Lesson 2: Why Teach Financial Literacy?
第二课　为什么要教授财务知识
In 1990, my best friend Mike took over his father’s empire and is, in fact, doing a better job than his dad did. We see each other once or twice a year on the golf course. He and his wife are wealthier than you could imagine. Rich dad’s empire is in great hands, and Mike is now grooming his son to take his place, as his dad had groomed us.
1990年，迈克接管了富爸爸的商业王国，事实上,他比富爸爸做得还好。我们每年都会在高尔夫球场上见一两次面。他和他妻子的财产多得难以想象。富爸爸的王国被管理得很好，现在迈克已经开始训练他的儿子接班了，一如富爸爸当年训练我们。
In 1994, I retired at the age of 47, and my wife Kim was 37. Retirement does not mean not working. To my wife and me, it means that, barring unforeseen cataclysmic changes, we can work or not work, and our wealth grows automatically, staying way ahead of inflation. I guess it means freedom.
1994年，我退休了，那时我47岁，我妻子37岁。退休并不是因为我们没事可干。对于我和我妻子来说，只要不发生意想不到的大事。我们就完全可以选择工作或是不工作，我们的财富可以不受通货膨胀的影响，自动增长。我想这就是自由。

The assets are large enough to grow by themselves. It’s like planting a tree. You water it for years, and then one day it doesn’t need you anymore. Its roots are implanted deep enough. Then the tree provides shade for your enjoyment. Mike chose to run the empire, and I chose to retire.
资产已经多到可以自我增值，就像种树，你年复一年地浇灌它，终于有一天它不再需要你的照料了。它的根已经长得足够深，你现在可以开始享受它带给你的阴凉了。迈克选择经营他的商业王国，而我选择了退休。
Whenever I speak to groups of people, they often ask what I could recommand or, what could they do, how do I get started? Is there a book I'd recommend? What is the secret to success? I simply say to them what my rich dad said back to me when I was a little kid. If you want to be rich, you need to be finacially literate. That idea was drummed into my head everytime we were together. As I said my educated dad stressed the importance of reading books while my rich dad stressed the need to master financial literacy.
现在，我常面对许多人讲演，他们总是问我能给他们什么理财建议或是他们应该怎么做才能致富，我该怎样开始？有什么好书吗？成功的秘诀是什么？我只是告诉他们富爸爸在我小的时候对我说过的话，如果你想发财，就要学习财务知识。每当我和富爸爸在一起的时候，这个观念都会萦绕在我的脑海中。就像我说的，我那受过高等教育的爸爸强调的是读书的重要性，而富爸爸则强调要掌握财务知识。
If you are going to build the Empire State Building, the first thing you need to do is dig a deep hole and pour a strong foundation. If you are going to build a home in the suburbs, all you need to do is pour a six-inch slab of concrete. Most people, in their drive to get rich, are trying to build an Empire State Building on a six-inch slab.
如果你要去建造帝国大厦，你要做的第一件事就是挖个深坑，打牢地基。如果你只是想在郊区盖个小屋，你只须用混凝土打15厘米厚的地基就够了。大多数人在努力致富时，总是试图在15厘米厚的混凝土上建造帝国大厦。