文本及翻译

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.
一位年迈的木匠准备退休了。他告诉他的老板准备离开建筑业的打算，他说他想和他的妻子过一种更休闲的生活，享受天伦之乐。他还说他会怀念这里的薪水的，但必须退休了，他的离职他们慢慢就会适应。

The contrctor 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 haert was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials.
老板对他的这位优秀员工的离去感到非常遗憾，于是问他是否可以盖最后一栋房子作为私下里的帮忙。这位木匠答应了，但显而易见他做事的时候是心不在焉的。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. When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."
这样结束他的事业是不不幸的，当木匠最后完工，老板来看房子时，他把前门的钥匙交给木匠说：“这是你的房子，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 home hs had built none too well.
震惊！羞愧！如果他早知道他是在盖自己的房子，他肯定会做得截然不同的，现在他不得不住在自己建的糟糕透顶的房子里面。

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would done it differently.
这个道理同样适合我们。在营造生活时，我们的精力被分散到太多的地方，我们只是被动地适应而不会主动行动，而我们自己也不愿意去尽心尽力地营造我们的生活。在重要的时刻我们也没能尽自己最大的努力做好工作。仁厚我们吃惊地看到自己做的一切：发现自己处在自己建造的房子里。如果我们早意识到这一点的话，我们的做法就会完全不同。

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.
把你自己当成那个木匠。想想你的房子。每天你都会钉个钉子，放块模板或砌一面墙。明智地建造你的房子。

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 dinity.
这是你唯一可以营造的生活。即使你只可以再活一天，你也要活得优雅、有尊严。

The plaque on the wall says, "Life ia a do-it-yourself project." Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
墙上的匾写着：“生活就是一个自己动手工程。”谁能比这个说得更明白？你今天的生活就是你过去的生活态度和所作选择的结果。你明天的生活就是你今天的生活和所作选择的结果。
佳句背诵馆
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
该句群首先使用2个感叹句式，表达了作者的强烈感情。然后使用一个表示过去意义的虚拟语气结构，表达了作者对前面内容的评价。这三句放在一起结构紧凑，增强了表达效果。

Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
本句包含了2个并列形式的分句，句子揭示了today, tomorrow和past之间的关系。两分句使用了相似的表达，充满了哲理性，给人印象深刻。