china daily雙語新聞：好成績值多少錢？ For many parents, paying children for getting A's in school seems like a great way to motivate them. Sometimes it works. But it's not always that simple. 對許多父母而言，給在學校得A的孩子金錢獎勵似乎是激勵他們的好方法。有時這種方法會管用，但這件事并非那么簡單。 Paying for A's can actually discourage some kids from working hard. It can create frustration and resentment among kids with siblings. In fact, if the ultimate goal is to encourage the character traits that will help children fulfill their potential throughout life, paying for A's can fail. 得A就給錢，實際上不一定利于孩子努力學習。它可能在兄弟姐妹中引起沮喪和怨恨情緒。實際上，如果終目的是鼓勵能終生幫助孩子發(fā)揮其潛質(zhì)的性格特征，那么得A就給錢這種方法可能會事與愿違。 'It comes down to knowing the child and what they are working through,' says Dan Keady, a certified financial planner and director of financial planning at financial-services firm TIAA-CREF. 注冊理財規(guī)劃師、金融服務公司TIAA-CREF的理財規(guī)劃總監(jiān)丹·基迪(Dan Keady)說：“歸根結(jié)底，我們應該了解孩子和他們?yōu)橹Φ氖虑椤！?Facts of Life 生活現(xiàn)實 Almost half of parents pay kids at least $1 for getting an A, according to a July poll conducted for the American Institute of CPAs, a New York-based professional association. Among those who pay, the average reward for an A is more than $16. 總部位于紐約的專業(yè)協(xié)會美國注冊會計師協(xié)會(American Institute of CPAs)今年7月份進行了一項調(diào)查，結(jié)果顯示，約一半父母會給得A的孩子至少一美元的獎勵。在那些給錢的父母中，給得A孩子的平均獎勵高于16美元。 'Paying for grades is one way to prepare them for adult life,' says Mark DiGiovanni, a certified financial planner in Grayson, Ga. 佐治亞州格雷森(Grayson)的注冊理財規(guī)劃師馬克·迪喬瓦尼(Mark DiGiovanni)說：“按成績給錢是讓他們對成人生活做好準備的一種方法?！?'One of the big facts of adult life is that you do get paid for performing well,' he says. 'So this is a way of showing young people that when you do something well, you can get financially rewarded for it. And when you do something poorly, you don't.' 他說：“成人生活的一個重大現(xiàn)實就是，你會為優(yōu)異表現(xiàn)得到獎勵。因此這是向年輕人證明這一點的一種方式：當你做好某件事就能得到金錢獎勵，而當你表現(xiàn)糟糕時，什么也得不到?！?But sometimes it gets complicated. One danger is that students will see the value in schoolwork only when there's a cash payout. 'The downside of using money as a motivator is that it discourages true learning and changes the purpose for learning,' says Neal Van Zutphen, a certified financial planner in Mesa, Ariz. 但有時事情會更復雜。一種危險是，學生只有在有金錢獎勵時才能看到課業(yè)的價值。亞利桑那州梅薩市(Mesa)的注冊理財規(guī)劃師尼爾·范楚特芬(Neal Van Zutphen)說：“使用金錢作為激勵手段的缺點是，它打擊真正的學習熱情，扭曲了學習的目的?！?That's not just a philosophical issue; it has practical implications. Some students will quit trying to learn once they've earned a reward for reaching a specific goal, experts say. So the student who gets an A without too much effort might coast the rest of the way, never reaching his or her full potential. 這不僅是個哲學問題，它還有現(xiàn)實的意義。專家稱，有些學生一旦因為實現(xiàn)特定目標而得到獎勵，就不再努力學習。因此無需太努力就得A的學生可能會得過且過，永遠發(fā)揮不出他的全部潛力。 For students who have a tougher time in school, paying for A's can have a similar effect. 'If they don't get an A they can become discouraged,' reducing their drive to achieve their personal best, Mr. Van Zutphen says. 對于學習吃力的學生，得A就給錢可能有類似影響。范楚特芬說，“如果他們沒有得A，就可能感到氣餒”，減弱他們盡力學好的動力。 Rather than reward grades with cash, Mr. Van Zutphen suggests that parents identify skills and character traits that can support long-term success: things like self-regulation, determination, curiosity, grit and resilience. 范楚特芬建議，父母不應用金錢當作成績好的獎勵，而應該去發(fā)現(xiàn)孩子身上有助于在長期取得成功的技能和性格特征：比如自我調(diào)控、決心、好奇心、勇氣和適應力。 