华尔街之狼:狼·羊·人

2014-08-20 11:10韦玮
新东方英语 2014年8期
关键词:狼性华尔街

韦玮

由马丁·斯科塞斯导演、莱昂纳多·迪卡普里奥主演的电影《华尔街之狼》(The Wolf of Wall Street)改编自金融巨鳄Jordan Belfort的同名自传。现实中的Jordan Belfort以及他创办的公司Stratton Oakmont都与华尔街关系不大,Jordan真正意义上在华尔街工作也不过几个月时间,而且还是处于学徒期。他之所以成为金融巨鳄靠的是将极差的仙股(penny stock,指价格低于一定金额的便宜股票)卖给愚蠢又贪婪的普罗大众,后来他还做了一家公司的IPO,暗箱操作,最终因涉嫌大规模有价证券欺诈入狱,出狱后他又华丽转身为著名的职业演说家,赚到的钞票比坐牢前风光无限的金融事业巅峰期还要多。根据该自传改编的长达三个小时的电影并没有真正揭露任何华尔街不为人知的内幕,没有透露股市背后的任何铁律或是投行工作的秘辛,它更像是一场无比喧闹的成人版游园会,铺陈着各种不着边际的浮夸享乐。透过这层层浮云,你感受不到经济的脉动,推断不出制度的弊端,但确实可以看得到人类内心的欲望,听得到体内的狼嚎、羊叫或仅仅是自己的低语。

作为黑帮片界的殿堂级人物,马丁·斯科塞斯也许比很多人更了解人性的丑恶,但他没有一板一眼告诉观众要弘扬有标准答案的真善美,而是将光鲜、阴暗、智慧、奸诈、勤奋、凶残都统统展示出来,让观众自己去评判与选择。是想成为像Jordan那样嗜血成性、贪婪凶狠的狼,还是成为愚蠢、软弱、任人宰割的羊,抑或是做个“君子爱财,取之有道”的人,我们内心的属性决定了我们的立场和选择。

如同被困海上的纯良少年Pi被逼出了心中的猛虎,每个人都有狼性的一面,这是人类同命运抗争进而生存与繁衍的生物本能。华尔街这个信奉丛林法则的地方无疑集合了各种条件,能使人狼性的一面集中爆发。

二十出头的Jordan是一个出身中产家庭、对金钱有着强烈渴望的年轻人。他怀揣发财梦来到华尔街,在Mark 手下当一名初入行的股票经纪人。Jordan进入华尔街的第一天就被华尔街激烈残酷的狼性文化所吸引。在午间休息时间,他与上司Mark一起吃饭,Mark一边喝酒嗑药,一边向Jordan道出了在华尔街工作与赚钱的秘诀。

Mark: Your only responsibility is to put meat on the table.… Name of the game. Move the money from your clients pocket into your pocket.

Jordan: Right. But if you make your clients money at the same time, its advantageous to everyone. Correct?

Mark: No. Number one rule of Wall Street. Nobody ... I dont care if youre Warren Buffett or if youre Jimmy Buffett. Nobody knows if a stock is gonna go up, down, sideways, or in fucking circles. Least of all stockbrokers, right? Its all a fugazi (源自意大利语,假货). You know what a fugazi is?

Jordan: Uh. Fugayzi. Its a fake.

Mark: Fugayzi, fugazi, its a whazy, its a woozy, its ... fairy dust. It doesnt exist. Its never landed. It is no matter. Its not on the elemental chart. Its not fucking real. We dont create shit. We dont build anything.

Jordan: No.

Mark: So if you got a client who bought stock at 8 and it now sits at 16, hes all fucking happy. He wants to cash in, liquidate, take his fucking money and run home. You dont let him do that…. What do you do? You get another brilliant idea. A special idea. Another “situation.” Another stock to reinvest his earnings and then some. And he will, every single time. Cause theyre fucking addicted. And you just keep doing this, again and again and again. Meanwhile, he thinks hes getting shit rich, which he is, on paper. But you and me, the brokers, were taking home cold hard cash via commission, motherfucker.

