"So what does ignorance have to do with greed and fear?" I asked.
“无知是怎样与恐惧、贪婪相联的？”我问。
"Because it is ignorance about money that causes so much greed and so much fear," said rich dad. "Let me give you some examples. A doctor, wanting more money to better provide for his family, raises his fees. By raising his fees, it makes health care more expensive for everyone. Now, it hurts the poor people the most, so poor people have worse health than those with money.
“对钱的无知导致了如此之多的恐惧和贪婪的产生。我可以给你一些例子。一个医生，想多挣些钱来更好地养活家人，就提高了收费，这就使每个人的医疗支出增加，这一切最无情地损害了穷人的利益，所以穷人的医疗状况比富人差。
A softball rolled under our table. Rich dad picked it up and threw it back.
一个垒球滚到了桌下，富爸爸拾起来扔了回去。
"Because the doctors raise their rates, the attorneys raise their rates. Because the attorneys' rates have gone up, schoolteachers want a raise, which raises our taxes, and on and on and on. Soon, there will be such a horrifying gap between the rich and the poor that chaos will break out and another great civilization will collapse. Great civilizations collapsed when the gap between the haves and have-nots was too great. America is on the same course, proving once again that history repeats itself, because we do not learn from history. We only memorize historical dates and names, not the lesson.
由于医生提高收费，则律师也提高收费；由于律师提高收费，学校老师也想增加收入，这就迫使政府提高税收。这样一环套一环，不久，在富人和穷人之间就有了一条可怕的鸿沟，混乱就会爆发。当鸿沟大到了极点时，一个社会就会崩溃。美国同样身在其中，这种历史一再重演，因为人们没有以史为鉴。我们只是记住了历史事件发生的时间和名称，却没有记住教训。”
"Yes," said rich dad. "But all too often, business schools train employees who are sophisticated bean counters. Heaven forbid a bean counter takes over a business. All they do is look at the numbers, fire people and kill the business. I know because I hire bean counters. All they think about is cutting costs and raising prices, which cause more problems. Bean counting is important. I wish more people knew it, but it, too, is not the whole picture," added rich dad angrily.
“是的，但这并不够！”富爸爸说，“商学院更擅长的是制造精确而廉价的‘计算器’，他们不可能干成大事。他们所做的只是看看数字，解雇人并把生意搞糟，他们所想的只是降低成本提高价格，事实上这会带来更多的问题。计算是重要的，我希望更多的人懂得计算，但计算并不是全部。”
"Aren't prices supposed to go up?" I asked.
“价格难道不能上涨吗？”我问。
"But don't we have business schools?" Mike asked. "Aren't you encouraging me to go to business school for my master's degree?"
“但我们不是有商学院吗？”迈克问，“你不是在鼓励我进商学院拿博士学位吗？”
"Not in an educated society with a well-run government. Prices should actually come down. Of course, that is often only true in theory. Prices go up because of greed and fear caused by ignorance. If schools taught people about money, there would be more money and lower prices, but schools focus only on teaching people to work for money, not how to harness money's power."
“在一个教育水平高和政府管理良好的社会中价格不会上涨，实际上应该下降，价格上涨的原因是由无知引起的贪婪和恐惧。如果学校教学生认识钱，社会就有可能会变得更富有而且物价低廉。但学校关注的只是教学生为钱而工作，而不是如何开发和利用钱的力量。
"Why is that step so important" I asked.
“这一步为什么如此重要？”我问。
"So is there an answer?" asked Mike.
“那该怎么办呢？”迈克问。
"Yes," said rich dad. "Learn to use your emotions to think, not think with your emotions. When you boys mastered your emotions, first by agreeing to work for free, I knew there was hope. When you again resisted your emotions when I tempted you with more money, you were again learning to think in spite of being emotionally charged. That's the first step."
“学会让感情跟随你的思想，而不要让思想跟着你的感情。 当你俩控制了感情，同意免费干活时，我就知道你们还有希望。 当你们在我用更多的钱诱惑你们时，你们抵制住了感情，你们就又一次进行了思考而不是任由感情控制你们。这是第一步。
"Well, that's up to you to find out. If you want to learn, I'll take you boys into the briar patch. That place where almost everyone else avoids. I'll take you to that place where most people are afraid to go. If you go with me, you'll let go of the idea of working for money and instead learn to have money work for you."
“噢，这要由你自己来找答案了。如果你想学，我将把你们带上这条布满荆棘的道路，大多数人都会选择避开这条路。我会带你们去大多数人都怕去的地方，跟着我，你们将学会让钱为你们所用的方法，而不仅仅是为钱而工作。”
"And what will we get if we go with you. What if we agree to learn from you? What will we get?" I asked.
