《穷爸爸富爸爸》第2章（下）[1]

"Well, you boys had better start thinking. You're staring at one of life's biggest lessons. If you learn the lesson, you'll enjoy a life of great freedom and security. If you don't learn the lesson, you'll wind up like Mrs. Martin and most of the people playing softball in this park. They work very hard, for little money, clinging to the illusion of job security, looking forward to a three-week vacation each year and a skimpy pension after forty-five years of work. If that excites you, I'll give you a raise to 25 cents an hour."

“你们正在学习一生中最重要的一课，你们应该学会思考。”富爸爸说道，“如果你学会了这一课，你将一生享受自由和安宁；如果没有学好这一课，你们就会像马丁太太和其他在这空场里玩垒球的人一样了此一生。他们为一点点钱而勤奋工作，兼有一种有工作的虚幻安全感，盼着一年三周的假期和工作45年后获得的一小笔养老金。如果你喜欢这样，我就把工资提到每小时25美分。”

"But these are good hard-working people. Are you making fun of them?" I demanded.

“但他们都是努力工作的好人啊，你在嘲笑他们吗？”我问道。

A smile came over rich dad's face.

一丝笑容浮上了富爸爸的面庞。

"Mrs. Martin is like a mother to me. I would never be that cruel. I may sound cruel because I'm doing my best to point something out to the two of you. I want to expand your point of view so you can see something. Something most people never have the benefit of seeing because their vision is too narrow. Most people never see the trap they are in."

“马丁太太对我就像妈妈一样，我决不会那么残忍地对她。我上面的话可能听起来很无情，可是我正尽力向你俩说明一些事情。我想拓宽你们的视野以便让你们看清一些东西。这些东西甚至大多数成年人也从未有看见过，因为他们眼界狭窄，大多数人从未认识到他们身处困境。”

Mike and I sat there uncertain of his message. He sounded cruel, yet we could sense he was desperately wanting us to know something.

迈克和我还是不太明白他的话。他听起来很无情，然而我们能感到他确实急于想让我们明白一些事情。

With a smile, rich dad said, "Doesn't that 25 cents an hour sound good? Doesn't it make your heart beat a little faster."

富爸爸笑着又说了：“25美分1小时怎么样？这样是否能让你们心跳加速？”

I shook my head "no," but it really did. Twenty five cents an hour would be big bucks to me.

我摇摇头说：“不会啊”，可事实上，25美分1小时对我而言可真是一大笔钱啊！

"OK, I'll pay you a dollar an hour," rich dad said, with a sly grin.

“好，我每小时给你1美元。”富爸爸带着狡黠的笑容说。

Now my heart was beginning to race. My brain was screaming, "Take it. Take it." I could not believe what I was hearing. Still, I said nothing.

我的心开始狂跳，头也开始发晕。“接受，快接受。”我的心里在喊，但我不相信我所听到的，所以什么也没说。

"OK, $2 an hour."

“好吧，每小时2美元。”

My little 9-year-old brain and heart nearly exploded. After all, it was 1956 and being paid $2 an hour would have made me the richest kid in the world. I couldn't imagine earning that kind of money. I wanted to say "yes." I wanted the deal. I could see a new bicycle, new baseball glove, and adoration of my friends when I flashed some cash. On top of that, Jimmy and his rich friends could never call me poor again. But somehow my mouth stayed silent.

我那9岁的大脑和心脏几乎要爆炸了。毕竟这是1956年，每小时2美元将使我成为世界上最有钱的孩子！我无法想像能挣到这么多钱。我想说“好的”，我真想达成这笔交易。我似乎看见一辆新自行车，一副新棒球手套，以及当我拿出钱时同学们羡慕的表情。最重要的是，基米和他的朋友再也不能叫我穷人了，但不知怎么我仍未开口。

Maybe my brain had overheated and blown a fuse. But deep down, I badly wanted that $2 an hour.

也许我的脑袋已经热昏了，但内心深处，我极其想要那每小时的2美元。

The ice cream had melted and was running down my hand. The ice-cream stick was empty, and under it was a sticky mess of vanilla and chocolate that ants were enjoying.

