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

譯者: 庭芝 梁 審譯者: Ming Lee

I was 14 years old

當我 14 歲時，

inside of a bowling alley,

有一次我在保齡球館，

burglarizing an arcade game,

偷了大型電玩機台裡的錢。

and upon exiting the building

當我要離開球館時，

a security guard grabbed my arm, so I ran.

一名警衛抓住了我的手臂， 於是我逃跑了。

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

我跑到大街上，跳上了欄杆。

And when I got to the top,

當我跳到欄杆上時，

the weight of 3,000 quarters in my book bag

背包裡三千個兩角五分硬幣的重量，

pulled me back down to the ground.

將我拉倒在地。

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

當我恢復意識時，警衛低頭看著我，

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

他說：「臭小子，下一次記得 偷你自己搬得動的東西。」

(Laughter)

（笑）

I was taken to juvenile hall

我被帶到少年隊，

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

隨後交由母親帶回時，

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

我叔叔問我的第一句話是： 「你是怎麼被抓的？」

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

我說：「老兄， 因為背包實在太重了。」

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

他說：「小子，你不應該 把所有的錢都拿走的。」

我說：「老兄，可是錢幣很小啊！ 那我應該怎麼做？」

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

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

10 分鐘之後， 他帶我去偷另一部遊戲機台。

We needed gas money to get home.

因為我們需要錢加油，才能回家。

That was my life.

這就是我的人生。

I grew up in Oakland, California,

我生長在加州奧克蘭，

with my mother and members of my immediate family

和我的母親以及沉迷於古柯鹼的親戚

addicted to crack cocaine.

住在一起。

My environment consisted of living with family, friends,

我就在家人、朋友

and homeless shelters.

和遊民收留所間遊蕩著。

Oftentimes, dinner was served in breadlines and soup kitchens.

通常我們的晚餐，都得去排隊 領取救濟品和免費餐點。

The big homey told me this:

這個大家庭教導我的是：

money rules the world

金錢統治著這個世界，

and everything in it.

以及當中的所有事物。

And in these streets, money is king.

而在這幾條街上，金錢才是王道。

And if you follow the money,

如果你追隨著金錢，

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

它會引導你成為壞人或是好人。

Soon after, I committed my first crime,

不久之後我犯下了人生第一個案件，

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

這是第一次有人告訴我， 我很有潛力，

and felt like somebody believed in me.

感覺就像是有人願意相信我。

Nobody ever told me that I could be a lawyer,

因為從來沒有人告訴過我， 我可能會成為律師、

doctor or engineer.

醫生或工程師。

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

我的意思是，什麼是我應該做的？ 我不會閱讀、寫字甚至是拼字。

我是個文盲。

I was illiterate.

So I always thought crime was my way to go.

所以我一直認為， 犯罪是我唯一能走的路。

And then one day

後來有一天，

I was talking to somebody

我在跟某人聊天時，

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

他告訴我，我們可以去搶劫。

And we did it.

而我們真的做了。

The reality was that I was growing up

現實就是，雖然我生長在

in the strongest financial nation in the world,

全球最強大的金融國家──

the United States of America,

美利堅合眾國，

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

而我卻只能眼睜睜看著母親 排在血庫外的隊伍中，

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

賣出她的血液賺取 40 美元， 只是為了讓她的孩子有飯吃。

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

到今天，她的手臂 仍然留著針孔的痕跡，

見證著當時那段日子。

So I never cared about my community.

所以，我從來不關心我居住的社區。

They didn't care about my life.

他們也不關心我的人生。

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

那裡的每個人 都在做他們自己的事情，

以換取他們想要的東西。

無論是毒販、搶匪或是血庫，

the drug dealers, the robbers, the blood bank.

每個人都在賺血腥錢。

Everybody was taking blood money.

So I got mine by any means necessary.

所以，我也用 各種必要的手段來賺錢。

I got mine.

我也賺了血腥錢。

Financial literacy really did rule the world,

財務素養的確主宰著這個世界，

and I was a child slave to it

而我只是追隨著 這個壞傢伙的童工奴隸之一。

following the bad guy.

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

在 17 歲那年， 我因為搶劫殺人被逮捕，

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

我很快就學到，

財務素養在監獄中， 甚至比在街道上更為重要，

so I wanted in.

所以我想要瞭解它。

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

有一天，我急著想要 搶到報紙的體育版，

so my cellie could read it to me,

這樣才能讓獄友讀報給我聽，

and I accidentally picked up the business section.

然而我無意之中拿到了商業版。

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

我的老獄友說： 「嘿！小伙子，你會挑選股票嗎？」

And I said, "What's that?"

我說：「那是什麼？」

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

他說：「這就是白人 藏著錢的地方。」

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

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

這是第一次，我看到了希望，

a future.

還有未來。

He gave me this brief description of what stocks were,

他用簡短的描述， 告訴我什麼是股票，

but it was just a glimpse.

但這也只是驚鴻一瞥。

I mean, how was I supposed to do it?

我的意思是，我應該怎麼做？

I couldn't read, write or spell.

