2000-08-31 Peter Lewis.Eccentric billionaire has high profile at home
By JOSIE CLARKE 作者：乔西·克拉克
"I love thinking, throwing ideas off the wall, challenging conventional wisdom..."
我喜欢思考，抛出各种想法，挑战传统智慧……
Peter Lewis 彼得·刘易斯
"Frankly, no one is particularly surprised. He's always made his feelings on the issue known."
坦率地说，没有人特别惊讶。他一直对这个问题表达了自己的看法。
Blair Sanford, company analyst
布莱尔·桑福德，公司分析师
The name Peter B. Lewis meant little to New Zealanders who trawled the internet when news broke that a mystery American billionaire had escaped drugs charges while on holiday here.
当新闻爆出一位神秘的美国亿万富翁在新西兰度假时逃脱了毒品指控时，彼得·B·刘易斯这个名字对那些在网上搜寻信息的新西兰人来说几乎没有意义。
But back in the United States, Lewis' name raced through financial and philanthropic circles where he has cultivated a high profile as an eccentric - but highly respected - chairman and chief executive officer of Progressive Corporation, the country's fourth largest personal car insurer.
但在美国，刘易斯的名字在金融和慈善界迅速传播，他在这些领域中以古怪但备受尊敬的形象著称，担任美国第四大个人汽车保险公司——进步公司（Progressive Corporation）的董事长兼首席执行官。
Lewis, aged 66, has been regarded as a business phenomenon since he inherited his father's company as chief executive officer in 1965 after joining as an underwriting trainee in 1955.
刘易斯，66 岁，自 1955 年作为承保培训生加入公司后，于 1965 年继承父亲的公司并担任首席执行官以来，一直被视为商业奇才。
He has led its transformation from 100 employees and $US6 million in revenue to one of the fastest-growing insurers in the United States.
他将公司从拥有 100 名员工和 600 万美元收入的状态转变为美国增长最快的保险公司之一。
Now more than 14,000 employees generate $6 billion in revenue each year. The company returned $456.7 million in profits in 1998.
现在超过 14,000 名员工每年创造 60 亿美元的收入。公司在 1998 年实现了 4.567 亿美元的利润。
It ranks among the top US companies in any industry for long-term growth and total return to shareholders.
它在任何行业的美国公司中，长期增长和股东总回报方面名列前茅。
Lewis owned about 9 million shares of Progressive's stock at the beginning of last year, worth an estimated $640.2 million, and has a personal fortune estimated by Forbes magazine last year at $1 billion.
去年年初，刘易斯拥有约 900 万股 Progressive 的股票，估计价值 6.402 亿美元，《福布斯》杂志去年估计他的个人财富为 10 亿美元。
Asked about his business philosophy, he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper: "For me, what's important is creativity. I love thinking, throwing ideas off the wall, challenging conventional wisdom and trying to see into the future."
当被问及他的商业理念时，他告诉《克利夫兰平原商报》：“对我来说，重要的是创造力。我喜欢思考，抛出各种想法，挑战传统智慧，并尝试预见未来。”
因为性格缺陷很难想明白的地方。
In 1994, he moved his company into a $75 million showcase headquarters in Mayfield Village, Ohio. It contains a travel agency, health club and more than 4000 pieces of contemporary art - about which Lewis is passionate - designed to create a more stimulating work environment for employees.
1994 年，他将公司搬迁到俄亥俄州梅菲尔德村一个价值 7500 万美元的展示总部。总部内设有旅行社、健身俱乐部和超过 4000 件当代艺术品——这是刘易斯热衷的——旨在为员工创造一个更具激励性的工作环境。
作死的行为。
Lewis' former wife, Toby Devan Lewis, is the curator of the art collection. The pair are the parents of three grown children - two sons and a daughter - and remain good friends.
刘易斯的前妻托比·德万·刘易斯是艺术收藏的策展人。这对夫妇是三个成年子女的父母——两个儿子和一个女儿——并且仍然是好朋友。
Lewis is also known as an extraordinarily generous philanthropist. He has donated $50 million to the visual arts institution the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the largest pledge in its history.
刘易斯也被称为一位极其慷慨的慈善家。他向纽约的视觉艺术机构所罗门·R·古根海姆博物馆捐赠了 5000 万美元，这是该博物馆历史上最大的一笔捐款。
In June last year he gave $55 million to Princeton University in honour of his graduating class of 1955.
去年六月，他向普林斯顿大学捐赠了 5500 万美元，以纪念他 1955 年的毕业班。
Two years ago, he gave $28.8 million towards the construction of a new management school at Case Western Reserve University, where several of the Lewis family studied.
