Benjamin Wallace: The price of happiness

譯者: Ai-Ying (Erin) Chiang 審譯者: Yu-Ju Chiang

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

我想先為大家播放一段短片

Video:

5 萬英鎊

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

1985 年 12 月 5 日，一瓶 1787 年拉斐特紅酒

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

以 10 萬 5 千英鎊，高出先前世界記錄 9 倍的高價售出

The buyer

富比士先生

was Kip Forbes,

買主是奇普‧富比士

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

他的父親是 20 世紀最豪奢的百萬富翁之一

The original owner of the bottle turned out to be

這瓶酒的原主竟然是

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

18 世紀最活躍的品酒大師

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

拉斐特堡是全世界最頂級的佳釀

the prince of any wine cellar.

公認的酒中王子

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

好了，這大概是這個事件現存的全部影像資料

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

從此開啟了當代酒界歷史最悠久的懸案

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

懸案的始作俑者名叫哈迪‧羅斯塔克

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

他在 1985 年告訴他的酒界友人

that he had made this incredible discovery.

自己發現了一件大事

Some workmen in Paris had broken through a brick wall,

幾個巴黎工人在拆牆的時候

and happened upon this hidden cache of wines --

恰巧挖出藏在牆內的酒

apparently the property of Thomas Jefferson. 1787, 1784.

正是湯瑪士‧傑佛遜的藏酒，年份 1787、1784

He wouldn't reveal the exact number of bottles,

他不願公開到底有幾瓶

he would not reveal exactly where the building was

也不說出建築物的位置

and he would not reveal exactly who owned the building.

甚至不願透露建築物的所有人

The mystery persisted for about 20 years.

就這樣保密了 20 年

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

直到 2005 年，終於因為這個人有了一線曙光

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

擁有 4 瓶傑佛遜藏酒的佛州億萬富翁比爾‧寇克

and he became suspicious.

起了疑心

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

最後他花了超過 100 萬美元雇用前 FBI

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

和前蘇格蘭警場探員找出真相

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

現在已經有足夠的證據證明羅斯塔克是個騙子

and that the Jefferson bottles were fakes.

所謂的傑佛遜藏酒根本就是假的

But for those 20 years,

但是在這 20 年間

an unbelievable number of really eminent and accomplished figures

有好些聲譽卓著的酒界人士

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

被這些酒吸引，為之癡迷

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

我想，他們想相信世上最貴的酒

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

必然就是世上最好的酒

must be the rarest bottle of wine in the world.

一定是世上最稀有的酒

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

我對此越來越有興趣，甚至抱著些窺視的心態

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

我想知道，為什麼有人花這樣驚人的金錢

not only on wine but on lots of things,

不只在買酒，還有其他許多事物上？

and are they living a better life than me?

另外，這些人的人生是不是比我還美好？

So, I decided to embark on a quest.

因此我踏上尋找答案的旅程

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

和我合作了一段時間的雜誌社則給我慷慨的支持

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

我決定體驗最頂級、昂貴、最令人渴望的事物

in about a dozen categories,

這些事物廣及 10 幾大類

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

正如大家所想的，這個旅程真累人

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

This was the first one.

這就是第一項

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

大家在美國看到的許多神戶牛肉都不是真的

It may come from Wagyu cattle,

可能是和牛肉沒錯

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

但產地卻不是日本兵庫縣和歌山脈

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

美國很少有地方可以吃到真的神戶牛肉

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

其中之一就在洛杉磯，渥夫康‧帕克的餐廳 CUT

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

我在那點了 160 美元的肋眼牛排

And it arrived, and it was tiny.

送上來的時候，肉好小

And I was outraged.

我太生氣了

It was like, 160 dollars for this?

拜託，160 美元才這一點？

And then I took a bite,

然後我吃了一口

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

真恨不得它能再小一點，神戶牛排實在是太肥膩了

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

就像鵝肝醬，根本就不像牛排

I almost couldn't finish it.

我幾乎吃不完

I was really happy when I was done.

終於吃完時我真的很快樂

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Now, the photographer who took the pictures for this project

這個計畫的攝影師

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

不知道為什麼在很多照片上放了他的狗

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

所以，你們會一直看到牠

Which, I guess, you know, communicates to you

我想這也傳達了

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

我並不覺得物有所值

White truffles.

白松露

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

世界上以重量計最奢華的珍饈

To try this, I went to a Mario Batali restaurant

為了體驗，我到 Mario Batali 餐廳

in Manhattan -- Del Posto.

