Benjamin Wallace: The price of happiness

翻译人员: Cynthia Wang 校对人员: Xin Chang

I'm just going to play a brief video clip.

我现在播放一段短片。

Video:

视频：五万英镑

On the fifth of December 1985, a bottle of 1787 Lafitte was sold

1985年的十二月五号，一瓶1787年的拉菲特葡萄酒被售出。

for 105,000 pounds -- nine times the previous world record.

售价为十万五千英镑， 九倍于前世界纪录。

The buyer

福布斯先生。

was Kip Forbes,

买家是基普·福布斯，

son of one of the most flamboyant millionaires of the 20th century.

某位二十世纪最声名显赫的百万富翁之子。

The original owner of the bottle turned out to be

这瓶酒的上一任拥有者是

one of the most enthusiastic wine buffs of the 18th century.

十八世纪最狂热的葡萄酒爱好者之一。

Château Lafitte is one of the greatest wines in the world,

尚图·拉菲特是全世界顶级葡萄酒之一，

the prince of any wine cellar.

任何酒窖中的极品。

Benjamin Wallace: Now, that's about all the videotape that remains of an event

本杰明·瓦伦斯：现在，这段影片纪录了

that set off the longest-running mystery in the modern wine world.

堪称现代葡萄酒世界持续时间最长的秘密。♫

And the mystery existed because of a gentleman named Hardy Rodenstock.

而这秘密的存在起因于一位名为哈迪·鲁登斯托克的绅士。

In 1985, he announced to his friends in the wine world

1985年，他对自己在葡萄酒界的朋友们宣布

that he had made this incredible discovery.

他有一个令人难以置信的发现

Some workmen in Paris had broken through a brick wall,

一些在巴黎的工人们砸破了一堵砖墙

and happened upon this hidden cache of wines --

从而发现了这些被匿藏的葡萄酒

apparently the property of Thomas Jefferson. 1787, 1784.

这似乎是托马斯·杰斐逊的财产。年份1787、1784

He wouldn't reveal the exact number of bottles,

他不愿意公开确切的数量

he would not reveal exactly where the building was

他也不会公布建筑物的确切地址

and he would not reveal exactly who owned the building.

他更不会公布具体的拥有人姓名

The mystery persisted for about 20 years.

这个秘密持续了20年

It finally began to get resolved in 2005 because of this guy.

最终，在2005年有人揭开了谜底。

Bill Koch is a Florida billionaire who owns four of the Jefferson bottles,

比尔·寇奇是一位佛罗里达的亿万富翁，拥有四瓶杰斐逊葡萄酒。

and he became suspicious.

他对此事开始质疑。

And he ended up spending over a million dollars and hiring ex-FBI

他最终用一百多万美元聘请了一些前FBI

and ex-Scotland Yard agents to try to get to the bottom of this.

和前苏格兰场侦探彻查这一事件。

There's now ample evidence that Hardy Rodenstock is a con man,

如今有充分的证据表明哈迪·鲁登斯托克是个诈骗犯，

and that the Jefferson bottles were fakes.

那些杰斐逊葡萄酒也是伪造的。

But for those 20 years,

但在那20年里

an unbelievable number of really eminent and accomplished figures

这些酒被高价售出

in the wine world were sort of drawn into the orbit of these bottles.

并被给予葡萄酒界中极高的评价

I think they wanted to believe that the most expensive bottle of wine

我想人们都想要相信

in the world must be the best bottle of wine in the world,

全世界最贵的酒一定就是最好的，

must be the rarest bottle of wine in the world.

肯定是世间最稀有的。

I became increasingly, kind of voyeuristically interested in the question of

我开始逐渐变得狂热于追求一个问题的答案

you know, why do people spend these crazy amounts of money,

那就是：为什么人们愿意为葡萄酒或其他的东西

not only on wine but on lots of things,

挥霍大笔金钱？

and are they living a better life than me?