两年前，他捐赠了 2880 万美元用于在凯斯西储大学建设一所新的管理学院，刘易斯家族的几位成员曾在此学习。
He contributed $260,000 to the Democratic Party in 1996, and once gave $2.5 million to a fitness centre for seniors on the condition they give him a life membership and never again asked him for money.
他在 1996 年向民主党捐赠了 260,000 美元，并曾向一个老年人健身中心捐赠了 250 万美元，条件是他们给他终身会员资格，并且不再向他要钱。
He is a trustee of Princeton University, chairman of the board of directors at the Guggenheim Museum, and serves on the board of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
他是普林斯顿大学的受托人，古根海姆博物馆董事会主席，并在克利夫兰艺术博物馆的董事会任职。
So colleagues were understandably stunned that Lewis, known for his excellent judgment, had spent a night under arrest in a police cell as soon as he set foot in New Zealand.
因此，同事们对以卓越判断力著称的刘易斯一踏上新西兰的土地就被拘留在警察局过夜感到震惊。
Few, however, were surprised it was because of drugs.
然而，很少有人对这是因为毒品感到惊讶。
After all, the outspoken Lewis had long made known his support for relaxing his country's strict marijuana laws. In 1998, he was one of three financial backers of an estimated $5 million advertising campaign urging voters in five states to legalise the drug for medicinal use.
毕竟，直言不讳的刘易斯早已表明他支持放宽其国家严格的大麻法律。1998 年，他是一个估计耗资 500 万美元的广告活动的三位金融支持者之一，该活动敦促五个州的选民将大麻合法化用于药用。
The trio, made up of Lewis, New York financier George Soros and University of Phoenix founder John Sperling, have contributed millions of dollars over several years to persuade voters to support propositions making it legal for physicians to recommend marijuana, for primary caregivers to provide it, and for patients to use it.
由刘易斯、纽约金融家乔治·索罗斯和凤凰城大学创始人约翰·斯珀林组成的三人组，多年来贡献了数百万美元，以说服选民支持使医生推荐大麻合法化的提案，允许主要护理人员提供大麻，并允许患者使用大麻。
But critics said the measures were so broad they would allow virtually anyone to obtain and use marijuana.
但批评者表示，这些措施范围如此广泛，以至于几乎任何人都可以获得和使用大麻。
Lewis stressed to Forbes magazine that he had "made no specific efforts to legalise marijuana," but he would like to soften the "ridiculously incarcerating" drug laws now in effect.
刘易斯向《福布斯》杂志强调，他“没有做出具体努力来使大麻合法化”，但他希望缓和目前实施的“荒谬的监禁”毒品法律。
Following Lewis' arrest in January, company analyst Blair Sanford told Reuters: "Frankly, no one is particularly surprised. He's always made his feelings on the issue known."
在刘易斯于一月份被捕后，公司分析师布莱尔·桑福德告诉路透社：“坦率地说，没有人感到特别惊讶。他一直对这个问题表达了他的看法。”
He has also been rumoured to be a heavy user of the drug for years, with one close acquaintance describing him to Fortune magazine as a "functioning pothead." Lewis has maintained a steadfast "absolutely no comment" approach to the situation via his public relations team since the story broke.
多年来，他也被传闻是该药物的重度使用者，一位亲密的熟人向《财富》杂志形容他为“功能性瘾君子”。自从这个故事曝光以来，刘易斯通过他的公关团队对这一情况始终保持“绝对不评论”的态度。
Spokeswoman Leslie Kolleda said Lewis did not even plan to discuss the episode with his company.
发言人莱斯利·科莱达表示，刘易斯甚至没有计划与他的公司讨论这一事件。
The secrecy is at odds with Lewis' policy of honesty and openness - Progressive's list of core values includes the importance of disclosing bad news.
这种保密性与刘易斯的诚实和开放政策相悖——Progressive 的核心价值观列表中包括披露坏消息的重要性。
But what many still find puzzling is why one of the United States' wealthiest businessmen risked so much - particularly international travel - just to have some cannabis on him when he boarded his boat Lone Ranger, a converted ice-breaker tug complete with a crew of 16, in Auckland. As Lewis walked through Auckland Airport Customs after stepping off Qantas flight QF26 from Los Angeles at 5.50 am on Wednesday, January 5, drug dogs singled him out.
但许多人仍然感到困惑的是，为什么美国最富有的商人之一会冒这么大的风险——尤其是国际旅行——只是为了在他登上他的船“孤独游侠”时身上带一些大麻，这是一艘改装的破冰拖船，配有 16 名船员，停靠在奥克兰。1 月 5 日星期三凌晨 5 点 50 分，当刘易斯从洛杉矶乘坐澳航 QF26 航班下机后走过奥克兰机场海关时，缉毒犬将他挑了出来。
Customs officials immediately found about 10g of cannabis and two pipes in his briefcase. A further search of his luggage uncovered another 23.3g of cannabis in two screw-top containers.
