在富人學校做窮學生是什麼感受?
During my first year of college, I went on a trip with a group of other classmates to New York City to network with alumni. At the end of the day, after spending hours going from one company to the next, several of the students talked about hanging out in the city for a while before getting dinner.
“It’ll be so much fun,” they said. “You should totally come with us!”
“這一定會很有趣”，他們說。“一起來吧！”I said I would be happy to tag along, and I followed the group onto a train headed towards another part of town. When we finally reached our stop and climbed out onto the street, I suddenly found myself surrounded by clothing stores and restaurants as far as the eye could see.
我說我很樂意跟他們一起逛，然後我跟着他們上了火車，去往這個城市的另一個地方。當我們最後到達車站，上了大街時，我突然發現在目光所及之處，都是服裝店和餐館。
Feeling a pit in my stomach, I followed the group into a store they decided to enter at random, and walked idly around the interior as I gazed at the golden lights, the shiny surfaces, the hard edges, and the beautiful clothes.
在我飢腸轆轆的時候，我跟着他們隨意進了一家商場，我一邊懶洋洋地走進室內，一邊被金色的燈光、閃耀的燈面、堅固的棱角和漂亮的衣服所深深吸引，移不開目光。I saw a pretty jacket and checked the price tag. $530.
我看中了一件漂亮的夾克，看了看價格標籤。530美元。“That would look so cute on you!” One of the girls in the group, Melanie, was suddenly standing beside me, taking the jacket from the hanger and holding it up against my chest. “It totally goes with your hair color.”
“你穿那件夾克一定很好看！”，同伴中一個叫梅蘭妮的女孩突然出現在我身旁，從衣架上拿下夾克，把它舉在我胸前。“它與你的髮色很搭。”“I think I’m good, thanks.”
“謝謝，我想它不適合我。”“Are you sure?? It’s totally cute.”
“你確定？？它真的很好看。”“Honestly, I’m okay.” I paused, noticing the piles of clothes Melanie held clutched against her chest. “Did you find anything you like?”
“說真的，我覺得還好。”我停頓了一下，注意到梅蘭妮把衣服在她身前對照。“你有找到你喜歡的衣服嗎？”“Oh my gosh, yes! It totally sucks living in a college town because there are, like, no clothing stores. I honestly try to come to NYC as much as possible just to shop.”
“歐是的！住在大學城簡直遭透了，因爲根本沒有服裝店。我以後真想常來紐約的商店逛逛。”I almost laughed, thinking she was joking, but when Melanie turned away to inspect a $1,000 dress hanging from the wall, I realized she was serious.
我笑了笑，以爲她是開玩笑的，但當梅蘭妮轉身去檢查牆上掛着的一件1000美元的衣服時，我才意識到她是認真的。The other students in the group ended up spending thousands of dollars at the store, their purchases being folded carefully and tucked away into colorful paper bags. It was only when they had finished that they decided to eat dinner at a place across the street.
同遊的其他同學最終在商場裏花費了數千美元，他們買的衣物被小心翼翼地摺疊起來，塞進了彩色紙袋裏。當他們全部購物完後，他們才決定在街對面的一個地方吃晚飯。In the nicest restaurant I had ever been to that year, I ordered the cheapest appetizer I could find, and sat in silence as the students around me reminisced about the private schools they had gone to, their most recent vacations to Europe.
那是我那年去過的所有餐館中最好的一家，我點了最便宜的菜，然後靜靜地坐着，而我周圍的同學都在討論他們上過的私立學校，或是他們最近在歐洲度過的假期。When the dinner was over, a student suggested seeing a broadway play, and one of the guys pulled out his phone and told the group Cabaret was playing for only $250 a ticket.
當晚餐結束時，一位同學提議去看百老匯的戲，接着就有一個小夥子掏出手機查了價格，發現卡巴萊歌舞表演只要250美元一張票。“What a steal!” Melanie, wearing her brand-new jacket, cried. “We have to go!” She turned to look at me and gave me a big smile. “Do you want to come?”
