《股票作手回忆录·第五章·赚大钱靠坐得住·老火鸡》第13节
Elmer Harwood threw up his hands, shook his head and walked over to me to get sympathy: “Can you beat it?” he asked me in a stage whisper. “I ask you!” I didn’t say anything. So he went on: “I give him a tip on Climax Motors. He buys five hundred shares. He’s got seven points’ profit and I advise him to get out and buy ’em back on the reaction that’s overdue even now. And what does he say when I tell him? He says that if he sells he’ll lose his job. What do you know about that?” “I beg your pardon, Mr. Harwood; I didn’t say I’d lose my job,” cut in old Turkey. “I said I’d lose my position. And when you are as old as I am and you’ve been through as many booms and panics as I have, you’ll know that to lose your position is something nobody can afford; not even John D. Rockefeller. I hope the stock reacts and that you will be able to repurchase your line at a substantial concession, sir. But I myself can only trade in accordance with the experience of many years. I paid a high price for it and I don’t feel like throwing away a second tuition fee. But I am as much obliged to you as if I had the money in the bank. It’s a bull market, you know.” And he strutted away, leaving Elmer dazed.
注释摘要
艾尔默·哈伍德在这里演了一出华尔街日常可见的小型心理剧。他刚卖掉了自己手里克莱麦克斯汽车的股票，转身就跑来向老帕特里奇表功--不，不单是表功，更像是催债。他给过老帕特里奇一则“内部消息”，如今那只股票涨了七个点，他自觉对方欠他一份照着做的义务。于是当他听到对方非但没卖，还说“我不能卖”，艾尔默的反应层次分明：先是震惊，继而怀疑，最后转为恼怒。他走到叙事者“…