鄒聲華

An elderly carpenter1 was ready to retire. He told his employer2 of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more comfortable life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck， but he needed to retire. They could get by.

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 resorted3 to shoddy4 workmanship and use bad materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

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

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.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer5 a nail， place a board， or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more， that day deserves6 to be lived graciously7 and with dignity8. The plaque on the wall says， “Life is a do-it-yourself project.”

（譯文）

一位老木匠打算退休了。他向自己所在的建筑公司雇主請辭，表示想要和自己的老伴以及大家庭去過一種更加舒適的生活。他會想念領(lǐng)薪水的日子，但他還是該退休了，他想日子總是能過下去的。

老板很舍不得自己的好員工離開，他詢問木匠是否能建最后一座房子，就算是幫他個忙。木匠答應(yīng)了，但很快就能明顯看出他的心思已經(jīng)不在工作上了。他用拙劣的技巧和劣質(zhì)的材料建這座房子，用這種狀態(tài)來結(jié)束他的職業(yè)生涯其實是一種遺憾。

木匠完成了他的工作，負(fù)責(zé)人來驗收房屋，老板將這座房屋的前門鑰匙遞到了木匠手上，說：“這房子現(xiàn)在歸你了，作為我給你的禮物?！?/p>

木匠頓時感到很震驚。多可惜啊！如果他知道是在為自己修建這座房子的話，他會完全以另一種態(tài)度來對待。而現(xiàn)在他不得不住在這座自己胡亂修建的房子里了。

想象一下你就是這個木匠，想象你正在建造這座房子，你每天釘進一顆釘子，安裝一塊板子或者筑起一面墻。請用心對待吧，這是你唯一能打造的生活。即使你只在里面住上一天，這一天也要活得有光彩、有尊嚴(yán)。正如格言所說：“生活是一個只有靠自己才能完成的項目?！?/p>

1. carpenter [?kɑ?p?nt?（r）] n. 木匠，木工

2. employer [?m?pl???（r）] n. 雇主；老板

3. resort [r??z??t] v. 采取某手段或方法

4. shoddy [???di] adj. 假冒的；劣質(zhì)的；卑劣的

5. hammer [?h?m?（r）] v. 錘擊；敲打

6. deserves [d??z??v] v. 應(yīng)受，應(yīng)得

7. graciously [?ɡre???sli] adv. 雅致地，有風(fēng)度地

8. dignity [?d?ɡn?ti] n. 尊嚴(yán)；高貴endprint