How I learned to read -- and trade stocks -- in prison | Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll

翻译人员: Yan Gao 校对人员: Linda Sheu

I was 14 years old

当年我14岁，

inside of a bowling alley,

在保龄球馆里，

burglarizing an arcade game,

偷了电子游戏机里的钱，

and upon exiting the building

就在走出那球馆时，

a security guard grabbed my arm, so I ran.

一名保安抓了我的胳膊， 所以我就跑。

I ran down the street, and I jumped on top of a fence.

我沿着街跑，然后跳上围栏。

And when I got to the top,

跳到围栏顶上时，

the weight of 3,000 quarters in my book bag

书包里的三千个 两毛五硬币的重量

pulled me back down to the ground.

把我拽回地上。

So when I came to, the security guard was standing on top of me,

所以等我反应过来时， 那个保安站在我头顶，

and he said, "Next time you little punks steal something you can carry."

他说：“下回你个小废物 去偷点能背得动的东西！”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I was taken to juvenile hall

我被带去少管所了，

and when I was released into the custody of my mother,

当我被放出来交给我妈时，

the first words my uncle said was, "How'd you get caught?"

我叔叔说的第一句话是 “你怎么被抓住了？”

I said, "Man, the book bag was too heavy."

我说，“老兄，那书包实在太重了！”。

He said, "Man, you weren't supposed to take all the quarters."

他说：“嘿，你不应该 把所有硬币都拿走啊。”

I said, "Man, they were small. What am I supposed to do?"

我说：“钱太少了啊， 我能怎么办？ ”

And 10 minutes later, he took me to burglarize another arcade game.

10分钟后， 他带我去偷另一个游戏机。

We needed gas money to get home.

我们需要回家的汽油钱。

That was my life.

那就是我的生活。

I grew up in Oakland, California,

我在加州奥克兰长大，

with my mother and members of my immediate family

我妈妈和家里亲戚

addicted to crack cocaine.

都是可卡因瘾君子。

My environment consisted of living with family, friends,

我的生活环境包括家人、朋友

and homeless shelters.

和流浪汉避难所。

Oftentimes, dinner was served in breadlines and soup kitchens.

经常，晚餐地点是 领救济食品的队伍和施粥场。

The big homey told me this:

家里大人告诉我：

money rules the world

钱统治世界

and everything in it.

和世上的一切。

And in these streets, money is king.

在这些街道上，钱是王。

And if you follow the money,

如果你跟着钱走，

it'll lead you to the bad guy or the good guy.

它会把你变成坏人或者好人。

Soon after, I committed my first crime,

不久之后，我第一次犯罪，

and it was the first time that I was told that I had potential

那是第一次有人告诉我，我有潜力，

and felt like somebody believed in me.

并且感觉有人相信我。

Nobody ever told me that I could be a lawyer,

没有人告诉过我，我可以是律师、

doctor or engineer.

医生或工程师。

I mean, how was I supposed to do that? I couldn't read, write or spell.

我是说，我怎么可能做得到？ 我不会读，不会写也不会拼。

I was illiterate.

我是文盲。

So I always thought crime was my way to go.

所以我一直认为 犯罪就是我的人生道路。

And then one day

然后有一天，

I was talking to somebody

我和某人聊天，

and he was telling me about this robbery that we could do.

他跟我说我们可以干一票抢劫。

And we did it.

于是我们去抢了。

The reality was that I was growing up

现实是，我成长在

in the strongest financial nation in the world,

世界上最强大的金融国家——

the United States of America,

美利坚合众国，

while I watched my mother stand in line at a blood bank

却看着我妈在血库排队

to sell her blood for 40 dollars just to try to feed her kids.

卖血挣40美元， 只是为了让她的孩子有饭吃。

She still has the needle marks on her arms to day to show for that.

她的胳膊上仍然有 那段时间留下的针孔疤痕。

So I never cared about my community.

所以我从来不关心我的社区。

They didn't care about my life.

