拜金者的福音 會教你致富的八門課程

Is it common knowledge that school doesn't prepare you well for the real world?

學生通過學校的學習並不能掌握應對殘酷現實世界的技能，這是否已經成爲所有人的共識了呢？

Sure, you can get a good degree, find a well-paying job, work until you're in your 60s, and then retire to enjoy the life you've deferred for 40 years. However, that may not prove to be a successful life, a secure life, a financially sound life. A lot will depend on your outlook and your goals but know this: School doesn't prepare you well for achieving wealth or becoming an entrepreneur and it downright fails at teaching you how to be rich.

當然，你可以通過上大學獲得一個高學位和一份高薪工作，接着工作到60歲，然後開始享受退休生活，享受遲來了40餘年的那份安逸快活。但是，這並不能保證你就能過上成功、穩定並且金錢寬裕的生活。你要明白，學校是不會在讓學生變富裕或成爲一名企業家方面下大工夫的，換句話說就是，學校在傳授學生如何變得富有這方面，是徹底的失敗者。

Nevertheless, school is here to stay. For now. Thus, it helps to identify which classes are the most relevant and helpful for those of us looking to become rich entrepreneurs. There are, in fact, several courses that contain critical information and instruction that, if used correctly, will put you on your path to riches.

不過，目前學生還是要待在學校裏學習的。尤其對於那些想成爲富人的學生來說，學校可以幫助你選擇一些最有幫助的相關課程。實際上，有些課程能夠提供十分關鍵的信息和指導。如果你能加以充分地利用，那麼財富就會在不遠處向你招手。

Accounting

會計學

Although this list is in no particular order, I think Accounting is, by far, the most important course to take if you want to succeed financially. Today's "credit crunch" illustrates that there are too many people who do not understand a balance sheet. Someone who walks into Best Buy and pays for a 47-inch plasma television with a credit card does not comprehend the difference between an asset and a liability.

雖然排列的順序沒有特殊的意義，但是我覺得如果你想要獲得經濟上的成功，那麼會計必是首選的課程。當今的信用危機不正好說明了有很多人對保持收支平衡都很不在行嗎。人們在好購刷卡購買一臺47英寸等離子電視的時候還是分不清財產和負債的區別。

Learning the difference between assets and liabilities, as well as concepts like inventory and cash flow, is essential if you intend on keeping your finances in order. Moreover, these concepts are crucial if you want to start your own business. The health of a business is reflected in its balance sheet and financial statement. As those numbers go, so does the business. Accounting will help you understand that cash flow is what helps a business succeed, and it is what helps you as an individual succeed.

如果想要使你的財政狀況保持有序，你就需要對這兩者間的差別，還有貨物清單及現金流這些概念有所瞭解。此外，當你想、自己創業時，這些概念也很重要。生意的好壞都會在收支平衡表和財政結算表中有所反映。如果這些表上的數據不夠理想，那麼你的生意也不會好到哪兒去。通過學會計學，你會知道現金流的保有能使你取得生意上的成功，進而幫助你取得人生的成功。

Marketing

市場營銷

If you intend on making money from selling something (which, incidentally, is how any business makes money), then you need to learn how to find the right product. Marketing, in and of itself, is not selling. However, it helps you learn how to promote certain products and services. By taking Marketing, you can understand the process involved in figuring out what consumers want, focusing on a product that satisfies those desires, and the attempt at moving consumers toward that product.

如果你想要從銷售（這也是絕大多數公司賺錢的方式）中賺到錢，那麼你就得學會找到合適的產品。市場營銷從本質上來說並不等於銷售。不過它會讓你學會怎樣去推銷產品和服務。通過學習市場營銷，你就會明白消費者想要什麼樣的商品，把精力集中到能讓消費者滿意的商品上，並試着讓他們對那件產品有購買的慾望。

Too often, products fail because their creators didn't bother to learn whether a market existed for that product. This process involves research and time , but, in the end, it can save a business thousands, if not millions, of dollars. As an entrepreneur, it can also save you valuable time and money. Find the market first, and then develop the product.

產品不暢銷，通常都是因爲其生產商事先沒有調查，確定這件產品的市場前景。雖然在這個過程中既要做市場調查又要消耗一些時間，不過這樣做卻能幫公司省掉成千上萬，甚至百萬、千萬美元的損失。對於一位企業家來說，它還可以幫忙節省許多寶貴的時間和金錢。因此，首先要認真調研市場，其次纔是着眼於產品本身。

Economics

經濟學

Understanding the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services is essential if you want to take a big picture approach to business and investing. The current state of the U.S. economy is a combination of various factors (umer over-spending, speculative real estate investing, fragile lending practices, a weakening dollar, low supply of oil, etc).

