考例句：

• She is a skier who is unafraid of danger.她是一名敢于冒险的滑雪者。
• The skier skimmed across the snow.滑雪者飞快地滑过雪地。

16 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

17 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

18 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

19 dub   

vt.（以某种称号）授予，给...起绰号，复制

参考例句：

• I intend to use simultaneous recording to dub this film.我打算采用同期录音的方法为这部影片配音。
• It was dubbed into Spanish for Mexican audiences.它被译制成西班牙语以方便墨西哥观众观看。

20 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

21 purporting   

v.声称是…，（装得）像是…的样子( purport的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Cindy Adams (Columnist) : He's purporting to be Mother Teresa. 辛迪？亚当斯（专栏作家）：他无意成为德兰修女。 来自互联网
• To prohibit certain practices purporting to be sales by auction. 本条例旨在对看来是以拍卖方式作出的售卖中某些行为予以禁止。 来自互联网