“這票價簡直像偷來的一樣！”梅蘭妮穿着嶄新的夾克驚呼。“我們一定要去不能錯過了！她轉過身看着我，向我投來了一個大大的微笑。“你要一起來嗎？”I knew I wasn’t going to be spending $250 for a show.
我知道我不會爲了看一場演出花250美元。“I have a lot of homework,” I said. “But thanks anyway.”
“我還有很多作業沒做”，我說，“但是不管怎樣很謝謝你們邀請我。”Melanie shrugged, and after paying for our dinner, the group walked out of the restaurant into the chilly New York City air to head towards the show. I walked back to the hotel alone, and spent the night studying for my upcoming Sociology exam.
梅蘭妮聳了聳肩，晚餐結賬後，他們離開了餐廳，走在寒冷的紐約街上，朝着百老匯的方向前去。而我獨自走回酒店，花了一個晚上覆習即將迎來的社會學考試。When I had finished studying, I lay back in the starched sheets of the bed and wondered what it was like for those classmates of mine, who had grown up with the ability to spend thousands of dollars on clothing, to go on trips to big cities to see expensive shows and blow even more money on fancy restaurants and stores. Who went to summer camp, private schools, who lived in big houses with maids and housekeepers, who went on vacation to foreign countries, staying in beautiful hotels.
當我學習完，躺在漿洗過的牀單上，想着那些同學的生活，那些有着優越的家境、有能力承擔數千美元的衣服開銷、去大城市旅行、看價格昂貴的演出和砸很多錢在高檔餐廳和商場的同學。那些參加夏令營、上私立學校、又或是住在有着女傭和管家的大房子、去國外度假、住在漂亮的酒店裏的同學們。To be very honest, I find it fascinating to be surrounded by classmates who come from wealth like I have never experienced. I’m not embarrassed for being unable to afford the things some of my classmates buy dozens of through online shopping. I’m not embarrassed for growing up being told “no” again and again, because my family simply didn’t have enough money.
說實話，我覺得身邊圍繞着很多有着我從未經歷過的富裕生活的同學很有意思。儘管我的一些同學會通過網上購物買一堆這樣的東西，我不爲自己買不起東西而感到尷尬。我也不因爲我的家庭並不富裕，而一次又一次地拒絕別人的邀請而感到尷尬。I’m proud of who I am, and where I’ve come from. And that’s enough for me.
我爲自己自豪，也爲我的出生自豪。這就足夠了。I didn't think I was a poor student until I arrived at USC for my MBA program. I had worked hard and saved up $150K, which was to last me exactly through the $100K in tuition for two years and $50K for basic living expenses.
在我去南加州大學攻讀工商管理碩士前，我都不認爲我是一個窮學生。我一直都努力工作，攢了15萬美元，這支撐着我兩年10萬美元的學費支出和5萬美元的基本生活開銷。As soon as I pulled into the student parking lot, I could see all the late model cars, many of them luxury marks. This was the undergrad parking area. One blond undergrad roared her shiny white Cadillac Escalade down the ramp as I looked for a spot.
我一進學生停車場，就可以看到所有的新型車，其中很多是奢侈汽車品牌。這是本科生的停車場。在我找停車位的時候，有一個金髮碧眼的本科生正沿着斜坡開着閃亮的白色凱迪拉克呼嘯而過。During our casual meeting time with fellow students, productively labeled as networking, I heard about the kind of massive homes in exclusive neighborhoods that were the norm. Many of my classmates had gotten new luxury cars just for school and had fancy upscale condos for partying during school. But, that was just stuff. What really blew my mind was their attitude about money on a daily basis.
通過與同學的偶然相遇，經常是靠網絡聯繫，我瞭解到住在富人區裏的大房子裏是很尋常的事情。我的很多同學都只是爲了去學校而買了新的豪車，也有爲在學校裏開派對而準備的高檔公寓。但是，那些只是物質方面的東西。真正讓我驚訝的是他們對日常開銷的態度。Many would invariably go to night time parties two or even three times a week, all during some very intense course work. While I looked for ways to stick to my $25 daily food budget, they had no problem splurging a few hundred dollars a night each time they were out. At the same time, I knew they were taking out massive student loans to fund their gratuitous consumption, along with tuition and basic living expenses.