他们没有在乎过我的生活。

Everybody there was doing what they were doing to take what they wanted,

每个人都在做他们自己的事 来换取他们想要的东西，

the drug dealers, the robbers, the blood bank.

毒贩、强盗、血库都是这样。

Everybody was taking blood money.

每个人都在赚血腥钱。

So I got mine by any means necessary.

所以我用一切必要手段去赚我那份。

I got mine.

我也赚我的血腥钱。

Financial literacy really did rule the world,

金钱确实在统治这个世界，

and I was a child slave to it

我也是一个受它支配的小孩

following the bad guy.

只不过我追随的是坏人

At 17 years old, I was arrested for robbery and murder

17岁时，我因抢劫和谋杀被捕，

and I soon learned that finances in prison rule more than they did on the streets,

我很快发现，金钱在监狱里 比在外面街上更有权威，

so I wanted in.

所以我要加入。

One day, I rushed to grab the sports page of the newspaper

有一天，我着急去拿报纸的体育版，

so my cellie could read it to me,

好让我的牢友念给我听，

and I accidentally picked up the business section.

我不小心拿起了商业版。

And this old man said, "Hey youngster, you pick stocks?"

有个老头儿说：“嘿， 年轻人，你选股票？”

And I said, "What's that?"

我说：“股票是啥？”

He said, "That's the place where white folks keep all their money."

他说：“白人把所有钱都放在那。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And it was the first time that I saw a glimpse of hope,

那是我第一次看到一线希望，

a future.

一个未来！

He gave me this brief description of what stocks were,

他给我简要描述了什么是股票，

but it was just a glimpse.

但那只是一瞥。

I mean, how was I supposed to do it?

我的意思是，我能怎么做？

I couldn't read, write or spell.

我不会读、不会写也不会拼。

The skills that I had developed to hide my illiteracy

我开发的掩饰文盲身份的技能

no longer worked in this environment.

在这种情况下都没用了。

I was trapped in a cage, prey among predators,

我被困在笼子里， 在掠食者中间捕食，

fighting for freedom I never had.

争取我从未拥有的自由。

I was lost, tired,

我迷失，疲惫，

and I was out of options.

无路可走。

So at 20 years old,

所以在20岁的时候，

I did the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life.

我做了我一生中最难一件事。

I picked up a book,

我拿起了一本书，

and it was the most agonizing time of my life,

那是我一生中最痛苦的时刻，

trying to learn how to read,

试图学习怎么读书，

the ostracizing from my family,

离家在外，

the homeys.

没有亲人。

It was rough, man.

很难啊，朋友们。

It was a struggle.

那是挣扎。

But little did I know

但我几乎不知道，

I was receiving the greatest gifts I had ever dreamed of:

我收到了曾梦想过的最大的礼物：

self-worth,

自我价值，

knowledge, discipline.

知识，纪律。

I was so excited to be reading that I read everything I could get my hands on:

我会认字太兴奋了， 能拿到的所有东西都要去读：

candy wrappers, clothing logos, street signs, everything.

糖果包装，衣服标牌，路标，一切。

I was just reading stuff!

我不停地读！

(Applause)

（掌声）

Just reading stuff.

不停地读。

I was so excited to know how to read and know how to spell.

我太高兴自己学会 如何阅读和如何拼写了。

The homey came up, said, "Man, what you eating?"

有个哥们儿过来问我：“嘿，你吃什么呢？”

I said, "C-A-N-D-Y, candy."

我说，“C-A-N-D-Y，糖果”。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

He said, "Let me get some." I said, "N-O. No."

他说：“让我吃点。” 我说，“N-O，不。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

It was awesome.

真是太棒了。

I mean, I can actually now for the first time in my life read.

人生第一次，我现在真的认字了。

The feeling that I got from it was amazing.

从中得到的感觉是美妙的。

And then at 22, feeling myself,

然后22岁时，我找到自我，

feeling confident,

能感到自信，

I remembered what the OG told me.

我想起那老头儿对我说的话。

So I picked up the business section of the newspaper.

所以我拿起报纸的商业版。

I wanted to find these rich white folks.

