赚钱是正事，赚到钱是好事，赚到大钱是美事。

耗费心血岁月，去赚这辈子永远也用不着的金钱，是蠢事。

“在我年轻的时候，我认为金钱是人生中最重要的东西。现在我老了，明白确实如此。”（王尔德）(“When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life. Now that I am old, I know that it is.” by Oscar Wilde)

鹦鹉学舌一下：在我年轻的时候，我不认为金钱是人生中最重要的东西。现在我老了，观念有所改变：金钱确实是人生中最重要的东西之一。

人生在世的一大悲哀就是个体的自由意志与其财力成正比。

当你贫穷的时候，人们一半同情你，一半蔑视你；当你逐渐脱贫致富，人们就开始对你羡慕嫉妒恨了。

常言道“君子不言利”，应该再加上一句“伪君子不谈钱”。我不是君子，如果再绝口不言钱，岂不成伪君子了。不羞于谈钱，即使不成真君子，至少避免个“伪”字。别看我平时心有猛虎细嗅蔷薇，舞文弄墨玩高雅装深沉，其实我很喜欢钱，长年累月努力赚钱，能力也高于平均水准。只有占有了足够的金钱，才有闲情逸致读书品茗赏花看月，不然只有贫贱夫妻百事哀了，这个我很熟悉。那些月月光的日子，实在没有多少心情去听贝多芬。

这篇文章让我感慨的是作者出污泥而不染的精神。在北美最容易让人性迷失于金钱的职业，销售是很大的一块，诸如房产中介、汽车销售、金融产品代理等等，原因很简单，这些职业的主要收入来源是commission，也即佣金或抽成，你卖得越多，越快，收入也就越高。在急功近利心理驱使下，不择手段乃至坑蒙拐骗也就应运而生。说起来我自己也做过销售，由此回想起往事：

上世纪90年代中，在找到第一份全职IT工作前，做过短期的汽车销售，那是马里兰州巴尔的摩近郊小镇Timonium的一家尼桑车行。在被雇用后的两周内，我卖掉了8辆车，作为唯一的移民雇员，在有十几位销售员名列其中的业绩排行榜上直冲第三。这个成绩是相当不错的，因为初来乍到一家车行，没有任何现成的客户关系网可以利用，完全要靠个人努力去打开局面，而我是一个菜鸟兼外来户，地方上几乎不认识什么人。那么我又是怎么做到初战告捷的呢？答案是简单的四个字 — 以诚待人。你以诚待人，君子坦荡荡，客户能够感受得到，这时你的新手资质，外国人身份，和英语表达等负面因素，就都不是什么大问题了，相互信任关系就此建立起来，其它的商务自水到渠成。仅具一例：

这天店里来了一位顾客，一个黑人小伙，穿着有些邋遢，动作也有那么几分说不出的不入眼，走在大街上，没准会被人误认作无家可归者。只见他摇晃走去展厅中央，在那台Maxima前停下，探头探脑观看，却是没人上前搭理。没人搭理我来，走过去和他打招呼，谈起来，一边认真聆听，一边努力予以反馈，回答问题，详细介绍产品。二人谈得不错，于是约好了再见。第二天，他带着老爹等两三位亲朋好友一起来到店里，老爹告诉我，他这个儿子身体不好，工作也一般，家里人对他很是关爱，现在他非常喜欢这辆车，全家人要齐心合力帮助他。就这样，他们买下了这台摆放在展厅，全车行最好的轿车，连试驾都没做。（未完待续）

北美移民中，老中发财致富大多靠单干（合伙很少有好结局，不过福建偷渡客倒是有穷帮穷的好传统），做个体生意如餐馆外卖店洗衣店美甲店按摩店等，艰苦奋斗多年后大都事业有成，但其中偷税漏税的比例很大。其它就是炒股炒房等，以各类专业人员居多，利用业余时间炒东炒西，虽说只是副业，成功者却不在少数，其中炒房普遍比炒股更赚更稳。而老印则讲究团队精神，善于多家集资买生意，如旅馆和连锁快餐店。只要守法，发财致富总是好事。至于具体手段，小鸡不尿尿，各有各的道，老中老印各有千秋，明白了就好。