我不會閱讀、寫字甚至是拼字。

The skills that I had developed to hide my illiteracy

過去我已經培養出各種技巧， 來隱藏自己是文盲，

no longer worked in this environment.

但是在這個環境中， 這些都不再有用。

I was trapped in a cage, prey among predators,

我彷彿被困在牢籠裡，

處在一群掠奪者之中， 成為他們的獵物。

fighting for freedom I never had.

為從未獲得過的自由而戰鬥。

I was lost, tired,

我迷失了，覺得累了，

and I was out of options.

但我卻束手無策。

So at 20 years old,

所以在 20 歲時，

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

我做了一件我生命中 最困難的事情。

I picked up a book,

我拿起了一本書，開始閱讀。

and it was the most agonizing time of my life,

這是我一生中最痛苦的時光，

trying to learn how to read,

我努力學習如何閱讀，

the ostracizing from my family,

然而我卻被我的家庭、

the homeys.

我的兄弟所排斥。

It was rough, man.

這真的很艱難。

It was a struggle.

這是一場戰爭。

But little did I know

但當時我還不知道，

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

我從中得到夢想中最珍貴的禮物：

self-worth,

自我價值、

knowledge, discipline.

知識、紀律。

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

閱讀令我感到興奮， 於是我讀了所有能看到的東西：

candy wrappers, clothing logos, street signs, everything.

糖果包裝、服飾商標、 道路標誌，所有的東西。

I was just reading stuff!

我只是拼命地讀！

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

Just reading stuff.

只是拼命地讀！

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

我很興奮地學習如何閱讀和拼字。

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

有次一位哥們看到我， 他說：「老兄，你在吃什麼？」

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

我說：「C-A-N-D-Y，糖果。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

他說：「給我一些。」 我回答：「N-O，不要。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It was awesome.

這實在太棒了。

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

我的意思是， 在我人生中第一次能夠閱讀。

The feeling that I got from it was amazing.

我從閱讀當中得到的感受 是充滿驚奇的。

And then at 22, feeling myself,

到了 22 歲時，我感受到自我，

feeling confident,

感受到自信。

I remembered what the OG told me.

於是我想起了當年老獄友告訴我的。

So I picked up the business section of the newspaper.

於是我拿起報紙的商業版面，

I wanted to find these rich white folks.

我試著要找到這些有錢的白人。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So I looked for that glimpse.

所以我開始尋找那些蛛絲馬跡。

As I furthered my career

隨著我進一步發展事業──

in teaching others how to financially manage money and invest,

教導別人如何管理金錢和投資，

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

我很快就學到， 我必須為自己的行為負責。

True, I grew up in a very complex environment,

的確，我在生長在一個 非常複雜的環境中，

but I chose to commit crimes,

但我必須坦白地承認，

and I had to own up to that.

是我自己選擇走上犯罪的道路。

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

我必須承擔責任，而我做到了。

I was building a curriculum that could teach incarcerated men

我正在建立一套課程， 要教導監獄裡的犯人

how to manage money through prison employments.

如何藉由監獄的勞動工作進行理財。

Properly managing our lifestyle would provide transferrable tools

學會管理好自己的生活方式， 未來也將成為一個有用的工具，

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

當我們重新回到社會時， 可以用它來管理財務，

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

就像沒有走上犯罪之路的 大多數人所做的理財方式。

Then I discovered

後來我發現，

that according to MarketWatch,

根據華爾街日報的市場觀察站，

over 60 percent of the American population

60% 以上的美國人

has under 1,000 dollars in savings.

銀行裡的存款不到 1000 美元。

Sports Illustrated said that over 60 percent of NBA players

美國運動畫刊報導， 超過 60% 的 NBA 球員

and NFL players go broke.

與 NFL 球員面臨破產。

40 percent of marital problems derive from financial issues.

其中有 40% 的婚姻問題， 都是來自於經濟問題。

What the hell?

到底在搞什麼鬼？

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

你的意思是告訴我， 人們工作了一輩子，

buying cars, clothes, homes and material stuff

為了購買汽車、衣服、 房子和生活用品，

but were living check to check?

卻每個月都把賺來的錢花光？

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

他們身為社會的一份子，

要如何去協助更生人重回社會，

back into society

if they couldn't manage they own stuff?

如果不懂得管理好自己的財產？

We screwed.

我們搞砸了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I needed a better plan.

我需要一個更好的計劃。

This is not going to work out too well.

現在的方式看起來並不太順利。

So ...

所以……

I thought.

我想到，

I now had an obligation to meet those on the path

我現在有義務讓更生人 走上正確的道路，

and help,

並且協助他們，

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

這真是瘋狂，

因為我現在居然會關心我的社區。

Wow, imagine that. I cared about my community.

哇，想像一下， 我居然會關心自己的社區。

Financial illiteracy is a disease

財務素養上的文盲， 就像是一種疾病，

that has crippled minorities and the lower class in our society

會讓社會上的弱勢族群和底層階級，

for generations and generations,

世世代代都陷入困境，

and we should be furious about that.