如果想全面瞭解投資與生意，那你就得對貨物和服務的生產、分配以及消費這些方面有所瞭解。當前美國的經濟狀況是由多種因素造成的，例如消費者的過度消費，房地產的投機猖獗，過於脆弱的借款機制，美元的疲軟以及石油供應不足等。

If you understand how the economy got to the point where it is today, it helps you identify where your money should be. You can pick out the right investments and turn away from the bad ones. You can identify which direction your business should go in, including whether to take advantage of certain trends or cut out excess inventory.

瞭解經濟發展的態勢，會讓你看清投資方向。進而，你就可以避免錯誤的投資並找到正確的投資領域。此外，你還能清楚地洞察到自己生意的未來走向，比如你是應該緊跟當前的風頭增加貨源，還是應該清理積壓商品等等。

Economics is a vital ingredient in a person's financial education. The world is now a global marketplace, and the supply and demand of goods and services operate at that level.

經濟學在個人的金融教育中是一個不可或缺的因素。當今世界已經變成了一個全球市場，所有的貨物及服務的供求都在這個大市場中進行。

Finance

金融學

Finance helps you understand how the time value of money works and how various investment vehicles operate. One of the keys to becoming rich is comprehending how money works when it's not in your hands. A finance course (preferably one geared towards entrepreneurship) will teach you what you need to know to reach this level of understanding. There might be some math involved, but it won't kill you. It'll just make you a stronger and more savvy investor.

金融學會幫你理解錢的時間價值以及不同投資機構的運行方式。要想發財，關鍵之一就是要了解：當錢不在你手上的時候，它們是如何運作的。有關金融——最好是針對如何管理企業的課程會教你怎樣達到那樣的理解層次。或許這會涉及到數學，但並不會太難。相反，它會讓你成爲一名更強更有悟性的投資人。

history can be boring. But if you look at history from a different viewpoint, it can open doors for you. The most valuable aspect of history is its ability to convey to us the mistakes of others. Studying history helps you learn from others mistakes so that, hopefully, you won't commit the same mistakes.

歷史可能很枯燥。但是如果你能換一個角度去看待它，你就會得到很多有用的啓示。你能從歷史中看到他人所犯的錯誤。這是它最有價值的地方。此外，通過對歷史的學習能夠讓你避免再犯前人所犯過的錯誤。

Any American History Course

任意一門美國曆史課

American history is filled with mishaps, wrong turns, and terrible decision-making, both at the national political level and at the business level. Look at these errors, and figure out how a better decision could have been made.

美國曆史是由許許多多的災難、錯誤的轉折，以及可怕的決定充斥而成的一一不論是政治的還是經濟的。你要做的，就是研究這些錯誤，並找出更好的解決辦法。

Writing and Composition

寫作

Succeeding as an entrepreneur requires that you be able to express yourself and your ideas. Whether it involves pitching an idea to an investor, writing a press release, or composing a business plan, entrepreneurs need to communicate. More often than not, this communication is done in writing. Basic composition and grammar skills can do wonders for your ability to convey your ideas and your mindset.

要想成爲一名成功的企業家，你必須具有表達自己觀點以及表達自己的能力。因爲無論是要向投資者表述一個構思、起草記者會文稿，還是擬定一份商業計劃書，你都需要與別人溝通，而且大多數情況下，這種溝通都是通過書面形式完成的。當你在表達自己的觀點和想法時，熟練掌握基本的寫作以及語法技巧能讓你事半功倍。

Any Literature Course

任意一門文學課程

Literature, like history, contains valuable lessons that emanate from years of experience and wisdom. Why not draw on these sources of information? There is no limit to the topics covered by novels. Ernest Hemingway's books are full of inspirational messages. Oscar Wilde provides brilliant business advice. Henry David Thoreau is the master of teaching self-reliance. These books and others provide timeless principles of personal development and, just as important, wealth creation.

文學和歷史一樣，飽含了前人留下的寶貴經驗和才智。鑑於此，爲什麼不把這些寶貴資源充分汲取呢？小說所涵蓋的主題是不受任何限制的。厄內斯特·海明威的小說的內容能激發人們的靈感。奧斯卡·王爾德會提供十分獨到的、精闢的商業建議。亨利·大衛·梭羅則是教人自助自立的大師級作家。這些書能夠提供的原理古今通用，不僅促進個人發展，而且還能幫助你創造財富。

Management

管理學

One of the problems with "bosses" is that they don't know how to manage people. If you want to own and run a business, you need to manage that business effectively and efficiently. An understanding of management concepts and learning different techniques and skills will not only make you likable, but they will also help you make more money.

老闆們的一個通病，就是不知道如何管理好自己的員工。如果想要經營一門生意，你必須能離效高速地處理問題。當你對管理的理念有所瞭解，又掌握了多種應對方法和技巧之後，你這個老闆就會變得人見人愛，而且還能賺到更多的錢。