你喜欢金钱但绝口不谈，你喜欢女人却道貌岸然，有人叫你伪君子你还发怒，据说你的名字叫法利赛人。

我们中国人为了赚钱，为了追求将来的美好生活，夫妻长期分居不是问题。丈夫在中国挣钱，妻子儿女在海外定居很普遍，比如在我们这个加拿大小城，分居夫妻常见，特别厉害的分了20多年，熬到头都秃了，小孩子大学毕业了。不得不说，中国人是夫妻分居忍受力最强大的物种。这在西方人看来绝对是不可思议：哪有为了挣钱，夫妻可以人为地长年分居。挣钱是为了养家，而分居家就不成为家了，岂非本末倒置。既然是夫妻，就要生活在一起。如果不能生活在一起，那就不要做夫妻。

中国的房地产就是一个天大的笑话：草民百姓花天价购买的所谓房产，不过只是70年的居住权。你含辛茹苦当牛做马几十年，最后谢天谢地终于付清了房贷买断了下来的房子竟然不属于你，不是你神圣不可侵犯，可以传宗接代的私有财产，因为这房子是政府租借给你的。你花费天价买到的不是房子本身，而是房子的70年居住权。房子的地主是政府，你是地主也即政府的租客。既然是租借，到期就要归还，这叫物归原主，原主就是人民政府。70年后使用期限到，以中国建筑行业普遍存在的偷工减料来看，那时这些钢筋水泥豆腐渣建筑不是已经提前倒塌寿终正寝了，就是没几年也快了。届时红N代政府名正言顺地依据法律将这些房地产收归国有，然后在原地推倒旧房建新房，再以天价卖给下一代草民，开始新的一轮70年韭菜收割。

对草民百姓如此心狠手辣竭泽而渔的政府，古今中外实在罕见。

明明是70年甚至50年的租期，它说房子卖给了你，说只要你付出了巨款，从此就是这块从来，永远都不属于你的土地上的房子的业主。中国政府真敢骗，中国百姓真好骗。

没钱的时候想着有钱的时候，所谓做梦发财；有钱的时候想着没钱的时候，所谓思甜忆苦。

有什么样的民众就有什么样的政府，有多贪婪的政府就有多愚昧的民众。亿万中国草民热衷买房，而不喜欢租房，以为买下的房子才是自己的产业。让我们来粗略算算在中国买房这笔账：以一栋位于北上广的100平米的公寓为例：10万1平米，总价1千万人民币。

付款方式一：以现金全部付清。最高70年租用期（实则绝大多数不到70年）。如果将这1千万存银行，以年利率3%计算（按大陆利息并不算高），每年的利息为30万，平均每个月2万5千，以这个价钱（只多不少）完全可以在同一区域租住一个同等尺寸与质量的公寓，而1千万的本金不必动用分毫。那么你为什么要买房呢？把1千万存银行，以利息租房不好吗？

付款方式二：按月付贷款。假设0首付，30年付清，3.3%的利率。你需要每个月付5万元，30年后总共付出1800万。届时你这已经30年高龄的房子的租用期还剩下最多40年，少则20几年，其价值又能剩下多少呢，恐怕即使算上通货膨胀，也没有当初的1千万了吧。你省吃俭用含辛茹苦整整30年买下的房子，随着其租用期的日益缩短而不断贬值。你买房的意义又何在呢？

当然我也明白，买房民众许多是一半为了住，一半为了炒，和玩股票差不多。自然有人从中大赚，只是苦了晚来的大量接盘侠。

反思我快乐的主要来源，不是写出了好字，就是赚到了钱。唉，我的快乐到底不是足金，我终究还是一个俗人。

能挣还要会花，只要不奢华，不浪费。别住着豪宅冬天在家穿棉袄，银行账户上一连串零打着翻盖手机。这是一个商品社会，增加产量，促进就业，你花钱是为国家民族做贡献。如果为环保理念而减少消费，更合理的做法是节源少挣钱。

