昔日海难是非地 百慕大追逐新财富

AQUAMARINA, THE HOUSE, SITS ON A LIMESTONE promontory overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Originally built as a bachelor pad, the three-bedroom house boasts its own disco, an enormous kitchen, huge teak doors, a yoga room and a glimmering rooftop swimming pool, topped at one end by a statue of a seated Buddha that radiates peace, harmony and a sense of prosperity. Visitors who climb some 40 feet down a path carved into the limestone bluff arrive at a private beach, where they can meditate, perhaps on the ebb and flows of world markets, as waves crash on nearby reefs. On a gloriously sunny day, Aquamarina is a stunning property, a steal, it would seem, for the $7.9 million price its owner, a re-insurance executive long departed for Singapore, is asking for it. 在俯瞰大西洋的一个石灰岩岬角上，坐落着一幢名为“水世界”(Aquamarina)的别墅。“水世界”最初是按单身汉寓所设计建造的，这幢三间卧室的别墅配有独立的迪斯科舞厅、宽敞的厨房、柚木大门、一个瑜伽室和波光粼粼的屋顶游泳池，游泳池一端放置的坐佛雕塑释放着一种安静、和谐、富足的禅意。访客们只要沿着通往石灰岩悬崖的小路攀爬大约12米，就能来到一处私人海滩。他们可以在那里冥想，随着海浪拍打着附近的礁石，他们也许可以体味全球市场的潮起潮落。在阳光灿烂的日子里，“水世界”的美令人惊艳，其790万美元（约合人民币4,827万元）的售价看起来也物超所值。这幢房产的主人是一位再保险行业的高管，他目前已长期移居新加坡。 This is a unique property, says Penny MacIntyre, a slim, no-nonsense realtor who delights in showing off the reflecting pools and waterfalls that the architect has incorporated into the houses design. Most Bermuda high-end properties are a reflection of the island itself-proud, conservative stone mansions painted in deep reds, dark yellows, browns and blues. They are built in what is known as the Bermuda vernacular style and boast distinctive wooden window shutters, tapered chimneys and white roofs that collect rainwater for the flowers in the lush gardens that fill the island. Not Aquamarina. One of a handful of futuristic styled houses in Bermuda, Aquamarina, says MacIntyre, is very modern and forward thinking. 彭妮麦金泰尔(Penny MacIntyre)是一位身材苗条、说话直截了当的房地产经纪人，她说：“这幢别墅独一无二。”她很乐于向我们展示建筑师在设计时融入建筑之中的游泳池和瀑布。百慕大的大多数高端房产都能体现出这里引以为豪的建筑样式，那就是漆成深红色、深黄色、棕色和蓝色的传统型石头房屋。这些房屋的建筑风格被称为百慕大乡土风格，以独具一格的木质百叶窗、锥形烟囱和具有收集雨水功能的白色屋顶为特色。郁郁葱葱的花园在百慕大岛随处可见，屋顶收集的雨水就用来浇灌花园里的花。但“水世界”的建筑风格不属于这一类。它是百慕大为数不多的未来风格建筑，麦金泰尔称：“水世界非常现代、非常前卫。” But modern and forward thinking, it turns out, have never quite been the forte of this fish-hooked island, known for its stately British airs, pink sandy beaches and currently, the fourth-highest per-capita income in the world. While MacIntyre may drive a fairly modern SUV, a lot of residents here navigate Bermudas many twisting roads in small motorcycles that look straight out of a Steve McQueen movie. Downtown Hamilton, its capital, boasts one glass office tower, and its 10 stories stand out against the backdrop of much shorter, old colonial office buildings. Whereas the rest of the world seems to be opening its door to glitz and brand new, Bermuda, a self-governing British territory for four centuries, prides itself on a sheltered life with virtually no serious crime, no paparazzi and no income tax. 但是，事实表明，现代和前卫从来都不是这座鱼钩形岛屿的特色，百慕大岛以其庄严的英国风格、粉红色的沙滩和位列全球第四的人均收入而著称于世。