感谢阅读头条号“羽佳讲绘本”，本栏目旨在为宝爸宝妈推荐和分享优秀绘本，欢迎订阅！
今天是毛毛专栏，毛毛每周将为您推荐一本优秀的英文绘本，还有朗读音频哦！
大家好！今天毛毛毛为大家带来的，是一本在绘本当中属于篇幅比较长、文字比较多的故事型绘本《Baseball Saved Us》。
之前毛毛为大家推荐的大部分绘本，都更加适合低龄宝宝阅读，然而毛毛相信读者当中，还是有一些大龄宝宝的家长在看相关绘本介绍的，例如毛毛的一位阿姐。
所以毛毛也特别在这里表达一下：感谢阿姐对毛毛的支持！今天这本绘本亦是阿姐为毛毛推荐的。
它涉及到几个话题：首先是棒球。相信4-7年级喜欢棒球的男孩女孩们，会更加理解故事中人们对棒球的感情。
其次是珍珠港事件以及那个特殊时期的美日关系。有的高年级孩子可能知道这一历史事件，而绘本会从另一个角度，展现这一事件对普通人的影响。
再次是这本故事还涉及到了学校的霸凌。而这一现象更是在最近掀起了社会的普遍观注，甚至引起家长们的恐慌焦虑。
或许越是开明的社会，越会去反思，那些社会上曾经出现过的不公正待遇。
本书一经出版，便受到了美国儿童教育界的巨大关注。
本书不但获得了Lee & Low Books大奖以及1993年的Parents' Choice奖，更是在书评网站GoodReads中获得了4.23分的高分。
网站上有四百多条书评，很大一部分来自于学校的教育工作者。
作者Ken Mochizuki是一名美籍日裔作家、记者、演员。二战期间他的父母曾被送往集中营。而这本绘本正源于那些日子的生活记忆。
插图作者Dom Lee出生于韩国首尔，在美国完成了视觉艺术的硕士学位。他插画了很多高分绘本，也是一位很有才华的美国亚裔移民。
由于这本绘本文字篇幅比较长，毛毛接下来就只为大家做图片和中文解说。而英文文字部分会放至文末给各位家长参阅。
同时毛毛也录制了故事音频，感兴趣的也可以直接点击收听。或在移动App[喜马拉雅]或[懒人听书]中关注“毛毛讲英文绘本2018”下载收听。
以下图文涉及剧透，加粗字体为绘本原文，其余为解说。图片来自绘本实物拍摄，仅供预览，感兴趣的读者请购买正版。
1. 故事，是从一个沙漠中的棒球场地的建设开始的。这不是一个普通的棒球场地，这是一个建立在集中营中的棒球场地，发起人，是“我”的父亲。在二战中，集中营并不少见。而这一集中营却是建立在美国，集中的，是那些美籍日裔移民，因为珍珠港事件爆发了。
2. 在集中营里，“我”不免回想起了来到集中营之前的日子。“我”原就因为瘦小而被学校同学排挤，而美日关系因珍珠港事件的激化，导致“我”在学校被进一步轻蔑和边缘化。随后不久，一家人被迫离开自己的住房，被隔离起来。
3. 集中营的日子并不好过。白天酷暑夜晚严寒，沙尘暴肆虐，吃饭被监视，拥挤的公共浴室，排队放风，逼仄的营房，夜晚婴儿的哭声可以惊醒全营的人。
4. 在这样的环境下，大人小孩都无所事事，于是矛盾开始激化。“我”的兄长甚至不愿意为自己的父亲取一杯水。所有人都在暴躁的边缘。
5. 就是在这个时候，父亲觉得有必要做点儿什么了，一个粗陋的棒球场却在大人小孩的协作下一点一点地建立起来了。锄草、灌水、围栏，建成场地后，又有朋友从家里送来球、球棒、手套，而妈妈们则拆了床单为大家做队服。大家干得如火如荼。
6. “我”一开始打得并不好，可是勤于练习。岗哨的守卫始终默默注视着一切，不动声色。 训练告一段落，便迎来了集中营内的大人组、小孩组的各场球赛。“我”被分配到二垒，因为最简单。每次击球都有人起哄出局，结果总是要么出局，要么偶而来个一垒打。
7. 冠军赛第九局时，对方比分优势3比2，“我”依然没找到状态，场上响着此起彼伏的加油助威声。
8. 这时候，“我”一眼撇到了岗哨的守卫，他一直盯着看，这忽然激起了“我”狂热的斗志！
“我”紧抓着球棒的手试挥了两下，毅然决然地准备奋起一棒打到天外去。这时候，场上突然安静了，投手投球了。
9. 全力一击，在酷热的太阳下奋力奔跑，一垒。。。本垒。。。什么也不管了，迷迷糊糊地，竟然被队友扛到肩上，这时，一直沉默不语的岗哨守卫，露出会心一笑，竖起了大姆指。
10. 故事到这里却并没有结束。二战结束，人们离开了集中营回家后，异样的眼光依然没有消失。“我”在学校依然被孤立。
11. 然而全美都酷爱的棒球季却照常展开了。这一次，“我”虽然依然瘦小，却因为在集中营训练出来的优秀技巧而得到了同伴的初步认可，他们虽然仍然直呼“我”的外号，却眼含笑意。
可是真正的比赛依然冷酷地不近人情，而参赛的所有球员，几乎没有日裔。甚至观众席中还回响着不堪的侮辱字眼。
12. 队伍进入比赛场，“我”在沮丧中准备击打。到处弥漫着起哄声，“我”不断失利，而队友们却依然鼓励着彼此。好吧，退步，深呼吸。
13. 站在本垒上，看着投手眼镜上折射出的阳光，让“我”想起了集中营岗哨守卫。一切喧闹都静止了，“我”进入了状态。投手旋身、投球。
14. “我”挥棒，全力击打，巅峰的感觉又来了，球穿过蓝天、白云，越飞越远。。。
15. 最后，所有的队员，为这个“小个子”发出胜利的欢呼。
故事结束，最后毛毛再附上本来作者放在故事最开始的一段Note：