“我们跟着你会得到什么呢？我们同意跟你学，可我们能学到什么呢？”我问。
"The same thing Briar Rabbit got," said rich dad. "Freedom from the Tar Baby."
富爸爸说。“自由。”
"Is there a briar patch?" I asked.
“那是一条布满荆棘的路吗？”我问。
"Yes," said rich dad. "The briar patch is our fear and our greed. Going into our fear and confronting our greed, our weaknesses, our neediness is the way out. And the way out is through the mind, by choosing our thoughts."
“是的，所谓的荆棘就是我们的恐惧和贪婪。走进我们的恐惧，直面我们的贪婪、弱点和缺陷。这条路的出路就是用心去确定你的思想。”
"Yes. Choosing what we think rather than reacting to our emotions. Instead of just getting up and going to work to solve your problems, just because the fear of not having the money to pay your bills is scaring you. Thinking would be taking the time to ask yourself a question. A question like, `Is working harder at this the best solution to this problem?' Most people are so terrified at not telling themselves the truth -- that fear is in control -- that they cannot think, and instead run out the door. Tar baby is in control. That's what I mean by choosing your thoughts."
“是的，确定我们该怎样思考而不只是对情感作出反应。不要用因为害怕没钱付账而起床工作的方法来解决你的问题。你要花时间去想这样的问题，更努力地工作是解决问题的最好方法吗？许多人都害怕对自己说出真相。他们被恐惧所支配，不敢去思考，于是就出门去找工作，因为恐惧在支配着他们。这就是我说的确定你的思想。”
"Choosing our thoughts?" Mike asked, puzzled.
“确定思想？”迈克不解地问。
"And how do we do that?" Mike asked.
“我们怎样才能做到这点？”迈克问。
"That's what I will be teaching you. I'll be teaching you to have a choice of thoughts to consider, rather than knee-jerk reacting, like gulping down your morning coffee and running out the door.
“那是我将来要教你们的。我会教你三思而后行，而不是条件反射式地行动，就像匆忙咽下早餐的咖啡后跑出去工作一样。”
"Remember what I said before: A job is only a short-term solution to a long-term problem. Most people have only one problem in mind, and it's short term. It's the bills at the end of the month, the Tar Baby. Money now runs their lives. Or should I say the fear and ignorance about money. So they do as their parents did, get up every day and go work for money. Not having the time to say, `Is there another way?' Their emotions now control their thinking, not their heads."
“记住我以前所说的：工作只是面对长期问题的一种暂时的解决办法。大多数人心里只有一个问题，并且是短期的，那就是月末要付账了，于是又感到恐惧了。钱控制了他们的生活，或者说对钱的无知或恐惧控制了他们的生活。所以他们就像他们的父母一样生活，早早起来去工作挣钱，而从不抽时间问问，有什么别的法子吗？他们的思想由他们的感情控制着的，而不是他们的头脑。”
"Can you tell the difference between emotions thinking and the head thinking?" Mike asked.
“你能说说感情和理智的区别吗？”迈克问。
"Oh, yes. I hear it all the time," said rich dad. "I hear things like, 'Well, everyone has to work.' Or 'The rich are crooks.' Or 'I'll get another job. I deserve this raise. You can't push me around.' Or 'I like this job because it's secure.' Instead of, 'Is there something I'm missing here?' which breaks the emotional thought, and gives you time to think clearly."
“噢，当然。我总是听到这种话，”‘每个人都必须去工作’，或是’富人是骗子’、‘我要换份工作’，‘我应该得到更高的工资’，‘你不能任意摆布我’、‘我喜欢这份工作因为它很安定’，而不是说，’我失去了什么东西吗‘，这样的话才会避免你感情用事而留给你仔细思考的时间。
I must admit, it was a great lesson to be getting. To know when someone was speaking out of emotions or out of clear thought. It was a lesson that served me well for life. Especially when I was the one speaking out of reaction and not from clear thought.
“我得承认，这的确是重要的一课，即知道人什么时候是在表达感受而不是表达清楚的思想。这一课令我终生受益，尤其是当我的话也仅仅是出于反应而非出于深思时。
As we headed back to the store, rich dad explained that the rich really did "make money." They did not work for it. He went on to explain that when Mike and I were casting 5-cent pieces out of lead, thinking we were making money, we were very close to thinking the way the rich think. The problem was that it was illegal for us to do it. It was legal for the government and banks to do it, but not us. He explained that there are legal ways to make money and illegal ways.
