原文作者：晓霞

　　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 and his extended family. he would miss the paycheck， but he needed to retire. they could get by （通过）.
 　　一位上了年纪的木匠打算退休了。他把自己的想法告诉了老板。木匠说自己打算离开房屋建筑这个行业，因为他想和妻子、家人一起享受更悠闲的生活。虽然他会失去这份收入，但他的确该退休了。至于生活还可以维持下去。
 　　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 （劣质的） workmanship and used inferior （差的，次等的） materials. it was an unfortunate way to end his career.
 　　老板看到木匠要走了，感到很难过。www.11665.CoM他问木匠能否帮他个忙再建一座房子。木匠同意了，但他显然有点儿心不在焉了。他失去了往日的工作热情，他的工艺粗糙，选用低劣的材料。就这样，他以令人遗憾的方式结束了自己的职业生涯。[论文网]
 　　when the carpenter finished his work and the employer came to inspect the house and handed the front-door key to the capenter. “this is your house，” he said， “my gift to you.”
 　　当木匠干完活，老板来验收时，他把房子前门的钥匙递给木匠，然后说：“这是我送给你的礼物。”
　　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 house he had built none too well.
 　　木匠先是感到震惊，然后又感到羞辱。如果早知道他在盖自己的房子，他的干法会截然不同。现在他不得不住在这座不能令他感到满意的房子里。
　　so it is with us. we build our lives in a distracted （分心） 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.
 　　其实我们每个人都曾面对和这位木匠一样的情形：我们没能精心的打造自己的生活，我们宁愿消极的等待，也不愿积极的争取；我们宁愿中途放弃，也不愿追求完美。在关键时刻，我们不能全力以赴。因此，当我们生活在自己所建造的房子里，注视着眼前的一切时，我们不禁大吃一惊。如果我们能意识到自己在干什么，我们的人生会大不一样。
 　　think of yourself as the carpenter. think about your house. each day you hammer a nail， place a board， or erect （树立，建筑） 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 deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity （尊严）. the plaque （匾） on the wall says， “life is a do-it-yourself project”. who could say it more clearly？
 　　试着把自己设想成那个木匠，再认真的想一想你的房子。实际上，你每天都在为自己的房子而努力：钉一个钉子，放置一块木板，砌一面墙。你在用自己的智慧去建造它。同样，你能打造的生命只有一次。即使你的生命只剩下一天，你也应该高雅而体面的度过它，墙上的饰板仿佛在告诉你：“生命是一项自己打造的工程。”这恐怕是对生命做出的最好的诠释！