尽管麦金泰尔开着一辆相当现代的SUV，但是，你能看到在百慕大蜿蜒交错的小路上，很多居民驾驶的却都是小型摩托车，这些摩托车就像是从史提夫麦昆(Steve McQueen)的电影中走下来的一样。在百慕大首都汉密尔顿的市中心伫立着一座玻璃幕 的办公大楼，相较于周围低矮得多的旧殖民风格办公楼，这座大楼十层的高度显得鹤立鸡群。当世界上的其他地区似乎敞开胸怀接纳浮华和崭新事物之时，令这个四个世纪的英国自治领引以为豪的是其几乎没有严重罪行、没有偷拍记者、没有所得税的安逸生活。 Its the kind of world a lot of rich people love. Or perhaps loved. While Aquamarina may be a steal, it has sat vacant and unsold for about a year. And as MacIntyre begins to rattle off some sale figures, a disturbing reality emerges about the islands small but lucrative market of island mansions, which range in price from $3.5 million to more than $40 million. More than 50 of these homes were sold between 2007 and 2011, including the proudly named Castle Point ($21.5 million) and the slightly more modest Tradewinds ($11.5 million). Last year, there were 34 properties on the market that the islands quirky and restrictive system allowed foreigners to buy. Of these, just one went into contract, in what was one of Bermudas worst real-estate years on record. And things have only started to pick up this year. s been a quiet market, she says. 这里是很多富人热爱的地方。或者说，曾经热爱的地方。尽管“水世界”也许物超所值，但这幢别墅已经空置并待售了几乎一年之久。当麦金泰尔开始滔滔不绝地罗列销售数据时，一个令人困惑的事实浮出了水面。百慕大的房地产市场虽然小，但利润不菲，房价从350万美元（约合人民币2,140万元）到4,000万美元（约合人民币2.44亿元）以上。在2007年至2011年间，已有50多幢房产成功出售，其中包括声名显赫的“城堡角”(Castle Point, 售价2,150万美元──约合人民币1.31亿元))和稍显低调的“贸风”别墅(Tradewinds, 售价1,150万美元──约合人民币7,027万元)。由于受到百慕大古怪的房产限购政策的影响，去年市场上可供外籍居民购买的住宅只有34套。而在这些房产中，成交的只有一套，这一年也成为了百慕大房地产交易史上最惨淡的一年。百慕大的房产交易状况直到今年才开始好转。麦金泰尔说：“市场一直颇为冷清。” Indeed, after decades of reigning as a supreme destination for some of the worlds elite, Bermuda is having a tough time competing for the patronage of the stupendously rich, creating a classic tug of war over old and new money. The island, an easy two- or three-hour jet jaunt from the U.S. coastline, still attracts such billionaires as Ross Perot and Michael Bloomberg, who maintain homes here. But government officials and business leaders say they are worried that the mores of high-end tourism are changing, along with the wealthy themselves, and that this magical archipelago must now fight to follow the money. Bermuda is like a lady with a very long skirt on, says David Dodwell, a hotelier who is also chairman of Bermudas tourism board. We need to pull up our skirts a bit. 图：盘点在百慕大置业的富豪实际上，作为过去几十年来一些世界精英人士首选的目的地，百慕大目前在赢得巨富的青睐上却颇为吃力，新财富与旧财富的较量也就此上演。距离美国海岸线的飞行时间只有两至三小时的百慕大，仍旧吸引了包括罗斯佩罗(Ross Perot)和迈克尔布隆伯格(Michael Bloomberg)在内的亿万富翁，他们都拥有百慕大的房产。但是政府官员和商业领袖表示，他们担心高端旅游的趋势连同财富人群本身都正在发生变化，担心迷人的百慕大现在不得不全力以赴去追逐财富。百慕大旅游协会主席、旅馆老板大卫多德维尔(David Dodwell)表示：“百慕大就像一位身着及地长裙的淑女。