华尔街的赚钱经 第3期:让你致富的8门大学课程
The Courses that Make You Rich in University
让你致富的8门大学课程
Is it common knowledge that school doesn't prepare you well for the real world?
学生通过学校的学习并不能掌握应对残酷现实世界的技能，这是否已经成为所有人的共识了呢?
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.
当然，你可以通过上大学获得一个高学位和一份高薪工作，接着工作到60岁，然后开始享受退休生活，享受迟来了40余年的那份安逸快活。但是，这并不能保证你就能过上成功、稳定并且金钱宽裕的生活。你要明白，学校是不会在让学生变富裕或成为一名企业家方面下大工夫的，换句话说就是，学校在传授学生如何变得富有这方面，是彻底的失败者。
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.
不过，目前学生还是要待在学校里学习的。尤其对于那些想成为富人的学生来说，学校可以帮助你选择一些最有帮助的相关课程。实际上，有些课程能够提供十分关键的信息和指导。如果你能加以充分地利用，那么财富就会在不远处向你招手。
Accounting
会计学
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.
虽然排列的顺序没有特殊的意义，但是我觉得如果你想要获得经济上的成功，那么会计必是首选的课程。当今的信用危机不正好说明了有很多人对保持收支平衡都很不在行吗。人们在好购刷卡购买一台47英寸等离子电视的时候还是分不清财产和负债的区别。
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.
如果想要使你的财政状况保持有序，你就需要对这两者间的差别，还有货物清单及现金流这些概念有所了解。此外，当你想、自己创业时，这些概念也很重要。生意的好坏都会在收支平衡表和财政结算表中有所反映。如果这些表上的数据不够理想，那么你的生意也不会好到哪儿去。通过学会计学，你会知道现金流的保有能使你取得生意上的成功，进而帮助你取得人生的成功。
Marketing
市场营销
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.
如果你想要从销售(这也是绝大多数公司赚钱的方式)中赚到钱，那么你就得学会找到合适的产品。市场营销从本质上来说并不等于销售。不过它会让你学会怎样去推销产品和服务。通过学习市场营销，你就会明白消费者想要什么样的商品，把精力集中到能让消费者满意的商品上，并试着让他们对那件产品有购买的欲望。
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.
产品不畅销，通常都是因为其生产商事先没有调查，确定这件产品的市场前景。虽然在这个过程中既要做市场调查又要消耗一些时间，不过这样做却能帮公司省掉成千上万，甚至百万、千万美元的损失。对于一位企业家来说，它还可以帮忙节省许多宝贵的时间和金钱。因此，首先要认真调研市场，其次才是着眼于产品本身。
Economics
经济学
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 (i.e.consumer over-spending, speculative real estate investing, fragile lending practices, a weakening dollar, low supply of oil, etc).
如果想全面了解投资与生意，那你就得对货物和服务的生产、分配以及消费这些方面有所了解。当前美国的经济状况是由多种因素造成的，例如消费者的过度消费，房地产的投机猖獗，过于脆弱的借款机制，美元的疲软以及石油供应不足等。
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.
了解经济发展的态势，会让你看清投资方向。进而，你就可以避免错误的投资并找到正确的投资领域。此外，你还能清楚地洞察到自己生意的未来走向，比如你是应该紧跟当前的风头增加货源，还是应该清理积压商品等等。
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.
经济学在个人的金融教育中是一个不可或缺的因素。当今世界已经变成了一个全球市场，所有的货物及服务的供求都在这个大市场中进行。
Finance
金融学
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.
金融学会帮你理解钱的时间价值以及不同投资机构的运行方式。要想发财，关键之一就是要了解：当钱不在你手上的时候，它们是如何运作的。有关金融——最好是针对如何管理企业的课程会教你怎样达到那样的理解层次。或许这会涉及到数学，但并不会太难。相反，它会让你成为一名更强更有悟性的投资人。
Any American History Course
任意一门美国历史课
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.
历史可能很枯燥。但是如果你能换一个角度去看待它，你就会得到很多有用的启示。你能从历史中看到他人所犯的错误。这是它最有价值的地方。此外，通过对历史的学习能够让你避免再犯前人所犯过的错误。
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.
美国历史是由许许多多的灾难、错误的转折，以及可怕的决定充斥而成的一一不论是政治的还是经济的。你要做的，就是研究这些错误，并找出更好的解决办法。
Writing and Composition
写作
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.
要想成为一名成功的企业家，你必须具有表达自己观点以及表达自己的能力。因为无论是要向投资者表述一个构思、起草记者会文稿，还是拟定一份商业计划书，你都需要与别人沟通，而且大多数情况下，这种沟通都是通过书面形式完成的。当你在表达自己的观点和想法时，熟练掌握基本的写作以及语法技巧能让你事半功倍。
Any Literature Course
任意一门文学课程
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.
文学和历史一样，饱含了前人留下的宝贵经验和才智。鉴于此，为什么不把这些宝贵资源充分汲取呢?小说所涵盖的主题是不受任何限制的。厄内斯特·海明威的小说的内容能激发人们的灵感。奥斯卡·王尔德会提供十分独到的、精辟的商业建议。亨利·大卫·梭罗则是教人自助自立的大师级作家。这些书能够提供的原理古今通用，不仅促进个人发展，而且还能帮助你创造财富。
Management
管理学
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.
老板们的一个通病，就是不知道如何管理好自己的员工。如果想要经营一门生意，你必须能离效高速地处理问题。当你对管理的理念有所了解，又掌握了多种应对方法和技巧之后，你这个老板就会变得人见人爱，而且还能赚到更多的钱。
