The Selfish Giant自私的巨人

Every afternoon， as they were coming from school， the children used to go and play in the Giants garden.

It was a large lovely garden， with soft green grass. Here and there over the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars， and there were twelve peach trees that in the springtime broke out into delicate blossoms of pink and pearl， and in the autumn bore rich fruit. The birds sat on the trees and sang so sweetly that the children used to stop their games in order to listen to them. “How happy we are here！” they cried to each other.

One day the Giant came back. He had been to visit his friend the Cornish Ogre， and had stayed with him for seven years. After the seven years were over he had said all that he had to say， for his conversation was limited， and he determined to return to his own castle. When he arrived he saw the children playing in the garden.

“What are you doing here？” he cried in a very gruff voice， and the children ran away.

每天下午，孩子們放学回来，总会去巨人的花园里玩耍。

这是一个可爱的大花园，长满了柔嫩的青草。草丛间盛开着美丽的鲜花，如繁星点点。花园里还有十二棵桃树，每到春天，粉红色和珍珠色的花朵姣美诱人;到了秋天，树上果实累累。鸟儿栖息在枝头唱着动听的歌儿，孩子们都禁不住停止游戏，细心聆听。“我们在这儿多么快乐！”他们欢叫着。

有一天巨人回来了。他去拜访了康沃尔的怪物朋友，而且和他一起住了七年。七年结束了，巨人说完了想说的话，因为他的话总有个尽头，他决定回到自己的城堡。当他到家的时候，看见孩子们正在花园里玩耍。

“你们在这儿做什么！”他非常粗暴地喊道，孩子们跑开了。

“My own garden is my own garden，” said the Giant， “anyone can understand that， and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself.” So he built a high wall all round it， and put up a notice-board：

TRESPASSERS

WILL BE

PROSECUTED

He was a very selfish Giant.

The poor children had now nowhere to play. They tried to play on the road， but the road was very dusty and full of hard stones， and they did not like it. They used to wander round the high wall when their lessons were over， and talk about the beautiful garden inside. “How happy we were there！” they said to each other.

“我自己的花园就是我自己的，”巨人说道，“随便什么人都明白。除我以外，我不允许任何人在花园里玩耍。”于是他在花园的四周砌起了高高的围墙，还支起一块告示牌：

越界者

将会

受到重惩

他是一个非常自私的巨人。

可怜的孩子们没有玩耍的去处了。他们试着在公路上玩，但是公路上尘土飞扬，到处是坚硬的石子，他们并不喜欢那里。功课结束之后，他们常常在高高的围墙外徘徊，谈论着墙内美丽的花园。“我们从前在那里多么快乐呀！”他们说着。

Then the Spring came， and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds. Only in the garden of the selfish Giant it was still winter. The birds did not care to sing in it as there were no children， and the trees forgot to blossom. Once a beautiful flower put its head out from the grass， but when it saw the notice-board it was so sorry for the children that it slipped back into the ground again， and went off to sleep. The only people who were pleased were the Snow and the Frost. “Spring has forgotten this garden，” they cried， “so we will live here all the year round.” The Snow covered up the grass with her great white cloak， and the Frost painted all the trees silver. Then they invited the North Wind to stay with them， and he came. He was wrapped in furs， and he roared all day about the garden， and blew the chimney-pots down. “This is a delightful spot，” he said， “We must ask the Hail on a visit.” So the Hail came. Every day for three hours he rattled on the roof of the castle till he broke most of the slates， and then he ran round and round the garden as fast as he could go. He was dressed in grey， and his breath was like ice.

“I cannot understand why the Spring is so late in coming，” said the selfish Giant， as he sat at the window and looked out at his cold white garden; “I hope there will be a change in the weather.”

But the Spring never came， nor the Summer. The Autumn gave golden fruit to every garden， but to the Giants garden she gave none. “He is too selfish，” she said. So it was always Winter there， and the North Wind， and the Hail， and the Frost， and the Snow danced about through the trees.

然后春天到了，整个村庄到处盛开着小花，到处都有小鸟欢唱。只有自私的巨人的花園里依然是冬天。鸟儿们不愿意去那儿歌唱，因为那里没有孩子们的踪迹，树木也忘了开花。一次，一朵美丽的花儿从草间伸出头来，可是当她看到告示牌的时候，她为孩子们感到难过，又把头缩回到地里，继续沉睡。唯一高兴的是雪花和霜降。“春天忘记了这座花园，”他们嚷道，“那么我们可以常年住在这里了。”雪花用她厚重的白色外衣覆盖住草地，霜降给所有的树木刷上了银色的外衣。之后他们邀请北风来和他们同住，北风来了。他裹在毛皮里，整日在花园里呼啸，还吹掉了烟囱管帽。“这是一个让人愉悦的地方。”他说，“我们一定要叫冰雹来做客。”于是冰雹也来了。每天他都要在城堡的屋顶连续不断地敲打三个小时，直到大部分瓦片被砸破为止，然后他又以最快的速度绕着花园奔跑。他穿着一身灰衣，气息如冰一般。

“我不懂为什么春天迟迟不来。”自私的巨人说，他坐在窗边，看着寒冷的雪白的花园，“我希望天气会变好一些。”

但是春天始终没来，夏天也没有来临。秋天给每座花园送去了金色的果实，却没有给巨人的花园送去什么。“他太自私了。”秋天这样说。所以，巨人的花园里总是严冬，北风、冰雹、霜降和雪花纷纷在树木间舞蹈。

Vocabulary

used to 过去常常

sweetly adv. 动听地;甜美地

visit v. 拜访;参观

determine v. 决定（determined是过去式形式）

build v. 修建;建造（built是过去式形式）

wander round 徘徊;闲逛

forget v. 忘记;遗忘（forgot是过去式形式）

paint v. 油漆;绘画（painted是过去式形式）

delightful adj. 令人愉快的

change n. 改变;变化