初出茅庐的Jordan还怀着“互惠双赢”的仁慈之心,但上司Mark第一天就将华尔街的真相赤裸裸地“剥”给Jordan看:只管自己吃肉,哪管别人喝汤。如果说本片揭露了华尔街股票经纪人的秘密,那秘密可能就在这里:那些所谓金融精英与财富管理者根本只在乎自己的利益,你真金白银放进来,他们才不管你是赔是赚,唯一重要的就是诱导你不停地买进卖出,每一笔交易都会为他们带来佣金收入。你的股票涨涨跌跌,看似热闹,其实都是账面游戏,实实在在的钱早已落入经纪人的口袋里。听Mark一席话,Jordan胜读十年书,自己的价值观得以重塑,热血开始沸腾,心中贪婪的猛兽被彻底唤醒。

贪婪是基督教中的七宗罪之一,但也正是贪婪使得人类社会不断创造,奋勇前进。另一部经典的华尔街主题电影《华尔街》中对此有着精辟的表述:“Greed is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms, greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind. ”正是秉持这种信念,Jordan比普通人更犀利,更敏锐,更冷酷,更如鱼得水。

华尔街如同汪洋大海,有风和日丽的时候就有暴雨狂风的时候。当Jordan取得证券牌照、准备大干一场时,股市遭遇了几十年不遇的大动荡,Jordan所在的公司遭遇了破产,Jordan被华尔街无情抛弃。在失意期间,Jordan机缘巧合地了解到仙股的存在。他发现仙股市场的客户更好对付,自己所获的报酬也更高——华尔街股票经纪人的佣金只有1%,而仙股的经纪人佣金高达50%。于是Jordan立即加入到仙股市场,成为专门忽悠散户的仙股券商。他凭借自己出色的推销技能迅速暴富,火速积累了资本,之后招揽了Donnie等鸡鸣狗盗之徒,成立了Stratton Oakmont投资公司,开始以“拉高出货”的方式违规赚大钱。在组建了自己的公司后,他向自己招募来的不学无术但深谙销售之道的三教九流之士鼓舞士气,传授销售秘诀。

Jordan: You listening? Its easier than you think. Every person youre on the phone with, they want to get rich and they want to get rich quickly. They all want something for nothing…. Everyone wants to get rich. Am I crazy? Do you guys not want to make money?

Chester: I want to make some money…. I can sell anything.

Jordan: Thats the attitude. You can sell anything? Sell me this fucking pen right here. You can sell anything. Sell that. Go ahead. Brad (Jordan满意但未招募成功的销售员), show them how its done. Boom. Sell me that pen. Watch. Go on.

Brad: You want me to sell this fucking pen?

Jordan: Thats my boy right there. Can fucking sell anything.

Brad: Why dont you do me a favor? Write your name down on that napkin for me.

Jordan: I dont have a pen.

Brad: Exactly. Supply and demand, my friend.

People: Holy shit.

Jordan: See what Im saying? Hes creating urgency. Get them to want to buy the stock. Convince them its something they need, you know what I mean? And thats the thing.

只有Jordan和那些股票经纪人们贪婪吗?被忽悠买入垃圾仙股的普罗大众又何尝不是被贪婪所驱使?人人为贪婪所累,只是华尔街之狼们爬到了高坡,他们利用别人的贪婪牟利。供需关系也许是市场经济中最根本的一点,精明的狼人们就是不断为贪婪的普罗大众创造需求,让大家相信自己必须拥有,让大家心甘情愿地为自己的贪婪和愚蠢买单。

随着财富和名望的增长,Jordan和他的公司愈发浮夸荒诞,办公室比最露骨的俱乐部还要混乱,恃强凌弱、骄奢淫逸成为自我标榜的企业文化。一路血雨腥风走来,Jordan已经变得不介意世俗的批判,相反,他故意鼓吹自己放浪形骸、随心所欲的形象,以吸引别人的注目。虽然对物质的向往是普遍的,但对名利的渴求到达何种程度却因人而异。华尔街之所以能够不断吸引青年才俊前仆后继,很大程度在于它能够提供一种刺激与颇具成就感的生活方式。就如电影《华尔街》所说:“Its a zero-sum game. Somebody wins; somebody loses. Money itself isnt lost or made; its simply transferred from one perception to another.”这是一场零和游戏,成王败寇。你是一头狼,就无法不嗜血。这种刺激感和成就感足以令人上瘾,愈陷愈深。

Jordan不满足于边边角角的小交易,想要摆脱名不见经传的小角色地位,于是决定杀回华尔街和投行大鳄们一争高下。为此,Jordan打算将一家时尚女鞋品牌包装上市,完成其首次公开募股。Jordan借此成功得到了这块业界人人垂涎的肥肉,堂而皇之登上了华尔街的大舞台。在完成这一项目之后,Jordan站在了演讲台上,鼓舞手下员工们的士气。

