「雙語閱讀」窮爸爸富爸爸 Poor Dad, Rich Dad

「雙語閱讀」窮爸爸富爸爸 Poor Dad, Rich Dad

窮爸爸富爸爸 Poor Dad, Rich Dad

作者:羅伯特·清崎 (Robert Toru Kiyosaki) [美國]

羅伯特·清崎有兩個爸爸:“窮爸爸”是他的親生父親,一個高學歷的教育官員;“富爸爸”是他好朋友的父親,一個高中沒畢業卻善於投資理財的企業家。清崎遵從“窮爸爸”為他設計的人生道路:上大學,服兵役,參加越戰,走過了平凡的人生初期。直到1977年,清崎親眼目睹一生 辛勞的“窮爸爸”失了業,“富爸爸”則成了夏威夷最富有的人之一。羅伯特·清崎毅然追尋“富爸爸”的腳步,踏入商界,從此登上了致富快車。

第一章: 富爸爸,窮爸爸

I had two fathers, a rich one and a poor one。 One was highly educated and intelligent; he had a Ph。 D。 and completed four years of undergraduate work in less than two years。 He then went on to Stanford University, the University of Chicago, and Northwestern University to do his advanced studies, all on full financial scholarships。 The other father never finished the eighth grade。

我有兩個爸爸,一個富,一個窮。一個受過良好的教育,聰明絕頂,擁有博士的光環,他曾經在不到兩年的時間裡修完了四年制的大學本科學業,隨後又在斯坦福大學、芝加哥大學和西北大學進一步深造,並且在所有這些學校都拿到了全獎;與之相反的是,我的另一個爸爸連八年級都沒能唸完。

Both men were successful in their careers, working hard all their lives。 Both earned substantial incomes。 Yet one struggled financially all his life。 The other would become one of the richest men in Hawaii。 One died leaving tens of millions of dollars to his family, charities and his church。 The other left bills to be paid。

應該說兩位爸爸的事業都相當成功,而且一輩子都很勤奮,因此,兩人都有著豐厚的收入。然而其中一個人終其一生都在個人財務問題的泥沼中掙扎,另一個人則成了夏威夷最富有的人之一。一個爸爸身後為教堂、慈善機構和家人留下數千萬美元的鉅額遺產,而另一個爸爸卻只留下一些待付的賬單。

Both men were strong, charismatic and influential。 Both men offered me advice, but they did not advise the same things。 Both men believed strongly in education but did not recommend the same course of study。

其實我的兩個爸爸都是那種生性剛強、富有魅力、對他人有著非凡影響力的人。他們兩個人都曾給過我許多建議,但建議的內容卻總不相同;他們兩人也都深信教育的力量,但向我推薦的課程卻從不一樣。

If I had had only one dad, I would have had to accept or reject his advice。 Having two dads advising me offered me the choice of contrasting points of view; one of a rich man and one of a poor man。

如果只有一個爸爸,我就只能對他的建議簡單地加以接受或者拒絕;而兩個爸爸給我截然對立的建議,這在客觀上使我有了對比和選擇的機會。現在回想起來,這實際上是一種在富人的觀念和窮人的觀念之間進行的對比和選擇,而這種對比和選擇的結果決定了我的一生。

Instead of simply accepting or rejecting one or the other, I found myself thinking more, comparing and then choosing for myself。

由於兩個父親的觀念對立,使我得不到統一的說法,我便無法簡單地對這些建議予以接受或拒絕,我發現自己有了更多的思考、比較和選擇。

The problem was, the rich man was not rich yet and the poor man not yet poor。 Both were just starting out on their careers, and both were struggling with money and families。 But they had very different points of view about the subject of money。

問題是,在給我建議的時候,富爸爸還不算富有,而窮爸爸當時也並不貧窮,兩人都剛剛開始他們的事業,都在為錢和家庭而奮鬥。然而,他們對於錢的理解卻是如此的迥然不同。

For example, one dad would say, “The love of money is the root of all evil。” The other, “The lack of money is the root of all evil。”

這就好像一個爸爸會說:“貪財乃萬惡之源”;而另一個爸爸卻會說:“貧困才是萬惡之本”。

As a young boy, having two strong fathers both influencing me was difficult。 I wanted to be a good son and listen, but the two fathers did not say the same things。 The contrast in their points of view, particularly where money was concerned, was so extreme that I grew curious and intrigued。 I began to start thinking for long periods of time about what each was saying。

