《The giving tree (爱心树)》
《The giving tree (爱心树)》是世界绘本的经典作品之一，出版30年来，一直是绘本世界的著名典范，历久不衰，魅力惊人，销量超过600万册。这是一个由一棵有求必应的苹果树和一个贪求不厌的孩子，共同组成的温馨，又略带哀伤的动人故事。
爱心树的英文 “The Giving Tree”，顾名思义便是牺牲奉献的意思，爱心树中的故事其实就是是我们每个人的故事。这颗树就是我们的父母。小时候，我们喜欢和爸爸妈妈玩……长大后，我们就离开他们，只在需要什么东西或者遇到麻烦的时候，才回到他们身边。无论如何，父母永远都在那儿，倾其所有使你快乐。你可能认为这个男孩对树很残酷，但这就是我们每个人对待父母的方式。
本故事其实亦是一本述说友谊的书。树并未因为男孩的予取予求感到难过，即使后来只剩下残干的他，是那么凄凉孤寂，但当男孩回到他身边只求一个安静的歇脚处时，树竟是满欣喜乐将自己奉献给他，这样的喜悦比起男孩小时在树上刻的 “M.E. + T.”那些甜蜜文字，更令他感到真切舒心。
天才的绘本艺术家希尔弗斯坦以简单俐落的线条和充满诗意又带有嘲讽幽默的文字，为各个年龄的读者创造了一则令人心醒动容的寓言——在施与受之间，也在爱与被爱之间
这个故事的主题是给予，而在施与受之间是有偏差的，最后的结尾树很快乐，已经到了牺牲到没有可牺牲的份上了，依然还是那么一句话。只有母爱才会如此伟大，令人动容。不过故事也让我们有一些警醒的地方，母爱虽然无私，但孩子不能一味的满足，让孩子学会感恩，同样是人生很重要的道理！
Once there was a tree . . .
从前有一棵树……
And she loved a little boy.
她好爱一个小男孩。
And every day the boy would come,
每天小男孩都会跑来玩耍，
and he would gather her leaves，
收集她的叶子，
and make them into crowns and play king ofthe forest.
把叶子编成皇冠，扮演森林之王。
He would climb up her trunk，
男孩会爬上树干，
and swing from her branches，
抓着树枝荡秋千，
and eat apples.
吃苹果。
And they would play hide-and-go-seek.
他们会一起玩捉迷藏，
And when he was tired, he would sleep inher shade.
玩累了，男孩就在她的树荫下睡觉。
And the boy loved the tree . . . very much!
男孩也深爱着这棵树……
And the tree was happy.
树好快乐。
But time went by,
但随着时光流逝，
The boy grew older,
男孩长大了,
and the tree was often alone. 树常常感到孤独。
Then one day the boy came to the tree Andthe tree said, "Come, Boy, come
and climb up my trunk and swing from mybranches and eat my apples and play in my shade and be happy."
有一天男孩来到树下，树说：“来啊，孩子，来，爬上我的树干。抓着我的树枝荡秋千，吃吃苹果，在我的树荫下玩耍，你会很快乐的。
"I am too big to climb and play,"said the boy.
"I want to buy things and have fun. Iwant some money.
Can you give me some money?"
“我不是小孩子了，我不要爬树和玩耍了，”男孩说，
“我要买东西玩，我需要钱。你可以给我一些钱吗？”
"I’m sorry," said the tree,
"but I have no money.
I have only leaves and apples. Take myapples, Boy,
and sell them in the city. Then you willhave money and you will be happy."
“很抱歉”，大树说，
“我没有钱，我只有树叶和苹果，拿些苹果走吧，孩子。在城里卖个好价钱，你就会有钱的，你就会很快乐。”
And so the boy climbed up the tree
and gathered her apples
and carried them away.
于是男孩儿爬上大树摘下她的苹果，把它们带走了。
And the tree was happy.
树好快乐。
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。
And then one day the boy came back
and the tree shook with joy and she said,
"Come，boy,climb up my trunk
and swing from my branches and behappy."
后来有一天，男孩又来了。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，你会很快乐的！”
"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 ahouse?"
“我有很多事要做，没有时间爬树了。” 男孩说，“我需要一幢房子遮风挡雨。” 他接着说，“我要娶妻生子，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 maycut 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。你就会很快乐。”
And so the boy cut off her branches andcarried them away to build his house.
And the tree was happy.
于是男孩砍下她的树枝，把它们都拿走盖了一幢房子。
But the boy stayed away for a long time.
但是男孩又是很长时间没有来。
And when he came back, the tree was sohappy she could hardly speak.
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。
"Come boy," she whispered,"come and play." "I am too old and sad to play," said theboy.
“来吧，孩子，”她低声说，“来和我玩玩吧!”
“我年纪已经大了，心情也不好，不愿意玩儿了。
"I want a boat
that will take me far away from here. Canyou give me a boat?"
“我想要一艘船带我去远航。你能给我一艘船吗？”
“Cut down my trunk and make a boat”，said the tree. “Then you can sail away and be happy.”
“砍下我的树干，做一艘船”树说，“这样你就可以远航……你就会快乐。”
And so the boy cut down her trunk and madea boat and sailed away.
于是男孩砍下她的树干，造了一条船，远航去了 。
And the tree was happy . . .
树好快乐……
but not really. 但并非如此。
And after a long time the boy came backagain, "I am sorry Boy," said the tree, "but I have nothing leftto give you——my apples are gone."
"My teeth are too weak forapples," said the boy.
很长一段时间过去了，男孩又回来了。“我很抱歉，孩子，”树说，“但是，我已经没有可以给你的东西了，我已经没有苹果了。”
“我的牙齿已经没办法吃苹果了，”男孩说。
"My branches are gone," said thetree.
"You cannot swing on them."
"I am too old to swing on branches,"said the boy.
“我的枝条也没了，”树说,你不能在上面玩了。”
“我太老了不能在上面玩荡秋千了,” 男孩说。
"My trunk is gone," said thetree. "You cannot climb----"
"I am too tired to climb," saidthe boy.
“我的树干没有了,” 树说，“你不能爬——。”
“我已经太累了爬不动了。” 男孩说。
"I am sorry," sighed the tree.
"I wish that I could give yousomething…but I have nothing left. I am just an old stump. I am sorry…"
“我很抱歉，” 树叹息着说，“我真希望能给你些东西，可是我什么都不剩了。我只是一个老树桩了。我真的很抱歉……”
"I don’t need very much now,"said the boy，"just a quiet place to sit and rest.I am very tired."
“我现在需要的并不多，”男孩说，“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 shecould.
"Well, an old stump is good forsitting and resting. Come, boy, sit down. Sit down and rest."
“好啊，”树一边说，一边尽力挺直身子。
正好啊，树根是最适合坐下休息的。坐啊，孩子，坐下，坐下休息。
And the boy did.
于是男孩坐了下来。
And the tree was happy.
树好快乐。
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