我们需要把裙摆拉起来一点儿。” Without question, the geography of money is changing-and at an unaccustomed velocity. According to an annual survey of global wealth by Boston Consulting Group, private wealth in the new world, primarily the Asia Pacific region, jumped around 12 percent last year alone, or more than double the rate of growth in the old world, including North America and Western Europe. This new breed of nouveau riche tends to favor a lifestyle of supernova toys, with private elevators hauling sports cars into their living rooms and bar drinks costing thousands of dollars each. They like their homes to be modern, their nightlife late and their clothes as shiny as their jewelry. All of which has very little to do with sleepy Bermuda, whose nightlife shuts down at the stroke of 10 during the week and whose hotels havent quite caught up with the concept of in-room infinity pools or 24-hour butler service. (Note: A special check-in area and afternoon tea is still considered a high-end perk at the Fairmont, the islands upscale, flamingo-pink resort.) 毫无疑问，财富的地理版图正在以非同寻常的速度发生着变化。据波士顿咨询公司(Boston Consulting Group)的一份年度全球财富报告显示，“新世界”的私人财富（主要集中在亚太地区）单单去年就激增了约12%，这个增速达到了包括北美和西欧在内的“旧世界”的两倍以上。这些新贵一族大多喜好超级新潮的生活方式，比如安装能将运动跑车传送至客厅里的私人电梯，吧台里配备价值数千美元一杯的饮品。他们喜欢现代风格的家居，通宵达旦的夜生活以及闪亮如珠宝般的服装。所有这些都几乎与沉睡的百慕大没有任何关系，因为在工作日，这里的夜生活通常会随着十点的钟声戛然而止，同时这里的酒店还远未掌握建造室内无边际游泳池或提供24小时服务的理念。（注：特别的入住登记区和下午茶仍然被视为费尔蒙(Fairmont)的高贵象征，费尔蒙是百慕大的高档酒店，外 呈粉红色。） Beyond the need for celebrity chef restaurants and Prada boutiques, once-popular high-end resorts are discovering that it also takes a special cocktail of tax policies, real-estate laws and a host of business-friendly steps to reel in the big fish. Thats a challenging task, especially for the smaller locales like Bermuda. Upset about its own struggling economy and a gaping national debt, the islands citizenry elected a new government last year that is promising some intriguing changes-including a few key overtures to the business community and the jet-setting rich it brings. But Bermuda is a place steeped in conservative traditions. Change does not come easy. 除了需要名厨掌舵的餐厅和普拉达(Prada)专卖店外，那些曾经风靡一时的高端度假胜地发现，为了捕到“大鱼”，自身还需要在税务政策、房地产法规和一系列有利于商业的举措上做出调整。这是一项非常严峻的挑战，对百慕大这样的小地方尤为如此。出于对百慕大经济困局和国债增加的不满，去年，百慕大的公民选举出了一个新政府，该政府承诺将实施一些错综复杂的改革举措─其中包括一些针对工商业界和被吸引来的超级富人的关键措施。但是，百慕大是一个植根于传统的地方。改变并非易事。 I DONT THINK Bermuda has enough zip for the younger crowd, says Wendell Hollis, a leading corporate lawyer who has represented many of the billionaires who have bought real estate here over the past 20 years. A tall, blue-eyed ruddy-faced Bermudian, Hollis is walking about his home, which boasts a castle-like battlement built on the remains of a 17th century pirate fort, still armed with 13 small-bore antique cannons pointing out to repel whatever invaders might be lurking at sea. These days, he worries that his home country is missing out on an opportunity to attract more wealthy residents. A former senator and adviser to several governments here, Hollis once wrote a paper showing how just three rich individuals contributed over $100 million to the Bermuda economy. How many tourists or ex-pat workers does it take to produce such a contribution? he asks. 知名的企业法律顾问温德尔霍利斯(Wendell Hollis)表示：“我并不认为百慕大具备吸引年轻一代的活力。”在过去的二十年中，霍利斯曾经代理过很多亿万富翁在百慕大置业的业务。这位高个子、蓝眼睛、面色红润的百慕大人正在他的宅院里散步，他的宅院拥有像城堡一样的城垛。这片城垛是在一处17世纪海盗堡垒的遗迹上修建的，如今仍然装备有13架小口径的古董大炮，它们指向大海，似乎随时准备击退任何潜在的侵略者。