苹
果公司（Apple Inc.）首席执行长乔布斯（Steve Jobs）说，他将再次休病假，这位世界上最有价值科技公司的掌门人再次面临健康问题，也给苹果公司未来的发展方向带来不确定性。
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苹果公司首席执行长乔布斯（Steve Jobs）
55岁的乔布斯因患胰腺癌曾在2009年接受了肝脏移植手术。他并未说明休病假的具体健康原因。
此次休假是过去十年来乔布斯第三次被迫暂时放下他在苹果的职务。前两次分别是在2004年和2009年上半年。
乔布斯在这封六句话的邮件中写道，他将继续担任苹果公司首席执行长的职位并"参与公司主要战略决策；"我非常热爱苹果，希望能尽快回来"，他说他和家人"深切希望隐私得到尊重"。
乔布斯说，在他休假期间，苹果公司首席运营长库克（Tim Cook）将负责公司的运营工作。50岁的库克长期以来都是苹果公司的二把手，他在乔布斯上次休假时就负责公司的日常运营。苹果公司原本计划周二公布其最新的季度业绩报告。
当被问及公司或董事会是否打算透露进一步的详细情况时，苹果公司发言人科顿（Katie Cotton）说，要说的我们都已经说了。
2004年，乔布斯被确诊为患有一种名为"胰岛细胞神经内分泌肿瘤"的罕见胰腺癌，实行肿瘤切除手术即可治愈。但在2008年，他开始出现体重明显减轻的状况，2009年初他说将不参加Macworld大会，引发了更多疑问。2009年1月，乔布斯称体重减轻是由于荷尔蒙失调引起，但一周后他因"更复杂"的状况而休了病假，他没有透露具体是什么状况。
苹果公司并未对乔布斯2009年休病假做出解释，但当时一位医师专家说，乔布斯所患的那种癌症在病人有生之年通常会转移到其他器官，一般是肝脏。后来，田纳西州一家医院透露，乔布斯在该医院接受了肝脏移植手术。
华盛顿大学圣路易斯分校（Washington University in St. Louis）器官移植科主治医师查普曼（William Chapman）并未亲自为乔布斯做检查，但他说，乔布斯的病情可能有两种情况。第一种情况是出现了器官移植方面的问题，但查普曼说，器官移植一年半后出现这种情况是很罕见的。
查普曼说，可能性更大的情况是，神经内分泌肿瘤又再度扩散了。查普曼说，通过肝脏移植治愈这种疾病的难度极大，他还说，某种程度的复发是很常见的；即使没有治愈，大多数人也希望能够和时间赛跑，延长一些生存时间和提高生存质量。
乔布斯的暂时离开为苹果带来了不确定性。尽管库克之前接管过公司的运营工作，但乔布斯与苹果的关系太密切了，他在过去十年让苹果公司东山再起。他推出了包括iPod音乐播放器、iPhone和iPad平板电脑在内的一系列热门产品。
不确定性的迹象之一就是，苹果在海外市场的股价周一下跌了。一名交易员说，乔布斯就是苹果，乔布斯的远见卓识造就了今天的苹果公司。美国股市在周一马丁路德金日（Martin Luther King Day）假期休市，苹果公司在法兰克福股市的股价下跌6.2%至244.05 欧元(326.41美元)。
研究机构Gleacher & Co.分析师马歇尔（Brian Marshall）说，他预计美国股市周二重新开市时苹果股价将会下跌。他说，很多人都会抛售苹果股票，这支股票将面临很大压力。
Fort Pitt Capital基金分析师考伊（Kim Caughy）说，外界对苹果的继任问题有担忧。她曾经持有苹果股票，但几年前将其出售了。她说，我不知道苹果公司，尤其是董事会，是否回答了有关继任计划的问题；2008年这个问题就出现了，董事会本应从中吸取教训，但他们没有。
库克于1998年加入苹果，之前曾就职于康柏电脑公司（Compaq Computer Corp.）和其他几家公司。2004年乔布斯离开时库克接管苹果；2009年乔布斯休病假时，库克成为苹果公司管理层最引人瞩目的一个人物，他因成功促使苹果公司庞大的业务及时运转而受到好评。
乔布斯说，他"相信库克和其他高级管理团队能够很好地执行我们为2011年制定的激动人心的计划"，他对此"很有信心"。
市场研究公司Gartner Inc.分析师贝克（Van Baker）认为乔布斯离开不会有太大影响，他指出苹果有包括库克在内的很强的管理团队。他说，即使乔布斯说他不会再回来，对公司也不会有太大影响；短期来看，我认为影响微乎其微；这种情况以前出现过，他们的管理团队能力很强。
Yukari Iwatani Kane / Joann S. Lublin
（更新完成）
（本文版权归道琼斯公司所有，未经许可不得翻译或转载。）
Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs said he is taking another medical leave, marking the latest health struggle for the head of the world's most valuable technology company and raising uncertainty over Apple's future direction.
