我的慈善承诺（Giving Pledge，2010）
我的慈善承诺
My Philanthropic Pledge
2006 年，我承诺将名下所有伯克希尔·哈撒韦股票逐步捐给慈善基金会。我对这个决定再满意不过了。
In 2006, I made a commitment to gradually give all of my Berkshire Hathaway stock to philanthropic foundations. I couldn’t be happier with that decision.
如今，比尔·盖茨、梅琳达·盖茨和我正邀请数百位美国富人承诺，将至少 50% 的财富捐给慈善事业。所以我想，此刻正适合我重申自己的意图，并阐释其背后的想法。
Now, Bill and Melinda Gates and I are asking hundreds of rich Americans to pledge at least 50% of their wealth to charity. So I think it is fitting that I reiterate my intentions and explain the thinking that lies behind them.
先说我的承诺：我一生所有或身后留下的财富，超过 99% 将捐给慈善事业。以美元计，这笔承诺数额庞大；但若论相对多寡，每天都有许多人比我付出得更多。
First, my pledge: More than 99% of my wealth will go to philanthropy during my lifetime or at death. Measured by dollars, this commitment is large. In a comparative sense, though, many individuals give more to others every day.
数以百万计的人经常向教堂、学校和其他机构捐款，也就此放弃了本可让自家人受益的那笔钱。他们投进奉献盘、捐给联合劝募会的每一块钱，都意味着少看一场电影、少下一次馆子，或者舍弃别的个人享受。相比之下，我和家人履行这份 99% 的承诺，却不必放弃任何我们需要或想要的东西。
Millions of people who regularly contribute to churches, schools, and other organizations thereby relinquish the use of funds that would otherwise benefit their own families. The dollars these people drop into a collection plate or give to United Way mean forgone movies, dinners out, or other personal pleasures. In contrast, my family and I will give up nothing we need or want by fulfilling this 99% pledge.
不仅如此，这份承诺也没让我拿出最宝贵的资产——时间。许多人都把自己大量的时间和才干奉献给了他人，我很自豪地说，我的三个孩子也在其中。这样的馈赠，往往远比金钱珍贵。一个在困境中挣扎的孩子，若有一位用心的导师与之相交、给予栽培，他所收到的礼物，价值远超一张支票所能给予的。我的妹妹多丽丝每天都在提供大量一对一的帮助，而我在这方面做得很少。
Moreover, this pledge does not leave me contributing the most precious asset, which is time. Many people, including—I’m proud to say—my three children, give extensively of their own time and talents to help others. Gifts of this kind often prove far more valuable than money. A struggling child, befriended and nurtured by a caring mentor, receives a gift whose value far exceeds what can be bestowed by a check. My sister, Doris, extends significant person- to-person help daily. I’ve done little of this.
然而，我能做的，是拿出一摞伯克希尔·哈撒韦的股票凭证——这些“兑付支票”一旦变现，便能调动范围极广的资源——用它们去帮助那些因抽签的运气而抽中人生下下签的人。到目前为止，我的持股已经分配出去大约 20%（其中包括我已故的妻子苏珊·巴菲特捐出的部分）。我会继续每年分配所持股份的约 4%。最迟在我遗产清算完毕后的 10 年内，我全部伯克希尔股票变现的所得都将用于慈善事业。这些钱不会有一分进入捐赠基金；我要它们用在当下的需要上。
What I can do, however, is to take a pile of Berkshire Hathaway stock certificates—“claim checks” that when converted to cash can command far-ranging resources—and commit them to benefit others who, through the luck of the draw, have received the short straws in life. To date about 20% of my shares have been distributed (including shares given by my late wife, Susan Buffett). I will continue to annually distribute about 4% of the shares I retain. At the latest, the proceeds from all of my Berkshire shares will be expended for philanthropic purposes by 10 years after my estate is settled. Nothing will go to endowments; I want the money spent on current needs.
这份承诺不会改变我的生活方式，也不会改变孩子们的生活方式。他们已经收到了相当可观的个人用度，日后还会有更多。他们过着舒适而充实的生活。至于我，也会继续以这样的方式活着，它让我拥有了人生中想要的一切。
This pledge will leave my lifestyle untouched and that of my children as well. They have already received significant sums for their personal use and will receive more in the future. They live comfortable and productive lives. And I will continue to live in a manner that gives me everything that I could possibly want in life.
有些物质的东西确实让我的日子更惬意，可更多的东西并不会。我喜欢有一架昂贵的私人飞机，但要是坐拥六处宅子，那反倒成了负担。太多时候，堆积如山的财产到头来反而把主人给绑住了。除了健康，我最看重的资产，是一群有趣、多元、相交多年的朋友。
Some material things make my life more enjoyable; many, however, would not. I like having an expensive private plane, but owning a half-dozen homes would be a burden. Too often, a vast collection of possessions ends up possessing its owner. The asset I most value, aside from health, is interesting, diverse, and long-standing friends.
我的财富，来自三样东西的叠加：生在美国、几分幸运的基因，还有复利。我和孩子们都中了我所说的“卵巢彩票”。（先说一点：我 1930 年出生在美国的几率，逆概率至少是三十分之一。生为男性、又是白人，也让我避开了当时大多数美国人要面对的重重障碍。）
My wealth has come from a combination of living in America, some lucky genes, and compound interest. Both my children and I won what I call the ovarian lottery. (For starters, the odds against my 1930 birth taking place in the U.S. were at least 30 to 1. My being male and white also removed huge obstacles that a majority of Americans then faced.)
我的运气，还因我身处一套市场体系而被进一步放大——这套体系总体上于国有益，却有时也会催生出扭曲的结果。我所处的经济，会给战场上舍身救人者一枚勋章，给一位好老师几封家长的感谢信，却把数以十亿美元计的报酬付给那些能识破证券错误定价的人。一句话，命运派发长签的方式，任性得离谱。
My luck was accentuated by my living in a market system that sometimes produces distorted results, though overall it serves our country well. I’ve worked in an economy that rewards someone who saves the lives of others on a battlefield with a medal, rewards a great teacher with thank-you notes from parents, but rewards those who can detect the mispricing of securities with sums reaching into the billions. In short, fate’s distribution of long straws is wildly capricious.
面对这份超凡的好运，我和家人的反应不是内疚，而是感恩。倘若我们把这些兑付支票的 1% 以上花在自己身上，我们的快乐和幸福都不会有所增加。反过来，剩下的那 99%，却能极大地改善他人的健康与福祉。这一现实为我和家人指明了一条再清楚不过的路：留下我们能想到的一切所需，其余的都交还社会，用于社会之所需。我的承诺，便是我们踏上这条路的起点。
The reaction of my family and me to our extraordinary good fortune is not guilt, but rather gratitude. Were we to use more than 1% of my claim checks on ourselves, neither our happiness nor our well-being would be enhanced. In contrast, that remaining 99% can have a huge effect on the health and welfare of others. That reality sets an obvious course for me and my family: Keep all we can conceivably need and distribute the rest to society, for its needs. My pledge starts us down that course.