发明减压陀螺的女士没有因此赚得一分钱
The Woman Who Invented the Fidget Spinner Isn't Making Any Money Off Them
发明减压陀螺的女士没有因此赚得一分钱
发明减压陀螺的女士没有因此赚得一分钱
Fidget spinners are the must-have toy of 2017, flying off the shelves of shops across the country — but the woman who invented them hasn't made a dime off their newfound popularity.
2017年，指尖陀螺现在全国各地商店的货架上，成为了必玩玩具。但是发明这个玩意儿的女士，却没能从这新潮物件儿上赚的一分钱。
Catherine Hettinger has been watching from the sidelines as children and adults clamor to get their hands on the anxiety-reducing device she invented more than two decades ago, but had long stopped manufacturing. She's also been watching as one large company after another produces a version of the toy, without needing to pay her anything since her patent expired earlier this year.
凯瑟琳·海廷格在一旁看着小孩和大人们吵闹，嚷嚷着要买减少焦虑的玩意儿。这是她二十多年前发明的、期间还一度多年停产。她也一直看着一家又一家的大公司制造着这种玩具，而且不用付她专利费，因为这个专利在年初就到期了。
Now, with interest in the spinners showing no sign of slowing, Hettinger is looking to get in on the action herself. She recently launched a new website, where she intends to sell her original circular version of her fidget spinner, which does not include the prongs seen on some of the most popular spinners sold on Amazon and at Walmart. To fund her efforts, which will include recreating the mold for her spinner, she's mobilizing a network of fellow inventors and plans to do a Kickstarter campaign. She's also looking to sell her Florida home.
目前，看到陀螺还是热度不断，海廷格开始了她的行动。最近她发布了一个新的网站，在上面销售她原版设计的圆形减压陀螺，而不是亚马逊和沃尔玛销售的那种带有棱角的陀螺。为了获得资助，包括筹款重做陀螺模具，她动员了一众发明家，进行一场帮助发明者实现梦想的运动，甚至还准备卖掉佛罗里达的房子。
“I like the confirmation that I knew the product would work, and I knew people would use it,” Hettinger told MONEY. “It takes money to make money. To actually launch the product nationwide is often beyond the reach for the original inventor.”
海廷格对《金钱》杂志说：“我知道这产品会成功，也很高兴能获得认可。而且我知道人们会用它，用钱去赚钱。但在全国范围内投放某个产品通常是发明人力所不及的。”
“The best thing is to actually have people buy your product," she added. "Right now, I'm hopeful."
“最好的是人们确实会去买你的产品”她说，“眼下，我充满希望。”
Hettinger invented the fidget spinner in the 1990s in an attempt to provide a product to children and adults that would help calm nerves and ease stress.
海廷格于上世纪90年代发明了这款减压陀螺，用以帮助孩子们或大人安抚神经，减缓压力。
She sold a couple thousand devices at fairs around Florida and broke even financially, though she wouldn't divulge how much she made at the time. She also pitched the device to toy companies like Hasbro, but had no luck.“It’s a long shot,” she said of selling a product.
她在佛罗里达的集市上卖出了几千个陀螺，尽管她不愿透露当时赚了多少钱，但她几近破产。她还把产品推荐给了像Hasbro这样的玩具公司，但她运气欠佳。“这是个持久战。”她对这款产品有这样的认识。
Over the past few months, the toys have become so widespread that teachers across the U.S. are now banning them from their classrooms, saying they're too distracting.
在过去的几个月中，这款玩具大受欢迎，以至于全国各地的老师们认为它太分散注意力而禁止带进教室。
But even though the fidget spinner could have been Hettinger's big break, she doesn’t seem to mind the device’s sudden popularity. In fact, the product’s success has only confirmed her confidence in it.
但是尽管这个减压陀螺是海廷格的一大成功，她好像不那么在意产品的突然走红。实际上，产品的成功只是证实了她对这个发明的信心。
“Maybe if it was some kind of exploitative product — like a new style of cigarettes — and my only motivation was to make money, I’d have a different attitude,” Hettinger said. “But I am just thrilled.”
或许，假如说这属于某种可开发产品，就像一种新型香烟，而我的唯一动机是赚钱，那么我也许会持不同态度。海廷格说：“现在我只是非常高兴。”
（编辑:xueqi）
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