我们走回小店的路上，富爸爸解释说富人的确是在“造钱”，他们不为钱而工作。他接着解释当我和迈克铅铸5分钱的硬币时，我们想着那是在“造钱”，我们的想法和富人的想法实际上是很接近的，问题是我们的做法不合法，只有政府和银行才能合法地做这种事。他解释了挣钱的合法方式与非法方式。
Rich dad went on to explain that the rich know that money is an illusion, truly like the carrot for the donkey. It's only out of fear and greed that the illusion of money is held together by billions of people thinking that money is real. Money is really made up. It was only because of the illusion of confidence and the ignorance of the masses that the house of cards stood standing. "In fact," he said, "in many ways the donkey's carrot was more valuable than money."
富爸爸继续解释说富人知道钱是虚幻的东西，就像驴子的胡萝卜一样。正是由于恐惧和贪婪使无数的人抱着这个幻觉还以为它是真实的。钱的确是造出来的，正是由于对钱的幻觉以及无知使得人们不敢去“造钱”。“事实上，从许多方面来说，驴的胡萝卜都比钱有价值。”
He talked about the gold standard that America was on, and that each dollar bill was actually a silver certificate. What concerned him was the rumor that we would someday go off the gold standard and our dollars would no longer be silver certificates.
他说到美国正处于金本位制，每一张美钞实际就是一枚金属货币。他感兴趣的是关于我们会撤消金本位制并且我们的美钞将不再与金属货币对值的传言。
"When that happens, boys, all hell is going to break loose. The poor, the middle class and the ignorant will have their lives ruined simply because they will continue to believe that money is real and that the company they work for, or the government, will look after them."
“这种事如果真的发生，孩子们，地狱之门就快开了。穷人、中产阶级和无知的人的生活将被毁掉，因为他们相信钱是真实的财富，而且相信他们为之效力的公司、政府会安排他们的一切。”
We really did not understand what he was saying that day, but over the years it made more and more sense.
我们的确不太明白那天这席话的涵义，但多年以后，他的话在越来越多的地方应验了。
Mike and I picked up our things from the store and waved goodbye to Mrs. Martin. We went back to the park, to the same picnic bench, and spent several more hours thinking and talking.
迈克和我收拾好东西与马丁太太道了别。我们走回公园，又坐回到那张长椅上，花了几个小时思考和讨论。
Seeing What Others Miss
看见了别人看不见的
As he climbed into his pickup truck, outside of his little convenience store, he said, "Keep working boys, but the sooner you forget about needing a paycheck, the easier your adult life will be. Keep using your brain, work for free, and soon your mind will show you ways of making money far beyond what I could ever pay you. You will see things that other people never see. Opportunities right in front of their noses. Most people never see these opportunities because they're looking for money and security, so that's all they get. The moment you see one opportunity, you will see them for the rest of your life. The moment you do that, I'll teach you something else. Learn this, and you'll avoid one of life's biggest traps. You'll never, ever, touch that Tar Baby."
当他上了停在店外的小卡车时，说：“继续工作，孩子们，很快你们就会忘了工资的事，这对你们来说比大人容易做到，继续用你们的脑子思考，无代价地工作，很快你们就会发现挣钱的方法，用这种方法挣来的钱会比我付给你的多许多。你们会看到别人看不见的东西，机会就在你面前。大多数人看不见这种机会因为他们忙着寻找金钱和安定，所以他们得到的也就有限。当你看到一个机会时，你就已经学会了并且会在一生中不断地发现机会。当你找到机会时，我会教你其他的事。学会了这些，你就能避开生活中最大的陷阱，就不会感到恐惧了。
We spent the next week at school, thinking and talking. For two more weeks, we kept thinking, talking, and working for free.
第二个星期在学校里，我们仍然在思考和讨论这些问题。接下来的两个星期，我们一直这么进行着，同时继续免费工作。
Mike and I waited for an hour. Soon the distributor arrived and I asked him if we could have the comic books. To which he replied, "You can have them if you work for this store and do not resell them."
一小时后，书商来了。我问他是否能把那些即将被扔掉的小人书送给我们。他回答说：“如果你们是替这家店干活的并且保证不把它们卖掉，我就送给你们。”
Mrs. Martin was cutting the front page of the comic book in half. She was keeping the top half of the comic book cover and throwing the rest of the comic book into a large brown cardboard box. When I asked her what she did with the comic books, she said, "I throw them away. I give the top half of the cover back to the comic-book distributor for credit when he brings in the new comics. He's coming in an hour."