Jordan: Let me tell you something. There is no nobility in poverty. I have been a rich man and I have been a poor man. And I choose rich every fucking time. Because at least as a rich man, when I have to face my problems, I show up in the back of a limo, wearing a $2,000 suit and a $40,000 gold fucking watch! And if anyone here thinks Im superficial or materialistic, go get a job at fucking McDonalds, cause thats where you fucking belong! ... So you listen to me and you listen well. Are you behind on your credit card bills? Good! Pick up the phone and start dialing! Is your landlord ready to evict you? Good! Pick up the phone and start dialing! Does your girlfriend think youre a fucking worthless loser? Good! Pick up the phone and start dialing! I want you to deal with your problems by becoming rich!

Jordan是一个营销天才,也可以说是一个不折不扣的大忽悠,他热爱成为焦点的感觉。语言是他最强有力的武器,对人性的把握则是他制定战略的依据。影片中公司每次迈入一个新阶段,Jordan都会发表冗长但令人兴奋的演讲,他牢牢抓住了员工渴望财富、渴望过上像他那样为所欲为的生活的心理,不断通过激情澎湃的演讲对他们进行洗脑。这一连串有力的排比,栩栩如生的场景描绘,把电影中的员工们忽悠得群情激奋,干劲儿十足。这段话如此简单粗暴但却坦诚实在,甚至将人生真相拆穿得过于赤裸而令人有些难堪。

“性格决定命运”,狼性十足的Jordan和他的手下并没有选择闷声发大财,而是肆无忌惮地声色犬马、挥霍财富,这在使他们声名鹊起、业务如火如荼的同时,也招来了联邦调查局的注意。联邦调查局的探员Patrick对Jordan展开了锲而不舍的调查。虽然Jordan有机会通过给监管机构交罚款来金盆洗手,但Jordan还是被骨子里贪恋金钱与名望以及渴望叱咤风云的狼性所打倒,放弃了之前和监管机构达成的交换协议,选择继续活跃在市场上。

最终,Jordan被戴上了手铐,因为帮他洗钱的银行家被捕并出卖了他。为求自保,Jordan供出同行与手下以求减刑,最终被判有期徒刑三年。出狱后的Jordan去了新西兰,凭借自己与生俱来的销售技巧成为培训师,满屋子学员饥渴的眼神告诉他,金钱永不眠,唯贪欲长存,狼性存在于很多人的身上,而待宰的小“羊”也随处可寻。

可怜之人必有可恨之处。被Jordan这类人欺骗的普罗大众就像是小羊。他们看似柔顺无害,其实也往往因为自己的愚蠢、贪婪与固执而陷入绝境。这部电影并没有给羊一个特写或者安排一个代言人,他们都是以面目模糊的群体形象出现:从仙股交易员嘴里的邮递员、清洁工到电话那头被陌生人的推销电话搅得犹豫不决、心乱神迷的小散户,到探员Patrick每天在地铁中看到的麻木乘客,再到电影最后积极参加Jordan培训班的男女老少……浑浑噩噩的芸芸众生都是羊,可能平安懦弱、不明所以地度过了一生,可能遇人不淑被坑得倾家荡产,也可能基因突变、狼性觉醒,开始走别人的的路,让别人无路可走。正如导演马丁没有直说狼崽Jordan是坏人一样,他也没有暗示羊是好人。这个残酷的世界似乎愈发变得只有强弱之分,谁也不是白莲花(编注:喻指十分纯洁的人)。个中奥妙,见仁见智。

在这部被酒精、毒品和欲望浸泡的电影中,Jordan的发妻Teresa以及联邦调查局探员Patrick是还算清醒的人物形象。Jordan的发妻Teresa是个不够“高大上”但本质很善良的人。Jordan初出茅庐,她对他充满敬爱;Jordan就职的公司破产,Jordan被扫地出门,她矢志不渝;Jordan靠炒卖仙股发家,她面对珠宝金钱,反倒没有之前开心,因为她知道丈夫在发不义之财,而且是拿毫无承受能力的社会弱者们开刀。Teresa也不是完人,也热爱锦衣玉食的生活,但道德的底线始终提醒她不能害人,至少不能赶尽杀绝。在丈夫Jordan给她送来钻石项链时,她十分不安地提醒他不要伤害无辜的弱者。

Teresa: I dont know, its ... You know ... These stocks ... These companies ... Theyre like crappy companies.

