又中又英 | The world’s richest person | 褚简宁

　　High-tech company Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison is in a close race to overtake Elon Musk as the world's richest person. Musk, who co-founded several high-tech companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, has been the world’s richest person for nearly five years. Forbes had estimated Musk's wealth to be about US$384 billion and Ellison's wealth at about US$378 billion. Ellison briefly overtook Musk as the world's richest person on September 10 last month when Oracle's shares surged, increasing Ellison's wealth to US$398 billion. Ellison owns 41 percent of Oracle. But Oracle's stock closed lower that same day.

　　It still increased Ellison's wealth, but not enough to overtake Musk as the world's richest person. Latest estimates show Musk’s wealth has climbed to US$500 billion, the first person to achieve this. Ordinary people like me acquiring such wealth can happen only when chickens have teeth. This idiom means something that is impossible because chickens don't have teeth. They use their beaks to pick up food. Ordinary people acquiring Musk's wealth can only happen when chickens have teeth, but even earning a fraction of Musk's wealth can happen only when pigs fly. The expression "when pigs fly" is similar to "when chickens have teeth", which is impossible.

　　There are only about 190 people in the world with US$10 billion. For most ordinary people, even acquiring US$1billion is like nailing jelly to a wall. Have you ever tried nailing jelly to a wall? I would advise against doing that. You will end up with a lot of jelly on the floor to clean up. Nailing jelly to a wall is, of course, impossible.

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　　高科技公司甲骨文的共同创办人拉里．艾利森，正在赶上伊隆．马斯克，成为世上最富有的人，竞争相当激烈。马斯克与他人共同创办了几间高科技公司，包括特斯拉和太空探索技术公司，他成为世界首富已经将近5年。《福布斯》估算马斯克的身家有约3840亿美元，而艾利森的身家则有约3780亿美元。上个月的9月10日，当甲骨文的股票暴涨，艾利森的身家增至3980亿美元，令他短暂超越了马斯克，成为世上最富有的人。艾利森拥有甲骨文41%的股份。然而，甲骨文的股价于当天跌至较低价收市。

　　这仍然增加了艾利森的身家，但不足以超越马斯克成为世界首富。最新的估算显示，马斯克的身家已攀升至5000亿美元，成为达至这一水平的第一人。平凡人如我，要获得这样的身家，只会在鸡也有牙齿的时候（when chickens have teeth）发生。这个成语的意思是那是不可能的，因为鸡没有牙齿，牠们是用喙去啄食物。一般人要达到马斯克的身家是不可能的（when chickens have teeth），但即使只赚到马斯克身家的一分，也是只有当猪会飞的时候（when pigs fly）才会发生吧！习语when pigs fly跟when chickens have teeth相近，都是解作某事情绝不可能发生。

　　世界上只有大概190人拥有100亿美元的身家。在大多数普通人而言，单单获取10亿美元已是像把啫喱钉在墙上（like nailing jelly to a wall）了。你有否试过把啫喱钉到墙上（like nailing jelly to a wall）？我就建议你不要这样做了。你最终会有大量的啫喱在地上要清理。Nailing jelly to a wall当然也是不可能的。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