Being the Handyman做个“勤杂工”
I’ve been the “handyman” of the house for as long as I can remember. I started out, armed with a roll of duct tape looped around my chubby child arms as I marched about the house, waiting for my mother to call on me. In those days, I didn’t know much about the technical details but knew the phrase “duct tape fixes everything.” My dad would say it as I helped my mother fix tears in folders, boxes, and even a picture frame.
从记事起，我就是家里的 “勤杂工”。小小的我会拿着一卷强力胶带，在胖乎乎的手臂上缠来缠去，在家里走来走去，等妈妈叫我去帮忙。那时候的我还不太懂技术细节，但是却知道 “胶带能搞定一切 ”这句话。因为每当我成功帮妈妈修补文件夹、破损的盒子和甚至一个小相框的时候，爸爸都会说起这句话。
I picked up sewing around third grade, when my younger sister had started to get a bit too rough with her stuffed toys. I had gotten the gist, practicing on scrap fabric, before opening shop to the slew of well-loved but torn stuffed toys me and my sister shared. My stitchwork became so good, my mother would ask that I mend and alter some of her clothes. I remember the feeling of the pin pricking my finger every time I let the needle slip, but I also know the feeling of accomplishment as the mended toys were returned to my sister, and the altered clothes fit my mother like a glove.
我是在三年级左右开始学习缝纫，而刚好在那个时候我的妹妹也开始粗暴地对待毛绒玩具。掌握缝纫技术的要领后，我先在废布料上勤加练习，然后再开始缝补我和妹妹共同拥有的大量破烂不堪的毛绒玩具。当我的针线活越来越好的时候，母亲也会让我帮她缝补和缝改一些衣服。我依然记得每次针头滑落微微刺痛手指的痛感，缝补好玩具递给妹妹以及缝改后的衣服对母亲来说就像手套一样合身的成就感。
Carpentry became my next venture, thanks to our two large dogs, Jake and Elwood. They were lovable oafs that would try to peek through the fence at passersby. However, since they were the size of grown men, they wore down the boards and eventually broke through the fence. My father and I spent the weekend removing worn boards, measuring, obtaining new wood, and skillfully cutting and nailing replacements. The project taught me to handle larger materials. I even challenged myself to build an outdoor table and seat using the remaining boards, taking care to stain the wood and sand sharp edges. I felt a jolt of victory when my dad had sat down and the wood had not collapsed beneath him.
木工技能成了我的下一个冒险尝试，这都要归功于我们家的两条大狗，杰克和埃伍德。它们是两个会试图透过栅栏偷看路人的可爱傻瓜。然而，因为体型像成年男子一样，它们最终磨掉了木板，冲破了栅栏。爸爸和我花了一个周末的时间拆掉破损的木板、重新测量栅栏、购买新的木料、娴熟地切割木料以及把它们钉在栅栏上。在这个项目中我学会了如何处理较大的物料。我甚至开始挑战自己用剩余的木料制作一套户外桌椅，并小心细致地给木头上色和用砂纸磨平锋利的边缘。当爸爸坐下来时，我感到一阵胜利的喜悦，因为他身下的木头并没有散架子。
Entering high school, my desire to continue building led me to the school’s robotics team, introducing me to 3D modeling and printers. Proficiency in CAD and the school’s printers fueled my ambition to expand my skills beyond school projects. After extensive research and persuasion, my dad invested in a 3D printer, enabling me to create replacements for furniture, hooks, and even crafting personal items like a sock drawer organizer and a cat toy. Requests from friends, like modeling and printing a vacuum switch replacement, added a new dimension to my handiness.
