圣誕快樂(lè)！VIPKID北美名校外教Kevin老師為大家?guī)?lái)西方經(jīng)典故事《The Gingerbread Man 姜餅人》。

圣誕姜餅人在西方是家喻戶曉的童話形象。整個(gè)故事里，姜餅小人一直在唱一句話“Run, run, as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man.”所以“姜餅人”被用來(lái)形容那種單純又勇往直前的人。每到盛大的節(jié)日，大人們就會(huì)將各種形狀如心形、人形的姜餅送給孩子們，或偷偷地放入孩子們期待的襪子內(nèi)。

當(dāng)前瀏覽器不支持播放音樂(lè)或語(yǔ)音，請(qǐng)?jiān)谖⑿呕蚱渌麨g覽器中播放 3:57 The Gingerbread Man 來(lái)自VIPKID英文親子閱讀

Once upon a time a little old woman and a little old man lived in a cottage. One day the little old woman made a gingerbread man. She gave him currants for eyes and cherries for buttons. She put him in the oven to bake.

從前，村舍里住著一對(duì)老夫婦。有一天，老奶奶做了一個(gè)姜餅人。她還用小葡萄干做它的眼睛，用櫻桃做他身上的紐扣。然后老奶奶把他放進(jìn)了烤箱。

The little old woman and little old man were very hungry and wanted to eat the gingerbread man. As soon as he was cooked, the little old woman opened the oven door. The gingerbread man jumped out of the tin and ran out of the open window shouting, “Don’t eat me!”

老爺爺和老奶奶實(shí)在是太餓了，他們好想吃了姜餅人。所以姜餅人一做好，老奶奶就打開(kāi)了烤箱的門。誰(shuí)知姜餅人馬上跳出了鐵罐子，從開(kāi)著的窗戶往外跑，嘴里喊著：“不要吃我！”

The little old woman and little old man ran after the gingerbread man. “Stop! Stop!” they yelled.

老爺爺和老奶奶追在姜餅人的后面，喊著：“站住！停下！”

The gingerbread man did not look back. He ran on saying, “Run, run as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!”

姜餅人并沒(méi)有回頭，他邊跑邊說(shuō)，“跑呀，用盡全力跑！你追不到我的，我是姜餅人！”

Down the lane he sped when he came to a pig. “Stop! Stop! I would like to eat you,' shouted the pig. The gingerbread man was too fast. He ran on saying, 'Run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man.”

他遇到了一只豬，然后他快速地跑到小巷里。“站?。⊥Ｏ?！我要吃了你！”豬喊道。可是姜餅人跑得太快了。他邊跑邊說(shuō)：“跑呀，用盡全力跑！你追不到我的，我是姜餅人！”

A little further on, he met a cow. “Stop! Stop! Little man,” called the hungry cow, “I want to eat you.” Again the gingerbread man was too fast. He sped on down the road saying, 'Run, run as fast as you can.You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man.'

再往前他碰到一只母牛?！罢咀?！停下！小人兒”，饑餓的母牛說(shuō)，“我要吃了你！”姜餅人還是跑得太快了。他一邊加速著跑到大路上，一邊說(shuō)：“跑呀，用盡全力跑！你追不到我的，我是姜餅人！”

The cow began to chase the gingerbread man along with the pig, and the little old woman. But the gingerbread man was too fast for them.

母牛開(kāi)始追在姜餅人的身后，后面跟著豬和老奶奶。但是對(duì)他們來(lái)說(shuō)，姜餅人跑得實(shí)在太快了。

It was not long before the gingerbread man came toa horse. “Stop! Stop!” shouted the horse, “I want to eat you, little man.” But the gingerbread man did not stop. He said, “Run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man.”

不久后，姜餅人遇到了一匹馬?！罢咀?！停下！”馬喊道，“我要吃了你，小人兒?！钡墙炄藘簺](méi)有停下來(lái)。他說(shuō)：“跑呀，用盡全力跑！你追不到我的，我是姜餅人！”

The horse joined in the chase. The gingerbread man laughed and laughed, until he came to a river. “Oh no!” he cried, “They will catch me. How can I cross the river?”

馬也加入了追逐。姜餅人哈哈大笑，直到他走到了一條河面前。姜餅人哭著說(shuō)：“哦不！他們快要捉到我了。我要怎么過(guò)河呢？”

A sly fox came out from a tree. “I can help you cross the river,” said the fox. “Jump on to my tail and I will swim across.”

這時(shí)一只狡猾的狐貍從樹(shù)的后面走了出來(lái)?！拔铱梢詭湍氵^(guò)河”，狐貍說(shuō)?！疤轿业奈舶蜕蟻?lái)，我會(huì)游過(guò)去的?！?/span>

“You won’t eat me, will you?” said the gingerbread man.
“你不會(huì)吃了我吧？”姜餅人問(wèn)道。

“Of course not,” said the fox. “I just want to help.”

“當(dāng)然不會(huì)”，狐貍說(shuō)，“我只是想幫忙。”

The gingerbread man climbed on the fox’s tail. Soon the gingerbread man began to get wet. “Climb onto my back”, said the fox. So the gingerbread man did. As he swam the fox said, “You are too heavy. I am tired. Jump onto my nose.” So the gingerbread man did as he was told.

姜餅人爬到狐貍的尾巴上，但是很快地，姜餅人身上開(kāi)始變濕了?！芭赖轿业谋成蟻?lái)”，狐貍說(shuō)。姜餅人也這么做了。然而狐貍邊游邊說(shuō)：“你太重了，我累了。爬到我鼻子上吧?！彼越炄税凑蘸傉f(shuō)的做了。

No sooner had they reached the other side, then the fox tossed the gingerbread man up in the air. He opened his mouth and “Snap!”. That was the end of the gingerbread man.

沒(méi)過(guò)多久，他們就到了河的另一端，然后狐貍把姜餅人拋到了空中。他張開(kāi)嘴，然后咔地一咬，就把姜餅人給吃了。這就是姜餅人最后的結(jié)局了。