餐廳在曼哈頓 Del Posto

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

服務生拿著白松露和削刀走到面前，

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

削了一些到我的義大利麵，然後問

"Would Signore like the truffles?"

先生要一些松露嗎？

And the charm of white truffles is in their aroma.

白松露迷人之處就是香味

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

其實不是口味、也不是口感

It's in the smell.

迷人之處在氣味

These white pearlescent flakes hit the noodles,

那些白色珍珠光澤的薄片落到麵上

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

一股吸引人、美妙、帶點堅果、蘑菇香的氣味飄上來

10 seconds passed and it was gone.

10 秒後，就沒了

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

只剩下那些醜醜的小碎片在意大利麵上

you know, their purpose had been served,

它們就這樣功成身退

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

而我，恐怕得承認自己滿失望的

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

令人失望的東西還多著呢！

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Yeah.

對…

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

這個雜誌社不願意幫我買單

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

They did give me a tour, though.

不過他們還是帶我逛了一圈

And this hotel suite is 4,300 square feet.

這個房間面積 4,300 平方英呎

It has 360-degree views.

有 360 度的環繞景觀

It has four balconies.

4 個陽台

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

由貝聿銘設計

It comes with its own Rolls Royce and driver.

附帶專屬勞斯萊斯跟司機

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

還有隨你喝的免費專屬酒窖

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

逛的時候我還真看到裡面有一些美國名酒 Opus One，不錯！

30,000 dollars for a night in a hotel.

住一晚要價 3 萬美元

This is soap that's made from silver nanoparticles,

這是塊奈米銀粒子做成的肥皂

which have antibacterial properties.

有抗菌功效

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

今天早上準備到這裡的時候，我就是用它洗臉

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

感覺就有些癢癢的，而且很香

but I have to say that nobody here

不過，我倒是要說

has complimented me on the cleanliness of my face today.

目前為止還沒人讚美我的臉好乾淨

(Laughter)

(大笑)

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

但是，也沒有人讚美我的牛仔褲

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

這可是條上過 GQ 春季號雜誌的牛仔褲，而且是我「自己買的」

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

不但沒有得到在座任何一個人的讚美

I have not gotten a compliment from anybody

還從來沒有人讚美過

in the months that I have owned and worn these.

我都已經買來而且穿了好幾個月了

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

我不覺得別人的讚美與否

should be the test of something's value,

足以定義事物的價值

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

不過，我想至少在時尚產物或衣著上

that's a reasonable benchmark.

那是一個合理的判別基準吧

That said, a lot of work goes into these.

而且，它可是很費工的

They are made from handpicked organic Zimbabwean cotton

使用手摘的有機辛巴威棉花

that has been shuttle loomed

在織布機上織成

and then hand-dipped in natural indigo 24 times.

然後使用天然靛藍染料經 24 道手染程序染成

But no compliments.

不過，沒人稱讚

(Laughter)

(大笑，觀眾有人大叫「好看喔！」)

Thank you.

謝謝！

Armando Manni is a former filmmaker who makes this olive oil

阿曼度‧曼尼不當製片之後開始做橄欖油

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

他做的油只用托斯卡尼某片山坡上的橄欖

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

而且費心不讓橄欖油受光和氧氣損害

He uses tiny bottles, the glass is tinted,

他用小瓶子、瓶身還塗黑

he tops the olive oil off with an inert gas.

最後在剩餘空間裝入鈍氣

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

而且竟然每產出一批

he regularly conducts molecular analyses and posts the results online,

就定期做分子檢測，在網路上公布結果

so you can go online and look at your batch number

你可以上網搜尋自己的批號

and see how the phenolics are developing,

看看油酚的形成狀況

and, you know, gauge its freshness.

靠這樣判別新鮮度

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

我混入其他 5 種橄欖油，請 20 個人蒙眼品嚐

It tasted fine. It tasted interesting.

這種橄欖油味道還好，滿有趣的味道

It was very green, it was very peppery.

非常青澀、非常辛辣

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

不過，在蒙眼品嚐中，卻是最後一名

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

第一名的橄欖油

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

竟然是一直放在我爐子邊氧化的 Whole Foods 365

for six months.

都放 6 個月了

(Laughter)

(大笑)

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

很多類似的奢華事物都來自日本

you'll start to notice.

大家慢慢開始注意到

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

我不打高爾夫，所以不能實際體驗

but I did interview a guy who owns them.