现在，他担心百慕大正在错失吸引更多富裕居民的机会。作为一名前参议员和数届政府的顾问，霍利斯曾经写过一篇论述三位富有人士是如何为百慕大经济做出超过一亿美元的贡献的文章。他问道：“多少旅行者或外派劳工才能做出如此大的贡献？” The kind of population Hollis would like to see more of has been enjoying the enchanting qualities of Bermuda since the 19th century. Mark Twain, an early booster here, was quoted as saying: You can go to heaven if you want. Id rather stay in Bermuda. He was joined by Vincent Astor, the son of Titanic victim John Jacob Astor IV, who used part of his inheritance to build an estate here, complete with a mini, narrow-gauge railroad, on a 22-acre property. In the 1920s, when Bermudas worthies decided to create the islands first club and golf development, the Mid Ocean Club, it marketed heavily to wealthy Americans from New York and Boston. The Lowells might have talked only to the Cabots, and the Cabots only to God, but some of those conversations, according to the list of early club members, took place on the links of the Mid Ocean Club. 霍利斯所期望见到的这类富裕人群从19世纪起就发现了百慕大独特的魅力。百慕大早期的推崇者马克吐温(Mark Twain)曾经说过：“如果你愿意，你尽可以去天堂。我却情愿待在百慕大。”随后加入这一行列的还有文森特阿斯特(Vincent Astor)─泰坦尼克号遇难者约翰雅各布阿斯特四世(John Jacob Astor IV)的儿子。文森特使用部分遗产在百慕大修建了一处房产，并在这块22英亩（约合134亩）的地产上建造了与之配套的迷你窄幅铁轨。在20世纪20年代，当百慕大的杰出人士决定创建当地第一家高尔夫俱乐部中海俱乐部(Mid Ocean Club)时，他们向纽约和波士顿的富有阶层进行了大力宣传。洛厄尔家族可能只与卡波特家族交往，卡波特家族可能只与上帝沟通，但是据早期的会员名单显示，他们之间的这些对话是建立在同为中海俱乐部会员的基础之上的。 Today, the Astors, Lowells and Cabots have been replaced by Perots (as in Ross), McGraws (of McGraw Hill) and Pritzkers (of Hyatt Hotels). And in place of Mark Twain, Bermuda has long counted on actor Michael Douglas and his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, for a dash of celebrity glamour. The two raised their children here but have returned to New York, renting their home for the asking price of $28,000 a month. Most of these big names maintain homes in a secluded area of the island known as Tuckers Town but more commonly as Billionaires Row. Few resort streets in the world can boast so many names of so many ultra-rich people living so close together. A visitor will find only one bored guard manning the gate to the neighborhood, known for its views of the Atlantic and its flowering white and pink oleander hedges. 如今，阿斯特家族、洛厄尔家族和卡波特家族已经被佩罗家族（罗斯佩罗）、希尔家族（麦格劳希尔，McGraw Hill）和凯悦酒店(Hyatt Hotel)的普利兹克家族(Pritzkers)所取代了。在接替马克吐温的标杆人物的选择上，百慕大一直都对演员迈克尔道格拉斯(Michael Douglas)和他的妻子凯瑟琳泽塔琼斯(Catherine Zeta-Jones)寄予厚望，希望他们能给这里带来些许名人效应。他们两人在百慕大养育了他们的孩子，但现已重返纽约，他们住宅的出租要价是每月28,000美元（约合人民币17.1万元）。大多数名人都居住在百慕大较为僻静的地区─塔克斯镇(Tuckers Town)，人们更习惯将这里称作亿万富翁街(Billionaires Row)。世界上很少有哪处度假胜地可以让如此之多的超级富豪如此集中地置业。旅行者能够发现，在这个以大西洋美景和粉白两色的夹竹桃树篱而著称的小区，只有一位百无聊赖的看门人守在门口。 The old money here say Bermuda has always had a special appeal, from its relatively close distance to the power elite of the U.S. Northeast, to a natural beauty that photographs cant quite capture. The island is emerald green, one big park, complete with a botanical garden and the occasional postage-stamp-sized garden farm growing onions and carrots. Not one blade of grass appears to be withered or out of place, even though Bermuda has hardly any fresh water and depends almost entirely on rain for its water supply. Bermuda could be England with palm trees and decent weather. 