冰淇淋化了，流到了我手上。冰淇淋筒已经空了，蚂蚁正在享受着一团香精和巧克力。

Rich dad was looking at two boys staring back at him, eyes wide open and brains empty. He knew he was testing us, and he knew there was a part of our emotions that wanted to take the deal. He knew that each human being has a weak and needy part of their soul that can be bought. And he knew that each human being also had a part of their soul that was strong and filled with a resolve that could never be bought. It was only a question of which one was stronger. He had tested thousands of souls in his life. He tested souls every time he interviewed someone for a job.

富爸爸看着两个孩子盯着他，眼睛睁很大大的，脑子里却空空如也。事实上，他正在考验我们，而且他也知道我们很想接受这笔交易。他知道每个人都有可以被击中的弱点，也知道每个人都有一种强大、坚定、无法用金钱收买的精神。问题在于哪一部分更强大。他在一生中考验了成百上千的人，每次的招工面试都是一番考验。

"OK, $5 an hour."

“好，5美元1小时。”

Suddenly there was a silence from inside me. Something had changed. The offer was too big and had gotten ridiculous. Not too many grownups in 1956 made more than $5 an hour. The temptation disappeared, and a calm set in. Slowly I turned to my left to look at Mike. He looked back at me. The part of my soul that was weak and needy was silenced. The part of me that had no price took over. There was a calm and a certainty about money that entered my brain and my soul. I knew Mike had gotten to that point also.

我的内心突然平静下来了，内心发生了一些变化。这个出价太高了，显得有些荒谬。在1956年，连成年人也没有几个人可以每小时挣5美元的。诱惑消失了，平静回来了。我慢慢地转过头去看迈克，他也在看我。我灵魂中软弱而贫乏的一面沉默了，而无法用钱收买的一面占了上风。面对钱，我开始心安神定。我知道迈克也一样。

"Good," rich dad said softly. "Most people have a price. And they have a price because of human emotions named fear and greed. First, the fear of being without money motivates us to work hard, and then once we get that paycheck, greed or desire starts us thinking about all the wonderful things money can buy. The pattern is then set."

“很好，”富爸爸轻轻地说，“大多数人都希望有一份工资收入，之所以会这样是因为他们有恐惧和贪婪之心。先说恐惧感，没钱的恐惧会刺激我们努力工作，当我们得到报酬时，贪婪或欲望又开始让我们去想所有钱能买到的东西。于是就形成了一种模式。”

"What pattern?" I asked.

“什么模式？”我问。

"The pattern of get up, go to work, pay bills, get up, go to work, pay bills... Their lives are then run forever by two emotions, fear and greed. Offer them more money, and they continue the cycle by also increasing their spending. This is what I call the Rat Race."

“起床，上班，付账，再起床，再上班，再付账……他们的生活就是在无穷尽地为这两种感觉而奔忙：恐惧和贪婪。给他们更多的钱，他们就会以更高的开支重复这种循环。这就是我所说的‘老鼠赛跑’”。

"There is another way?" Mike asked.

“有什么法子吗？”迈克问。

"Yes," said rich dad slowly. "But only a few people find it."

“有，但只有少数人知道。

"And what is that way?" Mike asked.

“是什么方法？”迈克问道。

"That's what I hope you boys will find out as you work and study with me. That is why I took away all forms of pay."

“我希望你俩能在工作和跟我学习的过程中找到解决的办法。这就是我不给你们任何工资的原因。”

"Any hints?" Mike asked. "We're kind of tired of working hard, especially for nothing."

“有什么提示吗？”迈克问。“我们工作得很累，尤其是白干的时候。”

"Well, the first step is telling the truth," said rich dad.

“哦，第一步是讲真话。”富爸爸说。

"We haven't been lying." I said.

“我们可没撒谎。”我叫道。

"I did not say you were lying. I said to tell the truth," rich dad came back.

“我没说你们撒谎，我是说要分清真相。”

"The truth about what?" I asked.

“那什么是真相？”

"How you're feeling," rich dad said. "You don't have to say it to anyone else. Just yourself."

