李嘉诚周二出席和记黄埔和长江实业的年报发布会

　　Li Ka-shing's message to prospective Hong Kong property buyers: 'Be careful.'

　　李嘉诚对打算购买香港房地产的人发出警示：“要当心”。

　　When Hong Kong's most powerful billionaire tycoon speaks, the city listens - especially when he speaks about that perennial Hong Kong hot topic, real estate.

　　这位香港最有影响力的亿万富豪开口讲话时，整座城市都在聆听，特别是他讲的是香港持久不衰的热门话题：房地产。

　　Home prices have risen rapidly in the last 15 months, sparking concerns about a possible bubble in the market. While urging caution, Li avoided the 'B' word on Tuesday while answering questions at the results press conference for his two flagship companies, Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. and Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd. Instead, he praised government officials for their effective use of mortgage-tightening measures and tough talk to keep the market in line.

　　过去15个月以来，香港住宅价格迅速攀升，激起房地产市场会出现泡沫之忧。不过，尽管李嘉诚敦促购房者要谨慎，周二在和记黄埔有限公司（Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.，简称：和记黄埔）和长江实业（集团）有限公司（Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd.，简称：长江实业）这两家李嘉诚的旗舰公司发布年报业绩的记者招待会上，当回答记者提问时，他还是避免使用“泡沫”一词，而是赞扬了政府官员有效使用收紧抵押贷款的措施以及口头干预手段来使房地产市场不偏离正常轨道的做法。

　　'I think the Hong Kong government has already tried its very best' to keep prices stable, Li told a throng of reporters. 'I think the government has done a nice job.'

　　李嘉诚对大批记者说，他认为香港政府已尽了最大努力来保持房价稳定，并认为政府做得相当不错。

　　The annual results conference usually affords the biggest opportunity for local journalists to dig for sound bites from Li, who is known to many in Hong Kong simply as 'chiu yan,' or 'superman,' for his investing prowess.

　　每年一度的公司业绩发布会，通常是香港记者探究李嘉诚观点的最佳时机。李嘉诚投资成就辉煌，对许多香港人来说，他就是个超人。

　　Referring to past statements in which he's recommended citizens buy property if they have extra cash on hand, Li grinned and said: 'If people bought when I suggested, they would have done very well.'

　　提到以往他推荐香港市民手中有钱就购房的言论，李嘉诚笑着说，如果在他建议时即买入，那已经做得相当好了。

　　In mainland China, where Beijing officials are focusing on land hoarding by real-estate developers, Li said his companies hadn't ever been challenged by authorities.

　　在中国内地，中央政府官员正在重点关注房地产开发展囤地的问题。李嘉诚说，他的公司从未受到政府的盘查。

　　Not everyone in the Li clan has been as fortunate. Earlier this month, Beijing municipal authorities banned a company controlled by Li's younger son Richard from making future land acquisitions in the city after the company allegedly failed to proceed with work on a real-estate project in the city in a timely manner. A spokesman at the time said company officials were seeking more information about the incident and declined further comment.

　　但并非李氏家族人人都这么幸运。本月早些时候，北京市政府禁止李嘉诚次子李泽楷(Richard Li)掌管的一家公司未来再在北京拿地，因该公司据称未能及时推进北京一房地产项目的开发。这家公司的一位发言人当时表示，公司管理人员正在寻求该事件的更多信息并拒绝进一步置评。

　　The elder Li cautioned observers Tuesday against reading too deeply into that matter. 'You can't just look at what's on the surface, or you'll misunderstand. It may not be a matter related to Pacific Century at all,' Li said, without elaborating.

　　李嘉诚周二警告观察人士不要对此事做过深解读，他说，不能只看事情的表面，否则会发生误读，事情可能跟盈科拓展集团(Pacific Century)毫无关联。但他并未作进一步解释。盈科拓展集团是李泽楷的旗舰企业。

　　Mostly, the tycoon left the property market commentary to elder son Victor, seated to his right, who summed it up this way: 'In the end, property is a question of supply and demand -- and in Hong Kong, supply is limited and demand is growing,' Victor Li said.

　　李嘉诚将评论房地产市场的大部分机会留给坐在他右边的大儿子李泽巨(Victor Li)。李泽巨对房地产市场的总体看法是，地产业最终是个供求关系问题，在香港，供给有限而需求不断增长。