我爱金钱，因为我爱自由。金钱可以给人带来自由，身体的和精神的自由，随之而来的是拥有自由后的幸福与欢乐。为了博取自由，我必须努力赚钱，另外这也是我作为一个丈夫和父亲无可推诿的义务和责任。拥有金钱是让我走向自由王国精神天地的必由之路。是的，自由是目的，金钱是桥梁和道路。

我最恨，却不得不做的事情就是为五斗米折腰。现在，我的腰杆终于直起来了，直起来了就再不会折下去。

舍不得在某事上花小钱，最后为了这节省丢大钱。许多人对此都有过惨痛经历吧？正所谓该花一定要花，不花加倍追加。

伪君对待金钱，如同男人对待浪女，骨子里爱，表面上恨；暗中急着亲近，明地装作远离。

“能用钱搞定的事儿都不是事儿”，这句流行语不错。钱越多，求人处越少，低声下气越少，此乃钱之一大妙处。凡是用钱可以搞定的事情，不要去求人帮助，尽量避免为了省钱而求人。做到这点，你就是一个自尊感更强的人。早年做学生时，有个家境最好的老中死皮赖脸的请求大家帮他搬家，就为了省几个雇工钱，要占穷学生的便宜。让人瞧不起。

The phrase 'If something can be solved with money, it's not a problem' is quite popular, and for good reason. The more money you have, the less you need to rely on others, and the less you have to be humble. This is one of the great things about money. For anything that can be solved with money, it bests not to ask for help from others or to try to save money by burdening others. If you can do this, you will have a stronger sense of self-respect. When I was a student, there was a relatively wealthy co-worker who humbly asked everyone to help him move, just to save a few bucks on hiring workers. It was contemptible and unbecoming.

人人爱钱，人人骂钱，钱比窦娥还冤。三种人骂钱骂得最凶，一为没钱却爱钱者，二为有钱扮高雅者，三为耶稣佛陀类。后者为真骂，可世上有几个耶稣佛陀？

Everyone loves money, everyone curses money, and money is even more unjust than Dou E (a character from a Chinese play who was wrongfully executed). Three types of people curse money the most: one for those who do not have money but love money, the second for those who have money to play elegant, and the third for Jesus Buddha class. The last type of criticism is genuine, but how many Jesus and Buddhas are there in the world?

90年代中获得首份IT专业工作的前几年，我从事过以下工作，或全职或兼职：学校机房前台、访问学者助理、不良于行者看护、中文私教、募捐收款人、庭院工、多家餐馆外卖员/侍者助手/侍者/收银员、多家汽车销售员、墓地销售员、出租车司机。回忆起来，感觉有些厉害。

In the years leading up to my first professional IT job in the mid-1990s, I worked in various full-time or part-time positions, including computer lab helpdesk, visiting scholar assistant, caregiver for handicapped, Chinese tutor, fundraising collector, yard worker, delivery driver/busboy/waiter/cashier for multiple restaurants, taxi driver, cemetery plot salesman, and car salesman for multiple dealerships. In retrospect, I think I was a tough guy.

商品首要在质量，其次为价格，而牌子则更次。酷爱名牌奢饰品的消费者按心理分析看，是对自己这个人缺乏某种自信，所以需要用名牌来弥补，去穿用给他人看。实则有些可怜。好在我们没有这个问题，母亲妻子女儿都是不慕虚荣的女性。

Quality is the foremost consideration when it comes to goods, followed by price, with brand being of lesser importance. Consumers pursuing luxury brand products are, from a psychological perspective, lacking in a certain self-confidence and thus need to compensate by using brand-name products to impress others. It's pitiable. Fortunately, we don't have this problem. My mother, wife, and daughter are not vain women.