“靠你感觉，除了你自己谁也不能真正明白你的感觉。”

"You mean the people in this park, the people who work for you, Mrs. Martin, they don't do that?" I asked.

“你说这公园里的人，那些为你工作的人，还有马丁夫人，他们都没弄清楚这些东西？”

"I doubt it," said rich dad. "Instead, they feel the fear of not having money. Instead of confronting the fear, they react instead of think. They react emotionally instead of using their heads," rich dad said, tapping us on our heads. "'Then, they get a few bucks in their hands, and again the emotion of joy and desire and greed take over, and again they react, instead of think."

“我想是的。他们害怕没有钱，不愿面对没钱的恐惧，对此他们作出了反应但不是用他们的头脑。”富爸爸说着拍拍我们的头。“他们会去挣了点小钱，可快乐、欲望、贪婪会接着控制他们，他们会再作出反应，仍然是不加思考。”

"So their emotions do their thinking," Mike said.

“他们的感情代替了他们的思想。”迈克说。

"That's correct," said rich dad. "Instead of telling the truth about how they feel, they react to their feeling, fail to think. They feel the fear, they go to work, hoping that money will soothe the fear, but it doesn't. That old fear haunts them, and they go back to work, hoping again that money will calm their fears, and again it doesn't. Fear has them in this trap of working, earning money, working, earning money, hoping the fear will go away. But every day they get up, and that old fear wakes up with them. For millions of people, that old fear keeps them awake all night, causing a night of turmoil and worry. So they get up and go to work, hoping that a paycheck will kill that fear gnawing at their soul. Money is running their lives, and they refuse to tell the truth about that.Money is in control of their emotions and hence their souls."

“正是如此，他们不去分辨真相，不去思考，只是对感受作出反应。他们感到恐惧，于是去工作，希望钱能消除恐惧，但钱不可能消除恐惧。于是，恐惧追逐着他们，他们只好又去工作，希望钱能消除恐惧，但还是无法摆脱恐惧。恐惧使他们落入工作的陷阶，挣钱——工作——挣钱，希望有一天能消除恐惧。但每天他们起床时，就会发现恐惧又同他们一起醒来了。恐惧使成千上万的人彻夜难眠，忧心忡忡。所以他们又起床去工作了，希望薪水能杀死那该死的恐惧。钱主宰着他们的生活，他们拒绝去分辨真相，钱控制了他们的情感和灵魂。”

Rich dad sat quietly, letting his words sink in. Mike and I heard what he said, but really did not understand fully what he was talking about. I just knew that I often wondered why grownups hurried off to work. It did not seem like much fun, and they never looked that happy, but something kept them hurrying off to work.

富爸爸静静地坐着，让他的话音渐渐消失。迈克和我听着他的话，但不能完全明白他在讲些什么。我经常奇怪于大人们为什么总是急急忙忙去工作，这事看起来真是无趣，而且他们看上去也不快活，但好像总有些东西使他们不断地急着去工作。

Realizing we had absorbed as much as possible of what he was talking about, rich dad said, "I want you boys to avoid that trap. That is really what I want to teach you. Not just to be rich, because being rich does not solve the problem."

意识到我们已经尽可能地吸收了他的话后，富爸爸说：“我希望你俩避开这个陷阱，这就是我想教你们的，而不只是发财，发财并不能解决问题。”

"It doesn't?" I asked, surprised.

“不能吗？”我惊奇地问。

"No, it doesn't. Let me finish the other emotion, which is desire. Some call it greed, but I prefer desire. It is perfectly normal to desire something better, prettier, more fun or exciting. So people also work for money because of desire. They desire money for the joy they think it can buy. But the joy that money brings is often short lived, and they soon need more money for more joy, more pleasure, more comfort, more security. So they keep working, thinking money will soothe their souls that is troubled by fear and desire. But money cannot do that."

“不能。让我谈谈另一种感情：欲望，有人把它称为贪婪，但我宁可用欲望。希望一些东西更好、更漂亮、更有趣或更令人激动，这是相当正常的。所以人们总为了实现欲望而最终变成是为钱工作。他们认为钱能买来快乐，可用钱买来的快乐往往是短暂的，所以他们不久就需要更多的钱来买更多的快乐、更多的开心、更多的舒适和更多的安全。于是他们工作又工作，以为钱能使他们那被恐惧和欲望折磨着的灵魂平静下来，但实际上钱无法满足他们的欲望。”

"Even rich people?" Mike asked.

