中国商人天价拍下纽约豪宅

 　　A Manhattan condominium owned by a financially troubled Italian film producer was sold in a foreclosure auction¹ for $33.2 million, the highest price paid for Manhattan apartment this year and a sign that New York real estate prices are stabilizing²。

　　曼哈顿的一套豪华公寓在止赎拍卖中以3,320万美元售出，这是曼哈顿公寓今年的最高售价，也是纽约房地产价格持稳的信号。这套公寓的原主是一名财务出现问题的意大利电影制片人。

　　A Chinese businessman who was not identified purchased the 5,500-square-foot apartment with 20-foot ceilings and views of Central Park that had been owned by Vittorio Cecchi Gori, the producer of more than 200 films including 'Il Postino' and 'Life is Beautiful.' The new buyer paid the lofty price of more than $6,000 a square foot even though the apartment was in ruins after being gutted³ by Mr. Cecchi Gori for a renovation⁴. The sale closed on Monday。

　　一位没有表露身份的中国商人买下了这套面积5,500平方英尺、层高20英尺的公寓。这套公寓还可纵览纽约曼哈顿中央公园的景色。其原主人切奇-高里 (Vittorio Cecchi Gori)是200多部影片的制片人，包括《邮差》(Il Postino)和《美丽人生》(Life is Beautiful)等经典影片。虽然公寓因切奇-高里进行的装修而一片混乱，买主还是支付了每平方英尺逾6,000美元的高价。交易于周一完成。

　　The price in the current deal underscores signs of recovery in luxury housing in Manhattan in the last few months, after an extended period of sluggish⁵ sales and falling prices. It followed a series of high closing prices on other luxury cooperatives and condominiums last December。

　　这桩交易的价格凸显了曼哈顿豪华房产经过很长一段时间的销售萧条和价格下滑后，在过去几个月的复苏迹象。此前在去年12月，其他豪华合作公寓和共管公寓也创下了一系列高价。

　　Last June, when sales in the Manhattan market were still largely stalled, a Russian businessman agreed to pay $18 million for the apartment, in Trump⁶ International Hotel and Tower. But that deal fell apart。

　　去年6月，在曼哈顿房地产市场的销售基本上还陷入停顿之际，一名俄罗斯商人同意出价1,800万美元买下这套位于Trump国际酒店大厦的公寓。不过那桩交易最终没成。

　　Interest in the Cecchi Gori condo has been intense. After the deal with the Russian businessman collapsed⁷, four buyers stepped forward late last year and made offers at or above $18 million, according to Howard Margolis, the broker⁸ at Prudential Douglas Elliman who worked on the sale for the last year. That led to a formal auction, which was held in January and continued for five hours and 35 rounds of bidding between two of the bidders⁹, brokers¹⁰ said。

　　这套公寓吸引了众多注意。普天寿房地产公司(Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate) 的经纪马格里斯(Howard Margolis)说，与俄罗斯商人的交易失败后，去年年底又有四名买家出现，出价在1,800万美元或更高。由此产生了一场正式的拍卖，在1月份举行，两名竞拍者经过了五个小时、35轮叫价才尘埃落定。

　　The winning bid of $33.2 million was made by a limited liability company, listed in care of Rothschild Bank & Trust in Zurich. But brokers in the building said the actual buyer was a Chinese businessman involved in manufacturing。

　　叫出3,320万美元胜出竞价的是一家有限责任公司，挂在苏黎世的Rothschild Bank & Trust名下。不过大厦的经纪人说真正的买家是一名从事制造业的中国商人。

　　Mr. Cecchi Gori's financial troubles predate the latest recession, and involve complicated allegations of a bankruptcy¹¹ fraud in Italy that date back years, and that put him in jail for a time。

