Halla Tomasdottir: A feminine response to Iceland's financial crash

翻译人员: Lili Liang 校对人员: Yanna Zhang

It sure used to be a lot easier to be from Iceland,

在过去，作个冰岛人是比较轻松的，

because until a couple of years ago,

因为直到前几年

people knew hardly anything about us,

人们对我们的国家几乎都还不太熟悉。

and I could basically come out here

我基本上可以站在这里

and say only good things about us.

毫无顾忌地吹嘘我们国家。

But in the last couple of years

但是，在最近一两年里，

we've become infamous for a couple of things.

我国因为几个事件而名声鹊起。

First, of course, the economic meltdown.

首先，大家都知道，我们的经济开始雪崩。

It actually got so bad

情况非常严重，

that somebody put our country up for sale on eBay.

甚至有人把我们国家放到eBay网上拍卖。

(Laughter)

（众人笑）

Ninety-nine pence was the starting price

起拍价99便士，

and no reserve.

还谢绝预订。

Then there was the volcano

接着火山爆发了，

that interrupted the travel plans

几乎破坏了在座各位

of almost all of you and many of your friends,

以及你们的朋友的旅行计划，

including President Obama.

连奥巴马总统的行程也受到了影响。

By the way, the pronunciation

顺便说一下，火山的名字

is "Eyjafjallajokull."

念 “哎呀我服了优酷”（音译）。

None of your media got it right.

你们的媒体都念错了。

(Laughter)

（众人笑）

But I'm not here to share these stories

我今天不是来这里

about these two things exactly.

分享这两个事件来龙去脉的。

I'm here to tell you the story of Audur Capital,

我在这里是想跟大家讲讲Audur Capital公司的故事，

which is a financial firm founded by me

它是我和克莉斯汀共同创办的一家金融服务公司。

and Kristin -- who you see in the picture --

这是我们的合影－

in the spring of 2007,

公司成立于2007年

just over a year before the economic collapse hit.

也就是经济雪崩开始的前一年。

Why would two women

为什么这两位

who were enjoying successful careers in investment banking

各自在投资银行业

in the corporate sector

颇有成就的女性

leave to found a financial services firm?

会决定改行去创立一家金融服务公司呢？

Well let it suffice to say

事实上这是因为

that we felt a bit overwhelmed

我们已经对“睾丸激素”

with testosterone.

忍无可忍了。

And I'm not here to say

我并不是说

that men are to blame for the crisis

男人们是冰岛发生经济危机的

and what happened in my country.

罪魁祸首。

But I can surely tell you that in my country,

但是我可以负责任的告诉你们，

much like on Wall Street and the city of London and elsewhere,

我们国家就像是华尔街和伦敦市等地方一样，

men were at the helm

男人们主导了

of the game of the financial sector,

整个金融业。

and that kind of lack of diversity

这种行业的单调性

and sameness

和单一性

leads to disastrous problems.

会引发灾难性的问题。

(Applause)

（众人鼓掌）

So we decided, a bit fed-up with this world

我们对这样的世道有些不满，

and also with the strong feeling in our stomach

而且预感到保持现状

that this wasn't sustainable,

不是长久之计，

to found a financial services firm

于是决定以自己的理念

based on our values,

建立一家金融服务公司。

and we decided to incorporate feminine values

我们决心在金融世界中

into the world of finance.

注入女性的价值观。

Raised quite a few eyebrows in Iceland.

这在冰岛引起了不小的轰动。

We weren't known

直到那一刻，

as the typical "women" women

我们作为冰岛典型女性的身份

in Iceland up until then.

才受到了关注。

So it was almost like coming out of the closet

这感觉就像从幕后走到台前，

to actually talk about the fact that we were women

宣告我们是女性，

and that we believed that we had a set of values

我们相信，我们所持的价值观

and a way of doing business

和生意经

that would be more sustainable

相比男人们的那一套

than what we had experienced until then.

更具可持续性。

And we got a great group of people to join us --

我们招集了一群精英

principled people with great skills,

他们都是坚持原则的能人，

and investors with a vision

是有远见的投资者，

and values to match ours.

和我们志趣相投。

And together we got through the eye of the financial storm in Iceland

我们携手挺过了冰岛金融风暴最为强劲的时期，

without taking any direct losses to our equity

没有直接损失任何资产

or to the funds of our clients.

或客户资金。

And although I want to thank

为此我要感谢

the talented people of our company

公司的这些人才

foremost for that --

当然其中也有

and also there's a factor of luck and timing --

幸运以及时机的成分。

we are absolutely convinced

但我们相信，我们的成功

that we did this because of our values.

最终取决于我们的价值观。

So let me share with you our values.

我跟大家分享一下这些价值观。

We believe in risk awareness.