'Encourage them to develop these qualities that demonstrate that they will be able to continue to succeed,' Mr. Van Zutphen says. That encouragement can include cash rewards, he says, but other powerful tools include verbal encouragement and praise for children's efforts as well as their accomplishments. 范楚特芬說：“應該鼓勵他們培養(yǎng)這些表明他們能繼續(xù)成功的品質(zhì)?！彼f，這種鼓勵可以包括現(xiàn)金獎勵，但語言鼓勵和夸獎孩子的努力和成就等也是有力的手段。 Family Matters 家庭事務 Rewarding effort, not just a specific grade, can be important in families with children who have varying academic abilities. A single standard of achievement for the family may discourage, or at least fail to motivate, kids whose siblings find it easier to get higher grades. 對孩子付出的努力──而不僅僅是特定的成績──給予獎勵，對于孩子學習能力不同的家庭來說很重要。家里只有一種成績標準可能會讓兄弟姐妹比自己更容易得到高分的孩子氣餒，至少起不到激勵作用。 'It wouldn't seem fair for one child to be rewarded for marginal efforts, and the other child not to be rewarded at all,' says Mr. DiGiovanni, the Georgia financial planner. 'When dealing with children, you should strive to be equitable, which is not the same thing as being equal. This requires greater effort, but I think it can be worth it in the long run.' 佐治亞州的理財規(guī)劃師迪喬瓦尼說：“一個孩子因為更加努力得到獎勵，而另一個孩子什么都得不到看起來并不公平。對于孩子，應該盡量公平，這和同等對待不是一回事。這需要更多努力，但我認為從長期看這是值得的?！?Deciding on goals that merit rewards can be a discussion between parents and children. 父母和孩子可以討論如何確定值得獎勵的目標。 'The kids will many times set the bar higher than the parents would. Kids like to be challenged,' according to Mr. DiGiovanni. 'The persistence and discipline to get good grades are the real rewards, and they will carry those things throughout their life.' 迪喬瓦尼說：“許多時候，孩子制定的標準比父母高。孩子喜歡挑戰(zhàn)。獲得好成績所需的恒心和自律是真正的獎勵，這些將讓他們終生受益?！?Money Talk 關于金錢的談話 Frequency is another factor to consider. Offering cash every time kids ace a weekly quiz can quickly add up. 給錢頻率是另一個考慮因素。如果每次孩子在周考中得A時都給錢，錢會很快攢成一筆大數(shù)目。 'The best number for each family is going to depend on that family's financial circumstances and the age of their children,' says Clare Levison, a certified public accountant in Blacksburg, Va. 弗吉尼亞州布萊克斯堡(Blacksburg)的注冊會計師克萊爾·利維森(Clare Levison)說：“每個家庭給錢的佳次數(shù)取決于這個家庭的財務狀況和孩子的年齡?！?After financial rewards are doled out, parents have a role in helping the child figure out what will be done with the money. Does the child have total control over it? Should parents insist that some is saved? 少量發(fā)放金錢獎勵后，父母應該幫助孩子弄明白應該用錢做什么。孩子是否能完全控制這些錢？父母是否應該堅持讓他們存一部分錢？ One option is to put the money, or at least a portion of it, toward something for the child's benefit -- maybe a car, a computer or savings for college. However parents choose to handle this, it's important to keep in mind that the ultimate goal is to encourage behavior that will serve children well for the rest of their lives. 一種選擇是把錢存起來──或至少存一部分──用于購買對孩子有用的東西──可能是一輛車、一臺電腦或存起來交大學學費。不管父母選擇如何處理這筆錢，重要的是，記住終目標都是鼓勵對孩子今后有好處的行為。 'What will the money be used for? Will this be discretionary spending?' says Jordan Amin, a certified public accountant in Edison, N.J. 'If little Johnny gets $10 every time he gets good grades and uses that to buy a new Xbox and there's no savings program put into place, how will that affect his future saving and spending habits?' 新澤西州愛迪生(Edison)的注冊會計師喬丹·阿明(Jordan Amin)說：“這些錢將用來做什么？它是可以自由支配的開支嗎？如果小約翰尼(Johnny)每次考出好成績都能得到10美元，并用這筆錢買一臺新Xbox，那么就存不下錢干別的事了，這將如何影響他未來的儲蓄和消費習慣呢？”