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Build Quality into Your House用品质打造自己的房子
Kim’s Note：
This is a very insightful story. How many of us take the time to think each day about the life we are building?Thisstory made me reflect on my life and I hope that it will inspire you to do the same.
这篇故事意义深刻。我们有多少人每天花时间去思考我们所构建的生活?这个故事让我们审视了自己的生活，希望也自激励你去做同样的事。
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 with his wife enjoying his extended1family. He would miss the paycheck,but he needed to retire.They Could get by2.
The contractor was sorry to see his good Worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personalfavor.The carpenter said yes,but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work.He resorted to3 shoddy4workmanship and used inferior5 materials.It was an un-fortunate way to end his career.
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house,the contractor handed the frorit-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 au so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built rather poorly.
So it is with us.We build our live in a distracted 6way,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.
Think of yourself as the carpenter.Think of your lifeas the house.Each day you hammer a nail,place a boardor erect7 a wall,build wisely. It is the only life you will everbuild.Even if you live it for only one day more,that day deserves to be lived graciously8 and with dignity9.
The plaque10 on the wall says，"Life is a do-it-yourself project—do it to the best of your,ability．"
一位老木匠准备退休了。他告诉承包商老板，他准备离开房屋建筑行业，与老伴和儿孙们一起共享天伦之乐，过一种更悠闲自得的生活。虽然少了份薪水，但他想退休了。他们可以凑合着过日子。
眼看这位优秀的木工就要离去，老板很遗憾。他问木工可否为了他个人帮忙再建一座房子。木匠答应了，可很容易看得出他工作时已经心不在焉了。他做的活儿技艺粗糙，用的是次等材料。以这样的方式结束他的建筑生涯，真是令人遗憾。
木匠完工后，老板来查看新房并把前门的钥匙交给了木匠，说：“这房子归你了，这是我送给你的礼物。”
多么令人吃惊，多么让人惭愧啊!如果他知道是在为自己建房子，他会建得大不一样。现在他不得不住在自己建造的劣质的房子里了。
我们也是如此。我们心浮气躁地打造生活，不是主动出击而是被动应付，不愿精益求精而只想着省事。在重要关头我们也没有全力以赴。然后才惊讶地看到自己造成的境遇，发现自己正住在自己建造的那座房子中。如果能一早觉悟，我们就不会这样做了。
就当你自己是那位木匠吧。就当你的生活是那座房子。你每天都要锤钉子、铺木板、砌墙壁，你就该明智地去建。这是你打造的唯一一次生活。哪怕你只多活一天，这一天也应该活得优雅而有尊严。
墙上的铭匾写道：“生活就是一项自己动手的工程——要尽己所能，做到最好。”
疯狂注释
1.extended adj.延伸的；广大的；长期的
2.get by 通过；度过；勉强度日
3.resort to 诉诸于；采取；采用
4.shoddy adj.劣质的；假冒的
5.inferior adj.次等的；下级的
6.distracted adj.心烦意乱的
7.erect v.盖；树立
8.graciously adv.和蔼地；优雅地
9.dignity n.尊严；体面
10.plaque n.匾牌
(华 静 严 欣 编译)
Kim’s Note：
This is a very insightful story. How many of us take the time to think each day about the life we are building?Thisstory made me reflect on my life and I hope that it will inspire you to do the same.
这篇故事意义深刻。我们有多少人每天花时间去思考我们所构建的生活?这个故事让我们审视了自己的生活，希望也自激励你去做同样的事。
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 with his wife enjoying his extended1family. He would miss the paycheck,but he needed to retire.They Could get by2.
The contractor was sorry to see his good Worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personalfavor.The carpenter said yes,but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work.He resorted to3 shoddy4workmanship and used inferior5 materials.It was an un-fortunate way to end his career.
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house,the contractor handed the frorit-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 au so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built rather poorly.
So it is with us.We build our live in a distracted 6way,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.
Think of yourself as the carpenter.Think of your lifeas the house.Each day you hammer a nail,place a boardor erect7 a wall,build wisely. It is the only life you will everbuild.Even if you live it for only one day more,that day deserves to be lived graciously8 and with dignity9.
The plaque10 on the wall says，"Life is a do-it-yourself project—do it to the best of your,ability．"
一位老木匠准备退休了。他告诉承包商老板，他准备离开房屋建筑行业，与老伴和儿孙们一起共享天伦之乐，过一种更悠闲自得的生活。虽然少了份薪水，但他想退休了。他们可以凑合着过日子。
眼看这位优秀的木工就要离去，老板很遗憾。他问木工可否为了他个人帮忙再建一座房子。木匠答应了，可很容易看得出他工作时已经心不在焉了。他做的活儿技艺粗糙，用的是次等材料。以这样的方式结束他的建筑生涯，真是令人遗憾。
木匠完工后，老板来查看新房并把前门的钥匙交给了木匠，说：“这房子归你了，这是我送给你的礼物。”
多么令人吃惊，多么让人惭愧啊!如果他知道是在为自己建房子，他会建得大不一样。现在他不得不住在自己建造的劣质的房子里了。
我们也是如此。我们心浮气躁地打造生活，不是主动出击而是被动应付，不愿精益求精而只想着省事。在重要关头我们也没有全力以赴。然后才惊讶地看到自己造成的境遇，发现自己正住在自己建造的那座房子中。如果能一早觉悟，我们就不会这样做了。
就当你自己是那位木匠吧。就当你的生活是那座房子。你每天都要锤钉子、铺木板、砌墙壁，你就该明智地去建。这是你打造的唯一一次生活。哪怕你只多活一天，这一天也应该活得优雅而有尊严。
墙上的铭匾写道：“生活就是一项自己动手的工程——要尽己所能，做到最好。”
疯狂注释
1.extended adj.延伸的；广大的；长期的
2.get by 通过；度过；勉强度日
3.resort to 诉诸于；采取；采用
4.shoddy adj.劣质的；假冒的
5.inferior adj.次等的；下级的
6.distracted adj.心烦意乱的
7.erect v.盖；树立
8.graciously adv.和蔼地；优雅地
9.dignity n.尊严；体面
10.plaque n.匾牌
(华 静 严 欣 编译)