这里的老派富人表示，百慕大一直都具有特殊的吸引力，一方面是由于这里距离美国东北部的权力精英相对较近，另一方面是由于这里有照片都无法捕捉到的美丽景致。百慕大岛满目苍翠，就像一个巨大的公园，一所植物园和众多种植着洋葱和胡萝卜的小型家庭农场点缀其间。这里的植物生机盎然、规划有序，尽管百慕大几乎没有淡水资源，淡水供应差不多全靠雨水。百慕大可以称作拥有棕榈树和宜人气候的英国。 In this setting, the rich seem to get lost amid a population that could care less about them and local papers that ignore their comings and goings. Bermuda is very unassuming, says Neal Churchill, a private banker with Butterfield Bank (UK) Ltd., who lived here for three years and was back for a visit from Monaco. You can mingle with wealthy people and not know it. Pink from the sun as he sips a cup of tea at a hotel pool, Churchill says homes are the only status symbol here. There is no showing off here, he says. There are no flashy cars, no super yachts in the harbor. Drinking a rum punch on the terrace of the Mid Ocean Club, Nir Sadeh, chairman of the clubs membership committee who also heads private banking at Butterfield, concurs. s not flashy, he says. You have people walking down the street in shorts who are worth billions. 在这样的环境中，巨商富贾似乎可以隐身，因为百慕大人对他们没有那么在意，当地报纸也不关心他们的行踪。巴特菲尔德银行（英国）有限公司(Butterfield Bank (UK) Ltd.)的私人银行家尼奥丘吉尔(Neal Churchill)表示：“百慕大非常低调。”丘吉尔曾经在这里居住过三年，目前又从摩洛哥返回百慕大游览。“你可能和巨富近在咫尺而并不自知。”当夕阳 下粉红色的光辉时，丘吉尔一边在酒店的游泳池品茶一边说，住宅是这里唯一的身份象征。他说：“这里没有人招摇过市，没有花哨的汽车，港口里也没有超级游艇。”尼尔萨德(NirSadeh)是中海俱乐部会员委员会的主席，他同时也是巴特菲尔德银行私人银行部门的主管。在中海俱乐部的阳台上，萨德抿了一口朗姆酒饮料并且表达了同样的观点。他说：“百慕大不招摇，你能在这里看到身价数十亿的人穿着短裤在街上闲逛。” The problem is this happens to be the polar opposite of what todays new generation of global wealth wants. The 30-year-old Russian billionaire zigzagging around city streets in his new Lamborghini. The Chinese whale gambler giddy from another run of luck at the Baccarat tables in Macau. Bermuda doesnt expect, or want, to attract all of this kind of wealth. But its government officials are staring down some awful declines in the countrys second-largest industry, tourism, that reflect Bermudas staleness. At its peak in 1980, Bermuda welcomed some 500,000 plane-arriving tourists a year, and counted on some 12,000 hotel beds, says Shawn Crockwell, the islands minister of tourism. Last year, the island received about half that number by air, and had only 2,500 hotel beds to offer them. About 60 percent of last years tourists were low-spending visitors who arrived on the island on cruise ships. The remaining 40 percent arrive by air, a figure that continues to decline. We need to reverse that ratio, says Crockwell. 问题是，百慕大的这种特质恰好与当今新一代全球财富掌握者所期望的背道而驰。三十岁的俄罗斯亿万富翁驾驶着新兰博基尼跑车(Lamborghini)在城市的街道上飞驰，中国的豪赌客在澳门忙不迭地试手百家乐。百慕大并不期待，或是希望全部吸引这种类型的财富。但是，百慕大的政府官员却发现这里的第二大产业─旅游业正经历着可怕的衰退，这反映出了百慕大止步不前的现状。百慕大的旅游部部长肖恩克罗克韦尔(Shawn Crockwell)表示，在百慕大最辉煌的1980年，这里一年接待的飞行旅客数量大约为50万名，那时百慕大拥有的酒店床位总数高达12,000张左右。去年，百慕大接待的飞行旅客数量只有1980年的一半，酒店床位数也缩减至仅2,500张。