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The carpenter's house
木匠的房子
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire.
一位年邁的木匠準備退休了。
He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.
他告訴他的老板他準備離開建筑業的打算，他說他想和他的妻子過一種更休閑的生活，享受天倫之樂。
He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire.
他還說他會懷念這里的薪水的，但他必須退休了，
They could get by.
他的離職他們慢慢就會適應的。
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor.
老板對他的這位優秀員工的離去感到非常遺憾，于是問他是否可以蓋最后一棟房子作為私下里的幫忙。
The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work.
這位木匠答應了，但顯而易見他做事的時候是心不在焉的，
He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials.
他的手工做得毛毛糙糙，用的材料也是次品。
It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
這樣結束他的事業是不幸的，
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter.
當木匠最后完工，老板來看房子時，他把前門的鑰匙交給木匠說，
This is your house, he said, my gift to you.
這是你的房子，是我送給你的禮物。
What a shock! What a shame!
震驚！羞愧！
If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
如果他早知道他是在蓋自己的房子，他肯定會做得截然不同的，
Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.
現在他不得不住在自己建的糟糕透頂的房子里面。
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.
這個道理同樣適合我們，在營造生活時，我們的精力被分散到太多的地方，我們只是被動地適應而不會主動行動，而我們自己也不愿意去盡心盡力地營造我們的生活。
At important points we do not give the job our best effort.
在重要的時刻我們也沒能盡自己最大的努力做好工作。
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.
然后我們吃驚地看到自己所做的一切：發現自己就處在自己營建的房子里。
If we had realized that we would have done it differently.
如果我們早意識到這一點的話，我們的做法就會完全不同。
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house.
就當自己是位木匠吧，想想自己的房子。
Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall.
每天釘釘子，鋪板或是砌墻。
Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build.
那么建造得更明智一些吧。
Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.
即使你能建造的生活只有這一次，即使你只能再多生活一天，這一天也應活得優雅，有尊嚴。
The plaque on the wall says, Life is a do-it-yourself project.
正如墻上的題典寫著的:生活就是一項為自己打造的工程。
Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
你明天的生活將取決于你今天的態度和做出的決定。
