鼓勵此網誌：0
What can influence the wealthiest person in the world to work hard?
什麼能影響世界首富讓他努力不懈？
The answer is the video-game business, namely the Xbox game machine.
答案是：電玩 業，也就是 Xbox 遊戲機。
Bill Gates, chief of Microsoft, was busy selling his newest toy at a Las Vegas electronics exhibition in May.
微軟董事長比爾．蓋茲 ，五月時忙著在一場拉斯維加斯電子展中銷售他最 新推出的玩具，
The Xbox 360 is the latest Microsoft games console. 微軟最新款的 Xbox 360 遊戲主機 。
The media showed Mr. Gates relaxed and happy, making jokes about himself and the competition -- just like any other dedicated salesperson would do.
媒體上，蓋茲先生顯得輕鬆、愉快、還開自己和 競爭對手的玩笑──就像任何專注的銷售人員一般 。
"I feel sort of unleashed," was how he described himself. 「我有點解脫的感覺」，他是這麼描述自己。
So far, this new business hasn't made a penny of profit since Microsoft invested billions of dollars into the Xbox almost four years ago.
自從四年前微軟在 Xbox 投資了數十億美元，到目 前為止，這個新事業還沒賺過一毛錢。
It has sold almost 20 million units since coming out on the market in 2001, earning second place to Sony's PS2 (at more than 80 million).
Xbox 自二○ ○一年上市以來，已賣出將近兩千萬台，奪佔市場 第二位，僅次於新力的 PS2（超過八千萬台）。
But to make money in the games-console business, it is not how many units you sell -- in reality, the more you sell the more you lose.
但遊戲主機事業要賺錢，並不在於你賣出多少台─ ─事實上，你賣得越多，就虧得越多。
You make your millions through royalties from publishers who sell games software.
你是靠遊戲 軟體發行商的權利金賺大錢。
Microsoft will have to work hard to catch up with Sony and maintain a comfortable lead over Nintendo.
微軟勢必得迎頭趕上 新力，並對任天堂保持遙遙領先。