二战期间，美国政府因珍珠港事件将所有在美的美籍日裔移民迁移到沙漠集中营，只因无法判断这些移民是否对日本效忠。
然而却并没有任何证据指出，这些身份尴尬的移民在二战期间曾对美国造成危害。1988年，美国政府才终于承认这一行为是错误的。
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本书的篇幅确实比较长，而且跟普通只讲一项运动，或一次历史事件，或一项社会问题的绘本不同，它结合了三者。毛毛其实有很多想说的，大概可能或许会有点啰嗦。。。
首先，关于“珍珠港事件”（Pearl Harbor）：
1941年12月7日，二战中的日本海军突袭美国珍珠港海军基地。这起作战源起于美日在中国和亚洲的利益冲突，日本的大东亚共荣圈构想引发美国强烈抗议并禁止对日出口石油。此举令日方拟定了攻击珍珠港计划。
在这场突袭中，日方损失微小；对美方来说，虽然主要电力和控制设备未造成伤害，美方航母也未在港内停留，但却造成了很大的人员伤亡和战机的损毁。
最重要的，这是一场未宣而战的行动，从道义上完全站不住脚，引来了全美的愤怒和谴责。
正因为如此，导致了这本绘本中所描绘的，美国民众对在美日本人的仇视。
我们无法褒贬民众这样一种情绪，毕竟战争是如此残酷和无情。我们只谈故事中所发生一切的诱因：“珍珠港事件”，归根结底，是战争。
战争无情，在各国的利益纷争和角逐中，真正受其苦楚的，却是普通民众，也同样包括身分尴尬的来自敌对国的移民。
在这样一种被仇视的氛围中，是棒球这项体育运动，为故事中身份尴尬的甚至被孤立的主人公重新获得尊严、价值，和自我认同。
那么其次，我们便谈谈棒球（Baseball）这项运动：
毛毛曾经很喜欢一部日本动漫《棒球英豪》，尤其是遇强则强的主人公上杉达也（暴露年龄中，有木有同粉的）。
不过毛毛的棒球知识却并没有因为这部动画片增长多少，大概主要还是年纪大了的缘故吧（滴汗）。
如今则因这部绘本重拾热情并补习棒球知识（再次感谢为我提供支持的阿姐的全程解说）。如果有同样感兴趣的，或者准备为孩子参加棒球训练的，或许可以一起了解一下。
我们先看看基本词汇和说法，这些大家应该都非常熟悉了：
baseball棒球
baseball bat棒球棒
baseball gloves棒球手套
baseball uniform棒球队衣
MLB(Major League Baseball)北美职业棒球联盟
接下来看看棒球场地分区：
foul line犯规线
left field左外野
center field中外野
right field右外野
infield内野
home plate本垒
first base一垒
second base二垒
third base三垒
pitcher's mound投手位
batter's box击球位
再看看球员站位：
pitcher投手
catcher捕手
hitter/batter击球手
然后来看看比赛环节：
inning棒球的一局
pitch投球
wind up旋身
hit/bat击球
swing挥棒
catch捕球
以及比赛用语：
Base Hit安打
Single一垒打（安打的一种）
Homerun本垒打
Ground Out滚地球出局
Tag Out触杀出局
Strike Out三振出局
关于棒球就先说到这里，咱们再说说霸凌（Bullying）：
这实在是一个沉重却让人愤怒的话题。
霸凌这个英文音译可以说明，它并非刚刚形成于我们现今的社会和学校中。
无论东方无论西方，甚至无论古代无论现代，这种恶劣的行为都在黑暗中腐蚀和破坏着孩子们的成长。
而形成霸凌的原因各式各样，或许因为家境、地位，或许因为性格、相貌、身材，或许因为国别、籍贯、文化。。。最根本的便是对弱小者的侮辱，言语上或者肢体上。
毛毛觉得当我们阅读这本书的时候，我们应该为孩子从小树立正确的价值观，学会尊重他人、宽容、友好，而非狭隘和排挤。未来在于孩子，孩子的美好，带给未来以美好。
最后的最后，附书内英文文字部分：
1. One day, my dad looked out at the endless dessert and decided then and there to build a baseball field.
He said people needed something to do in Camp. We weren't in a camp that was fun, like summer camp. Ours was in the middle of nowhere, and we were behind the barbed wire fence. Soldiers with guns made sure we stayed there, and the man in the tower saw everything we did, no matter where we were.
As dad began walking over the dry cracked dirt, I asked him again why we were here.
