And the Green Grass Grew 而青色的草儿就到处长 - 英语儿歌听唱跳202110(总第59期)
(歌词翻译:武太白)
Out in the woods.
There was a tree.
The prettiest tree.
That you ever did see.
在外面的树林里。
有一棵树。
是你见过的。
最漂亮的树。
Well, the tree was in a hole,
and the hole was in the ground.
And the green grass grew all around, all around.
And the green grass grew all around.
嗯,树在洞里,
洞在地面上。
而青色的草儿就到处长,到处长。
而青色的草儿就到处长。
And on this tree.
There was a branch.
The prettiest branch.
That you ever did see.
而在这棵树上。
有一根树枝。
是你见过的。
最漂亮的树枝。
Well, the branch was on the tree,
and the tree was in the hole,
and the hole was in the ground.
And the green grass grew all around, all around.
And the green grass grew all around.
嗯,树枝长在树上,
树在洞里,
洞在地面上。
而青色的草儿就到处长,到处长。
而青色的草儿就到处长。
And on this branch.
There was a nest.
The prettiest nest.
That you ever did see.
而在这根树枝上。
有一个鸟巢。
是你见过的。
最漂亮的鸟巢。
Well, the nest was on the branch,
and the branch was on the tree,
and the tree was in the hole,
and the hole was in the ground.
And the green grass grew all around, all around.
And the green grass grew all around.
嗯,鸟巢筑在树枝上,
树枝长在树上,
树在洞里,
洞在地面上。
而青色的草儿就到处长,到处长。
而青色的草儿就到处长。
And in this nest.
There was an egg.
The prettiest egg.
That you ever did see.
而在这个鸟巢里。
有一个鸟蛋。
是你见过的。
最漂亮的鸟蛋。
Well, the egg was in the nest,
and the nest was on the branch,
and the branch was on the tree,
and the tree was in the hole,
and the hole was in the ground.
And the green grass grew all around, all around.
And the green grass grew all around.
嗯,鸟蛋在鸟巢里,
鸟巢筑在树枝上,
树枝长在树上,
树在洞里,
洞在地面上。
而青色的草儿就到处长,到处长。
而青色的草儿就到处长。
And in this egg.
There was a bird.
The prettiest bird.
That you ever did see.
而在这个鸟蛋里。
有一只鸟。
是你见过的。
最漂亮的鸟。
Well, the bird was in the egg,
and the egg was in the nest,
and the nest was on the branch,
and the branch was on the tree,
and the tree was in the hole,
and the hole was in the ground.
And the green grass grew all around, all around.
And the green grass grew all around.
嗯,鸟在鸟蛋里,
鸟蛋在鸟巢里,
鸟巢筑在树枝上,
树枝长在树上,
树在洞里,
洞在地面上。
而青色的草儿就到处长,到处长。
而青色的草儿就到处长。
And the green grass grew all around, all around.
And the green grass grew all around.
而青色的草儿就到处长,到处长。
而青色的草儿就到处长。
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这首歌,其实是一个小游戏:每一个接着传话的人,都要把之前一个人的话都带上,再加上自己的一句话。我们看到,从最初的tree,到随后的branch,nest,egg,bird,一样一样往上加。
歌曲的标题非常有意思。英语里有一种押韵的方式名叫“头韵”,alliteration,就是说押韵不是靠结尾的,而是靠音节的开头。这首歌的歌名就是押的头韵GR:Green Grass Grew。这一点我们一旦明白,听起来、唱起来就会觉得更有意思。
歌词内容其实并不复杂:There was a tree out there in the woods, the prettiest tree you ever did see. 这句话里的the prettiest tree其实是前面a tree的重复,不过这时增加了新的定语(you ever did see),所以用了定冠词the来修饰tree。其他几节也是基本如此。
然后就是循环往复、不断加长的那一串词:
嗯,鸟蛋在鸟巢里,
鸟巢筑在树枝上,
树枝长在树上,
树在洞里,
洞在地面上。
最后一句,and the green grass grew all around,是对反复出现的内容的一种平衡,这也是Super Simple Songs的一贯特点。
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