我想找到这些有钱的白人。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So I looked for that glimpse.

所以我寻找那一瞥。

As I furthered my career

随着我发展我的职业——

in teaching others how to financially manage money and invest,

教给别人如何管理资金和投资，

I soon learned that I had to take responsibility for my own actions.

我很快知道我必须对自己的行为负责。

True, I grew up in a very complex environment,

诚然，我在一个 非常复杂的环境中长大，

but I chose to commit crimes,

但是去犯罪是我自己选的，

and I had to own up to that.

我必须背负它。

I had to take responsibility for that, and I did.

我必须为之负责， 我也确实是这样做的。

I was building a curriculum that could teach incarcerated men

我开了一系列课程， 教给犯人如何通过在监狱工作

how to manage money through prison employments.

来管理金钱。

Properly managing our lifestyle would provide transferrable tools

适当管理我们的生活方式 将提供可移用的工具，

that we can use to manage money when we reenter society,

我们可以在重回社会时 用来管理金钱的工具，

like the majority of people did who didn't commit crimes.

就像没有犯罪的大多数人一样理财。

Then I discovered

然后我发现，

that according to MarketWatch,

根据"市场观察"所说的，

over 60 percent of the American population

60%以上的美国人

has under 1,000 dollars in savings.

存款不到1000美元。

Sports Illustrated said that over 60 percent of NBA players

运动画刊说， 60%以上的

and NFL players go broke.

NBA球员和NFL球员都破产了。

40 percent of marital problems derive from financial issues.

婚姻问题的40%来自财务问题。

What the hell?

什么啊？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

You mean to tell me that people worked their whole lives,

你想告诉我，一辈子都在工作的人们，

buying cars, clothes, homes and material stuff

可以买汽车、衣服、房子和家居材料等等，

but were living check to check?

但是每个月都花光光？

How in the world were members of society going to help incarcerated individuals

社会上那些人

如果连自己的东西都管不好，

back into society

到底怎么帮助犯人重回社会？

if they couldn't manage they own stuff?

We screwed.

我们完蛋了啊！

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I needed a better plan.

我需要一个更好的计划。

This is not going to work out too well.

现在这样可不行。

So ...

所以，

I thought.

我想，

I now had an obligation to meet those on the path

我现在有义务去接近 犯罪道路上的那些人，

and help,

帮助他们，

and it was crazy because I now cared about my community.

这很疯狂，因为我现在关心我的社区。

Wow, imagine that. I cared about my community.

哇，想象一下， 我居然关心我的社区了啊。

Financial illiteracy is a disease

财务盲是一种疾病，

that has crippled minorities and the lower class in our society

使我们社会中的少数群体和底层社会

for generations and generations,

一代又一代地陷入困境，

and we should be furious about that.

我们应该对此感到愤怒。

Ask yourselves this:

问问你自己：

How can 50 percent of the American population

身处由经济繁荣驱动的国家，

be financially illiterate in a nation driven by financial prosperity?

怎么会有50%的美国人是财务盲？

Our access to justice, our social status,

我们的司法权，我们的社会地位，

living conditions, transportation and food

生活条件、交通和食物都依赖于金钱，

are all dependent on money that most people can't manage.

可大多数人根本不懂理财。

It's crazy!

疯了啊！

It's an epidemic

这是流行病，

and a bigger danger to public safety than any other issue.

对公共安全的危害比任何其他问题都大。

According to the California Department of Corrections,

根据加州惩教部的统计，

over 70 percent of those incarcerated

70%以上的犯人

have committed or have been charged with money-related crimes:

已经犯有或被控犯有与钱有关的罪行：

robberies, burglaries, fraud, larceny, extortion --

抢劫，偷东西，欺诈，盗窃，勒索

and the list goes on.

还有很多。

Check this out:

举个例子：

a typical incarcerated person

一个典型的犯人，

would enter the California prison system

在进入加州监狱系统时

with no financial education,

没有财务知识，

earn 30 cents an hour,

每小时赚30美分，

over 800 dollars a year,

每年800多美元，

with no real expenses and save no money.

