课文阅读

Habitat began building houses in Americus for needy people who could handle a small down payment plus about $65 monthly. An elderly couple named Lillie Mae and Jonas Bownes watched from their shack as their new house rose across the street. Mrs. Bownes frequently got up after midnight and peeked to make sure the unfinished five-room dwelling was still there. "I never dreamed I'd have a place like this, " Mrs. Bownes says. "It makes us feel like people."
Habitat grew slowly at first. In 1981 there were 15 projects in the United States, 11 overseas. Last year the numbers ballooned to 241 in North America and 50 in 25 countries abroad. By 1996, if things go as planned, Habitat will be operating in 2,000 U.S. cities and 60 countries.

Volunteers apply for jobs at a rate of 40 a month. Habitat's generous philosophy seems to tap a reservoir of good will. "I was looking for a way to measure myself in terms other than money," says a staffer who gave up an engineering career to direct fund raising at Habitat.
It is ten o'clock on a scorching July morning in Charlotte, N.C. Millard Fuller is pounding nails into a roof on one of 14 houses rising simultaneously.

Around him, 350 volunteer builders, many of them veteran Habitat workers bused in from out of town, are hammering, drilling, fitting windows — building a neighborhood.
"Who's paying for all this?" a passer-by asks.
"Nobody," Millard replies.
The man looks dubious. "Folks don't do this sort of thing for nothing."
"It's worse than that," Millard says cheerfully. "They paid to come."
"You get a sense of joy in this word," says Millard after a long day on the roof." The most dynamic people I know are concerned about something beyond themselves. We're doing something that makes a real difference. It won't fade away next week or next month. Every house is a permanent blessing — for builder and buyer both."

参考译文

人类之家工程开始在亚美利克斯为那些能够支付一点点的首付，外加每月65美元的还款的穷人建房。一对名为丽莉.玫和乔纳斯的老年夫妇从他们简陋的小屋里看到马路对面的房子一天天捡起来 。鲍恩斯太太经常半夜起来窥视，看看那栋尚未完工的五居室的房子是不是还在那儿。“我做梦也没想到我会有这样一栋房，”鲍恩斯太太说，“那让我们感觉像人。”

人类之家工程起初发展缓慢。1981年在美国有15个项目，国外有11个项目。去年在北美数量猛增到241个，在其他25个国家增至50个。到1996年，如果事情按原计划进行的话，人类之家工程将在美国2000多个城市和60个国家实施。

每月都会有40名志愿者申请加入。人类之家工程高尚的哲学理念激发了人们心中的善意。“我是在寻求一种从金钱以外的角度衡量自我的方式，”一名放弃了自己工程师的职业来指导家园计划募捐资金的志愿者说。

那是7月一个炎热的上午，10点钟，在北卡罗来纳州的夏洛特，14栋房子同时拔地而起，米勒德正在其中一栋房子的屋顶上钉钉子。在他周围的350名义务建筑工，有的在挥动锤子，有的在安窗户。他们当中很多人都是从城外乘巴士过来的，这些人都是人类之家工程的元老。

“谁来为所有的这些付钱？”一个过路人问。
“没有人，”米勒德回答。
那人看起来半信半疑，“人们不会白干这些事情的。”

“比那更糟，”米勒德高兴地说，“他们来这儿还要花钱呢。”

“你能从这份工作中得到快乐，”在屋顶干了一天之后米拉德说，“我所认识的最有活力的人都在关心着他人。我们所做的事情对他人有很大的意义。它不会在下一周或下一个月消失。对于建造者和买者来说，每一座都是永久的祝福。”

词汇释义

1.needy a. 贫穷的, 贫困的, 生活艰苦的

例句：

There is a needy family.
这儿有一家穷苦的人家。

2.dwelling n.居住；寓所; 住处

例句：

Welcome to my humble dwelling.
欢迎光临寒舍。

3.reservoir n.水库; 蓄水池; 大量供应

例句：

a reservoir of manpower
大量供应人力

4.dynamic a. 动态的, 有活力的, 有力的, 动力的, 不断变化的

例句：

a man of dynamic personalities
性格活跃的人