媽媽的另一扇窗

Arnold Lobel 的 Frog and Toad 的書已經買了一陣子,三月底才帶到蘇州來, 因為媽媽一直很忙還沒時間查字典,所以就只是和Henry & Mudge, Fox和 George 等英文書擺在一起, 這幾本頗受好評的書應該不用我多做介紹,我只是想來記錄這段時間的閱讀狀況! 過年回台灣的兩個月忙著吃吃喝喝和鍛鍊體魄,每天都在外面玩,只有睡前才講幾本中文書, 琳說 : "馬麻,你怎麼都不講英文故事了?", 我回答 : "因為書沒有帶回來呀!" (其實是藉口,新竹還有很多英文書啦!) 後來在外婆家的某一天,琳說 : "馬麻,以後你念英文書不用一遍英文一遍中文了!" 我說 :"為什麼?" (不解?) 琳說 : "念英文就好了呀!" (真的喔!媽媽要出運了!) 回到蘇州,剛開始整理東西,小客人來玩,我又嚴重感冒,只有等爸爸回家才加減念幾本, 我也是想試試餵了這麼久的故事書,孩子到底有沒有耳濡目染喜歡上書呢? 中文或英文都好! 我觀察到琳會自己搬很多書去看, 一本一本的翻,有時候還會講些內容給我們聽, 對於那些還沒講過的書還會拿來問我這是什麼? 還不識字的琳只是看圖,畢竟看圖說話還是會有些疑惑, 嘟嘟還會講他認為好笑的故事片段(Fox)給別人聽(用中文講英文故事書的內容), 我在旁邊聽著聽著,我知道這小子原來都有聽懂呢! 終於嘟忍不住了,開始抽出 George 和 Fox 的書希望我可以唸給他們聽, 於是我們又開始了一本英文書一本中文書的日子, 但是這一次對於那些已經不知道講過幾次的英文書(其實是可以統計一下), 我就省略了 90% 的中文,可以只念英文,只有翻頁時簡略地加一句中文,例如 : 哇!Louise變成南瓜了! 這幾天我找出 Arnold and Toad 的錄音帶開始聽,接著開始唸給嘟和琳聽, 我想這沒看過的書應該還是要按部就班 : 一句英文一句中文, 才念沒幾頁琳竟然說 : "馬麻,你根本不用講中文,我們都聽得懂啦!" 喔~ ~ ~ 真的嗎? 真的要出運了呢! 我沒有一邊念一邊反問他們 : 這裡是什麼意思? 那裡是什麼意思? 不要考試的嘛! 不過我還是大略的翻譯一下,但不是像以前一樣逐字逐句, 琳說 : "像 ice-cream cones, 這個 fox 裡面也有啊!" 對啊! 無形中嘟和琳已經累積了很多字彙了,和中文的原理是一樣的, 其他也是些簡單的連接詞加上配合圖畫,小孩大概也可以猜到七八成, 一年的灌溉總算有點成效了! 我們已經讀過汪老師的專輯二,四,五和B,Frog and Toad 是在專輯三當中, 所以現在回頭來讀 Frog and Toad,對孩子來說應該不是很困難, 我們也很喜歡這兩個好朋友的故事,真是很精采呢! "The Corner" Frog & Toad 被雨困住了, Toad said : The day is spoiled. Frog 講了一個他小時候的故事, Frog 的爸爸說: "Son, this is a cold,gray day but spring is just around the corner." Frog: I wanted spring to come. I went out to find that corner. I walked down a path in the woods until I came to a corner. I went around the corner to see if spring was on the other side. ... There was only a pine tree,three pebbles and some dry grass. I walked in the meadow. Soon I came to another corner. I went around the corner to see if spring was there. ... There was only an old worm asleep on a tree stump. I walked along the river until I came to another corner. I went around the corner to look for spring. ... There was only some wet mud and a lizard who was chasing his tail. Frog 有點累了又開始下雨了,他只好走回家... I found another corner. It was the corner of my house. I went around that corner,too. I saw the sun coming out, I saw birds sitting and singing in a tree. I saw my mother and father working in their garden. I saw flowers in the garden. Toad said : You found it! Frod said : I was very happy. I had found the corner that spring was just around ... 這系列的書的很精采,錯過很可惜耶!