【明報專訊】Last August, Bill Gates (微軟創辦人蓋茨) and Warren Buffett (美國股神巴菲特) launched The Giving Pledge. They urged millionaires in the world to donate 50% of their wealth upon their death. On 29 September 2010, Gates and Buffett will hold a banquet in China to promote the campaign.
Chinese entrepreneur Chen Guangbiao (中國企業家陳光標), called "China's top philanthropist", pledged in an open letter to Gates and Buffett posted on his company's website to donate all his wealth posthumously. In his letter, he likens wealth to water, saying, "If one has a glass of water, one can drink it oneself. If one has a bucket of it, one can store it at home. However, if one has a river, one should share it with others." According to him, it is a noble act to return one's wealth to the world when one leaves it and share it among people in need. He believes charity should not be restricted by ethnicity, and a little more love and equality would make the world a better place.
■Keywords
wealth……財富
disparity between the rich and the poor……貧富差距
entrepreneur……企業家
■Questions
1.What campaign did Gates and Buffett launch?
2.Chen likens wealth to water. Do you agree with his remarks?
3.The rich-poor gap is still wide in the world. What is its impact on society?
■Further readings
1.BBC. "US billionaires pledge 50% of their wealth to charity", 2010.08.04
2.Forbes: http://www.forbes.com
