听爸爸的话:工作是种福气

　　Serving in the United States Army overseas, I saw a lot of people like that woman in Bangladesh. And I’ve come to believe that people without jobs are not free. They’re victims of crime, poor health, depression and social unrest. These victims become the illegal immigrants, the slaves of human trafficking, the drug dealers, and the street gang members. I’ve seen it over and over again.

　　我在驻海外的美军部队服役时，看到许多人都和孟加拉国那个女人一样，于是我开始相信，没有工作的人是不自由的。他们遭受着犯罪、疾病、经济萧条和社会动荡的侵害，于是这些受害者变成了非法移民，沦为人口贩卖、贩毒者和街头帮派的囚奴。这种景象我一次次地目睹过。

　　 People who have jobs can have a home, send their kids to school, develop a sense of pride, contribute to the good of the community and even help others. When we can work, we are free. We are blessed.

　　有工作的人可以建立家庭，将孩子送到学校上学，内心树立起一种自豪感，增加对社区的积极影响，甚至去帮助他人。当我们有事可做时，我们身心自由，身处幸福之中。

　　I don’t think I’ll ever quit working. I’m retired from the Army, but I’m still working to help people be prepared for disasters. And I may get to do a little farming someday, too. I’m not going to stop. I believe in my father’s words: to work is a blessing.

　　我觉得我不会停止工作。如今我已从军队退役，但我仍在致力于帮助人们在灾害来临前做好准备，可能哪天我也要去做点儿农活。我不会停下来的。我相信父亲的话：工作是种福气。

　　1.hog  n . 肉用猪。

　　2. eke out: 竭力维持（生计），设法过活。

　　 3. 预备军官训练项目（Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, ROTC）是一项以大学为基础的军官委任项目，美国是主要实施国之一，其中多数部队机构都提供奖学金，并常以延长现役时间的方式来抵消全部大学学费。