許多人每週都會參加兩到三次夜間聚會，所有這些都是在一些非常緊張的課程中抽空進行的。當我每天想方設法讓自己的食品開銷不超過25美元的預算時，他們每次出去都能在一晚上毫無顧忌地揮霍幾百美元。我也知道他們會把大量的學生貸款用在不必要的花費上，但也包含學費和基本生活費用。Their lack of concern about repaying an extra $50K just surprised the heck out of me. I wasn't dead broke and could tag along, but I just didn't see the benefit of such free spending. Eventually, I settled into a more middle-class normative life-style and was comfortable.
他們不關心償還額外5萬美元的態度使我驚訝。我並不是身無分文，也可以跟隨他們一起玩，但我只是沒有看到這樣毫無約束地支出的好處。最終，我開始了一種更加中產階級的標準生活方式，感覺很舒服。Then I saw how naive I truly was.
後來我才知道我有多麼天真。One of my classmates had gotten to attend the MBA program on a merit and needs-based scholarship. He didn't have any money. While his tuition was waived, he still needed to pay for daily expenses.
我的一個同學在獎學金和助學金的支持下參加了MBA課程。但他沒有錢。雖然他的學費被免除了，但他仍然需要自己支付日常開支。Instead of a fancy high floor condo or even a modest downtown condo, he lived in one of the roughest neighborhoods just off campus. I lived nearby and can hear the police patrols and random gun fire where he lived. My place wasn't much but at least it was secure. He lived on a couch in a shared room right in the middle of regular gang and drug activity. Running water wasn't always available, but it was cheap, just a few hundred bucks a month.
他住在了一個簡陋的街區而不是住在奢華的高層公寓或是舒適的市中心公寓，住的地方距離學校很近。我住在附近，可以聽到在他住的地方經常有警察巡邏和槍擊的聲音。我住的地方不大，但至少是安全的。他睡在一間公用房間的沙發上，住處正處於幫派和毒品交易區域的中間。自來水供應時有時無，但它是便宜的，一個月的就幾百美元。Obviously, he didn't have a car and relied on brisk walks to get anywhere. He didn't have many friends as he couldn't afford to go hang out with anyone. When we hung out, I made sure we didn't need to spend any money.
很顯然，他沒有汽車，一般都靠步行去要去的地方。他沒有很多朋友，因爲他承擔不起和任何人出去玩的花費。當我們出去的時候，我必須確定我們不需要花任何錢。He couldn't even afford food, so he worked part time at university food service to make a few dollars and grab leftovers for meals. While others dined in fancy Beverly Hills and Hollywood hot spots, he was scraping pots for a bite. But, he never complained about the squandered money of our fellow students. He knew his values and was content on focusing on his goals.
他甚至連食物都買不起，所以他會趁業餘時間在大學食品服務部兼職掙錢，然後把剩下的食物當飯吃。當別人在貝弗利山莊和好萊塢的熱門地點吃飯時，他只能颳着鍋裏殘留的食物吃一口。但是，他從不抱怨我們的同學浪費錢。他明白自己的價值所在，也專注於自己的目標。He certainly kept me grounded as I felt like a spoiled brat using money so freely and buying myself a burrito whenever I felt hungry.
他讓我覺得自己像一個被寵壞的小孩，能自由地花錢也能在任何我覺得餓的時候給自己買煎餅吃。So, here I was moping ridiculously about my relative paucity; he showed what real determination and pride in the midst of deprivation looked like.
所以這樣相比起來，起初我爲自己相對不富裕的經濟情況而悶悶不樂的顯得是多麼可笑。他在窘迫的生活中展現了真正的決心和自豪。And, even at the MBA level, there's a bias to spend money. My freespending classmates all got six-figure jobs right out of school from their “networking” efforts and were able to quickly pay off their huge student loans. Meanwhile, my poor friend is still struggling financially.
而且，即使是工商管理碩士，對花錢的態度也有區別。我那些肆無忌憚花錢的同學都在畢業後通過“網絡”的力量找到了年薪六位數的工作，也很快還清了鉅額學生貸款。但與此同時，我可憐的朋友還在努力掙錢。