海关官员立即在他的公文包中发现了大约 10 克大麻和两个烟斗。进一步搜查他的行李时，在两个螺旋盖容器中又发现了 23.3 克大麻。
From there, customs officers boarded Lone Ranger and found a stash of cannabis resin and plant in a safe concealed in the floor of Lewis' ensuite bathroom. He said he had stored the drugs while holidaying on the yacht in Australia last October.
从那里，海关官员登上了“独行侠”号，并在刘易斯套房浴室地板隐藏的保险箱中发现了一批大麻树脂和植物。他说，他是在去年十月在澳大利亚游艇度假时储存的这些毒品。
At 2 pm that day, during a videoed interview with police, Lewis admitted the charges and said in explanation that he brought the cannabis into New Zealand for his own use while here on holiday.
那天下午 2 点，在与警方的视频采访中，刘易斯承认了指控，并解释说他将大麻带入新西兰是为了自己在度假期间使用。
Interestingly, he also made it clear to police that he did not want a lawyer and expected to plead guilty in court at the earliest opportunity. It was not until 3.45 pm that Auckland barrister Marie Dyhrberg phoned police, apparently at the request of somebody travelling with Lewis on his boat, to say she would be representing him and requesting bail for her new client.
有趣的是，他还明确告诉警方，他不想要律师，并希望在法庭上尽早认罪。直到下午 3 点 45 分，奥克兰律师玛丽·戴尔伯格才打电话给警方，显然是应与刘易斯同船旅行的某人的要求，表示她将代表他，并为她的新客户申请保释。
Later that evening, police processed Lewis at the Otahuhu Police Station where he stayed overnight in a poky cell at possibly the most rundown police facility in the country.
当天晚上，警方在奥塔胡警察局处理了刘易斯，他在可能是全国最破旧的警察设施中一个狭小的牢房里过夜。
He slept on a bunk built into the wall under one blanket. Staff offered him a microwaved pie for dinner with coffee or water.
他睡在墙上内置的床铺上，盖着一条毯子。工作人员给他提供了一个微波加热的馅饼作为晚餐，并配有咖啡或水。
He woke up to a breakfast menu of baked beans and saveloys before walking under escort to the Otahuhu courthouse next door.
他醒来后吃了一顿早餐，菜单上有烤豆和香肠，然后在护送下步行到隔壁的奥塔胡法庭。
There he pleaded guilty to three charges of importing cannabis plant and resin. Two of the charges were dated October 25, 1999, when the Lone Ranger sailed into New Zealand waters from Australia with his drug stash on board.
在那里，他对三项进口大麻植物和树脂的指控表示认罪。其中两项指控的日期为 1999 年 10 月 25 日，当时孤独游侠号从澳大利亚航行到新西兰水域，船上携带了他的毒品。
Judge David Harvey remanded Lewis on bail until his second appearance for sentencing the following morning, Friday. Lewis went to his boat to spend the first free night of his New Zealand holiday.
法官大卫·哈维将刘易斯保释，直到第二天早晨（星期五）再次出庭接受判决。刘易斯回到他的船上，度过了他在新西兰假期的第一个自由之夜。
During later court hearings on the issue of Lewis' name suppression, Marie Dyhrberg revealed that Lewis smoked the drug for pain relief on the advice of his doctor after an amputation.
在关于刘易斯姓名保密问题的后续法庭听证会上，玛丽·戴尔伯格透露，刘易斯在截肢后根据医生的建议吸食药物以缓解疼痛。
[He has had numerous operations for circulatory problems. In January 1998 one of his legs was partially amputated.]
[他因血管问题做过多次手术。1998 年 1 月，他的一条腿被部分截肢。]
Keith Stroup, the executive director of the Washington-based NORML (National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), and a friend of Lewis, told the Herald Lewis had been a financial supporter of the organisation for four years.
华盛顿的全国大麻法律改革组织（NORML）执行董事基思·斯特鲁普（Keith Stroup）和刘易斯的朋友告诉《先驱报》，刘易斯已经资助该组织四年。
The two men had traded e-mails about the incident.
这两个人就该事件交换了电子邮件。
Mr Stroup said it was "very possible" Lewis used the drug as pain relief.
斯特劳普先生说，刘易斯使用该药物作为止痛剂是“非常有可能的”。
"To suggest he is a threat to society is absolutely absurd. He has made many millions of dollars and he's a well-respected philanthropist. It's just idiotic to suggest someone like that is a threat to society."
“说他对社会构成威胁是绝对荒谬的。他赚了数百万美元，是一位备受尊敬的慈善家。说这样的人对社会构成威胁简直是愚蠢的。”
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