雙語 ● Life Is a Do-It-Yourself Project　生命如同為自己打造的工程

Life Is a Do-It-Yourself Project　生命如同為自己打造的工程

◎ Amber Alent

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

一位上了年紀的木匠作好了退休的準備。他告訴老板他準備離開建筑行業(yè)，與老伴和兒孫們一起共享天倫之樂，過一種更悠閑自得的生活。雖然他因此而少了份薪水，但他想退休了。至于日子嘛，還能夠過得去。

The employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

眼看這位優(yōu)秀的木工就要離去，老板很遺憾。他問木工可否在私下里幫忙建一所房子。木工答應了，可明眼人一眼就看得出來，此時他做事心不在焉。做出的活兒技藝粗糙，用劣質(zhì)材料來應付。他就這樣為自己的建筑生涯畫上了句號，真是令人遺憾。

When the carpenter finished his work and the employer came to inspect the house and handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”

木匠完工后，老板過來查看新房，并交給木工一把前門鑰匙。他說：“這房子歸你了，算是我送給你的禮物?！?

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

多么讓人吃驚，太可惜了！假如他早知道是在為自己造房，他會做得大不一樣。現(xiàn)在他不得不住在自己建造的那所粗制濫造的房子里了。

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.

我們又何嘗不是如此呢？我們心不在焉地打造自己的生活，不是主動工作，而是被動應付，能省事就省事。重要的時候也沒盡心盡力做好工作。驀然回首，才瞠目結舌地發(fā)現(xiàn)我們正住在自己建造的那所房子中，自食苦果。早知如此，何必當初。

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live in it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Who could say it more clearly? Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

把你自己當成那位木工吧。想想你在為自己建房。每天你都要釘釘子、鋪木板、砌墻。那么，你就該用心地去建。你的生活只能這樣建造。哪怕你只在房子里多生活一天，這一天也應該活得優(yōu)雅、有尊嚴。墻上的銘匾寫道：“生活正如一項為自己打造的工程?！边€有什么比這更清楚的呢？明日的生活之果，孕育于你今日的態(tài)度和抉擇之樹上。

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