Lesson One: The Rich Don't Work For Money
第一課：富人不為錢工作

"Dad, Can You Tell Me How to Get Rich?" My dad put down the evening paper. "Why do you want to get rich, son?" "Because today Jimmy's mom drove up in their new Cadillac, and they were going to their beach house for the weekend. He took three of his friends, but Mike and I weren't invited. They told us we weren't invited because we were 'poor kids'."
“爸，你能告訴我怎樣才能變得富有嗎？”爸爸放下手中的晚報，問：“你為什么想變得富有呢，兒子？”“因為這個周末基米的媽媽會開一輛新的卡迪拉克帶基米去海濱別墅度周末。基米還說要帶三個朋友去，但我和邁克沒有被邀請，他們說我們不被邀請是因為我們是窮孩子。”

"They did?" my dad asked incredulously.
“他們真這么說了嗎？”爸爸不相信地問。

"Yeah, they did." I replied in a hurt tone.
“是啊，他們說了！”我帶著一種受到傷害的聲調答道。

My dad silently shook his head, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and went back to reading the paper. I stood waiting for an answer.
爸爸沉默地搖了搖頭，把他的眼鏡往鼻梁上推了推，然后又去讀報紙了。我站在那兒期待著答案……

The year was 1956. I was 9 years old. By some twist of fate, I attended the same public school where the rich people sent their kids. We were primarily a sugar plantation town. The managers of the plantation and the other affluent people of the town, such as doctors, business owners, and bankers, sent their children to this school, grades 1 to 6. After grade 6, their children were generally sent off to private schools. Because my family lived on one side of the street, I went to this school. Had I lived on the other side of the street, I would have gone to a different school, with kids from families more like mine.
那年是1956年，我9歲。由于命運的安排，我進了一所公立學校，許多富人把他們的孩子也送到那所學校。我們鎮基本上是個糖料種植場，種植場的經理和其他富裕的人，比如醫生、商人、銀行家都把孩子送進了這所學校，一到六年級都有。六年級之后他們的孩子通常會被送進私立學校。因為我家就在這個街區，所以我也進了這所學校。如果我家住在街的另一邊，或許我會去另外一所學校，和那些家庭背景與我差不多的孩子們在一起了。

After grade 6, these kids and I would go on to the public intermediate and high school. There was no private school for them or for me.
并且六年級之后，我會和那些孩子一道去上公立的中學和高中，因為沒有為我們這類孩子設立的私立中學。

My dad finally put down the paper. I could tell he was thinking.
爸爸終于放下了報紙，我敢說他剛才一定是在思考我的話。

"Well, son," he began slowly. "If you want to be rich, you have to learn to make money."
“哦，兒子，”他慢慢地開口了，“如果你想變得富有，你就必須學會掙錢。”

"How do I make money?" I asked.
“那么怎么掙錢呢？”我問。

"Well, use your head, son," he said, smiling. Which really meant, "That's all I'm going to tell you," or "I don't know the answer, so don't embarrass me."
“用你的頭腦，兒子。”他說著，并微笑了一下，這種微笑意味著“這就是我要告訴你的全部”，或者“我不知道答案，別為難我了”。

A Partnership Is Formed
建立合伙關系

The next morning, I told my best friend, Mike, what my dad had said. As best I could tell, Mike and I were the only poor kids in this school. Mike was like me in that he was in this school by a twist of fate. Someone had drawn a jog in the line for the school district, and we wound up in school with the rich kids. We weren't really poor, but we felt as if we were because all the other boys had new baseball gloves, new bicycles, new everything.
第二天一早，我就把爸爸的話告訴了我最好的朋友邁克。邁克和我可以說是學校里僅有的兩個窮孩子。他和我一樣由于命運的捉弄而進了這所學校。其實我們倆的家里并不是真的很窮，但我們感覺我們很窮，因為其他的男孩都有新棒球手套、新自行車，他們的東西都是新的。

Mom and dad provided us with the basics, like food, shelter, clothes. But that was about it. My dad used to say, "If you want something, work for it." We wanted things, but there was not much work available for 9-year-old boys.
媽媽和爸爸也為我們提供了基本生活品，像吃的、戴的、穿的，什么都不缺，但也僅此而已。我爸爸常說：“想要什么東西，自己掙錢買。”我們想要東西，但的確沒有什么工作可以提供給像我們這樣大的9歲男孩。

"So what do we do to make money?" Mike asked.
“我們該怎么掙錢呢？”邁克問。

"I don't know," I said. "But do you want to be my partner?"
“我不知道，”我說，“你想做我的合伙人嗎？”

He agreed and so on that Saturday morning, Mike became my first business partner. We spent all morning coming up with ideas on how to make money. Occasionally we talked about all the "cool guys" at Jimmy's beach house having fun. It hurt a little, but that hurt was good, for it inspired us to keep thinking of a way to make money. Finally, that afternoon, a bolt of lightning came through our heads. It was an idea Mike had gotten from a science book he had read. Excitedly, we shook hands, and the partnership now had a business.
于是，就在那個星期六的早晨，邁克成了我的第一個業務伙伴。我們花了整整一個上午去想掙錢的法子，其間常常不由自主地談起那些“冷酷的家伙”正在基米家的海濱別墅里玩樂。這實在有些傷人，但卻是好事，它刺激我們繼續努力去想掙錢的法子。最后，到了下午，一個念頭在我們的頭腦中閃過，這是邁克從以前讀過的一本科普書里得到的主意。我們興奮地握手，現在我們的合伙關系終于有了實質的業務內容。

