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As his health deteriorated throughout the summer, Jobs slowly began to face the inevitable: He would not be returning to Apple as CEO.
隨著整個夏天健康狀況不斷惡化，喬布斯開始慢慢地面對一個不可回避的現實：他不會再回蘋果做CEO了。
So it was time for him to resign.
他辭職的時間到了。
He wrestled with the decision for weeks, discussing it with his wife, Bill Campbell, Jony Ive, and George Riley.
他為這個決定斟酌了幾個星期，其間跟他妻子、比爾·坎貝爾、喬尼·艾弗和喬治·萊利都討論過這個問題。
"One of the things I wanted to do for Apple was to set an example of how you do a transfer of power right," he told me.
“我期望為蘋果做的事情之一，就是為如何正確地移交權力做出一個榜樣?！彼嬖V我。
He joked about all the rough transitions that had occurred at the company over the past thirty-five years.
他拿公司過去35年間歷次艱難的過渡開著玩笑。
"It's always been a drama, like a third-world country.
“一直都是驚天動地的，像是在第三世界國家一樣。
Part of my goal has been to make Apple the world's best company, and having an orderly transition is key to that."
我的一個目標就是把蘋果建設成全球最好的公司，一個有序的過渡對此非常關鍵?！?/div>
The best time and place to make the transition, he decided, was at the company's regularly scheduled August 24 board meeting.
他決定作出這一過渡的最佳時機和地點就是8月24日公司董事會的例會。
He was eager to do it in person, rather than merely send in a letter or attend by phone, so he had been pushing himself to eat and regain strength.
他非常想親自到場宣布，而不是發封電子郵件或電話接入會議，所以之前他一直強迫自己吃東西以恢復體力。
The day before the meeting, he decided he could make it, but he needed the help of a wheelchair.
會議前一天，他決定可以參加，但是需要輪椅的幫助。
Arrangements were made to have him driven to headquarters and wheeled to the boardroom as secretly as possible.
公司作好安排，把他接到總部，然后盡量秘密地用輪椅把他推到董事會的會議室。
He arrived just before 11 a.m., when the board members were finishing committee reports and other routine business.
他在11點前到達，董事會正在收尾各種委員會報告和其他例行事宜。
Most knew what was about to happen.
大多數人都知道要發生什么事情。
But instead of going right to the topic on everyone's mind,
但是大家并沒有直人主題，
Tim Cook and Peter Oppenheimer, the chief financial officer, went through the results for the quarter and the projections for the year ahead.
而是由蒂姆·庫克和首席財務官彼得·奧本海默先介紹了本季度業績和未來一年的展望。
Then Jobs said quietly that he had something personal to say.
之后喬布斯平靜地說，他有些個人的事情要宣布。
Cook asked if he and the other top managers should leave, and Jobs paused for more than thirty seconds before he decided they should.
庫克問，自己和其他高管是否應該離開，喬布斯停頓了30多秒鐘，最后決定讓他們離開。
Once the room was cleared of all but the six outside directors, he began to read aloud from a letter he had dictated and revised over the previous weeks.
會議室里只剩下6位外部董事，他開始大聲朗讀由他口授寫成并反復修改了幾星期的一封信。
"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know," it began. "Unfortunately, that day has come."
“我總是說，假如某天自己無法繼續履行蘋果CEO的義務、無法滿足大家對這一職位的期待，我會第一個告訴你們，”信這樣開頭?！安恍业氖?，這一天來了?！?/div>
The letter was simple, direct, and only eight sentences long.
這封信的內容簡單直接，只有8個句子。
In it he suggested that Cook replace him, and he offered to serve as chairman of the board.
信中，他建議由庫克接替他，并提出自己繼續擔任董事會主席。
"I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role."
“我相信蘋果最燦爛最有創造力的日子還在前面。我期待著以一個新的角色注視著它的成功，并為之作出貢獻?！?/div>
There was a long silence. Al Gore was the first to speak, and he listed Jobs's accomplishments during his tenure.
現場長時間的沉默。阿爾·戈爾第一個講話，他歷數了喬布斯在任期間的種種成就。
Mickey Drexler added that watching Jobs transform Apple was "the most incredible thing I've ever seen in business,"
米基·德雷克斯勒補充說，看著喬布斯對蘋果的變革是“我在商界看到的最不可思議的事情”，
and Art Levinson praised Jobs's diligence in ensuring that there was a smooth transition.
亞瑟·萊文森稱贊了喬布斯為平穩過渡作出的努力。
Campbell said nothing, but there were tears in his eyes as the formal resolutions transferring power were passed.
坎貝爾什么都沒說，但在移交權力的正式決議通過后，他眼睛里閃著淚光。
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