讀點好英文:The Giving Tree 愛心樹

The Giving Tree 愛心樹

Shel Silverstein

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it every day. He climbed to the treetop, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow... He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.

Time went by... The little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree.

One day, the boy came back to the tree and looked sad. "Come and play with me," the tree asked the boy.

I am no longer a kid; I don't play around trees anymore, the boy replied, "I want toys. I need money to buy them."

Sorry, but I don't have money... but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money. The boy was so excited. He picked all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy didn't come back after he picked the apples.

The tree was sad.

One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited. "Come and play with me," the tree said.

I don't have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me? "Sorry, I don't have a house. But you can cut off my branches to build your house." So the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left happily.

The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy didn't appear since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted. "Come and play with me!" the tree said.

I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat? "Use my trunk to build the boat. You can sail and be happy." So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and did not show up for a long time.

Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. "Sorry, my boy. But I don't have anything for you any more. No more apples for you," the tree said. "I don't have teeth to bite," the boy replied. "No more trunk for you to climb on." "I am too old for that now," the boy said. "I really want to give you something... the only thing left is my dying roots," the tree said with tears. "I don't need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years," the boy replied. "Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest. Come here, please sit down with me and have a rest." The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears...

This is a story of everyone. The tree is our parents. When we were young, we loved to play with Mom and Dad... When we grow up, we leave them, and only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble. No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they could to make you happy. You may think that the boy is cruel to the tree but that's how all of us are treating our parents.

愛心樹

［美］謝爾·希爾弗斯坦

很久以前，有一株高大繁茂的蘋果樹。一個小男孩每天都喜歡到樹下玩耍。他爬上樹梢，美美地摘下樹上的蘋果吃，吃完了就在樹蔭里打盹兒……他愛樹，樹也愛和他玩耍。

日子一天天過去……小男孩長大了，很久不再來和樹玩耍。

一天，小男孩來到樹旁，他看起來很不開心?！昂臀彝姘伞！睒湔f。

“我不再是小孩子了，不會再和你玩了?！蹦泻⒋鸬?，“我想要玩具。我需要錢來買。”

“對不起，我沒有錢……但是你可以把我的蘋果都摘下來拿去賣掉。這樣，你就有錢了?！蹦泻⒑芘d奮，他摘下所有的蘋果，高高興興地走了。從那以后很久沒有回來。

樹很傷心。

一天，男孩回來了，樹好高興?！皝砗臀彝姘??！睒湔f。

“我沒有時間，我得干活養(yǎng)家，我們需要一所房子遮蔽風雨，你能幫我嗎？”“對不起，我沒有房子。但是你可以砍下我的樹枝去建一所房子?！庇谑?，男孩砍下所有的樹枝，高高興興地走了。

看到男孩開心，樹也好開心，但是從那時起男孩很久沒再來過。樹又變得孤獨、傷心起來。

盛夏的一天，男孩回來了，樹好高興?！皝砗臀彝姘桑　睒湔f。“我不快樂，我開始老了，我想去航海放松自己，你能給我一條船嗎？”“用我的樹干造一條船吧，你就能航海了，你會快樂的?！庇谑牵泻徬滤械臉涓勺龀梢粭l船。他航海去了，之后很久沒有出現(xiàn)。

許多年過去了，男孩終于回來了?！皩Σ黄?，我的孩子。我再也沒有任何東西可以給你了，我沒有蘋果了。”樹說。“我也沒有牙齒咬了。”男孩答道。“我沒有樹枝讓你爬了?！薄拔乙蔡狭耍啦粍恿??！蹦泻⒄f?！拔艺嫦霝槟阕鲂┦裁矗晌抑皇Ｏ驴煲廊サ臉錁读??！睒浜鴾I說?！艾F(xiàn)在我什么也不需要了，只想有一個休息的地方就好。經(jīng)過這么多年，我累了?！蹦泻⒋鸬馈！疤昧?！老樹樁就是倚著休息最好的地方。來吧，快坐到我身上來休息吧?！庇谑?，男孩坐下來，樹好高興，它笑了，臉上掛著淚……

這是我們每個人的故事。樹就是我們的父母。小時候，我們喜歡和爸爸媽媽一起玩?！L大后，便離開他們，只在我們有需要或遇到困難時才會想到他們。盡管如此，為了使我們幸福，父母總會守候著我們，心甘情愿地付出一切。你也許覺得那個男孩太殘忍，但是我們不就在那樣對待我們的父母嗎？

實戰(zhàn)提升

Practising & Exercise

導讀

謝爾·希爾弗斯坦（Shel Silverstein），美國人，集漫畫家、作家、詩人和作曲家于一身，尤以創(chuàng)作兒童文學而著名。他的作品幽默、溫馨，簡單樸實的文字蘊含著無限的人生哲學。

作者在文中把父母比作樹，把果實、樹枝、樹干所有的一切都無條件給了子女。故事帶給我們深深的感動。愛情和友情都有可能消逝，唯有父母親情總是不改為子女犧牲的初衷，永伴我們左右。

核心單詞

treetop [tri?t?p] n. 樹梢

branch [brɑ?nt?] n. 樹枝；枝

trunk [tr??k] n. 樹干

bite [bait] v. 咬；啃

cruel [?kru?l] adj. 殘忍的，殘酷的

翻譯

Time went by... The little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree.

The boy didn't come back after he picked the apples.

No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they could to make you happy.