没有真正的花销，也不存钱。

Upon his parole, he will be given 200 dollars gate money and told,

假释时，给他200美元出门费，告诉他：

"Hey, good luck, stay out of trouble. Don't come back to prison."

“嗨，祝你好运， 别惹麻烦，别再来监狱了。”

With no meaningful preparation or long-term financial plan,

如果没有任何有意义的准备 或长期的财务计划，

what does he do ... ?

他能做什么？

At 60?

在60岁的年纪？

Get a good job,

找个好工作，

or go back to the very criminal behavior that led him to prison in the first place?

还是重回最初送他进监狱的犯罪行为？

You taxpayers, you choose.

你们是纳税人，你们选一选。

Well, his education already chose for him, probably.

可是，他的教育程度可能已经为他选了。

So how do we cure this disease?

那么我们如何治愈这种病呢？

I cofounded a program

我合作成立了一个计划，

that we call Financial Empowerment Emotional Literacy.

我们称之为理财能力感情教育

We call it FEEL,

简称FEEL，

and it teaches how do you separate your emotional decisions

它教你如何将情绪化的决定

from your financial decisions,

与财务决策分开，

and the four timeless rules to personal finance:

教你四个永恒的个人理财规则：

the proper way to save,

用正确的方式来存钱；

control your cost of living,

控制生活成本；

borrow money effectively

有效借贷；

and diversify your finances by allowing your money to work for you

允许财务多元化，

让钱为你工作， 而不是你为钱工作。

instead of you working for it.

Incarcerated people need these life skills before we reenter society.

犯人在重回社会之前需要这些生活技能。

You can't have full rehabilitation without these life skills.

没有这些生活技能就不能完全改过自新。

This idea that only professionals can invest and manage money

只有专业人士才能投资理财的想法

is absolutely ridiculous,

绝对是可笑的，

and whoever told you that is lying.

这么对你说的人是在撒谎。

(Applause)

（掌声）

A professional is a person

专业人士是比多数人

who knows his craft better than most,

更了解自己专业知识的人，

and nobody knows how much money you need, have or want better than you,

但是没人比你更清楚， 你需要、拥有或想要多少钱，

which means you are the professional.

这意味着你就是专业人士。

Financial literacy is not a skill, ladies and gentlemen.

财务素养并不是技能，女士们，先生们。

It's a lifestyle.

它是一种生活方式。

Financial stability is a byproduct of a proper lifestyle.

财务稳定是正确生活方式的副产品。

A financially sound incarcerated person can become a taxpaying citizen,

财务健全的犯人 可以变成一名纳税人，

and a financially sound taxpaying citizen can remain one.

财务健全的纳税人可以 继续做好一名纳税人。

This allows us to create a bridge between those people who we influence:

这让我们架起一座桥梁 连结我们能影响的人们：

family, friends and those young people

家人，朋友

who still believe that crime and money are related.

和那些仍然认为 犯罪与金钱分不开的年轻人。

So let's lose the fear and anxiety

所以让我们丢掉对所有金融术语

of all the big financial words

的恐惧和焦虑，

and all that other nonsense that you've been out there hearing.

也不要管外面听到的那些废话。

And let's get to the heart of what's been crippling our society

让我们直奔削弱社会的症结，

from taking care of your responsibility to be better life managers.

负起你的责任， 做一个更好的生活管理者。

And let's provide a simple and easy to use curriculum

让我们提供一个简单易学的课程，

that gets to the heart, the heart

直达核心，

of what financial empowerment and emotional literacy really is.

理财能力感情教育真正意义的核心。

Now, if you're sitting out here in the audience and you said,

现在，如果你坐在观众席里说：

"Oh yeah, well, that ain't me and I don't buy it,"

“哦，好吧，可是，那不是我，我不信，”

then come take my class --

那就来上我的课——

(Laughter)

（笑声）

so I can show you how much money it costs you every time you get emotional.

我会让你看看， 你每一次情绪化会损失多少钱。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Thank you very much. Thank you.

非常感谢。谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）