grew up the "baby" of my family. I was the youngest of three sons.

在家里我是三个儿子中最小的一个，从小到大，我都是全家的“宝宝”

My brothers were five and seven years older than me我的两个哥哥，一个比我大七岁，另一个比我大五岁and handled most of the chores that my Mom and Dad needed done around the house.

爸爸妈妈交代给我们的各种杂活儿，大部分都被他们承担了I spent most of my time then riding my bike, shooting basketball, walking in the woods, or reading books by our stove in the Winter.

我每天大部分时间都在玩耍，骑自行车兜风，打篮球，在树林里散步，冬天的时候偎在火炉边读书。

To say I was a bit spoiled would be an understatement.

要说我被全家人宠坏了，我觉得都言之过轻。

I spent my childhood with all the fun and none of the responsibility.

在我的整个童年，我都在尽情玩乐，没有负起一点家庭责任。

By the time I entered my early teens, however, both of my brothers had moved out of our home.

可是当我长到十岁出头的时候，我的两个哥哥都从家里搬了出去。

My Dad had injured his back and become disabled.

我的父亲背部受伤，以至残疾。

We had moved to a mountain top house heated by a wood stove with only sulfur¹ well water to drink.

我们搬进了一所位于山顶的房子，那里只有木烤炉取暖，只有硫磺温泉水可以喝。

I soon found myself then doing more work than I had ever done before.

我很快就发现，我必须干的家务活比之前任何时候都要多。

I weeded our garden in the Spring and mowed² our lawn³ in the Summer.

在春天我要在花园里清除杂草，在夏天我要修剪草坪。

In the Fall I carried and stacked⁴ wood to keep us warm in the Winter months to come.

秋天我劈柴拾木，屯在家里，好在冬天来临的时候，供家人取暖。

And all year round I hauled⁵ heavy five gallon containers of water from a mountain spring back to our house一年到头，我都必须到山中的一处山泉边汲水，背着五吨装的汽油桶回家。

so we could have water to drink and cook with.

这样我们才有水可以喝，有水可以做饭。

At first I grumbled⁶ and complained to myself.

一开始我常小声抱怨，自怨自艾。

After a while, though, I began to find joy in helping⁷ my parents that I loved so much.

过了一段时间之后，我开始感到欣喜，因为我深爱我的父母，能帮到他们我很高兴。

I sang to myself while I stacked wood and smiled while I carried water.

堆柴火的时候我会唱歌，背水的时候我也会微笑。

I even found myself helping my Mom with the dinner dishes and cleaning.

甚至帮助母亲做洗碗，打扫等事情，还发现自己自得其乐。

I started to realize something that I would carry with me the rest of my life too:

我开始意识到某种真理，并且这一生我都对此深信不疑When your work is done in love, it isn't work.

当你为了爱去劳作，它就不仅仅是劳作了。

Let all of your work be done in love then.

所以，为你所有必须承担的劳作注入爱吧。

Let all that you do be done in love.

让你所做的一切都是为了爱。

Let all of your life be lived with love.

让你的整个生命都是为了爱而活。

We all have been given the wonderful gift of life.

生命是我们每个人被赐予的珍贵礼物。

The least we can do is work to make it the best, most beautiful, and most loving life we can.

我们所能做的是，至少让此生成为最好的，最美丽的，充满爱意的一生。