Charlie Munger praises Warren Buffett’s big bets on Japan
查理·芒格盛赞沃伦·巴菲特对日本的投资
Warren Buffett’s decision to invest billions of dollars in Japan was, according to his business partner, “a no-brainer” and felt like a divine gift.
沃伦·巴菲特（Warren Buffett）向日本投资数十亿美元的决定，据他的商业伙伴称之为“不费吹灰之力”，就像是上帝的恩赐。
“It was awfully easy money,” said Charlie Munger, Buffett’s long-time confidant and vice-chair of Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA), in an interview with the Acquired podcast released this week. “It was like having God open a chest and pour money into it.”
在本周发布的Acquired播客采访中，伯克希尔哈撒韦公司（BRKA）的副主席、巴菲特的长期助手查理·芒格表示：“这是非常容易的钱，就像是上帝打开一个箱子，把钱倒进去一样。”
In the summer of 2020, Berkshire revealed that it had acquired stakes of about 5% in each of Japan’s top five trading companies. At that time, the American industrial and insurance conglomerate invested $6.7 billion while informing shareholders that it could hold and potentially increase these holdings over the long term.
在2020年夏季，伯克希尔公司透露，已购买了日本五大贸易公司中每家约5%的股份。当时，这家美国工业和保险巨头投资了67亿美元，并告知股东，可能会在长期内持有并增加这些股份。
This year, with Japan’s stock markets soaring to 33-year highs, Berkshire disclosed that it had actually doubled down, increasing its stakes in each company to an average of over 8.5%. The American conglomerate still has room to maneuver, as it had previously stated that it might eventually raise its stakes in each company to 9.9%.
今年，随着日本股市飙升至33年来的高位，伯克希尔透露，事实上已经加大了投资，将其在每家公司的股份平均提高到8.5%以上。这家美国巨头仍有扩大持股的余地，因为此前曾表示可能最终将在每家公司的持股比例提高至9.9%。
Japan’s Nikkei and Topix indexes have each surged more than 20% so far this year.
今年迄今，日本的日经指数和东证指数均飙升超过20%。
The companies supported by Berkshire – Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsui & Co., and Sumitomo – are known as “sogo shosha” or general trading companies in Japan. They play a crucial role in the country’s economy, participating in a wide range of industries, including energy, technology, and manufacturing.
伯克希尔支持的公司——伊藤忠商事、丸红、三菱商事、三井物产和住友——在日本被称为“崇光商社”或一般贸易公司。它们在该国经济中扮演着至关重要的角色，涉足包括能源、技术和制造业在内的多个行业。