不過，我採訪了擁有這套球具的人

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

即使是行銷這套球具的人都說

these have four axis shafts which minimize loss of club speed

它的 4 軸桿身可將揮桿速度損失降到最低

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

因此球會飛得更遠，不過他們也會坦白說

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

用它不一定打得出 57,000 美元的等值表現

You're paying for the bling,

花錢買的是閃亮的外表

that they're encrusted with gold and platinum.

而那可是由純金和白金貼製成的

The guy who I interviewed who owns them did say

我訪問的球具主人倒是說了

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

自己很享受用它們打球，所以啦…

Oh, yeah, you know this one?

喔，對，你們知道這是什麼？

This is a coffee made from a very unusual process.

只是一種經過奇特處理的咖啡

The luwak is an Asian Palm Civet.

Luwak 是一種亞洲麝香貓

It's a cat that lives in trees,

這種貓住在樹上

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

晚上爬下來吃咖啡樹上的果實

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

很顯然，牠們很挑

hones in on only the ripest coffee cherries.

只吃最熟的咖啡果

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

然後牠們消化道中的酵素附著在咖啡果上

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

由擔任最不令人羨慕工作的「扒糞者」

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

到樹林裡收集成果

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

然後加工處理成咖啡

in the unprocessed form.

要買未經加工的也行

That's right.

對，就是這樣

Unrelatedly --

換個話題…

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Japan is doing crazy things with toilets.

日本人對馬桶做了一些瘋狂的事

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

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

現在馬桶可以內建 MP3 播放器

There's one with a fragrance dispenser.

有的則有芳香機

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

有的可以檢驗馬桶內容物

and transmits the results via email to your doctor.

然後用電子郵件把報告傳給你的醫生

It's almost like a home medical center --

簡直就是個家用醫學中心

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

這就是日本衛浴科技目前的走向

This one does not have those bells and whistles,

這是不玩那些花招

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

不過在功能上無與倫比的 Neorest 600

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

為了體驗這個，因為沒有人願意借我馬桶

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

只好跑一趟製造商 Toto

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

展場旁就有這樣的廁所，所以我去試了

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

馬桶全自動，一靠近就升起座墊

The seat is preheated.

座墊預熱就緒

There's a water jet that cleans you.

還有幫你清潔的水柱

There's an air jet that dries you.

幫你烘乾的氣流

You get up, it flushes by itself.

一起身，就會自動沖水

The lid closes, it self-cleans.

蓋上馬桶蓋，自動清潔

Not only is it a technological leap forward,

這不只是科技的一大步

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

我真的認為這還是文化的一大步

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

我指的是，不用動手也不用衛生紙的廁所

And I want to get one of these.

我想要一組！

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

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

這個也沒人肯借我試用

Tom Cruise supposedly owns this bed.

湯姆克魯斯據說就有一套這種床

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

床尾有個徽章

each buyer gets their name engraved on it.

買家可以把名字刻在上面

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

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

為了體驗，製造商讓我跟我老婆

spend the night in the Manhattan showroom.

在曼哈頓的展場過了一夜

Lights glaring in off the street,

街燈從窗戶透進來

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

我們則必須請保全，做一堆安全措施

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

不過，當晚真的睡得不錯

And you spend a third of your life in bed.

既然一生 3 分之 1 的時間都在床上

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

我想還滿值得的

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

This was a fun one.

這個很好玩

This is the fastest street-legal car in the world

這是世上最快的公路用汽車

and the most expensive production car.

也是最貴的量產車

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

我在車商的試車員陪同下體驗

a professional race car driver,

他是職業賽車手

and we drove around the canyons outside of Los Angeles

我們在洛杉磯外的峽谷中穿梭

and down on the Pacific Coast Highway.

一直開到太平洋海岸高速公路

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

就像大家所想的，每次停紅燈

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

隔壁車駕駛似乎都對我們佩服的點一下頭

And it was really amazing.

真是太妙了！

It was such a smooth ride.

一路開起來超順

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

我開過的大部分車子只要加速到 80 就開始喘氣

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

我在高速公路上切換了車道，旁邊的賽車手駕駛說

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

知道嗎？你剛飆到時速 110 英哩

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

我從來不知道自己竟然是那種大家不時遇到的討厭鬼

you occasionally see weaving in and out of traffic,

在車陣裡鑽進鑽出

because it was just that smooth.