在去年百慕大接待的游客中，大约有60%都是消费较低的乘坐邮轮抵达的旅客。剩余40%的游客是乘坐飞机抵达百慕大的，而这一比例正在持续下降。克罗克韦尔表示：“我们需要扭转这一局面。” The British territory is also groaning under a record $1.4 billion in debt, the result of shrinking revenues not only from tourism but from the islands largest business sector, reinsurance. (Bermuda is famous for a so-called economic miracle of sorts: It produces almost nothing and imports almost everything, and has no income, capital gains or sales taxes. Yet it has thrived with a strong standard of living for decades on payroll taxes and import duties.) In response, the newly installed government, run by the One Bermuda Alliance party, thinks one solution is to send more positive signals to the international money elite, the people and firms who create the jobs and the lifestyle that spurs a stale economy. I didnt think the business community was feeling the love, says Bermudas new premier, Craig Cannonier. 百慕大这个英国自治领同时也在承受着达到纪录高位的14亿美元债务的困扰，这是财政收入锐减所带来的结果，导致这种局面的原因不仅包括旅游业的萧条，还有百慕大第一产业─再保险行业的衰退。（百慕大以所谓的经济“奇迹”而闻名：这里几乎不出产任何产品，并且几乎所有物品都依赖进口，这里也不征收任何收入税、资本增值税或消费税。然而，工资税和进口关税却让百慕大得以在几十年来一直维持着很高的生活标准。）为解决百慕大的困境，由百慕大统一联盟党(One Bermuda Alliance Party)领导的新政府认为，向国际财富精英释放更多的积极信号不失为一种方案，这些精英人士和公司创造就业岗位，创造能刺激停滞的经济恢复增长的生活方式。百慕大的新任总理克莱格康涅(Craig Cannonier)表示：“我认为工商业界没有感受到爱意。” Certainly, Bermudians will agree that the island, wrapped tightly in protectionism and red tape, has tended to irradiate a certain feeling of unfriendliness toward nonislanders. With just 69,000 souls jammed into its 21 square miles, the island has long feared that foreigners would push locals aside. So the country has done everything from setting time limits on how long nonresidents could live here (six years) to at one point banning Bermudians from selling any real estate to outsiders. In an interview, Cannonier, a bear-like U.S.-educated gas-station owner, says he is trying to put his foot down on a lot of this, quickly ending the residency limits. Members of his cabinet say it was a big move. You would find that even if a top executive had term limits waived, there were term limits imposed on the nanny, says Michael Fahy, Bermudas minister of home affairs. If you are saying your nanny has to leave, then why stay? 当然，百慕大人都会同意，保护主义和官僚习气浓重的百慕大一直都给人一种对非本岛居民不太友好的感觉。鉴于这个54平方公里的小岛上挤满了大约69,000名居民，百慕大一直担心外国人可能会令当地居民受到排挤。因此，百慕大向来竭尽所能地设置各种障碍，包括限制非本岛居民在此居住的期限（六年），并曾经一度禁止百慕大人向岛外人士出售任何房地产。在一次采访中，康涅表示，他正在试图尽快改变现状，在短期内结束居住限期政策。曾在美国接受教育的康涅身材魁梧，拥有加油站业务。他的内阁成员表示，此举是一项重大改变。百慕大内政部部长迈克尔费伊(Michael Fahy)称：“你会发现，即使某位高管能够免受居住限期的限制，保姆的居住限期仍然无法摆脱。如果你说你家的保姆不得不离开百慕大，那你为什么要留在这里呢？” The rich are also getting a break on real estate now. Since 1926, Bermuda has imposed restrictions on purchases of land by non-Ber- mudians. Eventually, non-Bermudians were allowed to purchase only the most expensive of houses-those that have an annual rental value in the six-figure range. Today, that works out to homes worth about $3.5 million and up. Whats more, foreigners had to pay a 25 percent license fee on home buys, which can drive even a billionaire a little batty. The high-rental rule remains, but Cannonier has temporarily cut the tax on real-estate sales to 8 percent of the purchase price, which then increases to 12.5 percent after 18 months. For now, a $4 million home no longer requires an extra $1 million, which MacIntyre, the realtor, says is a very welcome change of pace. 