"Because," he said, "America is at wall with Japan, and the government thinks that Japanese Americans can't be trusted. But it's wrong that we're in here. We are Americans too!" Then he made a mark in the dirt and mumbled something about where the infield bases should be.
2. Back in school, before Camp, I was shorter and smaller than the rest of the kids. I was always the last to be picked for any team when we played games. Then, a few months ago, it got even worse. The kids started to call me names and nobody talked to me, even though I didn't do anything bad. At the same time the radio kept talking about some place far away called Pearl Harbor.
One day Mom and Dad came to get me out of school. Mom cried a lot because we had to move out of our house real fast, throwing away a lot of our stuff. A bus took us to a place where we had to live in horse stalls. We stayed there for a while until we came here.
3. This camp wasn't anything like home . It was so hot in the daytime and so cold at night. Dust storms came and got sand in everything, and nobody could see a thing. We sometimes got caught outside, standing in line to eat or to go to the bathroom. We had to use the bathroom with everybody else, instead of one at a time like at home.
we had to eat with everybody else, too, but my big brother Teddy ate with his own friends. We lived with a lot of people in what were called barracks. The place was small and had no walls. Babies cried at night and kept us up.
4. Back home, the older people were always busy working. But now, all they did was stand or sit around. Once Dad asked Teddy to get him a cup of water.
"Get it your self," Teddy said.
"What did you say?" Dad snapped back.
The older men stood up and pointed at Teddy, "How dare you talk to your father like that!" one of them shouted.
Teddy got up, kicked the crate he was sitting on, and walked away. I had never heard Teddy talk to Dad that way before.
5. That's when Dad knew we needed baseball. We got shovels and started digging up the sagebrush in a big empty space near our barracks. The man in the tower watchted us the whole time. Pretty soon, other grown-ups and their kids started to help.
