作者：佚名
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.

男孩跪在那儿用塑料铲挖沙子，并把沙子装在一个鲜艳的蓝桶里德语口译。然后他把蓝桶倒扣在地上，把它提起。让这小建筑师高兴的是：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.

他会干一下午：挖护城河，建城墙，用瓶盖做岗哨，用木棍做桥，就这样，一座城堡建成了。

Big city, Busy streets, Rumbling traffic.

某个大城市，喧嚣的街道，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.

办公室里有一位男士。坐在办公桌前，他把文件堆叠在一起，布置任务。他将电话夹在肩头，手指敲击键盘。合同签字生效，让这位男士高兴的是，一笔赢利就这样到手了。

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.

他一生都会工作：指定计划，预测未来。红利就是岗哨，资本增加就是桥梁。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. Watch the boy as the dusk approaches.

这两座承包的建筑者有许多共同之处。他们会把细小的沙石变成宏伟的建筑。他们很用心也很有决心，而对于他们两个而言，涨潮都会发生，一切都会结束。

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，巨浪来临时，聪明的男孩欢呼，跳跃，没有痛苦，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.

当这巨大的破坏者击碎他的城堡，将他的杰作卷入大海，男孩笑了，收拾好他的工具，拉着父亲的手，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，当岁月的巨浪击毁他的承包，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的城墙。咸的海水将他的城堡湮没。

"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.

我对沙堡所知甚少。

But children do. Watch them and learn.

但男孩知道，他看着它们，学习着。

Go ahead and build, but build with a child’s heart.

走上前用心地建造。

When the sun sets and the tides take——applaud.

太阳升起了，潮水在为他鼓掌，

Salute the process of life and go home.

向生命的过程敬礼，回家上海翻译。