經典雙語美文：Making Sandcastles
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.
男孩跪在那兒用塑料鏟挖沙子，并把沙子裝在一個鮮艷的藍桶里。然后他把藍桶倒 扣在地上,把它提起。讓這“小建筑師”高興的是: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.
他會干一下午：挖護城河，建城墻，用瓶蓋做崗哨，用木棍做橋，就這樣，一座城堡建成了。
Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling traffic.
某個大城市，喧囂的街道、川流不息的交通。
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.
辦公室里有一位男士。坐在辦公桌前，他把文件堆疊在一起,布置任務。他將電話夾在肩頭，手指敲擊鍵盤。合同簽字生效,讓這位男士高興的是，一筆盈利就這樣到手了。
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.
他一生都會工作：制定計劃，預測未來。紅利就是崗哨，資本增加就是橋梁。一個帝國就這樣建成了。
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.
這兩座承包的建筑者有許多共同之處。他們會把細小的沙石變成宏偉的建筑。他們很用心也很有決心，而對于他們兩個而言，漲潮都會發生，一切都會結束。
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，巨浪來臨時，聰明的男孩歡呼,跳躍,沒有痛苦，沒有恐懼，沒有遺憾。他知道這一切都會發生，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.
當這巨大的破壞者擊碎他的城堡，將他的杰作卷入大海，男孩笑了，收拾好他的工具， 拉著父親的手，回家了。
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. “It’s my castle,” he protests.
然而，這位成年人，當歲月的巨浪擊毀他的承包，他害怕了，他試圖保護這沙質紀念 碑。他試圖阻止巨浪襲擊他建的城墻。“這是我的城堡! ”他怒吼道。
The ocean need not respond. Both know to whom the sand belongs...
海洋不需要回應。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.
我對沙堡所知甚少,但男孩知道,他看著它們，學習著。走上前用心地建造。
When the sun sets and the tides take applaud.
太陽升起了，潮水在為他鼓掌，向生命的過程敬禮，回家。
Salute the process of life and go home.
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.
男孩跪在那兒用塑料鏟挖沙子，并把沙子裝在一個鮮艷的藍桶里。然后他把藍桶倒 扣在地上,把它提起。讓這“小建筑師”高興的是: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.
他會干一下午：挖護城河，建城墻，用瓶蓋做崗哨，用木棍做橋，就這樣，一座城堡建成了。
Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling traffic.
某個大城市，喧囂的街道、川流不息的交通。
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.
辦公室里有一位男士。坐在辦公桌前，他把文件堆疊在一起,布置任務。他將電話夾在肩頭，手指敲擊鍵盤。合同簽字生效,讓這位男士高興的是，一筆盈利就這樣到手了。
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.
他一生都會工作：制定計劃，預測未來。紅利就是崗哨，資本增加就是橋梁。一個帝國就這樣建成了。
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.
這兩座承包的建筑者有許多共同之處。他們會把細小的沙石變成宏偉的建筑。他們很用心也很有決心，而對于他們兩個而言，漲潮都會發生，一切都會結束。
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，巨浪來臨時，聰明的男孩歡呼,跳躍,沒有痛苦，沒有恐懼，沒有遺憾。他知道這一切都會發生，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.
當這巨大的破壞者擊碎他的城堡，將他的杰作卷入大海，男孩笑了，收拾好他的工具， 拉著父親的手，回家了。
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. “It’s my castle,” he protests.
然而，這位成年人，當歲月的巨浪擊毀他的承包，他害怕了，他試圖保護這沙質紀念 碑。他試圖阻止巨浪襲擊他建的城墻。“這是我的城堡! ”他怒吼道。
The ocean need not respond. Both know to whom the sand belongs...
海洋不需要回應。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.
我對沙堡所知甚少,但男孩知道,他看著它們，學習著。走上前用心地建造。
When the sun sets and the tides take applaud.
太陽升起了，潮水在為他鼓掌，向生命的過程敬禮，回家。
Salute the process of life and go home.
