The Giving Tree是我最喜歡的一本童書，簡單淺顯的文字,生動的圖畫,交織成一篇感人肺腑的好文章!從第一眼看到它,你就會被它深深吸引,隨著年齡及生活經驗的增長,你會對它有不同的體會。

”Once there was a tree…and she loved a little boy.(從前有一棵樹…深愛著一個小男孩.)”每天那個小男孩都會去到樹下去玩，吃蘋果、從樹幹爬上去再由樹枝溜下來、跟樹玩躲貓貓、睏了就在樹蔭下歇息，小男孩深愛這棵樹，樹也很快樂。時光荏苒，小男孩長大了，對樹的要求也越來越多了，樹也不斷倾其所有的付出再付出。
But time went by.                                
And the boy grew older.                           
And the tree was often alone.                      

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.”
“I am too big to climb and play,” said the boy.
“ I want to buy things and have fun.
I want some money.
Can you give me some money?”
“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.”
And so the boy climbed up the tree and gathered
her apples and carried them away.
And the tree was happy.

But the boy stayed away for a long time…and the
tree was sad.
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 be happy.”
“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? ”
”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 happy.”

And so the boy cut off her branches and
carried them away to build his house.
And the tree was happy.

But the boy stayed away for a long time…
And when he came back,
the tree was so happy
she could hardly speak.
”Come, Boy,” she whispered, ”come and play.”
”I am too old and sad to play,” said the boy.
”I want a boat that will take far away from here;
Can you give me a boat?”
”Cut down my trunk and make a boat,”said the tree.
”Then you can sail away…and be happy.”
And so the boy cut down her trunk and made a boat
and sailed away.

And the tree was happy…
but not really.

And after a long time
the boy came back again.
”I am sorry, Boy,” said the tree,” but I have nothing left to give you---
My apples are gone. ”
”My teeth are too weak for apples,” said the boy.
”My branches are gone,” said the tree.
”You cannot swing on them---”
”I am too old to swing on branches,” said the boy.
”My trunk is gone,” said the tree.
”You cannot climb---”
”I am too tired to climb,” said the boy.
”I am sorry,” sighed the tree.
”I wish that I could give you something…
but I have nothing left, I am just an old stump.
I am sorry….”
”I don’t need very much now,” said the boy,
”just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very 
  tired.”
”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.”

And the boy did.
And the tree was happy.

看著看著，我的眼眶紅了，鼻子唏噓了，心抽痛了，想起了過世的雙親；
寫著寫著，我的眼淚一串串的掉了下來，想起了最愛我、最疼我的娘親！
父母對子女的愛不就像那棵樹一般，全心付出而無怨無悔嗎?
現在，自己有了孩子，他們的一顰一笑，不也正牽動著我們的心嗎?

這本書是小妞唸一年級時所讀過的書，她在學校唸完了，非常感動，回到家來一直跟我說：這本書有多好看、多好看。當她從學校借回來給我看的時候，我立刻就愛上了這本書，尤其是看他的文字，再配上他所繪製的圖畫，簡直就把你感動到不哭不行! 從此以後，我就成了他的書迷，買了他一整套繪本童書，百看不厭! The Giving Tree是我最愛的一本，另外還有一本The Missing Piece 也非常發人深省。他的文字都很簡單易懂，建議有興趣的朋友去買一本英文原版的來看，因為很多時候翻譯過的文字無法表達原作的精髓，而且一定要配上他的圖畫一起看，那種感動是不一樣的喔!

作者Shel Silverstein 出生於一九三O年 九月廿五日 ，他不但是童書作家，同時還是卡通畫家、詩人、作曲家及電影劇作家.又以 Uncle Shelby 聞名於世.也許因為是處女座的關係，Silverstein相當要求完美，要出版他的書，必須由他親自挑選紙張(對紙張的大小、形狀、顏色都精挑細選)，然後把書從裡看到外，詩的字體、書的裝訂都必須符合他的要求，因為他不希望他的作品因任何原因而被貶抑。The Giving Tree,首次發行於一九六四年,是Silverstein最著名的著作，並被翻譯為30多種語文。

相關文章：The Missing Piece

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