雙語(yǔ) ● Making Sandcastles　堆沙堡的小男孩

Making Sandcastles　堆沙堡的小男孩

◎ Max Lucado

A little boy is on his knees scooping and packing the sand with plastic shovels into a bright blue bucket. Then he upends the bucket on the surface and lifts it. And, to the delight of the little architect, a castle tower is created.

一個(gè)小男孩跪在那里，用塑料鏟挖著沙子，并把沙子裝進(jìn)一個(gè)鮮艷的藍(lán)桶。然后他把藍(lán)桶倒扣在地上，再把它提起來(lái)。讓這小建筑師開(kāi)心的是，一座城堡的塔樓就這樣誕生了。

All afternoon he will work,scooping out the moat and packing the walls. Bottle tops will be sentries. Sticks will be bridges. A sandcastle will be built.

整個(gè)下午他都要工作：挖護(hù)城河，建城墻，瓶蓋就是崗哨，木棍就是橋粱。一座城堡就這樣建成了。

Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling traffic.

某個(gè)大城市，繁忙的街道，擁擠的交通。

A man is in his office. At his desk he puts papers into stacks and assigns tasks. The phone is on his shoulder and he is knocking the keyboard with his fingers. Contracts are signed and much to the delight of the man, a profit is made.

一位男士在他的辦公室里。坐在辦公桌前，他把文件堆疊在一起，分配任務(wù)。他將電話夾在肩頭，手指不停地敲擊著鍵盤。合同簽字生效，讓這位男士高興的是，一筆贏利就這樣做成了。

All his life he will work,formulating the plans, forecasting the future. Profits will be sentries. Capital gains will be bridges. An empire will be built.

他的整個(gè)一生都會(huì)工作：制定計(jì)劃，預(yù)測(cè)未來(lái)。紅利就是崗哨，資本積累就是橋梁。一個(gè)帝國(guó)就這樣建成了。

Two builders of two castles. They have much in common. They shape little pebbles into grand buildings. They are diligent and determined. And for both the tide will rise and the end will come. Yet that is where the similarities stop. For the boy sees the end while the man ignores it.

這兩座城堡的建筑者，他們有很多共同之處。他們會(huì)把細(xì)小的鵝卵石變成宏偉的建筑。他們很勤奮也很有決心。而對(duì)于他們倆而言，漲潮都會(huì)發(fā)生，一切都會(huì)結(jié)束。然而，相似之處就此畫(huà)上了一個(gè)句號(hào)。男孩看到了結(jié)局，而男人卻忽略了它。

As the waves near, the wise child jumps to his feet and begins to clap. There is no sorrow. No fear. No regret. He knew this would happen. He is not surprised.

然而，巨浪來(lái)臨時(shí)，聰明的男孩歡呼跳躍。沒(méi)有悲傷，沒(méi)有恐懼，沒(méi)有遺憾。他知道這一切都會(huì)發(fā)生，他并不感到驚訝。

And when the great breaker crashes into his castle and his masterpiece is sucked into the sea, he smiles. He smiles, picks up his tools, takes his father’s hand, and goes home.

當(dāng)這巨大的破壞者沖毀他的城堡，將他的杰作卷入大海，男孩笑了。男孩微笑著，收拾好他的工具，拉著父親的手，然后回家。

The grownup, however, is not so wise. As the wave of years collapses on his castle he is terrified. He tries to protect the sandy monument. He blocks the waves from the walls he has made. Salt-water soaked and shivering he snarls at the incoming tide.

然而，這位成年人，卻不那么聰明。當(dāng)歲月的巨浪擊毀他的城堡時(shí)，他害怕了。他試圖保護(hù)這沙質(zhì)紀(jì)念碑。他試圖阻止巨浪襲擊他建造的城墻。咸海水湮沒(méi)了他的城堡。

“It’s my castle,” he protests.

“這是我的城堡！”他戰(zhàn)栗著怒吼。

The ocean need not respond. Both know to whom the sand belongs...

海洋不需要回應(yīng)。兩者都明白沙子的歸宿……

I don’t know much about sandcastles. But children do. Watch them and learn. Go ahead and build, but build with a child’s heart.

我對(duì)沙堡所知甚少，但男孩知道。他看著它們，學(xué)習(xí)著。走上前去，然后用心建造。

When the sun sets and the tides take—applaud.

當(dāng)太陽(yáng)升起時(shí)，潮水在為他鼓掌。

Salute the process of life and go home.

向生命的過(guò)程敬禮，然后回家。

超多雙語(yǔ)閱讀，盡在聽(tīng)力課堂