马丁太太把小人书的封面撕成两半，她把封面的上半部留下，将剩下的书扔进了棕色的书橱。我问她这是做什么，她说：“我要把这些没有卖掉的旧书处理掉。当书商送新书的时候，我会把封面的上半部交给他，作为没有卖掉的证明，他一小时后就到。”
At the end of the second Saturday, I was again saying goodbye to Mrs. Martin and looking at the comic-book stand with a longing gaze. The hard thing about not even getting 30 cents every Saturday was that I didn't have any money to buy comic books. Suddenly, as Mrs. Martin was saying goodbye to Mike and me, I saw something she was doing that I had never seen her do before. I mean, I had seen her do it, but I never took notice of it.
第二个星期六工作结束时，我再次向马丁太太道别了，道别时我的眼睛留在了架子上的小人书上。每周六没了30美分使我没有钱去买小人书了。而就在马丁太太对我和迈克说再见时，她做了一件我以前从未留意过的事。事实上，我以前也见她这样做过，但从未引起我的注意。
Mike's sister would check the kids as they left, to make sure they weren't borrowing any comic books. She also kept the books, logging in how many kids showed up each day, who they were, and any comments they might have. Mike and I averaged $9.50 per week over a threemonth period. We paid his sister $1 a week and allowed her to read the comics for free, which she rarely did since she was always studying.
当顾客离开时迈克的妹妹要负责检查，确保他们不把书带出去。她还要保管书，记录每天有多少人来，他们的名字，以及他们的要求。迈克和我在三个月内平均每周可得9.5美元。我们每周付给他妹妹1美元，而且允许她免费看书，她的确看了不少书，因为她是那么爱读书。
Our partnership was revived. Mike's mom had a spare room in the basement that no one used. We cleaned it out, and began piling hundreds of comic books in that room. Soon our comic-book library was open to the public. We hired Mike's younger sister, who loved to study, to be head librarian. She charged each child 10 cents admission to the library, which was open from 2:30 to 4:30 p. m. every day after school. The customers, the children of the neighborhood, could read as many comics as they could in two hours. It was a bargain for them since a comic costs 10 cents each, and they could read five or six in two hours.
于是，我们达成了协议。迈克的妈妈在地下室里有间空房子，我们把它清理出来，把几百本的小人书搬了过去。很快我们的小人书阅览室就对外开放了。我们雇了迈克的妹妹——她很爱读书——来作图书管理员。她向每个来看书的孩子收10美分，阅览室从下午2：30开到4：30，每天放学后都开。顾客呢，包括邻家的孩子，他们可以在这两个小时内看个够。10美分1人是相当便宜的，而且两小时内他们可以看五、六本书。
Anyway, rich dad was excited because he had new things he wanted to teach us. He was happy because we had learned our first lesson so well. We had learned to have money work for us.
不管怎样，富爸爸十分兴奋，他有新东西要教我们了。他很高兴，因为我们的第一课学得如此之好。我们已经在学习怎样让钱为我所用了。
At an early age, we found out how hard it was to find good staff.
小小年纪，我们就已发现找个好职员非常困难。
Mike and I kept our agreement by working in the store every Saturday and collecting all the comic books from the different stores. We kept our agreement to the distributor by not selling any comic books. We burned them once they got too tattered. We tried opening a branch office, but we could never quite find someone as dedicated as Mike's sister we could trust.
迈克和我仍然每周六去小店干活，从各个店收集不要的小人书。我们对书商格守了诺言，没有卖一本小人书，当书太破旧了我们就烧掉它。我们试图开一家分支机构，但我们实在找不到一个像迈克的妹妹那样可以信任的管理员。
By not getting paid for our work at the store, we were forced to use our imaginations to identify an opportunity to make money.
由于没有从商店的工作中得到报酬，我们不得不发挥我们的想像力去寻找挣钱的机会。
Three months after the library first opened, a fight broke out in the room. Some bullies from another neighborhood pushed their way in and started it. Mike's dad suggested we shut down the business. So our comic-book business shut down, and we stopped working on Saturdays at the convenience store.
阅览室开张三个月后，发生了一场争斗，附近的小流氓插手进来盯上了这桩生意。迈克的爸爸建议我们关门，所以我们的小人书生意结束了，同时我们也停止了在小店的工作。
By starting our own business, the comic-book library, we were in control of our own finances, not dependent on an employer. The best part was that our business generated money for us, even when we weren't physically there. Our money worked for us.
从一开始我们自己的小人书阅览室起，我们开始自己赚钱，而不是依赖雇主。尤其是我们的生意给我们带来了钱，甚至于当我们不在那儿时，它也在生钱，我们的钱为我们工作了。
Instead of paying us money, rich dad had given us so much more.
没有付给我们工钱，富爸爸却给了我们更多的东西。