英语名人堂：比尔·盖茨

比尔·盖茨（Bill Gates），全名威廉·亨利·盖茨三世，简称比尔或盖茨。1955年10月28日出生于美国华盛顿州西雅图，企业家、软件工程师、慈善家、微软公司创始人。曾任微软董事长、CEO和首席软件设计师。

比尔·盖茨13岁开始计算机编程设计[1]  ，18岁考入哈佛大学，一年后从哈佛退学，1975年与好友保罗·艾伦一起创办了微软公司[2]  ，比尔盖茨担任微软公司董事长、CEO和首席软件设计师。

比尔·盖茨1995-2007年连续13年成为《福布斯》全球富翁榜首富[3]  ，连续20年成为《福布斯》美国富翁榜首富[4]  。

2000年，比尔·盖茨成立比尔和梅琳达·盖茨基金会，2008年比尔盖茨宣布将580亿美元个人财产捐给慈善基金会[5]  ，2014年比尔·盖茨辞去董事长一职[6]  并击退卡洛斯·斯利姆重回世界首富。[7] 

2015年美国当地时间9月29日，《福布斯》发布美国富豪400强榜单显示，微软公司创始人盖茨凭借760亿美元净资产，连续第22年高居榜首[8-10] 

2016年3月1日，福布斯公布了最新一期全球富豪榜单，虽然比尔·盖茨的个人财富比2015年少了42亿美金，但他这次以750亿美金个人财富仍连续三年位居榜首。

 

William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955. He is one of the world's richest people and perhaps the most successful businessman ever. He co-founded the software giant Microsoft and turned it into the world’s largest software company. He is the best-known entrepreneur¹ of the PC revolution. He has also written two best-selling books and started his own charity with his wife.

 

Gates was fascinated² with electronics³ from a young age. In 1975 he read about a small technology company. He contacted them to see if they were interested in a computer programme he had written. This led to the creation⁴ of Microsoft. Gates later struck a deal with IBM that put Microsoft's Windows on IBM computers. This deal made Microsoft a major player in the IT industry.

 

Gates was in charge at Microsoft from 1975 until 2006. He was an active software developer at the beginning. He had a vision that computers could change everyone’s life. He helped make this vision come true and developed many products that are now part of modern life. His management style has been studied and copied around the world.

 

Gates stepped down as Microsoft CEO in June 2008. He now spends his time with his wife, Melinda, focusing on their charitable foundation. They provide funds for global problems that are ignored by governments and other organizations. ‘Time’ magazine voted Gates as one of the biggest influences of the 20th Century. Scientists named the Bill Gates flower fly after him.

1 entrepreneur   

n.企业家，主办人

参考例句：

• The entrepreneur has become a news figure.这位企业家变成了新闻人物。
• The entrepreneur takes business risks in the hope of making a profit.企业家为追求利润而冒险。

2 fascinated   

a.被强烈地吸引住，感到着迷的

参考例句：

• China has always fascinated me. 中国一直令我心驰神往。
• The children watched, fascinated, as the picture began to appear. 电影开始以后孩子们入迷地观看着。

3 electronics   

n.电子器件，电子学，电子技术

参考例句：

• About 45000 people worked in electronics in Scotland.苏格兰约有4.5万人在电子行业工作。
• He wants to brush up his knowledge of electronics.他想温习他的电子学知识。

4 creation   

n.创造，创造的作品，产物，宇宙，天地万物

参考例句：

• Language is the most important mental creation of man.语言是人类头脑最重要的产物。
• The creation of new playgrounds will benefit the local children.新游戏场的建立将有益于当地的儿童。