第1517期:Artistic investments

We all have a different approach to money – some of us like to spend it as soon as we have it, even splashing the cash on extravagant things, while some of us like to hold on to it and spend it carefully. But for people who are very savvy about their cash, there are a number of interesting ways to invest it and, if things go well, make a tidy profit.

我们都有不同的理财方式——我们中的一些人喜欢一有钱就花掉，甚至把钱花在奢侈的东西上，而我们中的一些人喜欢抓住它并小心翼翼地花钱。但对于非常精通现金的人来说，有许多有趣的投资方式，如果事情进展顺利，可以获得可观的利润。

Buying stamps, wine, coins and books are all different ways of investing your money. It comes with risks but can be thrilling as, hopefully, you watch the value of your investment rise. However, you need to know what you're doing and making your fortune is not guaranteed.

购买邮票、葡萄酒、硬币和书籍都是不同的投资方式。它伴随着风险，但可能会令人兴奋，因为希望您看到您的投资价值上升。但是，您需要知道自己在做什么，并不能保证一定能发财。

If you're happy to take a gamble, then one of the most well-known ways of investing is by buying artwork. By purchasing a painting and holding on to it, its value can increase by a handsome sum, but of course it's only when you sell it do you feel the financial benefit. Some people get quite lucky, particularly when they don't expect to make any money. There are stories of people buying a painting in an antique shop for peanuts only to find out it's actually worth thousands of pounds.

如果您乐于赌博，那么最著名的投资方式之一就是购买艺术品。购买一幅画并持有它，它的价值可以增加一大笔钱，但当然只有当你卖掉它时，你才能感受到经济利益。有些人很幸运，尤其是当他们不指望赚钱的时候。有这样的故事，人们在古董店买了一幅花生画，却发现它实际上价值数千英镑。

Investing in art appears to be a hobby for the rich, but not always. Recently, an investor's dream came true when a picture believed to have been painted by Leonardo da Vinci sold for £341m. He had bought it about 60 years ago in an auction for just £45 thinking it was only painted by a follower of da Vinci.

投资艺术似乎是富人的爱好，但并非总是如此。最近，当一幅据信由达芬奇绘制的画作以 3.41 亿英镑的价格售出时，一位投资者的梦想成真了。大约 60 年前，他在一次拍卖中以 45 英镑的价格买下了这幅画，他认为这幅画只是由达芬奇的追随者绘制的。

Of course this is a rare story and investing in artwork is not a guarantee to make you a millionaire. Patrick Connolly, a financial adviser at Chase de Vere, told BBC News that to invest in art as a true investment, "you need a starting fund of at least £5,000, and possibly up to £500,000, which can be used to buy individual works of art or invested in an art fund." He feels investing in art is too risky and recommends their clients not to invest in it because the downsides outweigh the upsides.

当然，这是一个罕见的故事，投资艺术品并不能保证你会成为百万富翁。Chase de Vere 的财务顾问帕特里克·康诺利 (Patrick Connolly) 告诉 BBC 新闻，要将艺术品投资作为一项真正的投资，“你需要至少 5,000 英镑，可能高达 500,000 英镑的启动资金，可用于购买个人艺术品或投资于艺术基金。”他觉得投资艺术品风险太大，建议他们的客户不要投资，因为弊大于利。

But if you're still keen, there are art fairs, such as The Affordable Art Fair, and websites aimed at buyers with a modest budget. Patrick Connolly says the best approach here is to buy something you like and can afford and "if it goes up in value, that should be just an added bonus." If this has spoilt your plans for your investment portfolio, maybe there's more chance of winning big money by buying a lottery ticket!

但是，如果您仍然热衷于艺术博览会，例如 The Affordable Art Fair，以及针对预算有限的买家的网站。帕特里克·康诺利说，这里最好的方法是买你喜欢和买得起的东西，“如果它升值，那应该只是额外的奖励。”如果这破坏了您的投资组合计划，那么购买彩票可能更有机会赢得大奖！

词汇表

splash the cash 花大笔的钱，挥霍
savvy 懂行的
invest 投资
a tidy profit 一笔可观的利润
risk 风险
fortune 财富，一大笔钱
take a gamble 赌一把，冒险做某事
a handsome sum 一笔可观的数目
financial benefit 经济效益
peanut 一小笔钱
auction 拍卖
millionaire 百万富翁
fund 资金，专款
downside 缺点，不利的一面
upside 好处，优点
modest budget 有限的预算
an added bonus 附加的收益，额外的好处
portfolio 投资组合