死神教父
导读
这是格林童话里一则很特别、也很深刻的故事——它没有'从此幸福地生活下去'的结局，主人公最后死了。格林兄弟并不总是给童话安上圆满的收尾，这一篇就是一则关于'死亡'的沉思。故事里有个大胆得几乎令人意外的设定：穷父亲给孩子找教父，先后拒绝了上帝（嫌他'只给富人、让穷人挨饿'）和魔鬼（嫌他'骗人'），最后偏偏选中了死神——因为在他眼里，只有死神对谁都一视同仁，'带走富人，也带走穷人，不分彼此'。故事里那个'每个人的生命都是一支蜡烛'的画面，是全世界最有名、也最令人难忘的意象之一，后来被无数小说和电影借用。故事想说的道理很朴素：人可以聪明、可以善良，但有些规矩连聪明和善意都无法打破——死亡面前，人人平等，谁也骗不过它。（提示家长：这是一则严肃、略带伤感的'谈死亡'的故事，结局并不圆满，更适合大一些的孩子，可借它温和地和孩子聊聊生命与离别。）读的时候可以想想：医生两次救人，第一次是出于同情，第二次却是为了美貌和王位——这两次'救人'，一样吗？
《死神教父》词汇精讲
本故事精选 12 个重点词汇，附中英释义与原文例句，帮助孩子扩展英语词汇量。
To feel sorry for someone.
同情；怜悯。
Poor man, I pity you. I will hold your child at his baptism, and care for him.
穷人啊，我同情你。让我抱着你的孩子受洗吧，我会照顾他。
To suffer or die from lack of food.
挨饿；饿死。
Then I do not wish to have you for a godfather. You give to the rich, and let the poor starve.
那我不想要你当教父，你把一切都给了富人，却让穷人挨饿。
To make someone believe something that is not true.
欺骗；蒙骗。
Then I do not wish to have you for a godfather. You deceive mankind and lead them astray.
那我不想要你当教父，你欺骗人类，引诱他们误入歧途。
A difference between people or things; treating some differently from others.
区别；差别；区别对待。
You take away the rich as well as the poor, without distinction. You shall be my child's godfather.
你带走富人，也带走穷人，不分彼此。你来做我孩子的教父吧。
A plant used for medicine, flavour, or scent.
草药；香草。
He took him out into the woods and showed him an herb that grew there.
他把他带到树林里，指着生长在那里的一种草药。
A doctor, especially one who treats illness with medicine.
医生；内科医生。
Now you shall receive your godfather's present. I will turn you into a famous physician.
现在你要接收教父的礼物了。我会把你变成一位名医。
A feeling of being sure about something.
信心；把握；自信。
If I stand at the sick person's head, you may say with confidence that you can make him well again.
如果我站在病人的头边，你就可以自信地说你能治好他。
Certain to fail, suffer, or die; with no escape.
注定（失败或死亡）的；在劫难逃的。
He only needs to look at the sick in order to know whether they will regain their health, or are doomed to die.
他只要看一眼病人，立刻就知道他们是会恢复健康，还是注定要死。
Ordered someone to come to a place.
召唤；传唤；召见。
The physician was summoned and was told to say if a recovery were possible.
这位医生被召进宫，要他说说国王是否还有救。
Filled with a foolish or overwhelming love or attraction.
痴迷的；被冲昏头脑的；迷恋的。
He was so infatuated by the princess's great beauty and the prospect of becoming her husband that he threw all thought to the winds.
他被公主绝美的容貌和成为她丈夫的前景迷住了，把所有的顾虑都抛到了九霄云外。
A large cave.
大山洞；巨穴。
Death seized him so firmly with his ice-cold hand that he could not resist, and led him into an underground cavern.
死神用冰冷的手紧紧抓住他，让他无法反抗，把他带进了一个地下洞穴。
To fight against or refuse to give in to something.
抵抗；反抗；抵挡。
Then Death seized him so firmly with his ice-cold hand that he could not resist.
死神用冰冷的手紧紧抓住他，让他无法反抗。
延伸阅读与亲子共读
故事寓意
有些规矩连聪明和善意都无法打破；在死亡面前人人平等，谁也无法欺骗它——而贪念会让人无视警告、自取灭亡。
教育价值
以温和的方式帮助孩子思考生命的有限与公平，理解'守规矩'与'抵御诱惑'的意义，并初步认识生死。
家长共读提示
这是一则严肃、略伤感的'谈死亡'故事，结局不圆满，更适合大孩子。可借'生命之烛'的意象，温和地和孩子聊聊珍惜时间与生命。
和孩子聊一聊
- 穷父亲觉得死神比上帝、魔鬼都更'公平'，因为死神对谁都一样。你同意'死神最公平'这个说法吗？
- 医生第一次骗死神是为了救国王（出于同情），第二次是为了娶公主、当国王（出于私心）。这两次有什么不同？
- 死神明明警告过一次，医生为什么还是没忍住？是什么让他把警告抛到了脑后？
- 这个故事说'每个人的生命都是一支蜡烛'。如果生命像蜡烛一样有限，你会想怎样度过它？