我们坚持风险意识。

What does that mean?

这是什么意思呢？

We believe that you should always understand the risks that you're taking,

我们相信人们应该对风险具有足够的认识，

and we will not invest

我们不对不熟悉的事情

in things we don't understand.

进行投资。

Not a complicated thing.

这很好理解。

But in 2007,

然而在2007年，

at the height of the sub-prime

次优级抵押贷款盛行，

and all the complicated financial structures,

金融结构复杂，

it was quite opposite

市场上表现出

to the reckless risk-taking behaviors

各种冲动的风险行为，

that we saw on the market.

与风险意识背道而驰。

We also believe in straight-talking,

我们相信开门见山

telling it as it is,

实话实说，

using simple language that people understand,

用平实的语言，

telling people about the downsides

告诉人们事情的弊端，

as well as the potential upsides,

上升的潜力，

and even telling the bad news that no one wants to utter,

告诉他们别人难以启齿的坏消息，

like our lack of belief in the sustainability

比如，我们告诉客户冰岛的金融业

of the Icelandic financial sector

缺乏可持续性，

that already we had

结果，金融雪崩

months before the collapse hit us.

真的就在几个月后发生了。

And, although we do work in the financial sector,

尽管我们在金融领域工作，

where Excel is king,

成天跟Excel工作表打交道，

we believe in emotional capital.

但我们重视情感资本。

And we believe

我们认为

that doing emotional due diligence

培养感情

is just as important

和赚钱

as doing financial due diligence.

是一样重要的。

It is actually people

因为，赚钱赔钱的

that make money and lose money,

都是人

not Excel spreadsheets.

而不是Excel工作表。

(Applause)

（众人鼓掌）

Last, but not least,

最后，

we believe in profit with principles.

我们坚持获取利润的原则。

We care how we make our profit.

我们在乎获取利润的手段。

So while we want to make economic profit for ourselves and our customers,

尽管我们渴望为自己以及客户赚到获取更多经济利益，

we are willing to do it with a long-term view,

但是我们坚持放长线掉大鱼。

and we like to have a wider definition of profits

我们认为利润不仅仅是下个季度的经济收益，

than just the economic profit in the next quarter.

它有着更宽泛的意义。

So we like to see profits,

在进行投资的时候，

plus positive social

我们更希望

and environmental benefits, when we invest.

社会利益和环境利益能与经济收益并存。

But it wasn't just about the values,

虽然，我们相信这些价值观非常重要，

although we are convinced that they matter.

但这不是决定成功与否的全部因素。

It was also about a business opportunity.

商机也是因素之一。

It's the female trend, and it's the sustainability trend,

女性势力的壮大和可持续性的走强，

that are going to create

即将在未来的几年内

some of the most interesting investment opportunities

创造出最为引人入胜的

in the years to come.

投资机遇。

The whole thing about the female trend

女性力量的壮大

is not about women being better than men;

并不代表女性强于男性，

it is actually about

事实上，

women being different from men,

女男之间存在的差别

bringing different values and different ways to the table.

能够将新的价值观和处事方法带到决策席上。

So what do you get? You get better decision-making,

这样有什么好处呢？你可以做出更英明的决定。

and you get less herd behavior,

并且可以避免羊群效应。

and both of those things hit your bottom line

这两个好处

with very positive results.

能帮助你绝处逢生。

But one has to wonder,

然而我们总会奇怪，

now that we've had this financial sector collapse upon us in Iceland --

既然冰岛的金融业发生雪崩－

and by the way, Europe looks pretty bad right now,

其实整个欧洲都不太景气，

and many would say that you in America

许多人会说：

are heading for some more trouble as well.

美国也快遭殃了。

Now that we've had all that happen,

既然我们吃过那么多亏，

and we have all this data out there

而且有数据显示

telling us that it's much better to have diversity

决策者中有男有女

around the decision-making tables,

能够保证决策更有成效，

will we see business and finance change?

那么商业和金融业是否会因此而有所改变呢？

Will government change?

政府会做出改变吗？

Well I'll give you my straight talk about this.

我会把实话告诉大家。

I have days that I believe,

有时候我相信现状会改变，

but I have days that I'm full of doubt.

而有时候，我对此又充满疑问。

Have you seen the incredible urge out there

我们迫切想让那些失败的努力死灰复燃。

to rebuild the very things that failed us?

这种感觉你们能体会吧？

(Applause)

（众人鼓掌）

Einstein said

爱因斯坦曾说：

that this was the definition of insanity --

这就是神经病的定义－

to do the same things

周而复始地

over and over again,

重复同样的事情，

hoping for a different outcome.