“即使是富人？”迈克问。

"Rich people included," said rich dad. "In fact, the reason many rich people are rich is not because of desire but because of fear. They actually think that money can eliminate that fear of not having money, of being poor, so they amass tons of it only tofind out the fear gets worse. They now fear losing it. I have friends who keep working even though they have plenty. I know people who have millions who are more afraid now than when they were poor. They're terrified of losing all their money. The fears that drove them to get rich got worse. That weak and needy part of their soul is actually screaming louder. They don't want to lose the big houses, the cars, the high life that money has bought them. They worry about what their friends would say if they lost all their money. Many are emotionally desperate and neurotic, although they look rich and have more money."

“富人也是如此。事实上，许多人致富并非出于欲望而是由于恐惧，他们认为钱能消除那种没有钱、贫困的恐惧，所以他们积累了很多的钱，可是他们发现恐惧感更加强烈了，他们更加害怕失去钱。我有一些朋友，已经很有钱了，但还在拼命工作，甚至有些百万富翁比他们穷困时还要恐惧。这种恐惧使他们过得很糟糕，他们精神中虚弱贫乏的一面总是在大声尖叫：我不想失去房子、车子和钱给我带来的上等生活。他们甚至担心一旦没钱了，朋友们会怎么说。许多人变得绝望而神经质，尽管他们很富有。”

"So is a poor man happier?" I asked.

“那穷人是不是要快活些？”我问。

"No, I don't think so," replied rich dad. "The avoidance of money is just as psychotic as being attached to money."

“我可不这么认为。闭口不谈钱就像依赖钱一样是一种心理疾病。”

As if on cue, the town derelict went past our table, stopping by the large rubbish can and rummaging around in it. The three of us watched him with great interest, when before we probably would have just ignored him.

这时，就像约好了似的，镇上的乞丐走过我们的桌子，停在一大堆垃圾罐旁翻捡起来。我们三个极有兴趣地注视着他，刚才我们几乎没意识到他的存在。

Rich dad pulled a dollar out of his wallet and gestured to the older man. Seeing the money, the derelict came over immediately, took the bill, thanked rich dad profusely and hurried off ecstatic with his good fortune.

富爸爸掏出1美元，向乞丐招招手。看到钱，乞丐立即走过来，他收了钱，含糊不清地道了谢就欣喜若狂地拿着他的钱走了。

"He's not much different from most of my employees," said rich dad. "I've met so many people who say, `Oh, I'm not interested in money.' Yet they'll work at a job for eight hours a day. That's a denial of truth. If they weren't interested in money, then why are they working? That kind of thinking is probably more psychotic than a person who hoards money."

“他与我的大多数雇员并没有太大差别，”富爸爸说，“我遇到过很多人，他们说‘我对钱没兴趣’，可他们却一天工作8小时并不停地抱怨工作无聊。如果他们对钱没兴趣，又何必干自己不喜欢的工作呢？这种人比敛财的人病得更重。”

As I sat there listening to my rich dad, my mind was flashing back to the countless times my own dad said, "I'm not interested in money." He said those words often. He also covered himself by always saying, "I work because I love my job."

当我坐在那儿听着富爸爸的话时，脑中无数次地闪出了我爸爸的话：“我对钱不感兴趣。”他常说这句话，他说：“我工作是因为我热爱这个职业。”

"So what do we do?" I asked. "Not work for money until all traces of fear and greed are gone?"

“那我们该怎么办？”我问，“不为钱工作直到所有的恐惧和贪婪都消失吗？”

"No, that would be a waste of time," said rich dad. "Emotions are what make us human. Make us real. The word 'emotion' stands for energy in motion. Be truthful about your emotions, and use your mind and emotions in your favor, not against yourself."

“那只会浪费时间。人需要有感情，它使我们真实，感情这个词表达着行动的动力。真实地看待你的感情，以你喜欢的方式运用你的头脑和感情，而不是与自己作对。”

"Whoa!" said Mike.

