Once there was a businessman who was really deep in debt. He was not able to think of any way to get out of debt. So one day, he sat down in the park, to think about how he could save his company from bankruptcy. While he was sitting there, an old man appeared, sat down next to him and said: "I can see that something is troubling you."
曾經有一位負債累累的商人。他想不出任何讓自己擺脫債務危機的辦法。一天，他坐在公園里，思考著如何挽救自己瀕臨破產的公司。此時，一位老人在他身旁坐下，并說道：“我看得出來，有什么事情正在困擾著你。”
The businessman was sad and depressed, so he told the old man everything about his problem while the old man listened to him patiently. After hearing the sad story of the businessman, the old man smiled and replied: "I believe I can help you."
于是，這位悲傷沮喪的商人，將自己的麻煩完完整整地講述給了這位老人，老人則耐心地傾聽著他的故事。聽完商人的傷心故事后，老人微笑著回應道：“我相信我可以幫到你。”
The old man put his hand into his pocket, took out a cheque book and asked the businessman his name. Then, he gave a cheque to the businessman and said: "Take this money. Meet me here, exactly after one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time."
老人把手放進口袋，取出一本支票簿，并詢問了商人的姓名。然后，他遞給商人一張支票，并說：“拿著這筆錢。一年后的今天，我們還在這里見面，到時候你再把錢還給我。”

After giving that cheque, the old man got up and walked away. The businessman had mixed feelings. He looked at the cheque and saw that it was a cheque of $500,000.. signed by Warren Buffet (one of the richest men in the world).
把支票交給商人后，老人便起身離開了。商人百感交集，看了看支票，發現這是一張面值五十萬美元，署名沃倫·巴菲特（一位世界上最富有的人）的支票。
The businessman realized that with half a million he could easily get out of debt, but instead of using the cheque to pay his debt, he decided to put that cheque in his safe and to use it only in case of emergency.
商人意識到，擁有這五十萬美元，他便可以輕松地擺脫目前的債務危機，而不必用這張支票來償還債務，于是他決定把這張支票放在自己的保險箱里，只有在緊急情況下才去用它。
With the cheque in his safe, the businessman felt more confident. With a changed mind-set, the businessman went back to his business and he was able to think better, he negotiated better with others and made better deals.
保險箱里有了這張支票，令商人感到信心倍增。與此同時，隨著心態的改變，商人重新拾起了自己的生意，但這次他變得更善于思考，更精于談判技巧，生意也越做越火紅。
He started reconstructing his business and worked really hard with full zeal and enthusiasm. Over time, he even made several big deals. And, after only a few months, the businessman got out of debt and started making profit again!
他開始重新構筑自己的商業版圖，滿懷熱情與熱誠地為自己的事業打拼。經過一段時間，他甚至還完成了好幾筆大買賣。而且，短短幾個月的時間，這位商人就已經成功擺脫債務危機，重新開始盈利！
Exactly one year passed since the day the businessman met the old man, and as promised he returned to the park, with the same cheque the old man gave him. As agreed, the old man also appeared. The businessman was very happy to see the old man and told him his success story.
從商人遇到老人的那天起整整一年過去了，商人按照承諾回到了那座公園，身上帶著老人給他的那張支票。老人也按照約定出現了。商人見到老人時非常高興，并向老人講述了自己的成功故事。
When the businessman was about to return the cheque to the old man however, a nurse ran over to them and grabbed the old man by his hand, while saying to the businessman: "I am so glad I caught him... I hope he hasn't been bothering you much. He always escapes from the psychiatric hospital and tells people that he is Warren Buffet." Then, the nurse said goodbye and left, together with the old man.
當商人要把支票交還給老人的時候，一名護士跑到他們身邊，用手抓住老人，對商人說：“能抓住他，我太高興了......我希望他沒有過分打擾到您。他總是從精神病醫院逃脫，然后告訴人們他是沃倫·巴菲特。”隨后，護士向商人道別，帶著老人一起離開了。
The businessman was stunned. All year long he was dealing with all his problems, thinking that he had half a million dollars in his safe.
商人目瞪口呆。一年來，他一直在積極解決自己在生意中遇到的各種各樣的問題，認為自己的保險箱里放著五十萬美元。