“But don’t you feel you should pay them more?” I asked.
“但你不觉得你应该多给他们一点儿薪水吗?”我问。
“I don’t have to. And besides, more money will not solve their problems. Just look at your dad. He makes a lot of money, and he still can’t pay his bills. Most people, given more money, only get into more debt.”
“没这必要。而且,钱多了也解决不了问题。比如你爸爸,挣钱也不少,但仍会欠债。对大多数人而言,给他们的钱越多,他们欠的债也就越多。”
“So that’s why the 10 cents an hour,” I said, smiling. “It’s a part of the lesson.”
“这就是每小时10美分的原因,”我笑了,“课程的一部分?”
“That’s right,” smiled rich dad. “You see, your dad went to school and got an excellent education, so he could get a high-paying job which he did. But he still has money problems because he never learned anything about money in school. On top of that, he believes in working for money.”
“没错。”富爸爸也笑了,“你瞧,你爸爸上了大学而且受到很好的教育,所以他有希望得到一份高薪的工作。他的确做到了,但他还是为钱所困,原因就是他在学校里从来没学过关于钱的知识。而且最大的问题是,他相信工作就是为了钱。”
“And you don’t?” I asked.
“你不这么认为吗?”我问。
“No, not really,” said rich dad. “If you want to learn to work for money, then stay in school. That is a great place to learn to do that. But if you want to learn how to have money work for you, then I will teach you that. But only if you want to learn.”
“不,当然不是,”富爸爸回答,“如果你想为钱而工作,那就待在学校里吧,那可是一个学习这种事的好地方。但是如果你想学习怎样让钱为你工作,那就让我来教你。不过首先你得想学。”
“Wouldn’t everyone want to learn that?” I asked.
“难道不是每个人都想学吗?”我问。
“No,” said rich dad, “simply because it’s easier to learn to work for money, especially if fear is your primary emotion when the subject of money is discussed.”
“不是,”他说,“原因很简单,学习为钱工作很容易,特别是当你一谈到钱就觉得恐惧时,学习为钱工作就更容易了。”
“I don’t understand,” I said with a frown.
“我不明白。”我皱着眉头说。
“Don’t worry about that for now. Just know that it’s fear that keeps most people working at a job: the fear of not paying their bills, the fear of being fired, the fear of not having enough money, and the fear of starting over. That’s the price of studying to learn a profession or trade, and then working for money. Most people become a slave to money—and then get angry at their boss.”
“别担心,你只需知道,正是出于恐惧的心理,人们才想找一份安稳的工作。这些恐惧有:害怕付不起账单,害怕被解雇,害怕没有足够的钱,害怕重新开始。为了寻求保障,他们会学习某种专业,或是做生意,拼命为钱而工作。大多数人成了钱的奴隶,然后就把怒气发泄在他们老板身上。”
“Learning to have money work for you is a completely different course of study?” I asked.
“学习让钱为我工作和上面这种不一样吗?”我问。
“Absolutely,” rich dad answered. “Absolutely.”
“当然了,”他说,“绝对不一样。”
We sat in silence . My friends would have just started their Little League baseball game, but for some reason I was now thankful I had decided to work for 10 cents an hour. I sensed that I was about to learn something my friends wouldn’t learn in school.
我们静静地坐着。我的朋友们应该已经开始新一季的棒球联赛了,但不知为什么,我突然开始庆幸自己决定干这份每小时10美分的工作了,我感到我会学到我的朋友们在学校里学不到的东西。
“Ready to learn?” asked rich dad.
“准备好了吗?”富爸爸问。
“Absolutely,” I said with a grin.
“当然。”我咧开嘴笑了。
“I have kept my promise. I’ve been teaching you from afar,” my rich dad said. “At nine years old, you’ve gotten a taste of what it feels like to work for money. Just multiply your last month by fifty years and you will have an idea of what most people spend their life doing.”
“我已经遵守了诺言,带你去看了你未来的生活。”富爸爸说,“你现在才9岁时,就已经有了为钱工作的体验了。你只需把上个月的生活重复50年,就会知道大多数人是如何度过一生的了。”
“I don’t understand,” I said.
“我不太懂。”我说。
“How did you feel waiting in line to see me, once to get hired and once to ask for more money?”
“你两次等着见我时有什么感觉?上次是被雇用,这次是要求加薪。”
“Terrible,” I said.
“真可怕。”我说。
“If you choose to work for money, that is what life will be like for many people,” said rich dad.
“如果人们选择为钱工作,这就是他们将要过的生活。”