Book 1 The Kid Who Couldn't Save

A Kid Who Couldn't Save. Written by Karen Mokler. Illustrated by Nicholas Jackson. Focus question. What lesson does Mike learn about saving money?

不会存钱的小男孩 卡伦·莫克勒 文 尼古拉斯·杰克逊 图 思考问题 关于存钱，迈克学到了什么道理？

Mike McCarthy spent money as quickly as ice cream melts in July, as quickly as Monday morning follows on the heels of Friday night. No matter how much money he started with, he had a hard time holding onto it for more than a few days. Money burns a hole in your pocket, Mike's mom liked to say. A penny saved is a penny earned, Mike's dad liked to say even more.

迈克·麦卡锡花钱快得就像七月里融化的冰淇淋，快得就像周一早晨紧跟着周五夜晚到来。 不管一开始他手里有多少钱，他都很难把钱留超过几天。 "钱就是在你口袋烧了个洞，留不住"，迈克的妈妈总这么说。 "省一分就是赚一分"，迈克的爸爸更是总把这句话挂嘴边。

Mike hated that saying. He objected to it each time. Technically, that's incorrect, he told his dad. Earning a penny is not the same thing as saving a penny. Well, it's worth the same amount, said his dad. One cent, said Mike. You can't buy anything with one cent anyway.

迈克讨厌这句话。 每次他都反对这句话。 "从道理上讲，这话不对"，他告诉爸爸。 "赚一分钱和省一分钱根本不是一回事"。 "哦，但它们价值是一样的呀"，爸爸说。 "不就是一分钱嘛"，迈克说。 反正一分钱也买不了任何东西呀。

His little sister had no trouble saving money. Despite the fact that her allowance was half of his, somehow, Aster had a savings account. Somehow, she'd had it since kindergarten. Mike never had enough money to open one. That wasn't all, though. One May afternoon, Mike discovered that Aster had so much money in her savings account, She earned interest every month.

他的小妹妹存钱却一点都不费劲。 虽然她的零花钱只有迈克的一半，可不知道怎么的，阿斯特尔居然有自己的储蓄账户。 而且她从幼儿园开始就有这个账户了。 迈克从来存不够钱开一个属于自己的账户。 不过，事情还不止这样。 五月的一个下午，迈克发现阿斯特尔的储蓄账户里存了好多钱，每个月都能赚利息。

Okay, so every savings account earns interest. But this wasn't three or four cents a month. This was enough interest to buy herself a candy bar every month. That was twelve candy bars a year, courtesy of Great Plains Bank. More like Great Pains, Mike grumbled. The really disgusting part was that although she could buy herself a candy bar each month, Courtesy of great pains, Aster didn't. Oh, no!

好吧，每个储蓄账户本来就都会赚利息。 可阿斯特尔每个月赚的利息可不是三两分钱。 那利息多到每个月都够她买一块巧克力棒了。 算下来一年就是十二块，全是大平原银行给的福利。 "不如叫大麻烦银行"，迈克嘟囔着。 更让人不爽的是，虽然每个月的利息够买一块巧克力棒，阿斯特尔偏不买。 噢，天哪！

Math Minute Interest is a percentage of the total saved. For instance, 1 % of $500 savings is $5 interest. If interest is paid yearly, you have $505 at the end of the first year. Compound interest is the money earned on the of the savings and the interest. So, 1 % of $505 is $5 .05, meaning you have $510 .05 at the end of the second year. Since 1 % of $510 .05 is $5 .10, how much money do you have at the end of the third year? Answer. Five hundred fifteen dollars and fifteen cents. I don't get it, Mike said. It's like Great Pains is paying you to eat candy bars. Why wouldn't you do that? It's like an offer you can't refuse. Aster smiled sweetly. Sweeter still because her two front teeth were missing. I like to let the interest confound, she said. "'I think you mean compound,' said Mike. He knew what compound meant. It meant his kid sister was earning interest on both her money and the interest the bank paid her. It was all becoming her money. She was like a little sweetly smiling money machine, like a walking ATM with two missing front teeth."

数学小知识 利息是总存款的一定百分比。 比如说，存500美元，1%的利息就是5美元利息。 如果利息按年结算，第一年年末你就一共有505美元了。 复利就是本金加上已经获得的利息一起产生的收益。 所以第二年，505美元的1%就是5.05美元，第二年年末你就一共有510.05美元了。 既然510.05美元的1%是5.10美元，那第三年年末你一共有多少钱呢？ 答案是。 五百一十美元零十五美分。 "我搞不懂"，迈克说。 "这就相当于大麻烦银行付钱给你买巧克力棒啊"。 "你为什么不这么做呢？" "这简直是没法拒绝的好事呀"。 阿斯特尔甜甜地笑了。 笑起来更甜了，因为她缺了两颗门牙。 "我就喜欢让利息越变越多"，她说。 "哦，我觉得你说的是复利"，迈克说。 他知道复利是什么意思。 意思就是他的小妹妹不仅本金赚利息，银行给的利息也能再赚利息。 所有这些钱都在变成她的钱。 她就像一台甜甜笑着赚钱的小机器，就像一颗缺了两颗门牙会走路的自动取款机。