四种人生，必居其一：一有钱有欢乐，二有钱没欢乐，三没钱有欢乐，四没钱没欢乐。有钱没钱乃相对，如果说再无需为五斗米折腰即可称有钱，那么我现在就是有钱有欢乐。感谢主！

Four kinds of life, must live in one of them: one rich with joy, two rich without joy, three poor with joy, four poor without joy. Rich or poor is relative. If we don't have to worry about making a living, we can consider ourselves rich. I am rich and joyful now. Thank you, Lord!

穷人羡慕富人没问题，富人鄙视穷人有问题。穷人不要由妒生恨，富人不要为富不仁。做到都不易，还是中产最潇洒独立。

It's understandable for the poor to envy the rich, and it is bad for the rich to despise the poor. The poor should not turn their envy into hatred, and the rich should not live without compassion and benevolence. Achieving both is not easy, so the middle class is the most relaxed and independent.

“要时时刻刻为生计操心，世界上再也没有什么比这更丢脸的了。那些视金钱如粪土的人，我就最瞧不起。他们不是伪君子就是傻瓜 …… 钱能够给我带来世上最宝贵的东西 — 不求人。想到现在只要我愿意，我就能够骂任何人滚他妈的蛋，真是开心之至！”（毛姆）这位先生看来和我一样穷过，对金钱有基本认识，且不是一个伪君子，但他过于激愤了，为生计操心并不丢脸，不然世上绝大多数人都无地自容了。

"Having to worry about making a living all the time is the most humiliating thing in the world. Those who treat money like dirt are the ones I despise the most. They are either hypocrites or fools. ... Money can bring me the most precious thing in the world: independence. It's such a joy to think that now I can tell anyone to go f**k themselves if I want to!" (Maugham) This gentleman appears to have experienced poverty like me and has a basic understanding of money. Of course he is not a hypocrite, but he is too agitated. There is no shame in worrying about making a living; otherwise, the overwhelming majority of people in the world would have no self-respect.

“囊中羞涩捉襟见肘，虽还没到入不敷出的份上，却是远低于贫困线的预算平衡，月月光，月头吃肉月底喝汤，小日子过得比勒到了最后一个扣眼的裤腰带还紧三分。为了渡过眼下这艰难岁月，夫妻俩商议出一句持家经典名言：能不买的东西绝对不买，不得不买的东西买最便宜的。平日里常常打趣着相互提醒。”（《圣诞树》）

"Shyness in the pocket is stretched to the limit, although not to the point of not making ends meet. Our monthly income barely balances out our monthly expenses, with the living budget far below the poverty line. Month after month, we eat meat at the beginning and drink soup at the end. Our days are spent pinching pennies tighter than the last buttonhole on a pants belt. In order to tide over these difficult years, the couple comes up with a classic household saying: Rule number one: 'Never buy anything that isn't necessary," and rule number two: 'Always buy the cheapest if you have to buy'. We often jokingly remind each other on weekdays." (From "The Christmas Tree")

有了物质，未必就有精神；没有或缺乏物质，更不易有精神，乞丐普遍没富翁精神，地主比长工更精神。故而物质是精神的基础，精神是物质的产物。而物质等同于财富。说穿了既让人沮丧，又令人难堪，但却是严酷的事实，贯穿古今中外。

Possessing material doesn't necessarily mean having spirit; lacking material makes it even harder to have spirit. Beggars are generally not as rich in spirit as the wealthy, and landlords are more spiritual than slaves. Therefore, matter is the foundation of spirit, and spirit is the product of matter. Material possessions are equivalent to wealth. Putting the reality bluntly is both frustrating and embarrassing, but it is the harsh truth that applies throughout history and across cultures.

幸福有限，悲苦无边。穷人的悲苦远过富人的幸福！

Happiness is limited, misery is boundless. The misery of the poor far outweighs the happiness of the rich!

