????如今，關于蘋果公司（Apple）應當如何處置自身持有的現金，可謂是眾說紛紜。這不禁令人懷念起過去的日子，彼時，人們只癡迷于蘋果公司的產品。

????眼下，《時代》（Time ）雜志封面人物卡爾?伊坎正敦促蘋果公司將更多現金用于回饋包括自己在內的公司股東。伊坎提出這樣的要求也無可厚非。畢竟，蘋果坐擁的資金金額已經上升到九位數，而且未來也不大可能有需要花這么多錢的地方。事實上，蘋果已經承諾，將斥資1000億美元，用于股票回購和股東分紅，讓伊坎等人都與有榮焉。

????上周三，伊坎向《時代》雜志以及自己在Twitter上的近119,000名粉絲表示，他計劃提出一項建議性提案，呼吁蘋果擴其回購計劃的規模。（建議性意即“表達愿望或請求”。換言之，這份提案不具有約束力，不過是伊坎哀求蘋果的一種方式。）

????問題在于，伊坎承認，自己新要求的（金額）不再是1500億美元。要知道，伊坎此前曾表示，蘋果應當馬上拿出1500億美元回饋股東。（而且，伊坎當時主動提出，自己不會從這1500億美元中拿一分錢。這大概是因為他反正能從蘋果股價的上漲中得到好處。）

????那么，伊坎現在要求的金額是多少？美國消費者新聞與商業電視頻道（CNBC）援引知情人士稱，伊坎現在希望，蘋果能在本財年結束時（也就是10個月后）拿出500億美元。不過，伊坎沒有向《時代》雜志透露這個數字，也沒有在Twitter上公布。我們唯一的信息來源就是CNBC的線人。

????不過，假設這個數字準確無誤，那也就是說，伊坎要求的金額已經從1500億美元減少到了500億美元，給出的期限也從“馬上”延長到了十個月。迄今，大部分評論認為，伊坎仍然在叫板蘋果，強烈指責它持有的現金量過大。《福布斯》網站當初就報道稱，伊坎要求蘋果拿出1500億美元回購股票是動了真格，眼下看來，情況恐怕并非如此。

????需要說明的是，蘋果公司已授權斥資600億美元回購股票，并已經回購了230億美元的股票。此外，這家公司總計已經派發了130億美元的股息。蘋果公司上周三表示，計劃在明年年初就此事作出回應。

????所以說白了是這么回事：伊坎與蘋果首席執行官蒂姆?庫克共進了晚餐，現在，他放寬了對蘋果回饋股東的要求。而在過去半年內，蘋果的股價已經從每股400美元左右攀升至了每股565美元。

????現在，我們能不能象過去那樣，抱怨點重要的事情？比如說蘋果電視到底什么時候面世？（財富中文網）

????譯者：項航

????All the noise over what Apple ought to do with its cash almost makes one wistful for the days when everyone obsessed only over Apple's products.

????Time coverboy Carl Icahn is on Apple's (AAPL) case to give back more of its cash to shareholders -- like himself. It's a perfectly reasonable position to take. Apple's hoard had grown to the nine figures with no reasonable prospects for spending that kind of money. It is a credit to whiners like Icahn that Apple already has committed to spending $100 billion on a combination of stock buybacks and dividends.

????On Wednesday, Icahn told Time and his nearly 119,000 Twitter followers that he plans to make a precatory proposal that Apple increase its buyback program. (Precatory means "of, relating to, or expressing a wish or request." In other words, it is non-binding. It's his way of saying "pretty please.")

????The catch is that Icahn acknowledged his new request is "not at the $150 billion level." That's a reference to his previous suggestion for the amount Apple should jump on straight away. (Read to the end and you'll see that Icahn volunteers to not receive any of that $150 billion, presumably because he'd benefit anyway from the rise in the stock price.)

????So what is the new level? CNBC, citing a source, says Icahn wants $50 billion now, and that he'd like it by the end of the current fiscal year, which is 10 months away. Icahn didn't tell Time that figure, and he hasn't yet tweeted it. We're relying on CNBC's source for it.

????But assuming the figure is correct, Icahn has gone from $150 billion right now to $50 billion when Apple can get around to it. For the most part, the commentary has been of the variety that Icahn remains on Apple's case, riding it hard for the cash hoarder it is. Forbes.com wrote that Icahn"wasn't joking" about the $150 billion buyback. Except it appears he was.

????For the record, Apple has authorized buybacks of $60 billion and has already made $23 billion worth. It has paid out a total of $13 billion in dividends. The company said Wednesday it plans to respond on the matter sometime early next year.

????So let me get this straight: Icahn had dinner with Apple CEO Tim Cook, he's scaling back his request for cash that should be paid to shareholders, and Apple's stock has risen dramatically in the last six months, from around $400 to $565?

????Can we now please return to grousing about important things, like when Apple's television will arrive?