《The Giving Tree》一棵永远付出的树
Once there was a tree
从前有一棵大树
and she loved a little boy
它爱着一个小男孩
And every day, the boy would come
男孩儿每天会跑到树下
and he would gather her leaves
收集她的叶子
Make them into crowns
and play king of the forest
给自己做王冠
想像自己就是森林之王
He would climb up her trunk
他也常常爬上树干
swing from her branches
在树枝上荡秋千
and eat apples
吃树上结的苹果
They would play hide-and-go-seek
同大树捉迷藏
When he was tired
he would sleep in her shade
累了的时候
就在树阴里睡觉
And the boy loved the tree.... very much
小男孩儿爱这棵树,非常非常爱它
And the tree was happy
大树很快乐
But time went by
但是时光流逝
and the boy grew older
孩子逐渐长大
the tree was often alone
男孩并不总是过来玩,
大树常常孤单一人
Then one day the boy came to the tree
and the tree said,
'Come, Boy, come and climb up my trunk
and swing from my branches
and eat apples , play in my shade
and be happy.'
有一天孩子来看大树,
大树说:
“来吧,孩子,爬到我身上来,
在树枝上荡秋千,
吃几个苹果,再到阴凉里玩一会儿。
你会很快活的!”
'I am too big to climb and play'
said the boy.
'I want to buy things and have fun.
I want some money!
Can you give me some money?'
“我已经大了,不爱爬树玩儿了,”
孩子说,
“我想买些好玩儿的东西。
我需要些钱,
你能给我一点儿钱吗?”
'I'm sorry,' said the tree,
'but I have no money.
I have only leaves and apples.
Take my apples,
Boy, and sell them in the city.
Then you will have money
and you will be happy.'
“很抱歉,”大树说,
“我没有钱,我只有树叶和苹果。
把我的苹果拿去吧,
孩子,把它们拿到城里卖掉,
你就会有钱,就会快活了。”
And so the boy climbed up the tree
and gathered her apples
and carried them away
于是孩子爬上大树
摘下树上的苹果,把它们拿走了
And the tree was happy
大树很快乐
But the boy stayed away for a long time
and the tree was sad
很久很久,孩子没有再来看望大树
大树很难过
Then one day the boy came back
and the tree shook with joy and said,
'Come, Boy, climb up my trunk
and swing from my branches
and be happy.'
后来有一天,孩子又来了。
大树高兴地摇晃着肢体,对孩子说:
“来吧,孩子,爬到我的树干上,
在树枝上荡秋千,
你会很快活的!”
'I am too busy to climb trees,' said the boy.
'I want a house to keep me warm,' he said.
'I want a wife and I want children ,
so I need a house.
Can you give me a house ?'
“我有很多事要做,没有时间爬树了。“
孩子说,
“我需要一幢房子保暖。”
他接着说,
“我要娶个妻子,还要生好多孩子,
所以我需要一幢房子。
你能给我一幢房子吗?”
' I have no house,' said the tree.
'The forest is my house,
but you may cut off my branches
and build a house.
Then you will be happy.'
“我没有房子,”大树说,
“森林就是我的房子。
但是你可以把我的树枝砍下来,
拿去盖房。
你就会快活了。”
So the boy cut off her branches
and carried them away to build his house.
于是那个男孩儿把大树的树枝都砍下来,
把它们拿走,盖了一幢房子。
The tree was happy
大树很快乐
But the boy stayed away for a long time
孩子又有很长时间没有来看望大树了
And when he came back,
the tree was so happy,
she could hardly speak.
'Come, Boy' she whispered,
'come and play.'
当他终于又回来的时候,
大树非常高兴,
高兴得几乎说不出话来。
“来吧,孩子,”
它声音喑哑地说,
“来和我玩玩吧!”
'I am too old and sad to play,' said the boy.
'I want a boat that will take me far away from here.
Can you give me a boat?'
“我年纪已经大了,心情也不好,
不愿意玩儿了。”孩子说,
“我需要一条船,
驾着它到远方去,离开这个地方。
你能给我一条船吗?”
'Cut down my trunk and make a boat,'
said the tree.
'Then you can sail away...
and be happy.'
“把我的树干砍断,用它做船吧。”
大树说,
“这样你就可以航行到远处去,
你就会快活了。”
So the boy cut down her trunk
and made a boat and sailed away
于是孩子把树干砍断,
做了一条船,驶走了
The tree was happy...
大树很快乐
but not really...
但是心里却有些……
After a long time the boy came back again.
又过了很久,那孩子又来了。
'I am sorry, boy,' said the tree,
' but I have nothing left to give you
– My apples are gone.'
“非常抱歉,孩子,”大树说,
“我没有什么可以给你的了。
我没有苹果了。”
'My teeth are too weak for apples.'
said the boy.
“我的牙齿已经老化,吃不动苹果了。”
孩子说。
'My branches are gone,' said the tree.
' You cannot swing on them.'
“我没有枝条了,”大树说,
“你没法儿在上面荡秋千了。”
'I am too old to swing on branches.'
said the boy.
“我太老了,不能再荡秋千了。”
孩子说。
'My trunk is gone, ' said the tree.
'You cannot climb.'
“我也没有树干,”大树说,
“不能让你爬上去玩了。”
'I am too tired to climb.' said the boy.
“我很疲倦,爬也爬不动了。”孩子说。
'I am sorry,' sighed the tree.
'I wish that I could give you something...
but I have nothing left.
I am just an old stump.
I am sorry... '
“真是抱歉,”大树叹了口气,
“我希望还能给你点儿什么东西……
但是我什么都没有了。
我现在只是个老树墩。
真是抱歉……”
'I don't need very much now,' said the boy.
'just a quiet place to sit and rest.
I am very tired.'
“我现在需要的实在不多,”孩子说,
“只想找个安静的地方坐坐,好好休息。
我太累了。”
'Well,' said the tree,
straightening herself up as much as she could,
'well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting.
Come, Boy, sit down.
Sit down and rest.'
“那好吧。”大树说,
它尽量把身子挺高,
“你看,我这个老树墩,
正好叫你坐在上面休息。来吧,孩子,
坐下吧,坐在我身上休息吧。”
And the boy did
于是孩子坐下了
And the tree was happy
大树很快乐