这些人是否活得比我好？

So, I decided to embark on a quest.

所以，我决心寻求答案。

With the generous backing of a magazine I write for sometimes,

凭借一份我常投稿的杂志慷慨赞助

I decided to sample the very best, or most expensive, or most coveted item

我决定在数十个大类中

in about a dozen categories,

选出最好的，最贵的或人们最想要的事物加以体验，

which was a very grueling quest, as you can imagine.

你可以想像，这个过程何其痛苦

(Laughter)

（笑声）

This was the first one.

这里是第一件。

A lot of the Kobe beef that you see in the U.S. is not the real thing.

很多你在美国见到的神户牛肉不是真品

It may come from Wagyu cattle,

那可能是和牛，

but it's not from the original, Appalachian Hyogo Prefecture in Japan.

但不是原产于阿帕拉契山脉的日本兵库。

There are very few places in the U.S. where you can try real Kobe,

在美国只有很少的几个地方可以品尝真正的神户牛肉，

and one of them is Wolfgang Puck's restaurant, Cut, in Los Angeles.

其中之一就是位于洛杉矶，沃尔福冈·普克的饭店，CUT。

I went there, and I ordered the eight-ounce rib eye for 160 dollars.

我去了那里，点了价值160美元的8盎司肋眼牛排。

And it arrived, and it was tiny.

上菜了，牛排很小。

And I was outraged.

我当时气坏了。

It was like, 160 dollars for this?

这就值160美元？

And then I took a bite,

然后我尝了一口，

and I wished that it was tinier, because Kobe beef is so rich.

我但愿这牛排更小点，因为神户牛肉太肥腻了。

It's like foie gras -- it's not even like steak.

味道就像鹅肝- 甚至不能算牛排。

I almost couldn't finish it.

我几乎就吃不完。

I was really happy when I was done.

当我终于吃光时，我可真开心。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Now, the photographer who took the pictures for this project

现在这张照片是这个项目的摄影师拍摄的

for some reason posed his dog in a lot of them,

不知道为什么，在很多照片里放上了他的狗。

so that's why you're going to see this recurring character.

所以你们会一直看到它。

Which, I guess, you know, communicates to you

我猜，你已经知道

that I did not think that one was really worth the price.

我觉得那牛排不值。

White truffles.

白松露

One of the most expensive luxury foods by weight in the world.

世间最贵的食材

To try this, I went to a Mario Batali restaurant

为此，我去了位于曼哈顿的马利奥 巴塔利餐厅，

in Manhattan -- Del Posto.

它位于德尔 泊斯托。

The waiter, you know, came out with the white truffle knob

服务生拿着白松露和刮刀出来后，

and his shaver, and he shaved it onto my pasta and he said, you know,

他把松露刮成碎屑，撒在我的意大利面上，然后对我说

"Would Signore like the truffles?"

“先生要一些松露吗？”

And the charm of white truffles is in their aroma.

白松露的迷人之处在于它的香味。

It's not in their taste, really. It's not in their texture.

不是口感，也不是材质

It's in the smell.

气味才是关键。

These white pearlescent flakes hit the noodles,

当这些白珍珠色的小片落到面条上，

this haunting, wonderful, nutty, mushroomy smell wafted up.

一股醉人的，香味浓郁的松露味就飘了起来。

10 seconds passed and it was gone.

10秒后，没了。

And then I was left with these little ugly flakes on my pasta that,

之后就只是面条上丑陋的小白碎片，

you know, their purpose had been served,

这样，他们的任务完成了，

and so I'm afraid to say that this was also a disappointment to me.

可对于我，这正是一大遗憾。

There were several -- several of these items were disappointments.

还有其他的例子，都是逐一让我失望。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Yeah.

是的，

The magazine wouldn't pay for me to go there.

那家杂志社可不愿出钱让我去那。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

They did give me a tour, though.

