《The giving tree (愛心樹)》是世界繪本的經典作品之一，出版30年來，一直是繪本世界的著名典範，歷久不衰，魅力驚人，銷量超過600萬冊。這是一個由一棵有求必應的蘋果樹和一個貪得無厭的孩子，共同組成的一個又溫馨，又略帶哀傷的動人故事。
《The Giving Tree》
Once there was a tree...
從前有一棵大樹......
and she loved a little boy.
她愛著一個小男孩。
And every day the boy would come
男孩兒每天會跑到樹下，
and he would gather her leaves.
收集她的葉子,
And make them into crowns and play king of the forest.
給自己做王冠，想像自己就是森林之王。
He would climb up her trunk
他也常常爬上樹幹,
and swing from her branches
在樹枝上盪鞦韆,
and eat apples.
吃樹上結的蘋果。
And they would play hide-and-go-seek.
同大樹捉迷藏。
And when he was tired, he would sleep in her shade.
累了的時候，就在樹陰裡睡覺。
And the boy loved the tree....
小男孩兒愛這棵樹，
very much.
非常非常愛它。
And the tree was happy.
大樹很快樂。
But time went by.
但是時光流逝。
And the boy grew older.
孩子逐漸長大。
And the tree was often alone.
大樹常常感到孤寂。
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 and play in my shade and be happy."
有一天孩子來看大樹，大樹說：“來吧，孩子，爬到我身上來，在樹枝上盪鞦韆，吃幾個蘋果，再到陰涼裡玩一會兒。你會很快樂的!”
"I am too big to climb and play" said the boy.
"I want to buy things and have fun. I want some money!"
“我已經大了，不愛爬樹玩兒了，”孩子說，“我想買些好玩兒的東西。
我需要些錢，你能給我一點兒錢嗎?”
"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，”大樹說，“我沒有錢，我只有樹葉和蘋果。
把我的蘋果拿去吧，孩子，把它們拿到城裡賣掉，你就會有錢，就會快樂了。”
And so the boy climbed up the tree and gathered her apples and carried them away.
於是孩子爬上大樹，摘下樹上的蘋果，把它們拿走了。
And the tree was happy.
大樹很快樂。
But the boy stayed away for a long time.... and the tree was sad.
很久很久，孩子沒有再來看望大樹，大樹很難過。
And 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."
後來有一天，孩子又來了。
大樹高興地搖晃著肢體，對孩子說：“來吧，孩子，爬到我的樹幹上，在樹枝上盪鞦韆，你會很快樂的!”
"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 and so I need a house.
Can you give me a house ?"
“我有很多事要做，沒有時間爬樹了。“孩子說，
“我需要一幢房子保暖。”
他接著說，“我要娶個妻子，還要生好多孩子，
所以我需要一幢房子。
你能給我一幢房子嗎?”
" 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."
“我沒有房子，”大樹說，“森林就是我的房子。
但是你可以把我的樹枝砍下來，拿去蓋房。
你就會快樂了。”
And so the boy cut off her branches and carried them away to build his house.
於是那個男孩兒把大樹的樹枝都砍下來，把它們拿走，蓋了一幢房子。
And the tree was happy.
大樹很快樂。
But the boy stayed away for a long time.
孩子又有很長時間沒有來看望大樹了。
And when he came back, the tree was so happy, she could hardly speak.
"Come,Boy," she whispered, "come and play."
當他終於又回來的時候，大樹非常高興，高興得幾乎說不出話來。
“來吧，孩子，”它聲音喑啞地說，“來和我玩玩吧!”
"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?"
“我年紀已經大了，心情也不好，不願意玩兒了。”孩子說，
“我需要一條船，駕著它到遠方去，離開這個地方。
你能給我一條船嗎?”
"Cut down my trunk and make a boat," said the tree.
"Then you can sail away...and be happy."
“把我的樹幹砍斷，用它做船吧。”大樹說，
“這樣你就可以航行到遠處去，你就會快樂了。”
And so the boy cut down her trunk and made a boat and sailed away.
於是孩子把樹幹砍斷，做了一條船，駛走了。
And the tree was happy... but not really.
大樹很快樂，但是心坎裡卻有些……
And after a long time the boy came back again.
又過了很久，那孩子又來了。
"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，”大樹說，
“我沒有什麼可以給你的了。我沒有蘋果了。”
"My teeth are too weak for apples," said the boy.
“我的牙齒已經老化，吃不動蘋果了。”孩子說。
"My branches are gone," said the tree.
" You cannot swing on them."
“我沒有樹枝了，”大樹說，
“你沒法兒在上面盪鞦韆了。”
"I am too old to swing on branches," said the boy.
“我太老了，不能再盪鞦韆了。”孩子說。
"My trunk is gone, " said the tree. "You cannot climb."
“我也沒有樹幹，”大樹說，“不能讓你爬上去玩了。”
"I am too tired to climb" said the boy.
“我很疲倦，爬也爬不動了。”孩子說。
"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，”大樹嘆了口氣，“我希望還能給你點兒什麼東西……
但是我什麼都沒有了。我現在只是個老樹墩，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."
“我現在需要的實在不多，”孩子說，“只想找個安靜的地方坐坐，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。”大樹說，它儘量把身子挺高，“你看，我這個老樹墩，正好叫你坐在上面休息。來吧，孩子，坐下吧，坐在我身上休息吧。”
於是孩子坐下了。
And the tree was happy.
大樹很快樂。
The end.
這是一本關於給予的故事，故事中的大樹就如同我們的父母，從小時候我們對他們的依賴，到長大獨立後的漸行漸遠，不管我們走的多遠，他們都一直在原地等著，盼著，不管我們需要什麼，他們都會盡最大的努力去幫助我們，這一份愛是無所求的，他們想做的就是能給你指引，給你保護，給你溫暖，給你希望......
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