In a Monday morning email to Apple employees, which the Cupertino, Calif., company released publicly, Mr. Jobs wrote the board of directors 'has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health.'
The 55-year-old pancreatic cancer survivor, who received a liver transplant in 2009, didn't specify what health issue was causing him to take the leave.
The leave marks the third time in the past decade Mr. Jobs has been forced to step back from his role at Apple. He took medical leave in 2004 and then again in the first half of 2009.
Mr. Jobs wrote in his six-sentence letter Monday that he will continue as CEO of Apple and 'be involved in major strategic decisions for the company.' He wrote, 'I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can' and said he and his family would 'deeply appreciate respect for our privacy.'
In his absence, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook will run the company, the CEO said. Mr. Cook, 50 years old and a longtime lieutenant, ran the company during Mr. Jobs's previous leave. The change comes a day before Apple was slated to release its latest quarterly results.
Asked if the company or board planned to disclose further details, Apple spokeswoman Katie Cotton responded: 'We've said all we're going to say.'
Mr. Jobs was diagnosed in 2004 for a rare type of pancreatic cancer called islet cell neuroendocrine tumor, which could be cured if surgery removed it promptly. But in 2008 he began exhibiting noticeable weight loss, and questions intensified when he said he would skip the Macworld trade show in early 2009. The CEO blamed a hormone imbalance for his weight issue in January 2009 but a week later went on medical leave blaming a 'more complex' condition he didn't disclose.
Apple didn't provide an explanation for Mr. Jobs's 2009 medical leave, but a physician expert at the time said the type of cancer Mr. Jobs had commonly metastasizes in another organ, usually the liver, during a patient's lifetime. A Tennessee hospital later disclosed Mr. Jobs had received a liver transplant there.
William Chapman, transplantation chief at Washington University in St. Louis, hasn't examined Mr. Jobs personally, but said there are two likely scenarios in the CEO's case. The first is that there was a transplant-related problem, though Mr. Chapman said it would be unusual for that to happen a year and a half after the transplant.
Mr. Chapman said a more likely possibility would be that the neuroendocrine tumor metastasized again. 'It's really difficult to cure the disease with a liver transplant,' said Mr. Chapman, adding that it's common to have some degree of recurrence. 'Most people hope they reset the clock, gained some time and gained a quality of life even if you don't cure the disease.'
Mr. Jobs's leave raises uncertainty for Apple. While Mr. Cook previously stepped in to run the company, the CEO is closely identified with Apple and turning around the company last decade. He has introduced a succession of hit products such as the iPod music player, the iPhone and iPad tablet.
In a sign of the uncertainty, Apple's share price fell on overseas markets Monday. 'Jobs is Apple,' one trader said, adding that the CEO has taken the visionary decisions to bring the company where it is today. As U.S. markets remain closed for Martin Luther King Day, Apple shares fell 6.2% to 244.05 ($326.41) in Frankfurt trading.
Brian Marshall, an analyst at Gleacher & Co., said he expects Apple shares to fall when trading resumes Tuesday in the U.S. 'A lot of people will hit the ejection handle and the stock will come under a lot of pressure.'
Kim Caughy, an analyst for the Fort Pitt Capital fund, which used to own Apple stock but sold it a few years ago, said there are concerns about succession at Apple. 'I'm not sure that the company, and the board of directors in particular, have answered the question on succession planning,' she said. 'We had this issue in 2008, and the board was supposed to learn from it, but they haven't.'
Mr. Cook joined Apple in 1998 after stints at Compaq Computer Corp. and other companies. Mr. Cook stepped in during Mr. Jobs's 2004 leave; during Mr. Jobs's 2009 leave, Mr. Cook emerged as one of the most visible stars on Apple's bench and won praise for his ability to make Apple's sprawling operations move on time.
Mr. Jobs said he had 'great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011.'
Van Baker, an analyst at Gartner Inc., downplayed any impact of Mr. Jobs's leave, noting that Apple has strong management bench including Mr. Cook. 'Even if he [Mr. Jobs] said he wouldn't come back, it wouldn't make a significant impact to the company,' said Mr. Baker. 'Short-term, I think the impact is going to be minimal. They've done this before and the management team is very competent.'