但他们让我去参观了。

And this hotel suite is 4,300 square feet.

这间酒店套房有四千三百平方尺，

It has 360-degree views.

有360度景观房，

It has four balconies.

四个阳台。

It was designed by the architect I.M. Pei.

由建筑师I.M.Pei设计

It comes with its own Rolls Royce and driver.

配备劳斯莱斯和司机。

It comes with its own wine cellar that you can draw freely from.

有专署酒窖，免费任你享用。

When I took the tour, it actually included some Opus One, I was glad to see.

我参观的时候，我还高兴地见到酒窖里有“第一乐章“（一款名酒）。

30,000 dollars for a night in a hotel.

酒店一晚房价为三万美元。

This is soap that's made from silver nanoparticles,

这是用含银的纳米微粒制成的香皂

which have antibacterial properties.

有抗菌作用

I washed my face with this this morning in preparation for this.

今天早上为准备这次演讲，我用它洗了脸

And it, you know, tickled a little bit and it smelled good,

有点痒，很好闻。

but I have to say that nobody here

可我不得不说

has complimented me on the cleanliness of my face today.

今天没有人夸过我的脸干净。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But then again, nobody has complimented me on the jeans I'm wearing.

再说说我的牛仔裤，也没有人夸过。

These ones GQ did spring for -- I own these -- but I will tell you,

我的这条是GQ杂志的春装款——我自己买的——但让我告诉你，

not only did I not get a compliment from any of you,

不只你们没有注意到这条裤子，

I have not gotten a compliment from anybody

迄今为止从买到穿了这么久

in the months that I have owned and worn these.

没有任何人注意过

I don't think that whether or not you're getting a compliment

我不认为被人夸奖与否

should be the test of something's value,

是衡量物品价值的标准，

but I think in the case of a fashion item, an article of clothing,

但我认为，就时尚品而言

that's a reasonable benchmark.

那是一个合理的标准。

That said, a lot of work goes into these.

据说，这一款做工精良。

They are made from handpicked organic Zimbabwean cotton

由人手挑选的津巴布韦有机棉花

that has been shuttle loomed

用梭织机织出

and then hand-dipped in natural indigo 24 times.

24次手工蘸染成自然靛青色

But no compliments.

但是没人赞美。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Thank you.

谢谢。

Armando Manni is a former filmmaker who makes this olive oil

阿曼多.曼尼以前是一名电影制片人，

from an olive that grows on a single slope in Tuscany.

他用托斯卡尼某处斜坡上特产的橄榄树制造了这种橄榄油

And he goes to great lengths to protect the olive oil from oxygen and light.

而且竭尽全力将其真空避光保存。

He uses tiny bottles, the glass is tinted,

他用有色小玻璃瓶

he tops the olive oil off with an inert gas.

并在橄榄油上层注入气体。

And he actually -- once he releases a batch of it,

事实上，每制成一批

he regularly conducts molecular analyses and posts the results online,

他总是做分子分析，还把结果公布在网上

so you can go online and look at your batch number

你可以在网上通过批号

and see how the phenolics are developing,

看到油酚的演变

and, you know, gauge its freshness.

并测出新鲜度

I did a blind taste test of this with 20 people and five other olive oils.

我混和了其他五种橄榄油，和这种一起让20个人做盲测。

It tasted fine. It tasted interesting.

这种橄榄油口味独特、有趣。

It was very green, it was very peppery.

色泽清亮，非常辛辣。

But in the blind taste test, it came in last.

但在盲测结果中，它排名最尾。

The olive oil that came in first was actually a bottle of

排名最佳的橄榄油

Whole Foods 365 olive oil which had been oxidizing next to my stove

是一瓶在我的灶台上放了六个月的

for six months.

超市橄榄油 Whole Foods 365。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

A recurring theme is that a lot of these things are from Japan --

你可能会注意到

you'll start to notice.

