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panies are in businesses that； on balance； seem rather mundane。 Most sell non…sexy products or services in much the same manner as they did ten years ago （though in larger quantities now； or at higher prices； or both）。 The record of these 25 panies confirms that making the most of an already strong business franchise； or concentrating on a single winning business theme； is what usually produces exceptional economics。
事实上我们在Berkshire的经验正是如此，我们的专业经理人所以能够缔造优异的成绩，所从事的业务相当平凡，但重点是把它们做到极致，经理人致力于保护企业本身、控制成本，基于现有能力寻找新产品与新市场来巩固既有优势，他们从不受外界诱惑，钜细靡遗地专注于企业之上，而其成绩有目共睹。
Berkshire's experience has been similar。 Our managers have produced extraordinary results by doing rather ordinary things … but doing them exceptionally well。 Our managers protect their franchises； they control costs； they search for new products and markets that build on their existing strengths and they don't get diverted。 They work exceptionally hard at the details of their businesses； and it shows。
以下是近况报导
Here's an update：
克里思蒂小姐嫁给一位考古学家，她曾说︰「配偶最理想的职业就是考古学家，因为你越老，他就越有兴趣」，事实上应该是商学院而非考古学系的学生，需要多多研究B太太…这位NFM高龄94岁的负责人。
o Agatha Christie； whose husband was an archaeologist； said that was the perfect profession for one's spouse： 〃The older you bee； the more interested they are in you。〃 It is students of business management； not archaeologists； who should be interested in Mrs。 B （Rose Blumkin）； the 94…year…old chairman of Nebraska Furniture Mart。
五十年以前B太太以五百块美金创业，到如今NFM已是全美远近驰名的家具量贩店，但是B太太还是一样从早到晚，一个礼拜工作七天，掌管采购、销售与管理，我很确定她现在正蓄势待发，准备在未来的五到十年内，全力冲刺再创高峰，也因此我已说服董事会取消一百岁强迫退休的年龄上限，（也该是时候了，随着时光的流逝，越来我越相信这个规定是该修改了）
Fifty years ago Mrs。 B started the business with 500； and today NFM is far and away the largest home furnishings store in the country。 Mrs。 B continues to work seven days a week at the job from the opening of each business day until the close。 She buys； she sells； she manages … and she runs rings around the petition。 It's clear to me that she's gathering speed and may well reach her full potential in another five or ten years。 Therefore； I've persuaded the Board to scrap our mandatory retirement…at…100 policy。 （And it's about time： With every passing year； this policy has seemed sillier to me。）
去年（1987年） NFM的销货净额是一亿四千多万美元，较前一年度成长8％，这是全美独一无二的一家店，也是全美独一无二的家族，B太太跟她三个儿子拥有天生的生意头脑、品格与冲劲，且分工合作，团结一致。
Net sales of NFM were 142。6 million in 1987； up 8％ from 1986。 There's nothing like this store in the country； and there's nothing like the family Mrs。 B has produced to carry on： Her son Louie； and his three boys； Ron； Irv and Steve； possess the business instincts； integrity and drive of Mrs。 B。 They work as a team and； strong as each is individually； the whole is far greater than the sum of the parts。
B太太家族的杰出表现，不但让身为股东的我们受益良多，NFM的客户们更受惠更大，只要选择NFM的产品据估计光是1987年就可省下至少三千万美元，换句话说若客户到别处去买可能要贵上这么多钱。
The superb job done by the Blumkins benefits us as owners； but even more dramatically benefits NFM's customers。 They saved about 30 million in 1987 by buying from NFM。 In other words； the goods they bought would have cost that much more if purchased elsewhere。
去年我接到一封无名氏所写的相当有趣的信︰「很遗憾看到Berkshire第二季的获利下滑，想要提高 贵公司的获利吗？ 有一个不错的法子，去查查NFM的产品售价，你会发现他们把一、两成的获利空间白白奉送给客户，算算一年一亿四千万的营业额，那可是二千八百万的利润，这个数字实在是相当可观，再看看别家家具、地毯或是电器用品的价格，你就会发现把价格调回来是再合理不过了。谢谢
一位竞争同业留」
You'll enjoy an anonymous letter I received last August： 〃Sorry to see Berkshire profits fall in the second quarter。 One way you may gain back part of your lost。 （sic） Check the pricing at The Furniture Mart。 You will find that they are leaving 10％ to 20％ on the table。 This additional profit on 140 million of sells （sic） is 28 million。 Not small change in anyone's pocket！ Check out other furniture； carpet； appliance and T。V。 dealers。 Your raising prices to a reasonable profit will help。 Thank you。 /signed/ A petitor。〃 NFM will continue to grow and prosper by following Mrs。 B's maxim： 〃Sell cheap and tell the truth。〃
展望未来NFM在B太太「价格公道实在」的座右铭领导下，必将继续成长茁壮。o在全美相同规模（或甚至更大）的报纸中，水牛城报纸有两个特点第一、它在平时与假日的普及率最高（即订户数在该地区家户数的比率），第二是新闻比率最高（新闻版面占总版面的比率）
o Among dominant papers of its size or larger； the Buffalo News continues to be the national leader in two important ways： （1） its weekday and Sunday penetration rate （the percentage of households in the paper's primary market area that purchase it）； and （2） its 〃news…hole〃 percentage （the portion of the paper devoted to news）。
事实上一份报纸能够同时拥有这两项特色绝对不是巧合，因为新闻内容越丰富，也就越能吸引更广泛的读者，从而提高普及率，当然除了量之外，新闻品质也很重要，这不但代表要有好的报导与编辑，也代表要有实时性与关联性，为了让报纸成为读者们不可或缺的东西，它必须能够马上告诉读者许多他们想要知道的事情，而不是等读者们都已知道后，事后报纸才刊登出来。
It may not be coincidence that one newspaper leads in both categories： an exceptionally 〃newsrich〃 product makes for broad audience appeal； which in turn leads to high penetration。 Of course； quantity must be matched by quality。 This not only means good reporting and good writing； it means freshness and relevance。 To be indispensable； a paper must promptly tell its readers many things they want to know but won't otherwise learn until much later； if ever。
以水牛城日报来说我们平均每24小时出七个版本，每次内容都会更新，举一个简单的例子就足以让人感到惊奇，光是每天的讣文就会更新七次，也就是说每则新增的讣文会在报纸上连续刊登七个版。
At the News； we put out seven fresh editions every 24 hours； each one extensively changed in conte