进入高中后，想继续创造做东西的愿望让我加入了学校的机器人社团，并开始接触3D建模和3D打印机。熟练掌握CAD制图软件和学校3D打印机使用的经历激发了我的雄心壮志，那个时候我将自己的这些技能扩展到学校之外的项目。经历广泛的调研和说服后，爸爸为我投资购买了一台3D打印机用来制作家具、挂钩，甚至还制作了袜子抽屉收纳盒和宠物猫玩具等个人用品。还有一些来自朋友们的要求，打印一个真空开关，这些经历也为我的动手技能增加一个新维度。
My handyman journey extended to auto mechanics in sophomore year when I took the reins of the family’s aging 1993 Ford F250. Despite its challenges—poor mileage and years of wear and tear—I refused to let it fail. Not long into driving the truck, the speedometer stopped working, and there was a clunking sound when it drove. After heavy inspection, we found that the speed sensor had come apart and lodged itself in the rear differential. As my father was getting old and not as spry as he used to be, he relied on me to open the differential and grab the piece, before flushing out metal shards and installing a new sensor. A year after the sensor failure, the suspension started to fail, requiring new shocks. The truck was a cycle of things breaking and being fixed, but it also taught me the more common skills of routine oil changes and how to jump start the battery.
高二那年，当我接手家里那辆老旧的1993年福特 F250 时，我的“勤杂工”之路延伸到了汽车机械方面，尽管这辆车有里程数少、年久失修等问题，但我不会允许它就此废掉。车开了没多久，车速表就坏了，紧接着行驶时也会发出哐当哐当的声音。经过仔细检查后，我们发现车速传感器脱落，卡在后差速器中。由于父亲年事已高，体力不如从前，他只能靠我打开差速器并固定住金属碎片，然后冲出碎片并安装好新的传感器。传感器故障一年后，悬挂系统开始出现故障，需要更换新的减震器。在这个坏了又修好的循环修车过程中，我也掌握了日常更换机油和如何启动电池等更常见的技能。
In the end, my journey as the household “handyman” has been a continuous evolution. From early days with duct tape to mastering sewing, carpentry, 3D printing, and auto mechanics, each skill acquired has not only enhanced my technical prowess but also cultivated a sense of responsibility and determination. The diverse challenges I’ve tackled have molded my growth, instilling a resilient spirit that thrives on the joy of learning through hands-on experience.
归根结底，我的 “勤杂工 ”之路是一个不断自我迭代的过程：从早期使用胶带到掌握缝纫、木工、3D打印和汽车机械配件维修，过程中所掌握的每一项技能不仅提高了专业技术能力，也培养了做事情的责任心和决心。而自我迭代的过程中所应对的各种挑战也铸就了坚韧不拔的精神，让我在亲身体验式学习中快乐成长！
Admissions Committee Comments招生委员会反馈
Sarah chronicles her experience as her household “handyman” and the versatility of skills she acquired over the years. As each dilemma arose, from a torn stuffed animal and damaged fence to a broken hook, Sarah learned how to repair it. By taking us through each skill she developed, Sarah shares personal anecdotes that demonstrate her sense of community, service, and family. We see adaptability as she picks up new mediums and an eagerness to learn through hands-on methods. In each of these projects, Sarah also shows the innovation and resourcefulness that can be present in seemingly ordinary tasks.This innate curiosity will be invaluable at Hopkins where students seek new perspectives, ideas, and solutions.
莎拉按照时间顺序记录了她作为 “勤杂工” 的经历，以及多年来掌握的各种技能。从撕裂的毛绒玩具、损坏的栅栏到断裂的钩子，每当出现一个难题，莎拉都会第一时间学习如何修理。通过带领我们体验她所掌握的每项技能和分享她的个人轶事的过程，展现了她的社区意识、服务意识和家庭观念。我们看到她在学习新媒介时的适应能力，以及通过实践方法学习的渴望。在每一个项目中，莎拉还展示她在看似普通的工作中所蕴含的创新与机智。这种与生俱来的好奇心在霍普金斯大学将是无价之宝，因为我们的学生都会在此寻求新的视角、想法和解决方案。
本文内容来自Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Admissions我们提供中文翻译
【竞赛报名/项目咨询请加微信：mollywei007】