　　切奇-高里的财务困境早在最近这轮经济衰退之前就开始了，因涉及多年前在意大利的一桩复杂的破产欺诈指控，他还曾因此短暂入狱。

　　Niels Juul, the temporary chief executive of Mr. Checchi Gori's Los Angeles production company, Checchi Gori Pictures, said the film producer expected to be completely vindicated¹² by the Italian courts, and was currently involved in several film productions。

　　在切奇-高里位于洛杉矶的电影制作公司Checchi Gori Pictures代理首席执行长的Niels Juul说，切奇-高里有望在意大利法院彻底平反，目前正参与几部影片的制作。

　　Court records show that Mr. Cecchi Gori eventually fell behind on a $28 million debt to Fortress¹³ Investment Group. The loan was secured by three houses, in New York, London and Los Angeles, each of which has now been sold. Mr. Juul said that with the higher sale price on the New York apartment, Mr. Cecchi Gori expected eventually to receive some of the proceeds of the auction。

　　法庭记录显示，切奇-高里最终拖欠了Fortress Investment Group的2,800万美元债务。这笔贷款以分别位于纽约、伦敦和洛杉矶的三套房产为抵押，目前这三处房产均已售出。Juul说，由于纽约这套公寓的售价较高，切奇-高里预计最终将获得拍卖所得的部分款项。

　　The apartment, which Mr. Cecchi Gori bought in 1997 for $10.4 million, also was owned at one point by developer Donald Trump, who paid $5 million for it in 1997. But after Mr. Trump separated from his then-wife, Marla Maples¹⁴, he listed the apartment for rent at the then-astronomical sum of $100,000 a month. Mr. Cecchi Gori bought it few months later。

　　切奇-高里于1997年以1,040万美元购 得这套公寓。在那之前它一度还为开发商特朗普(Donald Trump)所有，后者在1997年以500万美元买下。不过在特朗普与当时的妻子梅波斯(Marla Maples)离婚后就以当时每月10万美元的天价将房子租了出去，切奇-高里在几个月后买下了它。

1 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

2 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句

3 gutted   

adj.容易消化的v.毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的过去式和过去分词 )；取出…的内脏

参考例句：

• Disappointed? I was gutted! 失望？我是伤心透了！
• The invaders gutted the historic building. 侵略者们将那幢历史上有名的建筑洗劫一空。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 renovation   

n.革新，整修

参考例句：

• The cinema will reopen next week after the renovation.电影院修缮后，将于下星期开业。
• The building has undergone major renovation.这座大楼已进行大整修。

5 sluggish   

adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的

参考例句：

• This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
• Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。

6 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

7 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

8 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

9 bidders   

n.出价者，投标人( bidder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Bidders should proceed only if they intend on using a PayPal account to complete payment. Bidders的唯一形式，应继续只当他们在使用贝宝帐户，以完成付款打算。 来自互联网
• The other bidders for the contract complained that it had not been a fair contest. 其他竞标人抱怨说该合同的竞标不公平。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 brokers   

n.（股票、外币等）经纪人( broker的名词复数 )；中间人；代理商；（订合同的）中人v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的第三人称单数 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• The firm in question was Alsbery & Co., whiskey brokers. 那家公司叫阿尔斯伯里公司，经销威士忌。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• From time to time a telephone would ring in the brokers' offices. 那两排经纪人房间里不时响着叮令的电话。 来自子夜部分

11 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

12 vindicated   

v.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的过去式和过去分词 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护

参考例句：

• I have every confidence that this decision will be fully vindicated. 我完全相信这一决定的正确性将得到充分证明。
• Subsequent events vindicated the policy. 后来的事实证明那政策是对的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 fortress   

n.堡垒，防御工事

参考例句：

• They made an attempt on a fortress.他们试图夺取这一要塞。
• The soldier scaled the wall of the fortress by turret.士兵通过塔车攀登上了要塞的城墙。

14 maples   

槭树，枫树( maple的名词复数 )； 槭木

参考例句：

• There are many maples in the park. 公园里有好多枫树。
• The wind of the autumn colour the maples carmine . 秋风给枫林涂抹胭红。