Yukari Iwatani Kane / Joann S. Lublin
In a Monday morning email to Apple employees, which the Cupertino, Calif., company released publicly, Mr. Jobs wrote the board of directors 'has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health.'
The 55-year-old pancreatic cancer survivor, who received a liver transplant in 2009, didn't specify what health issue was causing him to take the leave.
The leave marks the third time in the past decade Mr. Jobs has been forced to step back from his role at Apple. He took medical leave in 2004 and then again in the first half of 2009.
Mr. Jobs wrote in his six-sentence letter Monday that he will continue as CEO of Apple and 'be involved in major strategic decisions for the company.' He wrote, 'I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can' and said he and his family would 'deeply appreciate respect for our privacy.'
In his absence, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook will run the company, the CEO said. Mr. Cook, 50 years old and a longtime lieutenant, ran the company during Mr. Jobs's previous leave. The change comes a day before Apple was slated to release its latest quarterly results.
Asked if the company or board planned to disclose further details, Apple spokeswoman Katie Cotton responded: 'We've said all we're going to say.'
Mr. Jobs was diagnosed in 2004 for a rare type of pancreatic cancer called islet cell neuroendocrine tumor, which could be cured if surgery removed it promptly. But in 2008 he began exhibiting noticeable weight loss, and questions intensified when he said he would skip the Macworld trade show in early 2009. The CEO blamed a hormone imbalance for his weight issue in January 2009 but a week later went on medical leave blaming a 'more complex' condition he didn't disclose.
Apple didn't provide an explanation for Mr. Jobs's 2009 medical leave, but a physician expert at the time said the type of cancer Mr. Jobs had commonly metastasizes in another organ, usually the liver, during a patient's lifetime. A Tennessee hospital later disclosed Mr. Jobs had received a liver transplant there.
William Chapman, transplantation chief at Washington University in St. Louis, hasn't examined Mr. Jobs personally, but said there are two likely scenarios in the CEO's case. The first is that there was a transplant-related problem, though Mr. Chapman said it would be unusual for that to happen a year and a half after the transplant.
Mr. Chapman said a more likely possibility would be that the neuroendocrine tumor metastasized again. 'It's really difficult to cure the disease with a liver transplant,' said Mr. Chapman, adding that it's common to have some degree of recurrence. 'Most people hope they reset the clock, gained some time and gained a quality of life even if you don't cure the disease.'
Mr. Jobs's leave raises uncertainty for Apple. While Mr. Cook previously stepped in to run the company, the CEO is closely identified with Apple and turning around the company last decade. He has introduced a succession of hit products such as the iPod music player, the iPhone and iPad tablet.
In a sign of the uncertainty, Apple's share price fell on overseas markets Monday. 'Jobs is Apple,' one trader said, adding that the CEO has taken the visionary decisions to bring the company where it is today. As U.S. markets remain closed for Martin Luther King Day, Apple shares fell 6.2% to 244.05 ($326.41) in Frankfurt trading.
Brian Marshall, an analyst at Gleacher & Co., said he expects Apple shares to fall when trading resumes Tuesday in the U.S. 'A lot of people will hit the ejection handle and the stock will come under a lot of pressure.'
Kim Caughy, an analyst for the Fort Pitt Capital fund, which used to own Apple stock but sold it a few years ago, said there are concerns about succession at Apple. 'I'm not sure that the company, and the board of directors in particular, have answered the question on succession planning,' she said. 'We had this issue in 2008, and the board was supposed to learn from it, but they haven't.'
Mr. Cook joined Apple in 1998 after stints at Compaq Computer Corp. and other companies. Mr. Cook stepped in during Mr. Jobs's 2004 leave; during Mr. Jobs's 2009 leave, Mr. Cook emerged as one of the most visible stars on Apple's bench and won praise for his ability to make Apple's sprawling operations move on time.
Mr. Jobs said he had 'great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011.'
Van Baker, an analyst at Gartner Inc., downplayed any impact of Mr. Jobs's leave, noting that Apple has strong management bench including Mr. Cook. 'Even if he [Mr. Jobs] said he wouldn't come back, it wouldn't make a significant impact to the company,' said Mr. Baker. 'Short-term, I think the impact is going to be minimal. They've done this before and the management team is very competent.'
Yukari Iwatani Kane / Joann S. Lublin
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