竣工

　　Project Completed

　　今天對我來說，十分值得紀念。我自認爲一生中比較大的工程——《白蓮花論》的翻譯完成了。動筆之初是在2001年12月25日，當天，全廈門的人都在以各種方式歡度“聖誕節”，我也自我安慰地將外面的喜慶場面，當作該翻譯工程的奠基大典。

　　To me personally, today is a day worthy of every commemoration. A major project of my life—the translation of the Great Biography of Buddha Shakyamuni, the White Lotus—has just been completed. This project was commenced on Christmas Day 2001 when the people of Xiamen celebrated it in various ways. On that day, I took the liberty of assuming the festive mood in the city as cheers for my foundation-laying ceremony of the translation.

　　作爲佛教教主，釋迦牟尼佛從因地初發心直至最終示現成佛，行持六度萬行的事迹可謂感人至深。每當閱讀之時都爲其打動，多次發願將之翻譯與道友們共同分享。今天總算是如願以償了。

　　Buddha Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, performed innumerable activities of the Six Transcendent Perfections from his initial aspiration to final enlightenment. His deeds are incredibly moving stories, which touched me deeply every time I read them. I have been aspiring to translate the biography so that others could appreciate it too; today I am happy to see my wish is finally fulfilled.

　　翻譯之初，恰值住房對面一幢高樓奠基動工，動工之時，人頭攢動，彩旗飛揚，聽說僅設計費就用了幾十萬，建築工人也上百名，再加上現代化的機器設備，十分風光。而我們的工程除了校對打字的以外，沒有強大的人力物力作爲後盾，與其比較，顯得寒碜之至。然而我們所具有的卻是令他們自愧不如的，對佛祖至深至誠的信心。僅憑這點，就足以使我們成爲精神上所向無敵的貴族。

　　The launching of my translation project coincided with the building of a high-rise across from my residence. Its groundbreaking ceremony was attended by throngs of cheering crowds and decorated with colorful banners. The building started with a blueprint that reportedly cost hundreds of thousands of yuan and its construction has been carried out by hundreds of workers equipped with modern engineering tools. Compared with their grandiose style, our translation project seems extremely shabby. We have neither a huge amount of manpower nor hefty funds as support, only a proofreader of the typescript. Nonetheless, we do have unshakable deep faith in the Buddha, something so special that outshines mundane construction. This and this alone, is enough to lift us in spirit to the rank of the indomitable nobles.

　　曆經100多天，如今大樓已經斷水，即將竣工。我的工程也圓滿結束，開發商一定認爲自己對社會、對人類做了一件有意義的事，我覺得我的工程也許更有意義。相信幾百年之後，由水泥磚瓦修建的高樓將蕩然無存，而作爲精神財富的世尊傳記，卻不會被飛逝的時間和地理版圖所囿，仍將繼續利益百千萬代、五湖四海的後人。使其因此而對佛陀生起信心，並逐漸趨至解脫正道。

　　With more than 100 days of work behind it, this building is in the stage of water supply and will soon be completed; my project, likewise, has reached the finishing line. While the developers must feel good about their significant accomplishment, my project, I believe, could be more meaningful. A few hundred years from now, buildings made from cement, brick, and tile will be gone with no trace left; on the contrary, the spiritual wealth of the Buddha”s life story will still continue to benefit hundreds and thousands of future generations. Unaffected by the confines of time and space, it will arouse faith in its readers all over and lead them steadily onto the path of liberation.

　　留給後人最好的遺産，不是高樓大廈，不是金銀財寶，而是遮蔽無明風雨的精神大廈。

　　The best inheritance to leave for future generations is not the high-rise building, or gold, silver, or jewels; rather, it is the towering spiritual mansion that will provide protection from the thunderstorms of delusion.

　　壬午年叁月二十二日　

　　2002年5月3日　　

　　22nd of March, Year of RenWu

　　May 3, 2002