There is A Science of Getting Rich

一门致富的学问

THERE is a Science of getting rich, and it is an exact science, like algebra or arithmetic. There are certain laws which govern the process of acquiring riches; once these laws are learned and obeyed by any man, he will get rich with mathematical certainty.

一如代数与算术学，致富的学问也是一门极精准的学问。在获取富裕的过程中，有着某些起决定权的规则，一旦这些规则为人类所吸收并被遵守，人类就可以百分百地获取富足。

The ownership of money and property comes as a result of doing things in a certain way; those who do things in this Certain Way, whether on purpose or accidentally, get rich; while those who do not do things in this Certain Way, no matter how hard they work or how able they are, remain poor. It is a natural law that like causes always produce like effects; and, therefore, any man or woman who learns to do things in this certain way will infallibly get rich.

拥有充足的金钱和财产的人都是来自于遵守这种致富规则的大道。采取这种方式的人，不论是他们自愿如此，还是出于偶然，都会获得财富；反之，背道而驰的人，不管他们多努力，不管他们有多大能耐，结果只能是贫穷。原因导致结果，这是自然的真理。这就是说，效仿这一真理的人，必然会获得财富。

That the above statement is true is shown by the following facts: Getting rich is not a matter of environment, for, if it were, all the people in certain neighbourhoods would become wealthy; the people of one city would all be rich, while those of other towns would all be poor; or the inhabitants of one state would roll in wealth, while those of an adjoining state would be in poverty.

下面这些事实能证明以上的观点：致富与环境并无太大干系，否则的话，生活富人身边的人也都会成为有钱人；一个人城市里的人都会是富人的话，另一个城市也会全成为穷人；或者说一个国家富足后，它的临国却与贫穷相伴。

But everywhere we see rich and poor living side by side, in the same environment, and often engaged in the same vocations. When two men are in the same locality, and in the same business, and one gets rich while the other remains poor, it shows that getting rich is not, primarily, a matter of environment. Some environments may be more favourable than others, but when two men in the same business are in the same neighbourhood, and one gets rich while the other fails, it indicates that getting rich is the result of doing things in a Certain Way.

然而事实是：到处都可见到富人和穷人生活在一起----在同样的环境中，或是在同一行业。同一处地方做同一生意的两个人，有可能一个富有，另一个穷困，这也就说，从根本上，致富，它并不是环境所导致的。有时一个人的环境也许他人的更为有利，但是他却失败了。这就说明致富的决定因素就是人们的致富方式。

And further, the ability to do things in this certain way is not due solely to the possession of talent, for many people who have great talent remain poor, while others who have very little talent get rich.

此外，这里所说的这种独特的致富方式并不是纯粹的归功于一个人的天赋。很多有着极高天赋的人很穷，相反，有些天赋并不高的人却很富有。

Studying the people who have got rich, we find that they are an average lot in all respects, having no greater talents and abilities than other men. It is evident that they do not get rich because they possess talents and abilities that other men have not, but because they happen to do things in a Certain Way.

研究一下那些富有的人，我们发现，他们在任何方面都是再寻常不过的人，并非有着非凡的智慧和能力。很显然，他们并不是别的人比不上的智慧和能力才比别人更富有，恰好是他们用到了这一致富的方式。

Getting rich is not the result of saving, or "thrift"; many very penurious people are poor, while free spenders often get rich. Nor is getting rich due to doing things which others fail to do; for two men in the same business often do almost exactly the same things, and one gets rich while the other remains poor or becomes bankrupt.

致富，并不是节省或者“节俭”的结果。很多吝啬人都是穷人，而有些大手花钱的人总是很富有；致富，并不是做别人未能做的事。两个做同一生意的人总是做着同样的事情，然而他们一个却变得富有，另一个却变得贫穷，甚至破产。

From all these things, we must come to the conclusion that getting rich is the result of doing things in a Certain Way.

综上所述，我们应已得出结论：富有就是“致富之道”的产物。

If getting rich is the result of doing things in a Certain Way, and if like causes always produce like effects, then any man or woman who can do things in that way can become rich, and the whole matter is brought within the domain of exact science.

如果说富有就是“致富之道”的产物，如果真像“原因导致结果”，“种瓜得瓜”所说的一样，那么，任何人也都能用这种方式去获取财富，所有这一切也都囊括在这一准确的科学领域里。

The question arises here, whether this Certain Way may not be so difficult that only a few may follow it. This cannot be true, as we have seen, so far as natural ability is concerned. Talented people get rich, and blockheads get rich; intellectually brilliant people get rich, and very stupid people get rich; physically strong people get rich, and weak and sickly people get rich.

紧接着，问题也就来了：这“致富之道”，是不是太难了，只有少部分的人才能掌握它？答案当然是否定的，正好像我们所见到的一样，就我们目前人类能力这一范畴来看：天赋过人的能成为富人，“木头脑袋”的人能成为富人；才华横溢的人能变富，愚不可及的人能变富；身强体壮者能致富，体弱多病者也可以！