因為實在開得太順了

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

要是我是億萬富翁，我一定買一台

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

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

接下來這段附帶影片

of one of the pitfalls of advanced technology.

顯示尖端科技的缺點

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

湯姆克魯斯抵達不可能的任務 3 首映會現場

When he tries to open the door,

走過去開車門

you could call it "Mission: Impossible IV."

我們叫這個「不可能的任務 4」

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

這個我一直找不到

and that was the 1947 Cheval Blanc.

1947 年的白馬

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

47 年的白馬大概是 20 世紀最傳奇的美酒

And Cheval Blanc is kind of an unusual wine for Bordeaux

白馬是波爾多的稀有美酒

in having a significant percentage of the Cabernet Franc grape.

因為使用大量卡本內．弗朗葡萄

And 1947 was a legendary vintage,

1947 更是傳奇的年份

especially in the right bank of Bordeaux.

尤其對波爾多右岸的酒莊來說

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

年份和酒莊為這支酒憑添光環

that eventually kind of gave it this cultish following.

甚至到了最後有些膜拜的意味

But it's 60 years old.

不過這支酒已經 60 年了

There's not much of it left.

所剩不多

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

真的留下來的，也無法辨別真假

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

因此成了公認的世上造假率最高的酒

Not that many people are looking to pop open

沒有多少人願意為一個記者

their one remaining bottle for a journalist.

打開自己珍藏的所剩無幾的美酒

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

就這樣，在我快要放棄這瓶酒時

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

零售商、拍賣商都試過了

and it was coming up empty.

全部落空

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

就在這時，我竟然收到 Bipin Desai 的電子郵件

Bipin Desai is a U.C. Riverside theoretical physicist

他是加州大學河岸分校的理論物理學家

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

恰好也是著名的稀有美酒品酒會主辦人

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

他告訴我近期有個品酒會

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

會中供應 47 年的白馬

And it was going to be a double vertical --

而且可以品嚐兩個酒莊

it was going to be 30 vintages of Cheval Blanc,

會有 30 個不同年份的白馬

and 30 vintages of Yquem.

和 30 個年份的伊剛

And it was an invitation you do not refuse.

這真是個傻子才會拒絕的邀請

I went.

所以我去了

It was three days, four meals.

品酒會歷時 3 天、供應 4 餐

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

我們在星期六的午餐開了 47 年白馬

And you know, it had this fragrant softness,

就這樣，聞到它溫和的醇香

and it smelled a little bit of linseed oil.

帶點亞麻籽油的味道

And then I tasted it, and it,

然後我嚐了一些

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

有些溫潤、波特酒般的豐潤甜美

which is characteristic of that wine --

這就是這支酒的特色

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

喝起來真的很像波特酒

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

跟我同桌的一些人認為太好喝了

There were some people who were a little less impressed.

當然也有人覺得沒那麼好喝

And I wasn't that impressed.

我則覺得沒那麼好喝

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

而且我不...因為我覺得自己嘴挑

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

所以我的「差強人意」評價可能不準

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

不過，還有其他人和我有同感

And it wasn't just to that wine.

不只是對這支酒

Any one of the wines served at this tasting,

對品酒會所有的酒都是如此

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

要是在晚餐派對中喝到它

the wine experience of my lifetime, and incredibly memorable.

那就會是我一生難忘的品酒經驗

But drinking 60 great wines over three days,

不過在 3 天內喝遍 60 種好酒

they all just blurred together,

那些酒最後喝起來都一樣了

and it became almost a grueling experience.

最後都快喝膩了

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

最後我想提一個非常有趣的研究

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

今年年初剛由史丹佛和加州理工的研究人員發表

And they gave subjects the same wine,

他們讓受試者喝相同的酒

labeled with different price tags.

不過貼的標價不同

A lot of people, you know,

就這樣，很多人覺得

said that they liked the more expensive wine more --

比較愛喝標價較高的酒

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

實際上酒是一樣的，不過受試者覺得

that was more expensive.

貴的那瓶是不同的酒

But what was unexpected was that these researchers did

出乎意料的是這些研究人員

MRI brain imaging while the people were drinking the wine,

竟然在受試者喝酒的當下做 MRI 腦部造影

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

發現他們不只是嘴上說比較享受標價高的酒

their brain actually registered as experiencing more pleasure

他們的大腦還真的反映出較高的歡愉感受

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

對那瓶其實完全相同只是標價較高的酒

Thank you.

謝謝各位