他們之中誰會成功?誰會富有?應該聽誰的?當時我還只是一個小男孩,對我而言擁有兩個同樣富有影響力的爸爸可不是一件好應付的事。我想成為一個聽話的好孩子,但兩個爸爸卻說著完全不同的話,他們的觀點是如此相修,尤其在涉及到金錢的問題上更是如此,這令我既好奇又迷惑,我不得不花很多時間對他們的話進行思考。

Much of my private time was spent reflecting, asking myself questions such as, “Why does he say that?” and then asking the same question of the other dad‘s statement。 It would have been much easier to simply say, “Yeah, he’s right。 I agree with that。” Or to simply reject the point of view by saying, “The old man doesn‘t know what he’s talking about。” Instead, having two dads whom I loved forced me to think and ultimately choose a way of thinking for myself。 As a process, choosing for myself turned out to be much more valuable in the long run, rather than simply accepting or rejecting a single point of view。

我用了很多的時間,問自己諸如“他為什麼會那樣說”之類的問題,然後又對另一個爸爸的話提出同樣的疑問。如果不經過自己的思考就簡單地說:“噢,他是對的,我同意”,或是拒絕說:“這個老爸不知道自己在說些什麼”,我想那會容易得多。然而,這兩個我所愛的觀點不同的爸爸卻迫使我對每一個有分歧的問題進行思考,並最終形成自己的想法。這一過程,即自己去思考和選取而不是簡單地全盤接受或全盤否定的過程,在後來的漫長歲月中被證明對我是非常有益的。

One of the reasons the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the middle class struggles in debt is because the subject of money is taught at home, not in school。 Most of us learn about money from our parents。 So what can a poor parent tell their child about money? They simply say “Stay in school and study hard。” The child may graduate with excellent grades but with a poor person‘s financial programming and mind-set。 It was learned while the child was young。

我逐漸意識到富人之所以越來越富,窮人之所以越來越窮,中產階級之所以總是在債務泥潭中掙扎,其主要原因之一在於他們對金錢的觀念不是來自學校,而是來自家庭。我們中的絕大多數人是從父母那裡瞭解錢是怎麼回事的。一對貧困的父母在培養孩子的理財觀念時,只會說:“在學校裡要好好學習喔”。結果,他們的孩子可能會以優異的成績畢業,但同時也秉承了貧窮父母的理財方式和思維觀念——要知道,由於家長的灌輸,這些觀念在孩子很小的時候就已經開始形成了。

Money is not taught in schools。 Schools focus on scholastic and professional skills, but not on financial skills。 This explains how smart bankers, doctors and accountants who earned excellent grades in school may still struggle financially all of their lives。 Our staggering national debt is due in large part to highly educated politicians and government officials making financial decisions with little or no training on the subject of money。

據我所知,迄今為止,在美國的學校裡仍沒有真正開設有關“金錢”的基礎課程。學校教育只專注於學術知識和專業技能的教育和培養,卻忽視了理財技能的培訓。這也解釋了為何眾多精明的銀行家、醫生和會計師們在學校時成績優異,可一輩子還是要為財務問題傷神;國家岌岌可危的債務問題在很大程度上也應歸因於那些作出財務決策的政治家和政府官員們,他們中有些人雖然受過高等教育,但卻很少甚至幾乎沒有接受過財務方面的必要培訓。

I often look ahead to the new millennium and wonder what will happen when we have millions of people who will need financial and medical assistance。 They will be dependent on their families or the government for financial support。 What will happen when Medicare and Social Security run out of money? How will a nation survive if teaching children about money continues to be left to parents —— most of whom will be, or already are, poor?

