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A child comes along.
不久孩子出生了。
They work harder.
他们必须更加努力地工作。
The process repeats itself: more money and higher taxes, also called "bracket creep."
之前的经历又再次发生，钱挣得越多，缴税也越多，这也被称为"所得等级攀升"
A credit card comes in the mail.
这时他们收到了信用卡邮件。
They use it. It maxes out.
他们办了信用卡，卡很快就额度超支了。
A loan company calls and says their greatest "asset," their home, has appreciated in value.
这时一家贷款公司打来电话，告诉他们他们最大的"资产"--房子已经增值。
The company offers a bill-consolidation loan because their credit is so good,
因为他们的信用记录非常好，所以公司可以为他们提供"债务合并"贷款。
and tells them the intelligent thing to do is clear off the high-interest consumer debt by paying off their credit card.
那家公司告诉他们用这笔贷款偿付他们信用卡上的高息消费贷款是一项明智之举
And besides, interest on their home is a tax deduction.
除此之外，他们的住房按揭贷款的利息也会是免税的。
They go for it, and pay off those high-interest credit cards.
他们同意了贷款公司的建议，并用债务合并贷款付清了高息的信用卡贷款。
They breathe a sigh of relief. Their credit cards are paid off.
他们感觉松了口气，因为他们的信用卡账单付清了
They've now folded their consumer debt into their home mortgage.
但实际上他们不过是把消费贷款转到了住房按揭贷款上。
Their payments go down because they extend their debt over 30 years.
他们现在要支付的钱数少了，是因为他们把债务分散在以后的30年去支付了。
It is the smart thing to do.
这真是件聪明事。
Their neighbor calls to invite them to go shopping.
他们的邻居打电话来邀请他们去购物。
The Memorial Day sale is on.
说阵亡将士纪念日商店正在打折。
A chance to save the money.
一个省钱的好机会。
They say to themselves I won't buy anything I'll just go look.
他们对自己说："我们什么也不买，只是去看看。"
But just in case they find something they tuck that clean credit card inside their wallet.
但是以防万一，他们还是把那张信用卡带进了钱包里。
I run into this young couple all the time.
我总是会碰到这种年轻夫妇
Their names change, but their financial dilemma is the same.
他们名字不同，但遇到的财务窘境却是如此相似。
They come to one of my talks to hear what I have to say.
他们来听我的讲座。
They ask me, "Can you tell us how to make more money?"
并问我："你能告诉我们怎样才能挣更多的钱吗？"
Their spending habits have caused them to seek more income.
他们的消费习惯迫使他们挣更多的钱。
They don't even know that the trouble is really how they choose to spend the money they do have.
他们甚至不知道真正的问题是他们如何选择花自己已经有的钱。
And that is the real cause of their financial struggle.
那才是造成他们经济困难的真正原因。
It is caused by financial illiteracy and not understanding the difference between an asset and a liability.
而这是由他们在财务上的无知以及不理解资产和负债的区别造成的。
More money seldom solves someone's money problems. Intelligence solves problems.
再多的钱也不能解决他们的问题，只有运用财务知识才能解决这些问题。
There is a saying a friend of mine says over and over to people in debt: "If you find yourself in a hole... stop digging."
我的一个朋友对那些欠债的人不厌其烦地说："如果你发现你已在深渊，那你自己就别再挖了。"
The poor and middle class, all too often allow the power of money to control them.
穷人和中产阶级往往被金钱的力量控制着。
By simply getting up and working harder, failing to ask themselves if what they do makes sense, they shoot themselves in the foot as they leave for work every morning.
他们起床工作，却不问自己这样做的意义。他们每天去工作，其实是搬起石头砸自己的脚。
By not fully understanding money, the vast majority of people allow the awesome power of money to control them.
大多数人并不真正懂得钱的意义，因此只能被钱控制。
The power of money is used against them.
和钱对抗。
