Why Teach Financial Literacy?
為什麼要教授財務知識？
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，邁克接管了富爸爸的商業王國，事實上,他比富爸爸做得還好。我們每年都會在高爾夫球場上見一兩次面。他和他妻子的財產多得難以想像。富爸爸的王國被管理得很好，現在邁克已經開始訓練他的兒子接班了，一如富爸爸當年訓練我們。
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，那時我47歲，我妻子37歲。退休並不是因為我們沒事可幹。對於我和我妻子來說，只要不發生意想不到的大事。我們就完全可以選擇工作或是不工作，我們的財富可以不受通貨膨脹的影響，自動增長。我想這就是自由。
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.
資產已經多到可以自我增值，就像種樹，你年復一年地澆灌它，終於有一天它不再需要你的照料了。它的根已經長得足夠深，你現在可以開始享受它帶給你的陰涼了。邁克選擇經營他的商業王國，而我選擇了退休。
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.
現在，我常面對許多人講演，他們總是問我能給他們什麼理財建議或是他們應該怎麼做才能致富，我該怎樣開始？有什麼好書嗎？成功的秘訣是什麼？我只是告訴他們富爸爸在我小的時候對我說過的話，如果你想發財，就要學習財務知識。每當我和富爸爸在一起的時候，這個觀念都會縈繞在我的腦海中。就像我說的，我那受過高等教育的爸爸強調的是讀書的重要性，而富爸爸則強調要掌握財務知識。
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.
如果你要去建造帝國大廈，你要做的第一件事就是挖個深坑，打牢地基。如果你只是想在郊區蓋個小屋，你只須用混凝土打15釐米厚的地基就夠了。大多數人在努力致富時，總是試圖在15釐米厚的混凝土上建造帝國大廈。