目前，在房地产购买方面，富人可以稍稍舒一口气了。自1926年起，百慕大就开始对非百慕大人在购买地产上施加限制了。结果是，非百慕大人只能购买最贵的房子，即那些年租金在六位数以上的住宅。按目前的房价计算，这意味着最低350万美元（约合人民币2,140万元）的房子。除此之外，外国人还必须支付25%的房产购买许可费，其金额之大足以使亿万富翁咋舌。现在，高租金条例仍然有效，但是，康涅已经将房产购置税税率暂时降至了8%，在18个月后，这一税率将上调至12.5%。目前来看，购买价格400万美元（约合人民币2,440万元）的房产已经不再需要额外支付100万美元的成本了，房地产经纪人麦金泰尔称：“这是非常喜人的改变。” But even government boosters say moves like these can only go so far in creating the kind of full-service playground the rich can so easily find elsewhere now. The island, for example, likes to boast that it has more golf per square mile than anywhere in the world. Thats fine, except that todays rich-fitter and more active-want other options for high-end recreation, including celebrity trainers and yoga instructors working out of space-age gyms. In the Caribbean, it is possible to find a host of new private-jet airports, compared with Bermudas one commercial facility. And once upon a time, it was charming that the country limited residents to one puny car per household, a policy dating back to when Mark Twain and Woodrow Wilson teamed up to help get motor vehicles banned for decades. But it is not exactly comfortable for todays stretch-limo crowd, which has to make due with the islands sparse supply of Mercedes-Benzes, which are available to rent by the hour. 但是，即使政府支持者也表示，诸如此类的举措充其量只能创造出那种全方位服务的玩乐之所，而富人们在其他地方轻而易举就能找到这类场所。举例来说，百慕大总是喜欢吹嘘这里高尔夫球场的密度高于全球任何其他地方。这么说没有问题，只是当今更加健康、更有活力的富人们喜欢的是其他的高端娱乐项目，比如在现代感十足的健身房里接受明星教练和瑜伽老师的指导。在加勒比海地区，你可以找到众多新建的私人飞机场，而百慕大却只有一个商业机场。曾几何时，政府实施的每个家庭只能购买一辆小型汽车的限购政策还称得上迷人，该政策起初由马克吐温和伍德罗威尔逊(Woodrow Wilson)共同推动出台，使汽车被禁止了几十年。但是，对于现在习惯了加长豪华轿车的人群来讲，这个政策并不那么令人感到舒服，他们不得不诉诸于百慕大紧俏的、按小时租赁的梅赛德斯奔驰(Mercedes-Benzes)资源。 From a corporate standpoint-and the island is keenly aware of how many wealthy executives encamp here when business flourishes-Bermuda doesnt even rate as an especially great tax haven. Sure it lacks taxes, but its conservative ethos requires a far more careful company-registration process than many newer and hotter resort countries have. Feeling the heat, the government two years ago extended the date that companies have before their tax-exempt status expires. Officials in Bermuda also argue that their island country maintains a program for registering off-shore companies that is respected around the world. Still, the number of tax-exempt companies in Bermuda has hovered around 12,000 over the past 15 years. In the Cayman Islands, by comparison, the number has nearly doubled in 10 years to more than 75,000. 从企业的角度来看，百慕大根本算不上最理想的避税天堂。当然，百慕大非常清楚，在当年经济繁荣之时有多少富有的公司高管纷纷到此安营扎寨。的确，百慕大的税赋很轻，但是由于百慕大的氛围较为保守，相较于许多新的、更热门的度假胜地，这里的公司注册流程要严格得多。在感受到压力之后，两年前，百慕大政府延长了企业的免税期。