Learning the basics of investing is like learning a new language. Whether discussing stocks, bonds, and other investment vehicles to structures, entities, and dollar cost averaging, it's no wonder many beginning investors feel like they're in uncharted waters. The good news is that once you have mastered the language and certain investing basics, you'll better understand how much of this works. To assist you on that journey, here is a look at the handful of the most common types of investments you will encounter in your lifetime.
學習投資的基本知識就像學習一門新的語言。從討論股票、債券和其他投資工具到結構、實體和美元平均成本，難怪許多剛開始投資的人會感覺自己像身處未知的水域一樣。好消息是，一旦你掌握了這門語言和某些投資基礎知識，你就能很好地理解投資是怎麼操作的了。下面是你一生中會遇到的幾種最常見的投資類型：
Stocks
股票
Bonds
債券
Mutual Funds
共同基金
Real Estate
房地產
We'll also talk about a few other relevant topics, such as the legal entities - limited liability companies and limited partnerships - through which investors tend to make investments in things like hedge funds and private equity funds.
我們還將討論其他一些相關的話題，比如法律實體——有限責任公司和有限合夥企業——投資者傾向於通過它們投資對沖基金和私募股權基金。
Stocks and Bonds
股票和債券
Without a doubt, owning stocks has been the best way historically to build wealth. And for more than a century, investing in bonds has been considered one of the safest ways to make money. But how do these investments work?
毫無疑問，持有股票是歷史上積累財富的最佳方式。一個多世紀以來，投資債券被認為是最安全的賺錢方式之一。但這些投資是如何運作的呢？
Stocks are pretty simple: they're shares of ownership in a specific company. When you own a share of Apple, for example, you own a tiny piece of that company. Stock prices fluctuate with a company's fortunes, and also with the economy at large.
股票其實相當簡單：它們是某一特定公司的所有權。例如，當你擁有蘋果公司的股份時，你就擁有了該公司的一小部分。股票價格隨著公司的財富和經濟的波動而變化。
When you buy a bond, meanwhile, you are lending money to the company or institution that issued it. In the case of a school bond, for instance, you are lending money to the school district to build a new high school or improve classroom conditions. Buying a bond issued by a company means you're lending money to that company, which it can use to grow the business.
與此同時，當你購買債券時，你是在借錢給發行債券的公司或機構。例如，以學校債券為例，當你購買時，你就把錢借給學區了，用來修建一所新的高中或改善教室條件。購買一家公司發行的債券意味著你把錢借給了這家公司，它可以用來發展業務。
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