绘本导读

亲爱的家长们：睡前绘本有助于提高孩子的理解力、想象力和逻辑思维能力，对大脑的发育很有帮助，对于英文睡前故事，家长们不必纠结孩子能否听懂单词或者大段的句子，优秀的语言环境能够帮助孩子建立英文语感。小朋友们可以多听几遍绘本故事，在了解故事的情况下，提高对英文的反应速度，减少对中文解释的依赖。

《How Zebras Got Their Stripes?》

斑马的斑纹怎么来的？

This story is about a greedy baboon, a pond, a giraffe, an elephant and the very first zebra.

这是一个关于一只贪婪的狒狒，一个池塘，一只长颈鹿，一头大象，还有世界上第一只斑马的故事。

Long ago, there was a greedy baboon.

He lived by a pond.

很久很久以前，有一只贪婪的狒狒。

他住在池塘旁边。

He wanted the pond all to himself.

Everyone was thirsty.

Baboon didn't care.

他想把池塘占为己有。

大家都很渴了。

狒狒一点也不关心。

Giraffe crept to the pond.

Baboon roared.

He waved his arms and jumped up and down.

Giraffe fled.

长颈鹿悄悄来到池塘边。

狒狒咆哮着。

他挥舞着手臂，上跳下蹿。

长颈鹿跑开了。

Elephant went to the pond.

Baboon roared. He jumped up and down and waved his arms.

Elephant fled.

大象来到池塘边。

狒狒咆哮着。他上跳下蹿，挥舞着手臂。

大象也逃走了。

Zebra walked up.

Baboon roared.

Zebra stamped his hoof.

斑马走了上来。

狒狒咆哮着。

斑马跺着自己的蹄子。

"It's not your pond," he said. "You must share it."

"No!" said Baboon. "Go away."

“这不是你的池塘，”斑马说道，“你必须和大家一起分享。”

“不！”狒狒说道。“走开，离远点！”

Baboon got lots of sticks.

He piled them by the pond.

Then he lit a big fire.

"Now everyone will stay away!"

狒狒找来许多树枝。

他把它们堆在池塘旁。

然后点燃了一团大火。

“现在所有人都会待得远远的了！”

Zebra wasn't scared.

He ran at Baboon.

He kicked out his legs.

斑马一点也不害怕。

他冲向狒狒。

踢了狒狒的腿。

Baboon flew into the air.

So did the sooty sticks from the fire.

狒狒飞到了空中。

火焰中被烧黑的树枝也飞到了空中。

The sticks landed on Zebra.

Baboon landed on his bottom.

树枝落在了斑马身上。

狒狒则是屁股着了地。

Ever since then, zebras have had black stripes.

And baboons have had red bottoms.

于是从那时起，斑马的身上就有了黑色的条纹。

而狒狒呢，就有了红屁股。