百慕大的官员还辩称，百慕大拥有一个享誉全球的离岸公司注册项目。然而，在过去的十五年中，百慕大免税企业的数量一直保持在12,000家左右的水平。相比之下，在过去十年中，开曼群岛的免税企业的数量已经增加了近一倍，达到了75,000多家。 SO THE QUESTION remains: How far into the fast lane will the island go to up its new-rich appeal, or will it just disappear someday off the high-end radar, like so many ships in the Bermuda Triangle? 所以问题依然是：为提高自己对新财富的吸引力，百慕大还会在快车道上走多远？还是百慕大某天会从高端财富的雷达上销声匿迹，就像在百慕大三角区消失的那些船只一样？ As his government dreams up more ideas, including considering a proposal to start a high-end casino here (bow-tied gamblers included), Cannonier provides a telling story about Ross Perot. Manning his gas station one day, he recalls seeing the 83-year-old former U.S. presidential candidate show up in his gardening boots. Heres a guy who can walk around Bermuda pretty much as he likes, Cannonier says. They dont have to worry about the paparazzi. Weve done a great job at protecting their privacy. Thats one of the great things about Bermuda. They can come and relax. 为了提振百慕大经济，康涅政府绞尽了脑汁，他们正在考虑在百慕大建设一所高端赌场的提议（赌场也会接待非富豪的高级专业人士）。康涅讲述了一个关于罗斯佩罗的生动故事。他回忆起一天，当他正在自己的加油站工作时，他突然看到了这位83岁的、穿着园艺靴的美国前总统候选人。康涅称：“佩罗几乎可以在百慕大随心所欲地走动。他们不需要担心偷拍记者。我们在保护名人的隐私上做得非常出色。这也是百慕大的优势之一。名人来到这里完全可以放松心情。” For some, the countrys best step may be just to concoct yet one more Bermuda miracle: a middle ground, way out here in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where East meets West, where new money finds enough razzle dazzle but old money can still enjoy the very anonymity and British DNA they have so long cherished. Hollis, the corporate attorney, likes to point out that the island, first settled by a ship running aground, goes by the motto where fate take us and that now its about time Bermuda forged its own. 在一些人看来，百慕大的最佳选择或许是打造一个新的百慕大奇迹：一个位于大西洋核心的中间地带，一个东西方交汇的地方，一个新财富能够纵情欢乐而旧财富也能享受传统上的私密性和英式风范的地方。企业法律顾问霍利斯指出，百慕大 这个被搁浅的船只征服的小岛─一直信奉着“听天由命”的信条，现在，百慕大是时候掌握自己的命运了。 But if it does, some Bermudians past and present will always have a divided view of their home. Jon Paradine, the owner of Aquamarina and a native Bermudian who is now living half way around the world, says, sure, the island needs to improve its product and up its entertainment value. But get him talking about the days he spent there, the stunning views of the turquoise blue waters, the magnificently fresh salty air, and talk of change fades. Suddenly, it is hard to imagine how any of it-the dull shopping on Front Street, the MIA limos-really matters. As far as Paradine is concerned, his home would go for $50 million, easy, in Singapore, but youll never find it there either. The beach in Aquamarina is the most beautiful beach Ive ever seen, says Paradine. I miss the natural beauty of Bermuda. 但是，一旦百慕大开始掌握自己的命运，一些百慕大人─不管过去还是现在─对家乡产生复杂的情感。“水世界”的主人、土生土长的百慕大人乔恩帕拉丁(Jon Paradine)现在居住在世界的另一端，他表示，百慕大确实需要“改善形象”、提高自身的娱乐价值。但是，如果让他聊聊他在家乡度过的时光，他回忆起的则是迷人的湛蓝海景和带着咸味的清新海风，关于变革的话题也逐渐被淡忘了。忽然间，很难想象前街(Front Street)乏味的商铺、迈阿密机场的豪华轿车有什么意义。帕拉丁知道，“水世界”这样的住宅在新加坡可以轻易地卖出5,000万美元（约合人民币3.06亿元），只是你在新加坡绝对找不到这样的房子。帕拉丁称：“水世界的海滩是我见过的最美的海滩。我想念百慕大的自然之美。”