每一次都盼着能有新的结果。

So I guess the world is insane,

我看整个世界都发疯了，

because I see entirely too much

因为我见过太多太多人

of doing the same things over and over again,

反反复复做同样的事情，

hoping that this time it's not going to collapse upon us.

希望灾难不会降临到我们头上。

I want to see more revolutionary thinking,

我希望有更具革命性的想法出现。

and I remain hopeful.

我对此寄予希望。

Like TED, I believe in people.

像TED一样，我相信人的力量。

And I know that consumers

我知道消费者们

are becoming more conscious,

会变得更加理智，

and they are going to start voting with their wallets,

他们会用钱包来选择，

and they are going to change the face

即使不能改变

of business and finance from the outside,

金融与商业的内在，

if they don't do it from the inside.

他们也会改变其面貌。

But I'm more of the revolutionary,

而我更倾向于变革，

and I should be; I'm from Iceland.

这是理所应当的，因为我是冰岛人。

We have a long history

我们有着悠久的历史，

of strong, courageous, independent women,

我们的女性自维金时代

ever since the Viking age.

就以坚强，勇敢，独立著称。

And I want to tell you when

我想告诉你们，

I first realized that women matter to the economy

当我第一次意识到

and to the society,

女性对经济和社会具有重要意义

I was seven -- it happened to be my mother's birthday --

是在我七岁的时候－那时是我母亲的生日－

October 24, 1975.

1975年10月24日。

Women in Iceland took the day off.

冰岛的女性在这一天全体罢工。

From work or from home, they took the day off,

不管是职业女性还是家庭主妇，全部罢工，

and nothing worked in Iceland.

结果全国都瘫痪了。

(Laughter)

（众人笑）

They marched into the center of Reykjavik,

她们游行进入雷克雅未克市中心，

and they put women's issues onto the agenda.

争取她们的权利。

And some say this was the start of a global movement.

有些人认为它即将在全球掀起运动的浪潮，

For me it was the start of a long journey,

在我看来，这仅是漫长旅程的开始，

but I decided that day to matter.

然而这一天意义非比寻常。

Five years later,

五年以后，

Iceland elected Vigdis Finnbogadottir as their president --

维迪斯. 芬波迦朵特当选冰岛总统－

first female to become head of state,

她是冰岛首位成为国家元首的女性，

single mom,

她是一位单身母亲，

a breast cancer survivor

曾患乳癌

who had had one of her breasts removed.

不得不被切除了一个乳房。

And at one of the campaign sessions,

在一次竞选活动中，

she had one of her male contenders

与她竞争的一位男性候选人

allude to the fact that she couldn't become president --

讽刺她，说她不能成为总统，

she was a woman, and even half a woman.

因为她是个女人，而且还只能算半个女人。

That night she won the election,

就在当晚，她在竞选中胜出，

because she came back --

她做出了反击－

not just because of his crappy behavior --

不仅因为他的龌龊言行－

but she came back and said,

她反驳道：

"Well, I'm actually not going to breastfeed the Icelandic nation;

“听着，我可不是来给冰岛人喂奶的，

I'm going to lead it."

我是来领导这个国家的。”

(Applause)

（众人鼓掌）

So I've had incredibly many

我可以效仿的女性偶像

women role models

不胜枚举，

that have influenced who I am and where I am today.

她们的影响成就了今天的我。

But in spite of that,

但尽管如此，

I went through the first 10 or 15 years of my career

在我职业生涯中的10到15年中，

mostly in denial of being a woman.

我做为女性总得不到认可。

Started in corporate America,

在美国工作以后，

and I was absolutely convinced

我打心里相信

that it was just about the individual,

每个人都要靠自己的实力取胜，

that women and men would have just the same opportunities.

机会对于男人或女人来说都是一样的。

But I've come to conclude lately

然而，最近我领悟到

that it isn't like that.

事实不是这样的。

We are not the same,

我们并不一样。

and it's great. Because of our differences,

这是好事－正因为不同

we create and sustain life.

我们才能创造生活，维持生活。

So we should embrace our difference and aim for challenge.

我们应该接受彼此的不同点，并勇敢接受挑战。

The final thought I want to leave with you

最后，我想对大家说，

is that I'm fed up with this tyranny

我受够了

of either/or choices in life --

那种不是你死就是我活的专制－

either it's men or it's women.

男女势不两立。

We need to start embracing the beauty of balance.

我们应当开始追求平衡之美。

So let's move away

我们不应该

from thinking about business here and philanthropy there,

把做生意和人道主义分割开来，

and let's start thinking about

我们应该好好想想

doing good business.

怎样才能把生意做好。

That's how we change the world. That's the only sustainable future.

只有这样我们才能改变世界，才能保持未来的可持续性发展。

Thank you.

感谢大家。

(Applause)

（热烈掌声）