这个主题很多相关的东西都来自日本。

I don't play golf, so I couldn't actually road test these,

我不打高尔夫，所以我无法实际体验，

but I did interview a guy who owns them.

但我采访了一个拥有这套球具的人

Even the people who market these clubs -- I mean, they'll say

我是说，即使是为这套球具做市场推广的人都会说

these have four axis shafts which minimize loss of club speed

这套球具的四轴杆身可有效减少挥杆速度损失

and thereby drive the ball farther -- but they'll say, look, you know,

打出的球可以更远——但是他们也会说，

you're not getting 57,000 dollars worth of performance from these clubs.

你用这些球具不一定打得出等价于五万七千美元的表现。

You're paying for the bling,

你只是付钱买些那些闪亮的外表，

that they're encrusted with gold and platinum.

而那可是由黄金和铂金制成的。

The guy who I interviewed who owns them did say

我所采访的球具主人倒是说

that he's gotten a lot of pleasure out of them, so ...

他从中所获“乐趣“无穷，你可以想到。。。

Oh, yeah, you know this one?

哦，你们知道这个？

This is a coffee made from a very unusual process.

这是一种用非同寻常的方法制成的咖啡

The luwak is an Asian Palm Civet.

鲁瓦克是亚洲小型麝香猫。

It's a cat that lives in trees,

这种猫生活在树上，

and at night it comes down and it prowls the coffee plantations.

夜间它会偷偷爬下树，偷吃咖啡树上的果实。

And apparently it's a very picky eater and it, you know,

很显然，它们很挑食

hones in on only the ripest coffee cherries.

只选那些最成熟的咖啡果。

And then an enzyme in its digestive tract leeches into the beans,

而咖啡豆在它的消化道中可以吸取一种酶，

and people with the unenviable job of collecting these cats' leavings

然后担任最不令人羡慕工作的人们会收集这些猫的粪便，

then go through the forest collecting the, you know, results

挑拣收集来的“成果“，

and processing it into coffee -- although you actually can buy it

将其加工成咖啡。

in the unprocessed form.

虽然你也可以买没加过工的。

That's right.

对了。

Unrelatedly --

换个不相关的话题——

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Japan is doing crazy things with toilets.

日本人疯狂地搞他们的厕所。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

There is now a toilet that has an MP3 player in it.

这一个有MP3播放器，

There's one with a fragrance dispenser.

这个有芳香喷雾，

There's one that actually analyzes the contents of the bowl

这个则分析马桶里的承载物，

and transmits the results via email to your doctor.

然后用电子邮件的方式把分析结果发给你的医生。

It's almost like a home medical center --

几乎就是一个家庭医疗中心

and that is the direction that Japanese toilet technology is heading in.

而这就是日本厕所科技的发展方向。

This one does not have those bells and whistles,

这个既没铃铛也没口哨

but for pure functionality it's pretty much the best -- the Neorest 600.

但就纯功能性而言，这个是最好的-鼎新600

And to try this -- I couldn't get a loaner,

因为没人愿意借我马桶，为了体验这个，

but I did go into the Manhattan showroom of the manufacturer, Toto,

我只好去了Toto位于曼哈顿的展览室。

and they have a bathroom off of the showroom that you can use, which I used.

展厅旁就有一个厕所，你可以使用。我试过了

It's fully automated -- you walk towards it, and the seat lifts.

它是全自动的-你走过去，坐垫就升起来

The seat is preheated.

坐垫是预热的，

There's a water jet that cleans you.

有水喷出来帮你洗干净，

There's an air jet that dries you.

再有空气把你吹干

You get up, it flushes by itself.

你起身，它就自动冲水。

The lid closes, it self-cleans.

盖子合上，它就自动清洁。

Not only is it a technological leap forward,

这不只是技术的进步，

but I really do believe it's a bit of a cultural leap forward.

我真觉得在文明程度上都是领先的

I mean, a no hands, no toilet paper toilet.

