Once there was a tree

從前有一棵大樹

and she loved a little boy

它愛著一個小男孩

And every day, the boy would come

男孩兒每天會跑到樹下

and he would gather her leaves
收集她的葉子

Make them into crowns

and play king of the forest

給自己做王冠

想像自己就是森林之王

He would climb up her trunk

他也常常爬上樹干

 swing from her branches

在樹枝上蕩秋千

and eat apples

吃樹上結的蘋果

They would play hide-and-go-seek

同大樹捉迷藏

When he was tired

he would sleep in her shade

累了的時候

就在樹陰里睡覺

And the boy loved the tree.... very much
小男孩兒愛這棵樹，非常非常愛它

And the tree was happy
大樹很快樂

But time went by
但是時光流逝

and the boy grew older

孩子逐漸長大

the tree was often alone

男孩并不總是過來玩，

大樹常常孤單一人

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 , play in my shade

and be happy.'
有一天孩子來看大樹，

大樹說：

“來吧，孩子，爬到我身上來，

在樹枝上蕩秋千，

吃幾個蘋果，再到陰涼里玩一會兒。

你會很快活的!”

'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?'

“我已經(jīng)大了，不愛爬樹玩兒了，”

孩子說，

“我想買些好玩兒的東西。
我需要些錢，

你能給我一點兒錢嗎?”

'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.'
“很抱歉，”大樹說，

“我沒有錢，我只有樹葉和蘋果。
把我的蘋果拿去吧，

孩子，把它們拿到城里賣掉，

你就會有錢，就會快活了?！?br>

And so the boy climbed up the tree 

and gathered her apples 

and carried them away
于是孩子爬上大樹

摘下樹上的蘋果，把它們拿走了

And the tree was happy
大樹很快樂

But the boy stayed away for a long time

and the tree was sad
很久很久，孩子沒有再來看望大樹

大樹很難過

Then one day the boy came back 

and the tree shook with joy and said,
'Come, Boy, climb up my trunk 

and swing from my branches

and be happy.'
后來有一天，孩子又來了。
大樹高興地搖晃著肢體，對孩子說：

“來吧，孩子，爬到我的樹干上，

在樹枝上蕩秋千，

你會很快活的!”

'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 , 

so I need a house.
Can you give me a house ?'
“我有很多事要做，沒有時間爬樹了?！?/p>

孩子說，
“我需要一幢房子保暖。”
他接著說，

“我要娶個妻子，還要生好多孩子，
所以我需要一幢房子。
你能給我一幢房子嗎?”

' 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 be happy.'
“我沒有房子，”大樹說，

“森林就是我的房子。
但是你可以把我的樹枝砍下來，

拿去蓋房。

你就會快活了。”

So the boy cut off her branches 

and carried them away to build his house.
于是那個男孩兒把大樹的樹枝都砍下來，

把它們拿走，蓋了一幢房子。

The tree was happy

大樹很快樂

But the boy stayed away for a long time
孩子又有很長時間沒有來看望大樹了

And when he came back, 

the tree was so happy,

she could hardly speak.
'Come, Boy' she whispered, 

'come and play.'
當他終于又回來的時候，

大樹非常高興，

高興得幾乎說不出話來。
“來吧，孩子，”

它聲音喑啞地說，

“來和我玩玩吧!”

'I am too old and sad to play,' said the boy. 

'I want a boat that will take me far away from here.
Can you give me a boat?'
“我年紀已經(jīng)大了，心情也不好，

不愿意玩兒了?！焙⒆诱f，
“我需要一條船，

駕著它到遠方去，離開這個地方。
你能給我一條船嗎?”

'Cut down my trunk and make a boat,'

said the tree.
'Then you can sail away...

and be happy.'
“把我的樹干砍斷，用它做船吧?！?/p>

大樹說，

“這樣你就可以航行到遠處去，

你就會快活了?！?br>

So the boy cut down her trunk 

and made a boat and sailed away

于是孩子把樹干砍斷，

做了一條船，駛走了

The tree was happy...
大樹很快樂

but not really...

但是心里卻有些……

After a long time the boy came back again.
又過了很久，那孩子又來了。

'I am sorry, boy,' said the tree,
' but I have nothing left to give you 

– My apples are gone.'
“非常抱歉，孩子，”大樹說，
“我沒有什么可以給你的了。

我沒有蘋果了?！?br>
'My teeth are too weak for apples.' 

said the boy.
“我的牙齒已經(jīng)老化，吃不動蘋果了。”

孩子說。

'My branches are gone,' said the tree.
' You cannot swing on them.'
“我沒有枝條了，”大樹說，
“你沒法兒在上面蕩秋千了。”

'I am too old to swing on branches.' 

said the boy.
“我太老了，不能再蕩秋千了?！?/p>

孩子說。

'My trunk is gone, ' said the tree. 

'You cannot climb.'
“我也沒有樹干，”大樹說，

“不能讓你爬上去玩了。”

'I am too tired to climb.' said the boy.
“我很疲倦，爬也爬不動了?！焙⒆诱f。

'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... '
“真是抱歉，”大樹嘆了口氣，

“我希望還能給你點兒什么東西……
但是我什么都沒有了。

我現(xiàn)在只是個老樹墩。

真是抱歉……”

'I don't need very much now,' said the boy.

'just a quiet place to sit and rest.

I am very tired.'
“我現(xiàn)在需要的實在不多，”孩子說，

“只想找個安靜的地方坐坐，好好休息。
我太累了。”
'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.'
“那好吧。”大樹說，

它盡量把身子挺高，

“你看，我這個老樹墩，

正好叫你坐在上面休息。來吧，孩子，

坐下吧，坐在我身上休息吧?！?/p>

And the boy did
于是孩子坐下了

And the tree was happy
大樹很快樂