学英语“涨知识”：知道什么是Ponzi scheme庞式计划吗？

学英语“涨知识”：知道什么是Ponzi scheme庞式计划吗？

一些人老是问我：学英语有用吗？

这个问题把我一下给“问倒”，也“雷倒”了。

我还是给你“讲个故事”吧。

英语不仅仅是用来学习英语语言本身的，英语还是用来“涨知识”的：用英语“涨知识”。这就是为什么我们学英语的原因之一：从中文以外的渠道“知感”世界。

1) 我们先来体验/阅读一段英语：

Investment fraud can strike anyone at anytime and is a threat to investors of all sizes–not just the wealthy.

Nearly every investment Ponzi scheme ever perpetrated could have been easily detected–and more easily avoided.

阅读这段英语，你的“学习疑惑”肯定有二：

1. 这段英语讲什么啊？

2.这段英语基本能读懂，但是，里面的那个Ponzi scheme是什么意思啊？

第一点疑惑者仍停留在学英语本身。

第二点疑惑者想从英语中“涨知识”（句中英语语言没有任何问题，唯独就是不知Ponzi scheme是个什么东东）。

2) Ponzi scheme里为什么叫Ponzi，有什么“讲究”？

How did Ponzi schemes get their name?

（Ponzi scheme里为什么叫Ponzi“庞氏”？）

The schemes are named after Charles Ponzi, who cheated thousands of New England residents into investing in a postage stamp speculation scheme back in the 1920s. At a time when the annual interest rate for bank accounts was five percent, Ponzi promised investors that he could provide a 50% return in just 90 days. Ponzi initially bought a small number of international mail coupons in support of his scheme, but quickly switched to using incoming funds from new investors to pay purported returns to earlier investors.

“涨知识”：这段英语的大概意思是，Ponzi一词原来是个人名，此公名叫Charles Ponzi.，美国新英格兰人氏。上世界20年代倒腾邮票收藏，于是哄数以万计老百姓投资有票收藏。当时存钱银行的话，年回报率不过5个点，此公却声称：90天，只要90天，投资回报50%！刚开始他还煞有介事买卖一些国际邮票支撑他的“投资计划”（scheme），干到后来，他老哥子干脆什么“产品”都省了，直接用后来“投资者”的钱作为“投资回报”支付给前面的“投资人”，并以此不断循环。

读到这里，你对什么是Ponzi scheme什么意思一下“蹦起来”抢答的吧？

这不就是赤裸裸的“空手套白狼”，搞传销，老鼠会，金字塔销售吗？

Yes,you’re right! That’s what a Ponzi scheme exactly is!

3) 用英语学英语口语、解释英语：

What is a Ponzi scheme?

首先：A Ponzi scheme is an investment fraud(投资诈骗、投资设局fraud营私舞弊这个词你得记住了).

其次：In a Ponzi scheme, you will pay the returns(回报，不是“归还”哟) to existing/older investors from money put into/invested by new investors.

或者，你记住下面的英语：

In a Ponzi scheme, you will try to attract new money from new investors to make promised payments to earlier-stage investors ,so that it appears to every investor that investors are profiting from making and selling goods, products.

这样学英语，以后你就不仅知道英语Ponzi scheme的中文意思，你还可以不说Ponzi scheme这个单词，而用It is an investment fraud. You will pay the returns to existing/older investors from money put into/invested by new investors.

或者，In this cheat, you will try to attract new money from new investors to make promised payments to earlier-stage investors ,so that it appears to every investor that investors are profiting from making and selling goods, products，别人也能知道你说的是Ponzi scheme了。

最后：

One of Asia’s largest banks says bitcoin is ‘a Ponzi scheme’

亚洲一家最大的银行说：比特币就是一场“庞氏计划”。

你信吗？