我是指，不用手，不用厕纸

And I want to get one of these.

我想要一个

(Laughter)

笑声

This was another one I could not get a loaner of.

这是另一个我借不到的。

Tom Cruise supposedly owns this bed.

汤姆·克鲁斯就该有这样一张床

There's a little plaque on the end that, you know,

床尾有个小匾

each buyer gets their name engraved on it.

买家可以把自己的名字刻上去。

(Laughter)

笑声

To try this one, the maker of it let me and my wife

为了试这个，制造者让我和我妻子

spend the night in the Manhattan showroom.

在曼哈顿的展览室待了一晚上

Lights glaring in off the street,

街上灯火通明

and we had to hire a security guard and all these things.

我们不得不雇个保安

But anyway, we had a great night's sleep.

可不管怎么说，我们那晚睡得很好

And you spend a third of your life in bed.

而人的一生有三分之一的时间在床上

I don't think it's that bad of a deal.

我觉得这床还比较值

(Laughter)

笑声

This was a fun one.

这个很搞笑

This is the fastest street-legal car in the world

这是全世界最快的可以合法在街上开的车，

and the most expensive production car.

也是最贵的量产车。

I got to drive this with a chaperone from the company,

我得和该公司的试车员一起试驾，

a professional race car driver,

他是职业赛车手，

and we drove around the canyons outside of Los Angeles

我们在洛杉矶外的峡谷中驾驶，

and down on the Pacific Coast Highway.

又上了太平洋海岸高速公路。

And, you know, when we pulled up to a stoplight

你知道吗，当我们在红灯前停下时，

the people in the adjacent cars kind of gave us respectful nods.

附近车里的人对我们佩服得直点头。

And it was really amazing.

实在太棒了。

It was such a smooth ride.

如此流畅，

Most of the cars that I drive, if I get up to 80 they start to rattle.

我所开过的车大都在加速到80唛时就吱嘎作响

I switched lanes on the highway and the driver, this chaperone, said,

我在高速公路上换道时，陪驾车手说

"You know, you were just going 110 miles an hour."

“你知道吗？你刚转到110唛每小时“

And I had no idea that I was one of those obnoxious people

我自己都不知道我成了那种讨厌的人，

you occasionally see weaving in and out of traffic,

在车河中钻进钻出，

because it was just that smooth.

因为这车实在太顺手了。

And if I was a billionaire, I would get one.

如果我是亿万富翁，我一定买一辆

(Laughter)

笑声

This is a completely gratuitous video I'm just going to show

我现在要播放一段纯属意外录下的

of one of the pitfalls of advanced technology.

关于高科技弊端的影片。

This is Tom Cruise arriving at the "Mission: Impossible III" premiere.

汤姆·克鲁斯到达"不可能的任务3"首映现场。

When he tries to open the door,

他开门时

you could call it "Mission: Impossible IV."

上演了一场"不可能的任务4"。

There was one object that I could not get my hands on,

这瓶1947年产Cheval Blanc

and that was the 1947 Cheval Blanc.

是我可望而不可及的

The '47 Cheval Blanc is probably the most mythologized wine of the 20th century.

这是20世纪最具传奇的葡萄酒

And Cheval Blanc is kind of an unusual wine for Bordeaux

它是极不寻常的波尔多红酒

in having a significant percentage of the Cabernet Franc grape.

主要用品丽珠葡萄酿成

And 1947 was a legendary vintage,

1947是波尔多右岸地区

especially in the right bank of Bordeaux.

红酒具有传奇色彩的年份

And just together, that vintage and that chateau took on this aura

加上白马庄园， 两者的光环

that eventually kind of gave it this cultish following.

最终引来一批崇拜者

But it's 60 years old.

但这种酒有60年了

There's not much of it left.

也所剩无几。

What there is of it left you don't know if it's real --

即便留下来，也难以辨别是真是假。

it's considered to be the most faked wine in the world.