“啊哟！”迈克叫了起来。

"Don't worry about what I just said. It will make more sense in years to come. just be an observer, not a reactor, to your emotions. Most people do not know that it's their emotions that are doing the thinking. Your emotions are your emotions, but you have got to learn to do your own thinking."

“别对我的话担心，它会让你受用一生的。好好观察你的感情，别急于行动。大多数人不懂得是他们的感情代替了他们的思想，感情是感情，你还必须学会独立思考。”

"Can you give me an example?" I asked.

“你能给我们举一个例子吗？”我问。

"Sure," replied rich dad. "When a person says, `I need to find a job,' it's most likely an emotion doing the thinking. Fear of not having money generates that thought."

“可以。当一个人说‘我得去找份工作’，这就很可能是感情代替了思考。害怕没钱的感觉便产生了找工作的念头。”

"But people do need money if they have bills to pay," I said.

“但是如果人们要付账的话他们是需要钱的呀。”我说。

"Sure they do," smiled rich dad. "All I'm saying is that it's fear that is all too often doing the thinking."

“的确如此。所以，我说感情常常过多地代替了思考。”

"I don't understand," said Mike.

“不懂。”迈克说。

"For example," said rich dad. "If the fear of not having enough money arises, instead of immediately running out to get a job so they can earn a few bucks to kill the fear, they instead might ask themselves this question. `Will a job be the best solution to this fear over the long run?' In my opinion, the answer is `no.' Especially when you look over a person's lifetime. A job is really a short-term solution to a long-term problem."

“比如说吧，如果人们害怕没有钱花，就立刻去找工作，然后挣到了钱，使恐惧感消除。这样做似乎很对。可一旦这样理解，他就不会去思考这样一个问题，一份工作能长期解决你的经济问题吗？依我看，答案是‘不能’，尤其从人的一生来看更是如此。工作只是试图用暂时的办法来解决长期的问题。”

"But my dad is always saying, 'Stay in school, get good grades, so you can find a safe, secure job.' I spoke out, somewhat confused.

“但我爸总是说‘去上学，取得好成绩，这样你就能找到稳定的工作’，”我有些迷惑地说。

"Yes, I understand he says that," said rich dad, smiling. "Most people recommend that, and it's a good idea for most people. But people make that recommendation primarily out of fear."

“是啊，我懂他的意思。大多数人都这么给人建议，而且对于大多数人来说这也确实是个好主意。但人们作出这种建议基本上仍是出于恐惧。”

"You mean my dad says that because he's afraid?"

“你是说我爸这么说是因为害怕？”

"Yes," said rich dad. "He's terrified that you won't be able to earn money and won't fit into society. Don't get me wrong. He loves you and wants the best for you. And I think his fear is justified. An education and a job are important. But it won't handle the fear. You see, that same fear that makes him get up in the morning to earn a few bucks is the fear that is causing him to be so fanatical about you going to school."

“是的，他担心你将来挣不到钱并且不适应这个社会。别误解了我的话，他爱你而且希望你好，而且他的担心也不无道理。教育和工作是很重要的，可它们对付不了恐惧。实际上，他恐惧，所以每天去上班挣钱；为你担心，所以热衷于让你去上学。

"So what do you recommend?" I asked.

“那你说该怎么办？”我问。

"I want to teach you to master the power of money. Not be afraid of it. And they don't teach that in school. If you don't learn it, you become a slave to money."

“我想教你们学会支配钱，而不是害怕它，这在学校里是学不到的。如果你不学，你就会变成钱的奴隶。”

It was finally making sense. He did want us to widen our views. To see what Mrs. Martin could not see, his employees could not see, or my dad for that matter. He used examples that sounded cruel at the time, but I've never forgotten them. My vision widened that day, and I could begin to see the trap that lay ahead for most people.