我們應該對此感到憤怒。

Ask yourselves this:

問自己一個問題：

How can 50 percent of the American population

為何像美國這樣經濟繁榮的國家，

be financially illiterate in a nation driven by financial prosperity?

還會有 50% 以上的民眾， 對財務素養一無所知？

Our access to justice, our social status,

我們的司法正義、我們的社會地位、

living conditions, transportation and food

生活條件、交通和食物都需要金錢，

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

但是大多數人卻不懂得管理財務。

It's crazy!

這真是瘋狂！

It's an epidemic

這是一種流行病，

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

對於公眾安全的危害， 甚至比其他議題更大。

According to the California Department of Corrections,

根據加州政府矯正部門的統計，

over 70 percent of those incarcerated

監獄裡的犯人有超過 70％

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

已經犯下或是被起訴的罪名 都與金錢有關：

robberies, burglaries, fraud, larceny, extortion --

搶劫、竊盜、詐欺、偷竊、勒索──

and the list goes on.

還有很多項目。

Check this out:

試想一下：

a typical incarcerated person

一位普通的犯人，

would enter the California prison system

進入加州監獄，

with no financial education,

沒有接受過任何財務方面的教育，

earn 30 cents an hour,

他每小時賺 30 美分，

over 800 dollars a year,

每年賺 800 多美元，

with no real expenses and save no money.

沒有任何現金花費，也沒有儲蓄。

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

在假釋期間，他會拿到 200 美元，

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

然後被告知：

「嗨，祝你好運，不要惹麻煩。 別再回來監獄了！」

With no meaningful preparation or long-term financial plan,

缺乏有意義的準備， 或是長期財務規劃的情況下，

what does he do ... ?

他能做什麼？

At 60?

如果他 60 歲了呢？

Get a good job,

找到一個好工作？

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

還是回到之前的地方，去從事那些 讓他進監獄的犯罪行為？

You taxpayers, you choose.

你們這些納稅人，你會選擇哪一種？

Well, his education already chose for him, probably.

很好，他受的教育 也許已經決定了他的選擇。

So how do we cure this disease?

那麼我們如何治療這種疾病呢？

I cofounded a program

我們共同創立了一個

that we call Financial Empowerment Emotional Literacy.

稱為「財務賦權情緒素養」的計畫。

We call it FEEL,

簡稱為 FEEL，

and it teaches how do you separate your emotional decisions

它教導你如何將情緒決策

from your financial decisions,

與財務決策分開，

and the four timeless rules to personal finance:

以及四項長期個人理財原則：

the proper way to save,

一、用適當的方式省錢，

control your cost of living,

二、控制生活成本，

borrow money effectively

三、有效率地貸款，

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

四、多元化財務收入； 讓你的錢替你工作，

instead of you working for it.

而不是你為了錢而工作。

Incarcerated people need these life skills before we reenter society.

囚犯在重新進入社會之前， 需要具備這些生活技能。

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

如果沒有這些生活技能， 你就無法完全改過自新。

This idea that only professionals can invest and manage money

如果你以為只有專業人士 才能進行投資和管理金錢，

is absolutely ridiculous,

這個想法是荒謬可笑的，

and whoever told you that is lying.

會這樣告訴你的人，就是在說謊。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

A professional is a person

專業人士指的是

who knows his craft better than most,

擁有比大多數人更優秀的能力，

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

然而沒有人知道你需要、 擁有或是想要多少錢，

which means you are the professional.

這意味著你自己就是專業人士。

Financial literacy is not a skill, ladies and gentlemen.

各位女士、先生， 財務素養並不是一種技能，

It's a lifestyle.

而是一種生活方式。

Financial stability is a byproduct of a proper lifestyle.

財務穩定是適當的 生活方式下的副產品。

A financially sound incarcerated person can become a taxpaying citizen,

一位財務健全的囚犯， 未來將會成為一名納稅人，

and a financially sound taxpaying citizen can remain one.

而一位財務健全的納稅人， 就會保持納稅人的身分。

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

這使我們能夠建立起一座橋樑， 連結我們所能夠影響的人：

family, friends and those young people

那些仍然認為 犯罪和金錢息息相關的

who still believe that crime and money are related.

家人、朋友和年輕人。

So let's lose the fear and anxiety

所以讓我們拋下所有對於 財務術語的恐懼和焦慮，

of all the big financial words

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

拋下所有那些 你在其他地方聽到的廢話。

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

我們要直指核心， 找出那些正在削弱社會的原因，

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

就需要善盡自己的責任， 成為更好的生活管理者。

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

讓我們提供一個簡單、易學的課程，

that gets to the heart, the heart

能打動人心的課程，

of what financial empowerment and emotional literacy really is.

這才是財務賦權情緒素養的 真正核心價值。

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

現在，如果你正坐在觀眾席，說：

「哦，好吧，那不是我， 我才不買帳。」

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

then come take my class --

那你應該來上我的課──

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

我可以讓你看到， 你每次激動時，會花費多少錢。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you very much. Thank you.

非常感謝大家，謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）