爱心树 The Giving Tree

从前有一棵树，它喜欢上一个男孩。男孩每天都会跑到树下捡树叶，编王冠，想象自己是森林之王。男孩还常常爬树荡秋千、吃苹果，和大树玩捉迷藏。玩累了，就在树荫下睡觉。男孩爱这棵树，非常、非常爱它，树很快乐。

日子一天一天过去。男孩长大了，树好孤独。

有一天，男孩来到树下，树说：“爬到树上来吧！荡秋千、吃苹果，到树荫下玩一玩吧！”男孩说：“我已经长大了，不爱爬树了。我想买东西，你可以给我一点钱吗？”树说：“把我的苹果拿去卖掉吧。”他把苹果全都摘走了。树很快乐。

男孩好久都没有来，树很难过。有一天，男孩回来了，他说：“我想要一座房子保暖。我要娶妻子，生孩子。你能给我一座房子吗？”树说：“森林就是我的房子。不过你可以把我的树枝砍下来去盖房子。”他砍下树枝，盖了房子。树很快乐。

男孩又有很长时间没来看望树了，当他终于又回来的时候，树高兴得都说不出话来了。他说：“我想要一条船，带我远离这里，你能给我一条船吗？”树说：“那你把我的树干砍了做船吧。”他把树干砍了，造了一条船，开走了。树很快乐，但心里却有些……

又过了很久，男孩又回来了。树说：“抱歉，我没有什么可以给你了，我现在只是个老树墩。”男孩说：“我现在要的不多，我很累了，只想找一个安静、可以坐着休息的地方。”树尽量挺直身子说：“那就坐在我身上吧。”

于是男孩坐下来了，树很快乐。


原著：谢尔•希尔佛斯坦



A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it every day. He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, and took a nap under the shadow... He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.

Time went by... the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day.

One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. "Come and play with me," the tree asked the boy.

"I am no longer a kid; I don't play around trees anymore." The boy replied, "I want toys. I need money to buy them."

"Sorry, but I don't have money... but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money."

The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.

One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited. "Come and play with me" the tree said.

"I don't have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?"

"Sorry, but I don't have a house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house." So the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted.

"Come and play with me!" the tree said.

"I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?"

"Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy." So the boy cut the tree truck to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.

Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. "Sorry, my boy. But I don't have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you..." the tree said.

"I don't have teeth to bite" the boy replied.

"No more trunk for you to climb on"

"I am too old for that now" the boy said.

"I really can't give you anything ... the only thing left is my dying roots" the tree said with tears.

"I don't need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years." The boy replied.

"Good! An old tree root is the best place to lean on and rest. Come, Come sit down with me and rest." The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears...

A good story by Shel Silverstein