Markkula's plan envisioned ways of getting beyond the hobbyist market. 马库拉的计划中设想了一些方法,来开拓业佘爱好者以外的市场。
"He talked about introducing the computer to regular people in regular homes, “他谈到了将电脑带入寻常百姓家,推广到普通人当中,
doing things like keeping track of your favorite recipes or balancing your checkbook," Wozniak recalled. 用来做一些诸如记录食谱、记账这样的事情。”沃兹回忆说。
Markkula made a wild prediction: "We're going to be a Fortune 500 company in two years," he said. 马库拉作了一个大胆的预测:“两年之后我们就会成为一家《财富》500强的公司。”他说,
"This is the start of an industry. It happens once in a decade." “这是一个产业的萌芽,十年一遇的机会。”
It would take Apple seven years to break into the Fortune 500, 苹果公司最终用了7年时间才跻身《财富》500强,
but the spirit of Markkula's prediction turned out to be true. 但马库拉的预言中蕴含的精神得到了证实。
Markkula offered to guarantee a line of credit of up to $250,000 in return for being made a one- third equity1 participant. 马库拉成为了拥有公司1/3股权的合伙人,作为回报,他主动提出为公司提供髙达25万美元的信用贷款。
Apple would incorporate, and he along with Jobs and Wozniak would each own 26% of the stock. 苹果成为了股份有限公司,马库拉、乔布斯和沃兹尼亚克三人各持26%的股份,
The rest would be reserved to attract future investors2. 剩下的股份保留,用以吸引未来投资者。
The three met in the cabana by Markkula's swimming pool and sealed the deal. 他们三个在马库拉家游泳池边的小屋会面,签订了协议。
"I thought it was unlikely that Mike would ever see that $250,000 again, “我当时想,迈克也许再也见不到自己那25万美元了,
and I was impressed that he was willing to risk it," Jobs recalled. 我很钦佩他敢于承受这种风险。”乔布斯回忆道。
Now it was necessary to convince Wozniak to come on board full-time3. 这时候有必要说服沃兹尼亚克全职加入苹果公司了。
"Why can't I keep doing this on the side and just have HP as my secure job for life?" he asked. “为什么我不能在这边工作,同时保留惠普的职位作为我的铁饭碗呢?”沃兹问道。
Markkula said that wouldn't work, and he gave Wozniak a deadline of a few days to decide. 马库拉说这样是行不通的,他给了沃兹几天时间作决定。
"I felt very insecure in starting a company where I would be expected to push people around and control what they did," Wozniak recalled. “创办一家公司,我觉得很不安稳,因为这就意味着我要督促周围的人去做事,还要对他们加以控制。”沃兹回忆说,
"I'd decided4 long ago that I would never become someone authoritative5." “很久之前我就决定了,我永远都不想当发号施令的人。“
So he went to Markkula's cabana and announced that he was not leaving HP. 于是他跑到马库拉的小屋,宣布自己不会离开惠普。
Markkula shrugged6 and said okay. 马库拉耸了耸肩,说好吧。
But Jobs got very upset. He cajoled Wozniak; 但乔布斯非常沮丧。他给沃兹打电话,对他好言相劝。
he got friends to try to convince him; he cried, yelled, and threw a couple of fits. 还让朋友帮忙去说服沃兹。他又哭又叫,大发雷霆。
He even went to Wozniak's parents' house, burst into tears, and asked Jerry for help. 他甚至跑到沃兹的父母家,痛哭流涕,寻求杰里·沃兹尼亚克的帮助。
By this point Wozniak's father had realized there was real money to be made by capitalizing on the Apple II, 这时候沃兹的父亲意识到,利用AppleII真的可以狠狠赚上一笔,
and he joined forces on Jobs's behalf. 于是他站到了乔布斯这边。
"I started getting phone calls at work and home from my dad, my mom, my brother, and various friends," Wozniak recalled. “不管是在公司还是在家,我开始接到父母、兄弟和很多朋友打来的电话,”沃兹说,
"Every one of them told me I'd made the wrong decision." “他们每个人都跟我说,我的决定是错误的。”
None of that worked. 但这些没有起到丝毫作用。
Then Allen Baum, their Buck7 Fry Club mate at Homestead High, called. 接着,艾伦·鲍姆---高中时代巴克鱼苗俱乐部的好友---给他打电话了。
"You really ought to go ahead and do it," he said. “你真的应该放手一搏。”艾伦说。
He argued that if he joined Apple full-time, 他说如果沃兹全职加人了苹果,
he would not have to go into management or give up being an engineer. 并不一定非要进入管理层,还可以继续当工程师。
"That was exactly what I needed to hear," Wozniak later said. “那正是我想听到的”,沃兹尼亚克说,
"I could stay at the bottom of the organization chart, as an engineer." “我可以待在组织架构的最底层,当一个普通的工程师。”
He called Jobs and declared that he was now ready to come on board. 他给乔布斯打电话,告诉他自己准备好入伙了。
1 equity [ˈekwəti] 第8级 | |
n.公正,公平,(无固定利息的)股票 | |
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2 investors [ɪn'vestəz] 第8级 | |
n.投资者,出资者( investor的名词复数 ) | |
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3 full-time [ˈfʊlˈtaɪm] 第8级 | |
adj.满工作日的或工作周的,全时间的 | |
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4 decided [dɪˈsaɪdɪd] 第7级 | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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5 authoritative [ɔ:ˈθɒrətətɪv] 第7级 | |
adj.有权威的,可相信的;命令式的;官方的 | |
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