For the next several weeks, Mike and I ran around our neighborhood, knocking on doors and asking our neighbors if they would save their toothpaste tubes for us. With puzzled looks, most adults consented with a smile. Some asked us what we were doing. To which we replied, "We can't tell you. It's a business secret."
在接下來的幾星期里，邁克和我跑遍了鄰近各家，敲開他們的門問他們是否愿意把用過的牙膏皮攢下來給我們。迷惑不解的大人們微笑著答應了，有的問我們要它做什么，對此我們回答道：“這是商業秘密”。

My mom grew distressed as the weeks wore on. We had selected a site next to her washing machine as the place we would stockpile our raw materials. In a brown cardboard box that one time held catsup bottles, our little pile of used toothpaste tubes began to grow.
幾星期過去了，我媽變得心煩起來，因為我們選了一個靠近她洗衣機的地方放置我們的原料。在一個曾用來盛番茄醬的大罐子里，積攢在那兒的用過的牙膏皮正在慢慢變多。

Finally my mom put her foot down. The sight of her neighbors' messy, crumpled used toothpaste tubes had gotten to her. "What are you boys doing?" she asked. "And I don't want to hear again that it's a business secret. Do something with this mess or I'm going to throw it out."
看到鄰居們臟亂、卷曲的廢牙膏皮都到了她這兒，媽媽最后采取了行動。“你們兩個到底想要干什么？”她問，“我不想再聽到‘商業秘密’之類的話，趕快處理掉這些東西，否則我就會把它們全扔出去！”

Mike and I pleaded and begged, explaining that we would soon have enough and then we would begin production. We informed her that we were waiting on a couple of neighbors to finish using up their toothpaste so we could have their tubes. Mom granted us a one-week extension.
邁克和我苦苦哀求，說我們已經快攢夠了，只等一對鄰居夫婦用完他們的牙膏后，我們就可以馬上開始生產了。經過一番口舌，最后媽媽給了我們一周的延期。

The date to begin production was moved up. The pressure was on. My first partnership was already being threatened with an eviction notice from our warehouse space by my own mom. It became Mike's job to tell the neighbors to quickly use up their toothpaste, saying their dentist wanted them to brush more often anyway. I began to put together the production line.
來自媽媽的壓力使我們的生產日期提前了。我的第一樁生意，由于貨倉收到了媽媽的逐客令而出現危機，邁克的任務變成了告訴鄰居們快些用完他們的牙膏，告訴他們牙醫希望他們比平常更多地刷牙，我則開始組裝生產線。按照時間表，生產將于一星期后正式開始。開始生產的日子終于到了。

One day my dad drove up with a friend to see two 9-year-old boys in the driveway with a production line operating at full speed. There was fine white powder everywhere. On a long table were small milk cartons from school, and our family's hibachi grill was glowing with red hot coals at maximum heat.
爸爸帶著一個朋友驅車而至，來看兩個9歲男孩在公路邊合力操弄一條生產線。空氣中飛揚著的是細細的白色粉末，在一個長桌上是一些從學校拿來的廢牛奶紙盒以及家里的燒烤架，燒烤架已經被發紅的炭烤到了極熱，發著白光。

Dad walked up cautiously, having to park the car at the base of the driveway, since the production line blocked the carport. As he and his friend got closer, they saw a steel pot sitting on top of the coals, with the toothpaste tubes being melted down. In those days, toothpaste did not come in plastic tubes. The tubes were made of lead. So once the paint was burned off, the tubes were dropped in the small steel pot, melted until they became liquid, and with my mom's pot holders we were pouring the lead through a small hole in the top of the milk cartons.
爸爸小心地走過來，由于生產線擋住了車位他不得不把車停在路邊。當他和他朋友走近時，他們看見一個鋼壺架在炭上，里面的廢牙膏皮正在熔化。在那個時候，牙膏皮還不是塑料做的，而是鉛制的。所以一旦牙膏皮上的涂料被燒掉后，被放在鋼壺中的鉛皮就會燒熔，直到變成液體。當鉛皮到達熔點時，我們就用媽媽的抓鍋布墊著，將溶液從牛奶盒頂的小孔中小心地注入到牛奶盒中。

The milk cartons were filled with plaster-of-Paris. The white powder everywhere was the plaster before we mixed it with water. In my haste, I had knocked the bag over, and the entire area look like it had been hit by a snowstorm. The milk cartons were the outer containers for plaster-of-Paris molds.
牛奶盒里裝滿了熟石膏，滿地的白色粉末是我們將灰和水混和時弄的，由于我一時匆忙，打翻了小包，所以弄得到處是白灰，好似下了場雪。牛奶盒就是石灰模的外部容器。