Jordan: Well, yeah. Okay. Yeah, theyre terrible. Dont worry about it. I told you, what Im doing is completely legal.

Teresa: Yeah, I know. But theyre not gonna make anyone money though, right?

Jordan: Well, sometimes they do, sometimes they dont. You know how it goes.

Teresa: Wouldnt you feel better if you sold that stuff to rich people who can, like, afford to lose all that money?

Jordan: Of course. But rich people dont buy penny stocks. They just dont.

Teresa: Why not?

Jordan: Because theyre too smart. Thats why not.

当她被Jordan出轨的画面迎面击中,纵然一起走过风雨,纵然曾经深爱,纵然这个男人无论如何都会给她提供优渥的生活,作为人的尊严和自爱还是让她流着眼泪与这个自己已经不认识的嗜血狼人挥别。

而联邦调查局的探员Patrick可以说是电影中Jordan比较具体的对手,从被上司委派调查以来,他就一丝不苟地严查死打。Jordan金融投机者的本性不改,尽管顾问一再强调不要试图贿赂探员,他还是请Patrick及其搭档登上其奢华的游艇,打算像对待手下一班员工一样,用纸醉金迷的生活诱惑Patrick,给其洗脑,将其收买。

Patrick: Oh, come on! You know what Im talking about. If Im not mistaken ... you just tried to bribe a federal officer.

Jordan: No, technically I didnt bribe anybody.... But I want to tell you this. The same gentleman that told me that you tried to get your brokers license also told me that you are a straight arrow (直性子的人) .… I think its time you both get the fuck off my boat.

Patrick: You know, Jordan, Ill tell you something. Most of the Wall Street jackasses that I bust, theyre to the manor born (出身高贵). Their fathers are douche bags (混蛋), just like their fathers before them. But you ... You, Jordan, you got this way all on your own.

Jordan: Did I?

Patrick: Good for you, little man.

Jordan: Me, the little man?

Patrick: And let me tell you something. Let me tell you something else. Honestly, Im not bullshitting here. This is one of the nicest boats that Ive ever been on, I gotta tell you. I bet it is. And you know what I was just thinking, too? The fucking hero that Im gonna be back at the office when the Bureau seizes this fucking boat.

Patrick也曾经备考证券牌照,跃跃欲试准备进入华尔街。Patrick每天上下班搭乘老旧的地铁,看到的是周围麻木、虚弱的人们,他也会想这是不是自己想要的生活。然而当实实在在的诱惑摆在面前,他反而清醒地意识到,公正执法、安贫乐道也许不是他最满意的生活,但与损人利己、唯金钱马首是瞻相比,这至少能让他昂首挺胸地过好每一天。

Patrick这类人可能是最接近你我的存在:贪婪但还有理性,上进但不极端,乐于享受但守住底线,心怀理想但接受现实。他们也许是过得最痛苦的一群,因为他们可以清醒地看到生活的苦楚和人生的局限。

在电影中,导演通过主人公一次次的内心独白架设起一面面明镜,供读者对照自知。看着电影笔者就清楚地知道自己不是一匹狼,但Jordan是。即使Jordan的所作所为让无数无知的围观群众血本无归,但他是这样的人,只是在做他应该会做的事。不再简单地给人贴“好人”“坏人”的标签也许是成熟的表现。人和人本来就是不同的,认清“我是谁”,学会与自己和平相处可能比“成为世界上最好的人”更实在。如果你是一匹狼,学会如何利用自己的野心和能力同时控制兽性就是毕生的功课;羊们则永远不要指望狼发善心,最好还是自己学聪明点儿,躲远点儿;而对牵绊顾虑最多的普通人来说,守住底线,享受为人的高尚乐趣,常怀感恩之心便是成功。

王小波说:“ 高尚、清洁、充满乐趣的生活是好的,人们很容易得到共识。卑下、肮脏、贫乏的生活是不好的,这也能得到共识。但只有这两条远远不够。我以写作为生,我知道某种文章好,也知道某种文章坏。仅知道这两条尚不足以开始写作。还有更加重要的一条,那就是:某种样子的文章对我来说不可取,绝不能让它从我笔下写出来,冠以我的名字登在报刊上。以小喻大,这也是我对生活的态度。”而这也正是笔者看完《华尔街之狼》后体会到的人生道理。

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