我常常在想,當我們的社會有成百萬的人需要醫療救助時該怎麼辦?當然,家人和政府會救濟他們。可是,當醫療基金和社會保障基金用盡時又該怎麼辦?這並非是把人憂天,如果我們繼續把教子理財的重任交給那些由於自身缺乏財務知識,正瀕於貧困邊線或已陷入貧困境地的父母的話,很難想像僅靠家人和社會的救濟能夠根治他們的“窮”病,實現整個社會的富裕。

Because I had two influential fathers, I learned from both of them。 I had to think about each dad’s advice, and in doing so, I gained valuable insight into the power and effect of one‘s thoughts on one’s life。 For example, one dad had a habit of saying, “I can‘t afford it。” The other dad forbade those words to be used。 He insisted I say, “How can I afford it?” One is a statement, and the other is a question。 One lets you off the hook, and the other forces you to think。 My soon-to-be-rich dad would explain that by automatically saying the words “I can’t afford it,” your brain stops working。 By asking the question “How can I afford it?” your brain is put to work。 He did not mean buy everything you wanted。 He was fanatical about exercising your mind, the most powerful computer in the world。 “My brain gets stronger every day because I exercise it。 The stronger it gets, the more money I can make。” He believed that automatically saying “I can‘t afford it” was a sign of mental laziness。

由於我有兩個對我有影響力且可以向其學習的爸爸,迫使我不得不去思考每個爸爸的意見,由此,我認識到一個人的觀念對其一生的巨大影響力。例如,一個爸爸愛說“我可付不起”這樣的話,而另一個爸爸則禁止用這類話,他會說:“我怎樣才能付得起呢?”這兩句話,一個是陳述句,另一個是疑問句,一個讓你放棄,而另一個則促使你去想辦法。那很快就致富的爸爸解釋道,說“我付不起”這種話會阻止你去開動腦筋想辦法;而問“怎樣才能付得起”則開動了你的大腦。當然,這並不意味著人們必須去買每一件你想要的東西,這裡只是強調要不停地鍛鍊你的思維——實際上人的大腦是世界上最棒的“計算機”。富爸爸時常說:“腦袋越用越活,腦袋越活,掙錢就越多”。在他看來,輕易就說“我負擔不起”這類話是一種精神上的懶惰。

Although both dads worked hard, I noticed that one dad had a habit of putting his brain to sleep when it came to money matters, and the other had a habit of exercising his brain。 The long-term result was that one dad grew stronger financially and the other grew weaker。 It is not much different from a person who goes to the gym to exercise on a regular basis versus someone who sits on the couch watching television。 Proper physical exercise increases your chances for health, and proper mental exercise increases your chances for wealth。 Laziness decreases both health and wealth。

雖然兩個爸爸工作都很努力,但我注意到,當遇到錢的問題時,一個爸爸總會去想辦法解決,而另一個爸爸則習慣於順其自然。長期下來,一個爸爸的理財能力更強了,而另一個的理財能力則越來越弱。我想這種結果類似於一個經常去健身房鍛鍊的人與一個總是坐在沙發上看電視的人在體質上的變化。經常性的體育鍛煉可以強身健體,同樣地,經常性的頭腦運動可以增加你獲得財富的機會。懶惰必定會使你的體質變弱、財富減少。

My two dads had opposing attitudes in thought。 One dad thought that the rich should pay more in taxes to take care of those less fortunate。 The other said, “Taxes punish those who produce and reward those who don’t produce。”

就像我前面所說的,我的兩個爸爸存在著很多觀念上的差異。一個爸爸認為富人應該繳更多的稅去照顧那些比較不幸的人;另一個爸爸則說:“稅是懲勤獎懶”。

One dad recommended, “Study hard so you can find a good company to work for。” The other recommended, “Study hard so you can find a good company to buy。”

一個爸爸說:“努力學習能去好公司工作”;而另一個則會說:“努力學習能發現並將有能力收購好公司”。

One dad said, “The reason I‘m not rich is because I have you kids。” The other said, “The reason I must be rich is because I have you kids。”

一個說:“我不富的原因是我有孩子”;另一個則說:“我必須富的原因是我有孩子”。

One encouraged talking about money and business at the dinner, table。 The other forbade the subject of money to be discussed over a meal。

一個禁止在晚飯桌上談論錢和生意,另一個則鼓勵在吃飯時談論這些話題。

One said, “When it comes to money, play it safe, don’t take risks。” The other said, “Learn to manage risk。”

一個說:“掙錢的時候要小心,別去冒險”;另一個則說:“要學會管理風險”。

One believed, “Our home is our largest investment and our greatest asset。” The other believed, “My house is a liability, and if your house is your largest investment, you‘re in trouble。”

一個相信“我們家的房子是我們最大的投資和資產”,另一個則相信“我們家的房子是負債,如果你的房子是你最大的投資,你就有麻煩了”。

Both dads paid their bills on time, yet one paid his bills first while the other paid his bills last。

