A Partnership Is Formed
建立合夥關係（三）
Our dreams were dashed. "You mean this is illegal?" asked Mike in a quivering voice.
我們的夢想破滅了！“你的意思是說這麼做是違法的？”邁克用顫抖的聲音問。
"Let them go," my dad's friend said. "They might be developing a natural talent."
My dad glared at him.
“別怪他們，”我爸爸的朋友說，“他們也許會成爲天才呢。”
我爸爸瞪了他一眼。
"Yes, it is illegal," my dad said gently. "But you boys have shown great creativity and original thought. Keep going. I'm really proud of you!"
“對，這是違法的。”爸爸溫和地說，“但是，孩子們，別灰心，我爲你們剛纔表現出來的巨大的創造性和獨立思考精神而感到驕傲。”
Disappointed, Mike and I sat in silence for about twenty minutes before we began cleaning up our mess. The business was over on opening day. Sweeping the powder up, I looked at Mike and said, "I guess Jimmy and his friends are right. We are poor."
失望之中，邁克和我在沉默中坐了20分鐘纔開始收拾殘局。
我們的生意在剛開始的第一天就結束了。把粉掃攏時，我望着邁克沮喪地說：“我想基米和他的朋友們是對的，我們只能當窮人了。”
My father was just leaving as I said that. "Boys," he said. "You're only poor if you give up. The most important thing is that you did something. Most people only talk and dream of getting rich. You've done something. I'm very proud of the two of you. I will say it again. Keep going. Don't quit."
爸爸正要離開時聽到了這話，“孩子，”他轉過身來說，“如果你們放棄了你們才真的只能當窮人了。一件事情的成敗並不重要，重要的是你們曾經嘗試過。要知道大多數人只是談論和夢想發財，而你們已經付出了行動。我再說一遍，我爲你們驕傲，孩子們，別灰心，別放棄。”
Mike and I stood there in silence. They were nice words, but we still did not know what to do.
邁克和我沉默地站在那兒，話挺對，但我們仍不知應該幹些什麼。
"So how come you're not rich, dad?" I asked.
“那你爲什麼不富有呢，爸爸？”我問。
"Because I chose to be a schoolteacher. Schoolteachers really don't think about being rich. We just like to teach. I wish I could help you, but I really don't know how to make money."
“因爲我選擇了當中學老師。中學老師要專心教書，不該去想怎麼發財。我希望我能幫你們，但我真的不知道如何才能賺大錢。”
Mike and I turned and continued our clean up.
邁克和我又回去繼續清理現場。
"I know," said my dad. "If you boys want to learn how to be rich, don't ask me. Talk to your dad, Mike."
爸接着說：“如果你們希望瞭解如何致富，不要問我，去和你爸談談，邁克。”
"My dad?" asked Mike with a scrunched up face.
“我爸？”邁克皺着眉頭。
"Yeah, your dad," repeated my dad with a smile. "Your dad and I have the same banker, and he raves about your father. He's told me several times that your father is brilliant when it comes to making money."
“對，你爸爸。”爸爸微笑着說，“你爸爸和我都認識的一個銀行經理，他對你爸爸非常崇拜。他有好幾次對我提過說你爸爸在賺錢方面是個天才。”
"My dad?" Mike asked again in disbelief. "Then how come we don't have a nice car and a nice house like the rich kids at school?"
“我爸？”邁克難以置信地問，“那我家爲什麼沒有好車和好房子，就像學校裏的那些有錢的孩子一樣呢？”