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.

一个小男孩跪在那里，用塑料铲挖着沙子，并把沙子装进一个鲜艳的蓝桶。然后他把蓝桶倒扣在地上，再把它提起来。让这小建筑师开心的是，一座城堡的塔楼就这样诞生了。

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.

整个下午他都要工作：挖护城河，建城墙，瓶盖就是岗哨，木棍就是桥粱。一座城堡就这样建成了。

Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling traffic.

某个大城市，繁忙的街道，拥挤的交通。

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.

一位男士在他的办公室里。坐在办公桌前，他把文件堆叠在一起，分配任务。他将电话夹在肩头，手指不停地敲击着键盘。合同签字生效，让这位男士高兴的是，一笔赢利就这样做成了。

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.

他的整个一生都会工作：制定计划，预测未来。红利就是岗哨，资本积累就是桥梁。一个帝国就这样建成了。

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.

这两座城堡的建筑者，他们有很多共同之处。他们会把细小的鹅卵石变成宏伟的建筑。他们很勤奋也很有决心。而对于他们俩而言，涨潮都会发生，一切都会结束。然而，相似之处就此画上了一个句号。男孩看到了结局，而男人却忽略了它。

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，巨浪来临时，聪明的男孩欢呼跳跃。没有悲伤，没有恐惧，没有遗憾。他知道这一切都会发生，他并不感到惊讶。

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.

当这巨大的破坏者冲毁他的城堡，将他的杰作卷入大海，男孩笑了。男孩微笑着，收拾好他的工具，拉着父亲的手，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，这位成年人，却不那么聪明。当岁月的巨浪击毁他的城堡时，他害怕了。他试图保护这沙质纪念碑。他试图阻止巨浪袭击他建造的城墙。咸海水湮没了他的城堡。

“It’s my castle,” he protests.

“这是我的城堡！”他战栗着怒吼。

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

海洋不需要回应。两者都明白沙子的归宿……

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.

我对沙堡所知甚少，但男孩知道。他看着它们，学习着。走上前去，然后用心建造。

When the sun sets and the tides take—applaud.

当太阳升起时，潮水在为他鼓掌。

Salute the process of life and go home.

向生命的过程敬礼，然后回家。

超多双语阅读，尽在听力课堂