兩個爸爸都會準時付賬,但不同的是:一個在期初支付,另一個則在期未支付。

One dad believed in a company or the government taking care of you and your needs。 He was always concerned about pay raises, retirement plans, medical benefits, sick leave, vacation days and other perks。 He was impressed with two of his uncles who joined the military and earned a retirement and entitlement package for life after twenty years of active service。 He loved the idea of medical benefits and PX privileges the military provided its retirees。 He also loved the tenure system available through the university。 The idea of job protection for life and job benefits seemed more important, at times, than the job。 He would often say, “I’ve worked hard for the government, and I‘m entitled to these benefits。”

一個爸爸相信政府會關心你、滿足你的要求。他總是很關心加薪、退休政策、醫療補貼、病假、工薪假期以及其他額外津貼這類的事情。他的兩個參了軍並在20年後獲得了退休和社會保障金的叔叔給他留下了深刻的印象。他很喜歡軍隊向退役人員發放醫療補貼和開辦福利社的做法,也很喜歡透過大學教育繼而獲得穩定職業的人生程式。對他而言,勞動保護和職位補貼有時看來比職業本身更為重要。他經常說:“我辛辛苦苦為政府工作,我有權享受這些待遇”。

The other believed in total financial self-reliance。 He spoke out against the “entitlement” mentality and how it was creating weak and financially needy people。 He was emphatic about being financially competent。

另一個爸爸則信奉完全的經濟自立,他反對這種“理所應當”的心理,並且認為正是這種心理造就了一批虛弱的、經濟上依賴於他人的人。他提倡競爭。

One dad struggled to save a few dollars。 The other simply created investments。

一個爸爸努力存錢,而另一個不斷地投資。

One dad taught me how to write an impressive resume so I could find a good job。 The other taught me how to write strong business and financial plans so I could create jobs。

一個爸爸教我怎樣去寫一份出色的簡歷以便找到一份好工作;另一個則教我寫下雄心勃勃的事業規劃和財務計劃,進而創造創業的機會。

Being a product of two strong dads allowed me the luxury of observing the effects different thoughts have on one’s life。 I noticed that people really do shape their life through their thoughts。

作為兩個強有力的爸爸的塑造品,我有幸觀察到不同觀念是怎樣影響一個人的一生的,我發現人們的確是在以他們的思想塑造他們的生活道路。

For example, my poor dad always said, “I‘ll never be rich。” And that prophesy became reality。 My rich dad, on the other hand, always referred to himself as rich。 He would say things like, “I’m a rich man, and rich people don‘t do this。” Even when he was flat broke after a major financial setback, he continued to refer to himself as a rich man。 He would cover himself by saying, “There is a difference between being poor and being broke。 —— Broke is temporary, and poor is eternal。”

例如,窮爸爸總是說:“我從不富有”,於是這句話就變成了事實。富有的爸爸則總是把自己說成是一個富人。他拒絕某事時會這樣說:“我是一個富人,而富人從不這麼做”,甚至當一次嚴重的挫折使他破產後,他仍然把自己當作是富人。他會這樣鼓勵自己:“窮人和破產者之間的區別是:破產是暫時的,而貧窮是永久的。”

My poor dad would also say, “I’m not interested in money,” or “Money doesn‘t matter。” My rich dad always said, “Money is power。”

我的窮爸爸會說:“我對錢不感興趣”或“錢對我來說不重要”,富爸爸則說:“金錢就是力量”。

The power of our thoughts may never be measured or appreciated, but it became obvious to me as a young boy to be aware of my thoughts and how I expressed myself。 I noticed that my poor dad was poor not because of the amount of money he earned, which was significant, but because of his thoughts and actions。 As a young boy, having two fathers, I became acutely aware of being careful which thoughts I chose to adopt as my own。 Whom should I listen to —— my rich dad or my poor dad?

儘管思想的力量從不能被測量或評估,但當我還是一個小男孩時,我已經開始明確地關注我的思想以及我的自我表述了。我注意到窮爸爸之所以窮不在於他掙到的錢的多少(儘管這也很重要),而在於他的想法和行動。我必須極其小心地選擇他們兩位向我傳遞的思想併為我所用。唉,我有兩個爸爸,我究竟應該聽誰的話:窮爸爸還是富爸爸?

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