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As you probably aware the ugly truth prevails that we cannot achieve our goals without the necessary financial support...

(from 7 Years Later, volume 1 "Shadows From the Past", page 3 by Alexandra W. Muller)

Please, can anyone tell me what it means?

Perhaps it means something like "rumors are spreading"?

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  • Where is it from? It means something like "It is unpleasant but true that ..." but the use of "prevails" is awkward.
    – jonathanjo
    Commented May 3, 2019 at 7:50
  • Sources belong in the question itself, not in the comments below the question. Please read through our Contributor's Guide on meta to get some more tips about formatting future questions.
    – J.R. ♦
    Commented May 3, 2019 at 14:44

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The statement is saying that there is a price to be paid, referred to as the ugly truth, if people are to achieve their goals.

It can be understood in two ways.

The first is that a certain level of income is required for individuals to be able to exploit their potential. Poverty is a trap that prevents people from gaining the skills and education necessary for advancement. So society has to be ready to pay the necessary wages and give the assistance that people require to prosper.

The obverse is that people have to pay the taxes that government requires in order to provide the services that people need.

So, in the writer's view, the pain of paying taxes and spending money on the underprivileged - the ugly truth - is the necessary price of allowing people to achieve their goals.

In short, you get nothing for nothing. If you want something, you have to pay for it one way or another.

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  • The original is a work of fiction, where people from a charitable foundation are making a speech at their annual meeting.
    – jonathanjo
    Commented May 3, 2019 at 9:22

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