房屋买卖建议：首先确定目前市场走向，是向上还是向下，极其重要！切记！
（1）市场向上：尽早买，尽晚卖，最好不卖。换房绝不先卖后买，而要先买后卖，或同时进行。
（2）市场向下：尽早卖，尽晚买。换房绝不先买后卖，而要先卖后买，或同时进行。
听说过很多伤心的买卖故事，希望你不是下一个。

Real estate buying and selling advice: First, it's extremely important to determine the current market trend, whether it's going up or down. Remember this! (1) If the market is going up: buy as early as possible, sell as late as possible, and ideally, don't sell at all. When switching houses, never sell before buying, but rather buy first and then sell, or sell and buy synchronously. (2) If the market is going down: sell as early as possible, buy as late as possible. When switching houses, never buy before selling, but rather sell first and then buy, or sell and buy synchronously. I've heard many sad stories about buying and selling houses, and I hope you won't be the next one.

为什么我要和你们分享我在投资市场上失败与成功的经验？因为市场上傻瓜多了，那些精明的投机客和幸运儿就从傻瓜身上赚钱了。不幸的是，市场上总是傻瓜多聪明人少，只有当傻瓜少聪明人多了，才有可能相对公平，即使永远不可能绝对公平。

Why do I want to share with you my experiences of failure and success in the investment market? Because there are too many fools in the market, and those cunning speculators and lucky ones make money from them. Unfortunately, there are always more fools than smart people in the market. Only when there are more smart people than fools will the market be relatively fair, even though it will never be absolutely fair.

发财，失财，全在一个“贪”字。处理好了，就是发财；处理不好，就是失财。如何是好？简而言之，大而化之：贪可，过贪不可。

Making a fortune or losing it all comes down to the word "greed". If you manage it well, you will make a fortune; otherwise, you will lose it. How to manage it well? In short, the big picture: greed can be, overgreedy not.

财富与人品的关联是一个复杂且敏感的课题。穷人和富人哪个更良善？哪个更多罪恶？答案是没有明确答案：质朴的穷人到处都有，做慈善的富人亦常见；穷凶极恶者不少，为富不仁者也多，人心同等黑暗险恶。但总体而言，穷人比富人更危险，更加不可预测。富豪区比贫民区更安全，不言而喻吧。

The relationship between wealth and character is a complex and sensitive subject. Which group of people is more virtuous, the poor or the rich? Who commits more sins and crimes? There is no straightforward answer. Simple and honest people exist among the poor and wealthy alike, as do those who give generously to charity. Conversely, both the poor and the rich can also exhibit extreme wickedness and unscrupulous behavior. The human heart can be dark and sinister regardless of wealth. However, as a general trend, poor people may pose greater risks and be more unpredictable than their wealthier counterparts. It is widely recognized that affluent neighborhoods tend to be safer than those with lower economic status.

“俗话说贫贱夫妻百事哀，我们不是清教徒，自然也莫能例外。但在哀伤之余，我们也努力苦中作乐穷里寻欢，钓鱼、打网球、玩电脑游戏。不知道是相信慈悲的上帝对我们的前程定有合理安排，还是信奉车到山前必有路，老天爷饿不死瞎眼的鸟，反正我们愁眉苦脸唉声叹气的次数有限。”（《圣诞树》）

世俗智慧：穷勿哭穷，富勿炫富。哭穷丧志，炫富招恨。

说出不来不怕被笑话，从小到大、到老，我的衣服很少有超过一百美元的，鞋子好像也只有一双，就是最近网购的阿迪达斯网球鞋，网球上越来越舍得投资，谁知道还能打几年，身体如果出现伤病比如网球肘什么的，就可能永久告别这项心爱的运动，再不投资就没机会了。我较好的一些衣服，大都是在减价时买的，买到就是赚到，赚到穿着舒服。衣服不求名牌，只要合身不土就好。

金钱买不来幸福，这话被人说滥了。作为一种还算积极的阿Q精神，不要反对任何人宣扬和信奉。但是，严酷的现实却是：金钱不但可以买来幸福，而且是幸福的重要源泉之一。我有钱的时候可比没钱的时候幸福得多，虽然没钱的时候年轻，有钱的时候已年长。有钱的感觉确实美妙。