金鸟
导读
这则寓言把《金鸟》换了一副讲法：不堆砌华丽的描写，只讲因果，讲道理。寓言体最讲究"忠言逆耳利于行"——狐狸的话句句在理，可两个哥哥听不进去，小儿子虽肯听，却又一次次被"更漂亮"的笼子、鞍子迷住心窍，这正是"因小失大"。这个故事在欧洲还有一个远亲：俄国的《火鸟》，那里的帮手是灰狼，情节几乎一一对应，只是换成了狐狸。带孩子读时，不妨把狐狸当作"良师益友"的化身，数一数它一共给了几次忠告，再看看每一次不听劝的代价；读到结尾，还可以和孩子一起想：为什么狐狸宁愿被砍下头脚，也要变回人形？善良与牺牲的分量，就藏在这个古老的结局里。
《金鸟》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。
Giving off a bright light; glittering.
发光的；闪亮的。
In the moonlight the boy saw a golden bird flying towards him, its feathers shining like a coat of gold.
月光里，小儿子看见一只金鸟飞来，羽毛亮闪闪，像披了一身金子。
Kind treatment shown to someone who has done wrong.
仁慈；宽恕。对犯错的人表示宽容和善待。
The fox was sitting by the wood again, and it begged for mercy.
狐狸依旧蹲在林边，见了他便讨饶。
Made a high, sharp sound, like air passing through a small pipe.
发出尖细的哨声；呼啸。
The boy sat down, and off the fox ran, over ditches and banks, quick as the wind, until the wind whistled past their ears, and at last it set him down safely at the village.
小儿子刚坐稳，狐狸便跑了起来，翻沟越坎，快得像一阵风，风在两人的毛发间呼呼作响。
People whose job is to watch a place and keep it safe.
卫兵；哨兵。负责看守、保护某个地方的人。
"Your brothers are not sure you are dead, so they have set guards around the wood, and they will kill you the moment you are seen."
"你哥哥们拿不准你死没死，已经在林子四周布下了岗哨，只要你一露面，就要取你的命。"
To let someone live and not punish them with death.
饶恕；赦免。放过某人的性命，不加以处死。
But bring me the golden horse, which runs faster than the wind, and I will spare your life, and the bird shall be yours.
若你能把跑得比风还快的金马带回来，我便饶你一命，金鸟也归你。
The feeling of having no hope at all.
绝望。完全没有希望的感受。
All his labour was wasted, and he sat down on the heap of earth in despair.
他灰心绝望，坐在土堆上直叹气。
To make a surface flat and even, for example by removing a hill.
铲平；弄平。把高低不平的地方（如大山）弄成平坦。
But if you can level the great mountain before my window within eight days, I will spare your life and give you my daughter.
你若能在八天之内，把我窗前那座挡住视线的大山铲平，我便赦你一命，把女儿许给你。
To feel or show great happiness.
欢庆；欣喜。感到或表现出极大的喜悦。
They will rejoice at the sight of the horse, hold a great feast, and hand the golden bird to you in its cage.
他们见了金马，会大大庆贺一场，把金鸟连着笼子送到你手上。
Great praise and honour won by doing something great.
荣耀；功劳。做成了不起的事而得到的称赞和名声。
They took the princess, the horse and the bird, and hurried home through the night to claim the glory.
抢了公主、金马和金鸟，连夜赶回王宫邀功去了。
Cried; let tears fall from the eyes.
哭泣；流泪。
But strange to say, the horse would not eat, the bird would not sing, and the beautiful princess just sat and wept.
可奇怪的是，金马不肯吃草料，金鸟不肯唱歌，美丽公主只是坐着掉眼泪。
The person who will receive a kingdom or property after the owner dies.
继承人。将来继承王位或财产的人。
They were seized and put to death, and the youngest son married the princess and became the king's heir.
两个恶哥哥被拿下处死，小儿子娶了公主，继承了王位。
Deep sadness, often for a long time.
悲伤；忧伤。长久而深切的难过。
"You have everything a man could wish for," said the fox, "but my sorrow has no end, and only you can free me."
"如今你要什么有什么了，可我的苦还没有尽头，解开它的钥匙，就在你一念之间。"
延伸阅读与亲子共读
故事寓意
贪图表面光鲜，往往会误了正事；肯听忠告、善待他人的人，哪怕一时波折，也终会得到回报。
教育价值
让孩子体会"忠言逆耳"的分量：学会先听劝、再动手，不因贪恋好看的东西误了正事；故事的反复结构也能训练孩子预测情节、理解选择与后果之间的联系。
家长共读提示
读到小儿子两次"想换个更好看的"时，先停下来问孩子："你猜他这样做会怎样？"读完后，再和狐狸的三条忠告对一对，联系生活中贪玩、贪好看误事的小事，说说"听劝"的好处。
和孩子聊一聊
- 两个哥哥不相信狐狸的话，小儿子却肯听。你觉得"听劝"和"自作聪明"，差别在哪里？
- 小儿子两次失败，都是因为觉得"好东西配好笼子、好马配好鞍"。你生活里有没有过"贪好看"而误事的时候？
- 哥哥们把弟弟推进溪里抢走一切，弟弟却先花钱赎他们。如果你是他，你会救两个害过你的哥哥吗？
- 狐狸要小王子砍下它的头脚才能变回人。这个要求这么奇怪，为什么小王子最后还是答应了？
- 国王起初最看不上小儿子，最后却是他得到了一切。你觉得这说明了什么？