显而易见，他想使我们扩展视野，这一切，马丁太太看不见，他的雇员们看不见，我爸爸也看不见。富爸爸用了听起来很无情的例子，但这些例子我始终不会忘记。我的视野在那天被打开了，开始注意到大多数人所面临着的“陷讲”。

"You see, we're all employees ultimately. We just work at different levels," said rich dad. "I just want you boys to have a chance to avoid the trap. The trap caused by those two emotions, fear and desire. Use them in your favor, not against you. That's what I want to teach you. I'm not interested in just teaching you to make a pile of money. That won't handle the fear or desire. If you don't first handle fear and desire, and you get rich, you'll only be a high-paid slave."

“你看，我们最终都是雇员，只不过处于不同层次而已。我只希望孩子们有机会避开由恐惧和欲望组成的陷阱，能按你喜爱的方式选用恐惧和欲望，别让恐惧和欲望控制你。这就是我想教你们的。我对教你们如何挣大把的钱没有兴趣，那解决不了问题。如果你们不先控制恐惧和欲望，即使你们有钱，也只不过是高薪的奴隶而已。”

"So how do we avoid the trap?" I asked.

“那我们该怎样避开陷阱？”

"The main cause of poverty or financial struggle is fear and ignorance, not the economy or the government or the rich. It's selfinflicted fear and ignorance that keeps people trapped. So you boys go to school and get your college degrees. I'll teach you how to stay out of the trap."

“造成贫穷和财务问题的主要原因是恐惧和无知，而非经济环境、政府或富人。自身的恐惧和无知使人们难以自拔，所以你们应该去上学并且接受大学教育，而我教你们怎样不落入馅阱。”

The pieces of the puzzle were appearing. My highly educated dad had a great education and a great career. But school never told him how to handle money or his fears. It became clear that I could learn different and important things from two fathers.

谜底渐渐显露出来。我爸爸受过高等教育，有着很好的职业，但学校从不告诉他如何处理金钱或恐惧。我可以从两个爸爸那里学习不同的但同样都是很重要的事情。

"So you've been talking about the fear of not having money. How does the desire of money affect our thinking?" Mike asked.

“你谈到对缺钱的担心，那么对钱的欲望会怎样影响到我们的思想呢？”迈克问。

"How did you feel when I tempted you with a pay raise? Did you notice your desires rising?"

“当我用更高的工资引诱你们时，你们有什么感觉？你感到欲望在膨胀吗？”

We nodded our heads.

我们点点头。

"By not giving in to your emotions, you were able to delay your reactions and think. That is most important. We will always have emotions of fear and greed. From here on in, it is most important for you to use those emotions to your advantage and for the long term, and not simply let your emotions run you by controlling your thinking. Most people use fear and greed against themselves. That's the start of ignorance. Most people live their lives chasing paychecks, pay raises and job security because of the emotions of desire and fear, not really questioning where those emotion-driven thoughts are leading them. It's just like the picture of a donkey, dragging a cart, with its owner dangling a carrot just in front of the donkey's nose. The donkey's owner may be going where he wants to go, but the donkey is chasing an illusion. Tomorrow there will only be another carrot for the donkey."

“但你们没有对感觉屈服，你们推迟了决定的作出。这是极为重要的。我们总是有着恐惧或贪婪之心。从现在开始，对你们来说，重要的是运用这些感情为你们的长期利益谋利，别让你们的感情控制了思想。大多数人让他们的恐惧和贪婪之心来支配自己，这是无知的开始。因为害怕或贪婪，大多数人生活在挣工资、加薪、劳动保护之中，而不问这种感情支配思想的生活之路通向哪里。这就像一幅画：驴子在拼命拉车，因为车夫在它鼻子前面放了个胡萝卜。车夫知道该把车驶到哪里，而驴却只是在追逐一个幻觉。但第二天驴依旧会去拉车，因为又有胡萝卜放在了驴子的面前。”

"You mean the moment I began to picture a new baseball glove, candy and toys, that's like a carrot to a donkey?" Mike asked.

“你的意思是，当时在我脑海中的那些棒球手套、糖果和玩具的影像就像那驴子面前的胡萝卜一样喽？”

"Yeah. And as you get older, your toys get more expensive. A new car, a boat and a big house to impress your friends," said rich dad with a smile. "Fear pushes you out the door, and desire calls to you. Enticing you toward the rocks. That's the trap."