We didn't have anything we needed for baseball, but the grown-ups were pretty smart. They funnelled water from irrigation ditches to flood what would become our baseball field. The water packed down the dust and made it hard. There weren't any trees, but they found wood to build the bleachers. Bats, balls and gloves arrived in cloth sacks from friends back home. My mom and other moms took the covers off mattresses and used them to make uniforms. They looked almost like the real thing.
6. I tried to play, but I wasn't that good. Dad said I just had to try harder. But I did know that playing baseball here was a little easier than back home. Most of the time, the kids were the same size as me.
All the time I practiced, the man in the tower watched. He probably saw the other kids giving me a bad time and thought that I was no good. So I tried to be better because he was looking.
Soon, there were baseball games all the time. Grown-ups played and us kids did, too. I played second base because my team said that was the easiest. Whenever I was at bat, the infield of the other team started joking around and moved in real close. The catcher behind me and the crowd for the other team would say, "Easy out." I usually grounded out. Sometimes I go to a single.
7. Then came one of our last games of the year to decide on the championship. It was the bottom of the ninth inning and the other team was winning, 3 to 2. One of our guys was on second and there were two outs.
Two pitches, and I swung both times and missed. I could tell that our guy on second was begging me to at least get a base hit so somebody better could come up to bat. The crowd was getting loud. "You can do it!" "Strike out!" "No hitter, no hitter!"
8. I glanced at the guardhouse behind the left field foul line and saw the man in the tower, learning on the rail with the blinding sun glinting off his sunglasses. He was always watching, always staring. It suddenly made me mad.
I gripped the bat harder and took a couple of practice swings. I was gonna hit the ball past the gardhouse even if it killed me. Everyone got quiet and the pitcher threw.
9. I stepped into my swing and pulled the bat around hard. I'd never heard a crack like that before. The ball went even farther than I expected.
Against the hot desert sun, I could see the ball high in the air as I ran to first base. The ball went over the head of the left fielder.
I dashed around the bases, knowing for sure that I would get tagged out. But I didn't care, running as fast as I could to home plate. I didn't even realize that I had crossed it.
Before I knew it, I was up in the air on the shoulders of my teammates. I looked up at the tower and the man, with the grin on his face, gave me the thumbs-up sign.
10. But it wasn't as if everything was fixed. Things were bad again when we got home from Camp after the war. Nobody talked to us on the street, and nobody talked to me at school, either. Most of my friends from Camp didn't come back here. I had to eat lunch by myself.
11. Then baseball season came. I was the smallest guy again, but playing baseball in Camp had made me a lot better. The other guys saw that I was a pretty good player. They started calling me "Shorty", but they smiled when they said it.
By the time the first game came around, I felt almost like part of the team. Everyone was laughing and horsing around on the bus. But as soon as we got out there, it hit me: nobody on my team or the other team, or even anybody in the crowd looked like me.
When we walked out onto the field, my hands were shaking. It felt like all these mean eyes were staring at me, wanting me to make mistakes. I dropped the ball that was thrown to me, and I heard people in the crowd yelling "Jap." I hadn't heard that word since before I went to Camp -- it meant that they hated me.
12. My team came up to bat and I was up next. I looked down. I thought maybe I should pretend to be sick so I wouldn't have to finish the game. But I knew that would make things even worse, because I would get picked on at school for being a chicken. And they would use the bad words, too.
Then it was my turn at bat. The crowd was screaming, "The Jap's no good!" "Easy out!" I heard laughing. I swung twice and missed. The crowd roared each time I missed, drowning out my teammates, who were saying, "C'mon, Shorty, you can do it!" I stepped back to catch my breath.
13. When I stepped back up to the plate, I looked at the pictcher. The sun glinted off his glasses as he stood on the mound, like the guard in the tower. We stared at each other. Then I blocked out the noise around me and got set. The pitcher wound up and threw.
14. I swung and felt that solid whack again. And I could see that little ball in the air against the blue sky and a puffy white clouds. It looked like it was going over the fence.
15. N/A
书名：Baseball Saved Us
主题：英文、棒球、政治、社会
适合年龄：8-15岁
亮点：故事性强、情感厚重
推荐指数：4颗星，推荐购买
本文绘本图片来自实物拍摄，仅供预览，感兴趣的读者请购买正版图书。其它图片来自网络，如有侵权请联系我删除。
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