My dad and his friend watched as we carefully poured the molten lead through a small hole in the top of the plaster-of-Paris cube.
爸爸和他的朋友注視著我們小心翼翼地把熔鉛注入到灰管頂部的小孔中。

"Careful," my dad said.
“小心！”老爸說。

I nodded without looking up.
我也顧不上抬頭了，只是點點頭。

Finally, once the pouring was through, I put the steel pot down and smiled at my dad.
最后，當溶液全部倒入石灰模后，我放下鋼壺；向老爸綻開了笑臉。

"What are you boys doing?" he asked with a cautious smile.
“你們在干什么？”他帶著謹慎的微笑問道。

"We're doing what you told me to do. We're going to be rich," I said.
“我們正在按你告訴我的話做，我們就要變成富人了！”我說。

"Yup," said Mike, grinning and nodding his head. "We're partners."
“是的，”邁克咧嘴笑著點頭說道：“我們是合伙人。”

"And what is in those plaster molds?" dad asked.
“這些灰模子里面是什么東西？”老爸有些好奇地問。

"Watch," I said. "This should be a good batch."
“看，”我說，“這是已經鑄好的一爐”。

With a small hammer, I tapped at the seal that divided the cube in half. Cautiously, I pulled up the top half of the plaster mold and a lead nickel fell out."
我用一個小錘子敲開了密封物并把管子分成兩半，我小心地抽掉灰模的上半部，一個鉛制的五分硬幣便掉了下來。

"Oh, my God!" my dad said. "You're casting nickels out of lead."
“噢，天啊，”老爸叫了起來，用手摸著額頭：“你們在用鉛造硬幣！”

"That's right," Mike said. "We doing as you told us to do. We're making money."
“對啊，”邁克說，“我們按你說的，在自己掙錢吶。”

My dad's friend turned and burst into laughter. My dad smiled and shook his head. Along with a fire and a box of spent toothpaste tubes, in front of him were two little boys covered with white dust and smiling from ear to ear.
爸爸的朋友轉過身去爆發出一陣大笑，爸爸則微笑著搖著頭。在一堆火和一堆廢牙膏皮旁，他面前的兩個白灰滿面的小男孩正在開心地笑著。

He asked us to put everything down and sit with him on the front step of our house. With a smile, he gently explained what the word "counterfeiting" meant.
爸爸要我們放下手里的東西和他坐到屋外的臺階上，然后他微笑著和藹地向我們解釋了“偽造”一詞的含義。

Our dreams were dashed. "You mean this is illegal?" asked Mike in a quivering voice.
我們的夢想破滅了！“你的意思是說這么做是違法的？”邁克用顫抖的聲音問。

"Let them go," my dad's friend said. "They might be developing a natural talent."
“別怪他們，”我爸爸的朋友說，“他們也許會成為天才呢。”

My dad glared at him.
我爸爸瞪了他一眼。

"Yes, it is illegal," my dad said gently. "But you boys have shown great creativity and original thought. Keep going. I'm really proud of you!"
“對，這是違法的。”爸爸溫和地說，“但是，孩子們，別灰心，我為你們剛才表現出來的巨大的創造性和獨立思考精神而感到驕傲。”

Disappointed, Mike and I sat in silence for about twenty minutes before we began cleaning up our mess. The business was over on opening day. Sweeping the powder up, I looked at Mike and said, "I guess Jimmy and his friends are right. We are poor."
失望之中，邁克和我在沉默中坐了20分鐘才開始收拾殘局。我們的生意在剛開始的第一天就結束了。把粉掃攏時，我望著邁克沮喪地說：“我想基米和他的朋友們是對的，我們只能當窮人了。”

My father was just leaving as I said that. "Boys," he said. "You're only poor if you give up. The most important thing is that you did something. Most people only talk and dream of getting rich. You've done something. I'm very proud of the two of you. I will say it again. Keep going. Don't quit."
爸爸正要離開時聽到了這話，“孩子，”他轉過身來說，“如果你們放棄了你們才真的只能當窮人了。一件事情的成敗并不重要，重要的是你們曾經嘗試過。要知道大多數人只是談論和夢想發財，而你們已經付出了行動。我再說一遍，我為你們驕傲，孩子們，別灰心，別放棄。”

Mike and I stood there in silence. They were nice words, but we still did not know what to do.
邁克和我沉默地站在那兒，話挺對，但我們仍不知應該干些什么。

"So how come you're not rich, dad?" I asked.
“那你為什么不富有呢，爸爸？”我問。

"Because I chose to be a schoolteacher. Schoolteachers really don't think about being rich. We just like to teach. I wish I could help you, but I really don't know how to make money."
“因為我選擇了當中學老師。中學老師要專心教書，不該去想怎么發財。我希望我能幫你們，但我真的不知道如何才能賺大錢。”

Mike and I turned and continued our clean up.
邁克和我又回去繼續清理現場。

"I know," said my dad. "If you boys want to learn how to be rich, don't ask me. Talk to your dad, Mike."
爸接著說：“如果你們希望了解如何致富，不要問我，去和你爸談談，邁克。”

（來源：原版英語 編輯：丹妮）