“不错。当你长大后，你的玩具会变贵，会变成要给你的朋友留下深刻印象的汽车、汽艇、大房子，”富爸爸笑着说，“恐惧把你推出门外，愿望又召唤你过去，诱惑你去触礁。这就是陷阱。”

"So what's the answer," Mike asked.

“那答案是什么呢？”

"What intensifies fear and desire is ignorance. That is why rich people with lots of money often have more fear the richer they get. Money is the carrot, the illusion. If the donkey could see the whole picture, it might rethink its choice to chase the carrot."

“强化恐惧和欲望是无知的表现，这就是为什么很多有钱人常常会担惊受怕。钱就是胡萝人是幻像。如果驴能看到整幅图像，它可能会重新想想是否还要去追求胡萝卜。”

Rich dad went on to explain that a human's life is a struggle between ignorance and illumination.

富爸爸解释说人生实际上是在无知和幻觉之间的一场斗争。

He explained that once a person stops searching for information and knowledge of one's self, ignorance sets in. That struggle is a moment-to-moment decision-to learn to open or close one's mind.

他说一旦一个人停止寻求知识和信息，就会变得无知。因此，人们需要不停地与自己作斗争：是通过学习打开自己的心扉，还是封闭自己的头脑。

"Look, school is very, very important. You go to school to learn a skill or profession so as to be a contributing member of society. Every culture needs teachers, doctors, mechanics, artists, cooks, business people, police officers, firefighters, soldiers. Schools train them so our culture can thrive and flourish," said rich dad. "Unfortunately, for many people, school is the end, not the beginning."

“学校是非常非常重要的地方。在学校，你学习一种技术或一门专业，并成为对社会有益的人。每一种文明都需要教师、医生、工程师、艺术家、厨师、商人、警察、消防队员、士兵等等。学校培养了这些人才，所以我们的社会可以兴旺发达。但不幸的是，对许多人来说，学校是终止而不是开端。”

There was a long silence. Rich dad was smiling. I did not comprehend everything he said that day. But as with most great teachers, whose words continue to teach for years, often long after they're gone, his words are still with me today.

接下来是长长的沉默。富爸爸依旧微笑着，我还没弄明白那天他说的全部。但我已经意识到富爸爸是个很伟大的老师，他的话在我耳边回响了很多年，直到现在我还在回味其中的道理。

"I've been a little cruel today," said rich dad. "Cruel for a reason. I want you to always remember this talk. I want you to always think of Mrs. Martin. I want you always to think of the donkey. Never forget, because your two emotions, fear and desire, can lead you into life's biggest trap, if you're not aware of them controlling your thinking. To spend your life living in fear, never exploring your dreams, is cruel. To work hard for money, thinking that money will buy you things that will make you happy is also cruel. To wake up in the middle of the night terrified about paying bills is a horrible way to live. To live a life dictated by the size of a paycheck is not really a life. Thinking that a job will make you feel secure is lying to yourself. That's cruel, and that's the trap I want you to avoid, if possible. I've seen how money runs people's lives. Don't let that happen to you. Please don't let money run your life."

“今天我有点无情，但无情得有理，”富爸爸说，“我希望你们永远记住这次谈话，我希望你们多想想马丁太太，多想想那头驴。永远别忘记，会有两种感情——恐惧和欲望，使你落入一生中最大的陷阱，如果你让它们来控制自己的思想，你的一生就会生活在恐惧中，从不探求你的梦想，这是残酷的。为钱工作，以为钱能买来快乐，这也是残酷的。半夜醒来想着许多的账单要付是一种可怕的生活方式，以工资的高低来安排生活不是真正的生活。这些都很残酷，而我希望你们能避开这些陷阱，如果可能的话，别让这些问题在你们身上发生，别让钱支配你们的生活。”

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。

"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。

"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 havenots 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。”

"Aren't prices supposed to go up?" I asked.

“价格难道不能上涨吗？”我问。

"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。

"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？”

"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。”

"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。

"Why is that step so important" I asked.

“这一步为什么如此重要？”我问。

"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."

“自由。”

"Is there a briar patch?" I asked.

“那是一条布满荆棘的路吗？”

"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。”