Fathers and Money
Ben Stein
My father's father came to the United States as a small child in the late 19th century, His father abandoned the family. When my grandpop was 15, he borrowed his old brother's birth certificate and joined the U.S. Army. He became a cavalryman and fought in the Philippines against the Aguinaldo uprising. When he came back to America he was a skilled tool and die maker at Ford Motor and then at GE. He was unemployed during most of the Great Depression and lived with extreme frugality on my brave grandmother's wages as a department store clerk and his odd jobs.
My father, a certified genius, entered Williams College, one of the best colleges in the nation, at 15, in 1931, in the depths of the Great Depression. He worked his way through at every kind of odd job including washing dishes at a fancy fraternity that did not admit Jews. He was never bitter about it, just grateful he had a chance to go to a fine college in a terrible depression.
My father lived with severe personal discipline through school, served honorably in the Navy in the War, Worked like a Trojan all his life, never lived in even slight luxury even after he had become a famous and well-to-do man. In their old age, my parents, by then wealthy by some standards, lived in a one bedroom apartment at the Watergate, and slept in the same bed they bought at Macy's when they got married in 1937. When they went to McDonald's their luxury was on chocolate shake and two straws.
我的祖父19世纪末来到美国,当时他年纪很小.他的父亲抛弃了家人.我祖父15岁时借了哥哥的出生证,加入了美国陆军,后来当了骑兵,在菲律宾平定了阿吉纳尔多叛乱.回美国后,他先后在福特汽车和通用汽车公司工作,是手艺熟练的工具和模具师.大萧条的大部分时期,他都没有固定工作,靠无畏的祖母在百货商店做店员的工资和打零工生活,过得极为俭省.
我父亲是个真正的天才,15岁即1931年大萧条最严重时进入威廉斯学院,美国最出色的学校之一.他什么零工都打过,包括在一个不接纳犹太人的兄弟会洗盘子.他从来没有怨气,只是对有机会在糟糕的萧条时代进入一所优秀的大学心怀感激.
我父亲读书时自律极严,战争期间曾在海军光荣服役,一辈子勤勉,即使出了名,有了钱后也没有享受过哪怕一点点奢华.我父母年老以后按照某些标准算得上富裕,却住在水门的一室一厅公寓,睡他们1937年结婚是在梅西百货店买的床.去麦当劳时,他们难得的享受是一杯巧克力奶昔和两根吸管.
《美国旁观者》网站6月15日文章
My father's father came to the United States as a small child in the late 19th century, His father abandoned the family. When my grandpop was 15, he borrowed his old brother's birth certificate and joined the U.S. Army. He became a cavalryman and fought in the Philippines against the Aguinaldo uprising. When he came back to America he was a skilled tool and die maker at Ford Motor and then at GE. He was unemployed during most of the Great Depression and lived with extreme frugality on my brave grandmother's wages as a department store clerk and his odd jobs.
My father, a certified genius, entered Williams College, one of the best colleges in the nation, at 15, in 1931, in the depths of the Great Depression. He worked his way through at every kind of odd job including washing dishes at a fancy fraternity that did not admit Jews. He was never bitter about it, just grateful he had a chance to go to a fine college in a terrible depression.
My father lived with severe personal discipline through school, served honorably in the Navy in the War, Worked like a Trojan all his life, never lived in even slight luxury even after he had become a famous and well-to-do man. In their old age, my parents, by then wealthy by some standards, lived in a one bedroom apartment at the Watergate, and slept in the same bed they bought at Macy's when they got married in 1937. When they went to McDonald's their luxury was on chocolate shake and two straws.
我的祖父19世纪末来到美国,当时他年纪很小.他的父亲抛弃了家人.我祖父15岁时借了哥哥的出生证,加入了美国陆军,后来当了骑兵,在菲律宾平定了阿吉纳尔多叛乱.回美国后,他先后在福特汽车和通用汽车公司工作,是手艺熟练的工具和模具师.大萧条的大部分时期,他都没有固定工作,靠无畏的祖母在百货商店做店员的工资和打零工生活,过得极为俭省.
我父亲是个真正的天才,15岁即1931年大萧条最严重时进入威廉斯学院,美国最出色的学校之一.他什么零工都打过,包括在一个不接纳犹太人的兄弟会洗盘子.他从来没有怨气,只是对有机会在糟糕的萧条时代进入一所优秀的大学心怀感激.
我父亲读书时自律极严,战争期间曾在海军光荣服役,一辈子勤勉,即使出了名,有了钱后也没有享受过哪怕一点点奢华.我父母年老以后按照某些标准算得上富裕,却住在水门的一室一厅公寓,睡他们1937年结婚是在梅西百货店买的床.去麦当劳时,他们难得的享受是一杯巧克力奶昔和两根吸管.
《美国旁观者》网站6月15日文章
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