他被公认为世上造假率最高的酒。

Not that many people are looking to pop open

没有人愿意为一个记者

their one remaining bottle for a journalist.

打开自己珍藏的所剩无几的美酒。

So, I'd about given up trying to get my hands on one of these.

我打算放弃试这酒的念头，

I'd put out feelers to retailers, to auctioneers,

因为零售商，拍卖商那我都试过了，

and it was coming up empty.

全部落空。

And then I got an email from a guy named Bipin Desai.

之后，我收到一封来自Bipin Desai的电子邮件。

Bipin Desai is a U.C. Riverside theoretical physicist

Bipin Desai是加州大学河岸分校的理论物理学家

who also happens to be the preeminent organizer of rare wine tastings,

他碰巧也是了不起的稀有品酒会的组织人，

and he said, "I've got a tasting coming up

他说：“我要办个品酒会，

where we're going to serve the '47 Cheval Blanc."

可以尝到47年的Cheval Blanc，

And it was going to be a double vertical --

而且还不止于此，

it was going to be 30 vintages of Cheval Blanc,

届时会有30种其他年份的Cheval Blanc，

and 30 vintages of Yquem.

以及30种年份的Yquem.

And it was an invitation you do not refuse.

这实在太吸引人了。

I went.

我去了

It was three days, four meals.

3天，4顿大餐。

And at lunch on Saturday, we opened the '47.

在那个周六的午餐时，我们打开了47年的Cheval Blanc。

And you know, it had this fragrant softness,

它香气柔和，

and it smelled a little bit of linseed oil.

闻起来有点像亚麻子油。

And then I tasted it, and it,

然后我尝了酒，

you know, had this kind of unctuous, porty richness,

酒的口感丰富，如同带油的甜葡萄酒。

which is characteristic of that wine --

这就是其特质

that it sort of resembles port in a lot of ways.

很多方面类似葡萄牙甜葡萄酒

There were people at my table who thought it was, you know, fantastic.

席间，有人大加赞誉

There were some people who were a little less impressed.

有人不以为然

And I wasn't that impressed.

我也不觉有太惊人之处

And I don't -- call my palate a philistine palate --

我是大众口味型

so it doesn't necessarily mean something that I wasn't impressed,

并非我不识货

but I was not the only one there who had that reaction.

而且也不只我一人有此反映

And it wasn't just to that wine.

也不只针对那种酒

Any one of the wines served at this tasting,

那天品的所有酒都一般

if I'd been served it at a dinner party, it would have been, you know,

如果我在某次晚宴上喝到这种酒，

the wine experience of my lifetime, and incredibly memorable.

我一生都会回味无穷。

But drinking 60 great wines over three days,

但在3天里尝遍60种顶级红酒

they all just blurred together,

口味就全混了

and it became almost a grueling experience.

而且还成了一种受罪。

And I just wanted to finish by mentioning a very interesting study

我打算以一个有趣的研究作为结尾

which came out earlier this year from some researchers at Stanford and Caltech.

这是年初由斯坦福和加州工学院的研究人员发表的

And they gave subjects the same wine,

他们在相同的红酒上

labeled with different price tags.

挂了不同的标价

A lot of people, you know,

如你所知，很多人

said that they liked the more expensive wine more --

说他们喜欢标价较贵的酒

it was the same wine, but they thought it was a different one

酒其实都一样，

that was more expensive.

只是他们不知道。

But what was unexpected was that these researchers did

但意想不到的是这些研究人员

MRI brain imaging while the people were drinking the wine,

在研究对象喝酒时对他们进行了脑部核磁共挣扫描

and not only did they say they enjoyed the more expensively labeled wine more --

他们不只是说更喜欢较贵的酒

their brain actually registered as experiencing more pleasure

他们的大脑也显示更快乐

from the same wine when it was labeled with a higher price tag.

一样的酒，只是标价更高。

Thank you.

谢谢。