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.
学习投资的基本知识就像学习一门新的语言。从讨论股票、债券和其他投资工具到结构、实体和美元平均成本，难怪许多刚开始投资的人会感觉自己像身处未知的水域一样。好消息是，一旦你掌握了这门语言和某些投资基础知识，你就能很好地理解投资是怎么操作的了。下面是你一生中会遇到的几种最常见的投资类型：
Stocks
股票
Bonds
债券
Mutual Funds
共同基金
Real Estate
房地产
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.
我们还将讨论其他一些相关的话题，比如法律实体——有限责任公司和有限合伙企业——投资者倾向于通过它们投资对冲基金和私募股权基金。
Stocks and Bonds
股票和债券
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?
毫无疑问，持有股票是历史上积累财富的最佳方式。一个多世纪以来，投资债券被认为是最安全的赚钱方式之一。但这些投资是如何运作的呢？
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.
股票其实相当简单：它们是某一特定公司的所有权。例如，当你拥有苹果公司的股份时，你就拥有了该公司的一小部分。股票价格随着公司的财富和经济的波动而变化。
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.
与此同时，当你购买债券时，你是在借钱给发行债券的公司或机构。例如，以学校债券为例，当你购买时，你就把钱借给学区了，用来修建一所新的高中或改善教室条件。购买一家公司发行的债券意味着你把钱借给了这家公司，它可以用来发展业务。
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