正文翻译

【文章一】原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处

“No, no, no! I’m not buying Smith’s Potato Chips this week. They’re not on sale, $3.00 for one bag this week. Crazy.”“不，不，不!”我这周不买史密斯薯片了。这周不打折，3美元一袋，真是疯了。”

So says my mum every time I finish the snacks when I lived at home and want more. She hardly buys toilet paper, detergent, chocolate and other necessary household items unless they are on sale. You can call her thrifty. Frugal. Stingy. A penny-pincher.每次我在家里吃完零食还想吃的时候，我妈妈都会这么说。除非打折，否则她几乎不买卫生纸、洗涤剂、巧克力和其他必要的家居用品。你可以说她节俭、吝啬、小气，是一个守财奴。

I used to laugh at my mum counting her coins when she came home from buying groceries, making sure no cashiers had shortchanged her and that she didn’t drop a single cent on the way back. I laughed and clapped my hands like a seal until one day when I was in between jobs, I needed money. I realised then my parents and many Asian generations before me work hard for their money and save for a number of reasons.我过去常常嘲笑我妈妈买完杂货回家后数着硬币，确保收银员没有少找她钱，而且在回家的路上她也没有掉一分钱。我大笑着，像海豹一样拍手，直到有一天，当我没有工作却需要钱的时候，那时我才意识到，我的父母和我之前遇到的许多亚洲人都是为了赚钱而努力在工作，出于各种原因在存钱。原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处

When my family and I lived in Malaysia, I remembered my white-collar worker dad always worked on Saturdays. Very rarely did we dine out at eateries where the tables had fancy tablecloths and the walls artsy decor; we usually ate at home. When we went shopping and I picked out a shirt that was not on sale, my mum would go, “So expensive!” and dragged me by the hand to the bargain section.当我和家人住在马来西亚时，我记得我的白领爸爸总是在周六还在努力工作。我们很少到外面的餐馆吃饭，即便那里的桌子铺着华丽的桌布，墙壁装饰得很有艺术气息；我们通常在家吃饭。当我们去购物时，我挑了一件不打折的衬衫，我妈妈会说:“太贵了!“然后拉着我的手，把我拖到特价商品区。

Up until today, hardships are commonly faced by many in developing parts of Asia such as India, China and the Philippines. Although there are CBDs, high rise buildings and the latest technologies in these regions, truth be told, life is financially and socially difficult here – the cost of living is usually at a moderate or high level, corruption and bribery are often rife. Those living away from these areas tend to have it difficult too. In isolated towns, people frequently make a living working in sweatshops, are paid single figures by the hour, live in non-air conditioned cramped shop houses and struggle to prepare a full dinner most evenings.直到今天，印度、中国和菲律宾等亚洲发展中国家的许多人仍然普遍面临着生活困难。虽然这些国家也有中央商务区、高楼大厦和最新的科技，但说实话，这里的生活在经济层面和社会层面上都很困难——生活成本通常处于中等或较高的水平，腐败和贿赂盛行。那些在偏远地区的人也会遇到困难。在偏远的城镇，人们经常在血汗工厂打工谋生，拿着每小时个位数的工资，住在没有空调的狭窄的挂壁房里，大多数时候都难以拥有一顿丰盛的晚餐。

People here, and even Asians living in certain suburbs in the Western world, want a better quality of life, especially for their kids. Saving allows them to dream for better basic necessities or permanent moves overseas that will almost guarantee more financially and socially stable livelihoods. When they do manage to live a more cushy lifestyle, like my parents, they remember the hardships that they faced and reckon it pays to save and so continue to save.这里的人，甚至是生活在西方国家某些郊区的亚洲人，都想要得到更好的生活质量，尤其是为了他们的孩子。存钱能使他们得到更好的基本必需品，或者永久移居海外，这样就几乎可以保证更稳定的经济和社会生活。当他们过上了更轻松的生活时，他们就会像我的父母一样想起他们以前所面临的困难，并认为存钱是值得的，因此就会继续存钱。

Another reason why Asians are tight with their money can be put down to the fact that many Asians are insistent on “having face”, to show-off to family and relatives. Many Asians hold the mentality that owning pricey goods and living lavish lifestyles are prestigious and admirable. So perhaps they save and save to afford luxurious items and show them off like they are kings of the world.亚洲人节俭的另一个原因可以归结为这样一个事实，即许多亚洲人坚持“有面子”，可以向家人和亲戚炫耀。许多亚洲人认为拥有昂贵的商品和奢侈的生活方式是值得羡慕和钦佩的。所以也许他们存钱是为了买得起奢侈品，然后像世界之王一样到处炫耀。

Investing hard earned dough on stocks, shares and properties is very popular among many Asians all over the world. That’s yet another feasible reason why they skimp on spending. They simply can’t spend much – their earnings are stashed away for investment purposes.把辛苦赚来的钱投资于股票、期货和房地产，在世界各地的亚洲人中非常流行。这是他们节省开支的另一个可能的原因。他们根本不能花太多钱——因为他们的收入都被用于了各项投资。

Of course, sometimes such investments bring about good returns. Sometimes extremely good returns that tempt one to buy lots of fancy things and appear well-to-do.当然，有时这样的投资也会带来不错的回报。有时极其丰厚的回报会诱使一个人买很多漂亮的东西，让自己看起来很富有。原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处

There is the possibility that some Asians, especially the younger generation, seem well-off and rich not because they strategically manage their money well, but because they like to spend. It has been suggested that this demographic sees being cheap as rather distasteful and so spend lavishly. However, this may or may not be the case with all of them. Research has shown some Chinese students feel “guilty about using future money” and retain the frugal attitudes of their parents and grandparents.一些亚洲人，尤其是年轻一代，看起来很富有，不是因为他们善于理财，而是因为他们喜欢花钱。有人认为，这部分人对便宜的东西相当反感，因此出手阔绰。然而，这可能是也可能不是他们所有人的情况。研究表明，一些中国学生“对透支感到内疚”，并继承了父母和祖父母的节俭主义理念。

My parents’ stinginess has rubbed off on me. Before buying something, I always wait a few days to see if I really want or need it. Sometimes I order the cheapest item on the menu just because, well, it saves me money. The cheapest dish on offer can be just as filling as the most expensive one.我父母的节俭影响了我。在买东西之前，我总是会等几天看看我是否真的想要或需要它。有时我会点菜单上最便宜的菜，只是因为这样能省钱。最便宜的菜和最贵的菜一样都能填饱肚子。

I guess it’s because I like having plans and being prepared if I have no source of income flowing into my pockets. In the instance I suddenly find myself trudging through a rainy day, it would be nice to have savings to fall back on. It only makes the sun shine brighter on these days.我想这是因为我喜欢制定计划，以防我会突然失去收入来源。当我突然发现自己正在下雨天艰难跋涉时，有存款可以依靠就太好了。这会让这些天的阳光变得更明媚。