People love to keep track of who the world's richest person is. If you ask, almost anyone will say it is Bill Gates. After all, that has been the answer for over a decade. However, according to a Mexican business reporter, Carlos Slim Helú's US$67.8 billion makes him the new wealthiest person in the world.

Carlos Slim Helú is a 67-year-old Mexican businessman. He owns stocks in several companies, including Apple Inc. and a tobacco company. However, his most profitable business is telecommunications. For over 15 years, he has been the chairman of a cell phone company, América Móvil, and a land line network, Telmex. These two businesses provide phone service for millions of people throughout North, Central, and South America.

With an increase in the value of América Móvil, Carlos Slim Helú's fortune has gone up quite a bit. The precise amount is unknown, so not everyone is ready to call him the world's wealthiest person just yet. However, if the reports from Mexico are indeed true, the world has a new answer to the old question, "Who's the richest person alive?"

人们喜欢留意世上最富有的人是谁。如果您开口询问，几乎任何一个人都会回答是比尔?盖兹。毕竟十多年来，问题的答案一直都是如此。然而根据墨西哥一位财经记者的说法，卡洛斯?史林?赫鲁所拥有的美金六百七十八亿财产，使他成为新的全球首富。

赫鲁是一位六十七岁的墨西哥商人。他拥有多家公司的股份，包括苹果计算机及一家烟草公司。但是他最赚钱的生意则为电信业。超过十五年来，他一直身为 América Móvil这家行动通讯业、以及市话网络公司Telmex的主席。这两家公司为北、中、南美洲的数百万民众提供了电信服务。

América Móvil市值的成长，使得赫鲁的财产增加了不少。因为确切的财产金额仍是未知数，所以不是每个人都准备好要称他为世界首富。然而，要是来自墨西哥的报导的确属实，世人对『最有钱的人是谁?』这个老问题，就会有个新的答案。

Building Your Vocabulary

1.wealthy　a. 富有的

That wealthy man has his own jet.

那位富翁拥有自己的喷射机。

2.profitable　a. 有利可图的

The investments I made were all profitable.

我所做的投资都很有赚头。

3.precise　a. 确切的;恰好的

Tell me the precise details of the plan.

请告诉我此项计划的确切细节。

4.indeed　adv. 确实，的确(为强调语气)

Terry is indeed an honest person.

泰瑞的确是个很诚实的人。

Phrases for Learning

1.keep track of...　　注意∕纪录……

It is hard to keep track of the women Jake has dated.

要一一记下杰克曾约会过的女人还真困难。

2.provide + 物 + for + 人　　提供某物给某人

The hotel provides free laundry service for its regular guests.

该家饭店为常客提供免费的洗衣服务。

参考字词

1.stock　n. 股份，股票

2.Inc.　a. 股份有限的(incorporated的缩写，用于公司名称后)

3.tobacco　n. 烟草(本文中作形容词用)

4.telecommunications　n. 电信(业，恒为复数)

5.chairman　n.(男)主席

6.land line network　n. 市内电话网络

Tips In Use

...the answer for over a decade.

(……十多年来，问题的答案……)

...Helú's US$67.8 billion...

(……赫鲁所拥有的美金六百七十八亿财产……)

decade 及 billion 分别为时间和数量的单位。以下为各位介绍其它数量较大的同类单字。

1.时间单位：

decade　n. 十年;十年期间

century　n. 一百年;一世纪

millennium　n. 一千年;千年期

2.数量单位：

million　n. 百万(1,000,000)

billion　n. 十亿(1,000,000,000)

trillion　n. 兆(1,000,000,000,000)