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第四十六周 《Kipper's Christmas Eve》
Mick Inkpen的“小狗奇普”系列图书风靡全球，Kipper不仅有着萌萌惹人爱的外表，性格也非常好，总是喜欢为朋友们着想，一起玩耍时能想出好多有趣的点子。Kipper成了很多孩子们书柜中必不可少的一位伙伴。
我们之前一起读过Kipper系列的 Kipper's A To Z 小狗奇普的字母大冒险，今天这本是关于圣诞的故事。Kipper“咯吱咯吱”地踏着雪，去寻找属于他自己的圣诞树。Kipper在想，到底是圣诞节更好还是平安夜更好呢？是收到礼物的瞬间更好还是期待礼物的过程更好呢？小朋友们你觉得呢？
"Which is best？" said Kipper to himself. "Christmas Day？Or Christmas Eve？" He reached the top of Big Hill and stopped.
"Presents？Or expecting presents？"And then，because he was too excited to decide，he just whcoped，and went charging down the slope
towards the wood. It was Christmas Eve and he was looking for a Christmas tree to take home.
“哪个最好？”Kipper自言自语着，“圣诞节？还是圣诞前夕？”他到达Big Hill的山顶，停下来。
“礼物？还是期待礼物的过程更好呢？”
接着，因为太过兴奋， 没法决定，他只是大叫了声，就向斜坡下的树林冲去。
今天是平安夜，他想找一棵圣诞树带回家。
In the middle of the wood was a little fir tree.
"That's the one！" said Kipper. He dug away the snow with
his spade. Then he grabbed the tree and pulled. It wouldn't come.
He pushed it，shook it，twisted and lifted it. Then he looped his
scarf around it，and heaved，and heaved，and heaved，until ...
在树林中间，有一棵小冷杉。“就是它了！”kipper说。他用铲子把雪挖开。然后，他抓着树，开始拉。它一动也不动。
他推它，摇它，扭它，提它。然后，他用他的围巾绕着它，用力，用力，用力，直到....
fir [fəː] n.枞树;冷杉木
spade [speid] n.铁锹;
loop [luːp] v.圈
heave [hiːv] vt.举起
It did！
小树被拔出来了！
"I wonder what Father Christmas will bring me？" thought Kipper
as he dragged the tree home. This year，as every year，Kipper
couldn't think what sort of present he would like. "I expect I'll know what I want when I see what it is，"said Kipper.
He was still thinking about presents when he saw Pig and his little cousin Arnold coming over the hill.
“我很好奇，圣诞老人会给我带什么？”Kipper一边想着，一边拽着这棵树回家。
今年，和每年一样，Kipper想不出来他想要哪种礼物。
“我希望在我看到它是什么的时候，我能知道我想要什么。”Kipper说。
当他看到Pig和他的小表弟Arnold朝山这边走来的时候，他还在想礼物的事情。
"Hello Kipper！" said Pig. "Do you want a hand with that？"Pig tied his own scarf to the fir tree and together they heaved it up the slope，while Arnold toddled along behind，sucking his thumb. He was pointing at something in the tree. But Kipper and Pig were too busy talking about presents to notice.
“你好，Kipper！”Pig说：“需要帮忙么？”
Pig把他自己的围巾绑在这棵冷杉上，两人一起用力把它拖上山坡。Arnold则摇摇摆摆地跟在后面，吸着手指。
他指着树上的什么东西。但是Kipper和Pig在忙着聊礼物的事，根本没注意到。
toddle [ˈtɔdl] vi.以短而不稳定的脚步行走
At Kipper's house they stood the tree in a bucket. Arnold peered into the branches，walking round and round the tree，until he bumped into
a pile of Christmas presents. One of them had a label with his name on it. "Happy Christmas，Arnold.Love from Kipper，" it said."You mustn't open that until tomorrow！" said Pig. But he already had.
在Kipper家，他们把这棵树放进一个桶里。Arnold一直朝树枝里瞧，围着这棵树转来转去，直到他跌倒在一堆圣诞礼物里。
其中一个礼物的标签上有他的名字。“圣诞快乐，Arnold。Kipper敬上。”标签上写着。
“明天才能打开！”Pig说。
但是他已经打开了。
Kipper's present to Arnold was a reindeer hat.
"The red nose lights up！" said Kipper enthusiasically. "And it flashed too！"But then his face fell. He had forgotten to buy the batteries. Arnold didn't mind.He loved his hat，even without its battery operated flashing red nose.
Kipper给Arnold的礼物是一个驯鹿帽。
“这个红鼻子会亮哦！”Kipper激动地说。“他还会闪哦！”
接着，他的脸拉了下来。他忘买电池了。
Arnold不介意。就算没有电池，红鼻子不闪，他也喜欢他的帽子。
"That reminds me！" said Pig."I haven't wrapped up your
present yet！" So Pig went home，while Arnold stayed with Kipper to help him decorate the Christmas tree."What shall we put on top Arnold？"said Kipper. "A snowman？Or a star？" But Arnold didn't seem to be interested in the decorations.
“这倒提醒了我！”Pig说。“我还没有给你的礼物打包呢！”于是，Pig回家去了，Arnold则留下来，和Kipper一起，帮他装饰圣诞树。
“我们放什么在树顶好呢，Arnold?”Kipper说。“一个雪人？还是一颗星星？”
但是，Arnold好像对装饰并不感兴趣。
Arnold climbed on to the stool，took off his hat，and plopped it
over the mouse.The stool wobbled and fell over.
Arnold爬上一个凳子，拿下他的帽子，
盖在一只小老鼠上。凳子晃了晃，然后倒了。
"Are you all right，Arnold？"said Kipper. Arnold sat up
and pointed. Kipper looked at the reindeer hat sitting on top of the Chritmas tree. "Clever old you！" he said to Arnold. "It's just right！"And so it was.
“你没事吧，Arnold？”Kipper问。
Arnold坐起来，指了指。
Kipper看到那个驯鹿帽子戴在了圣诞树的树顶上。
“你真聪明！”Kipper对Arnold说：
“这样刚刚好！”所以他们就用驯鹿帽子来装饰圣诞树的树顶了。
plop [plɔp] vi.扑通地落下
wobble [ˈwɔbl] vi.摇晃;
Just as they finished decorating the tree the doorbell rang. It was Tiger.
He had come to wish Kipper a Merry Christmas. And to throw a snowball at him.
他们刚刚装饰好圣诞树，门铃响了。是Tiger。
他是来祝Kipper圣诞快乐的。
还朝Kipper扔了一个雪球。
Pig arrived too.
"Sorry it's a bit lumpy." said Pig，
handing Kipper his present.
"I'm not very good at wrapping thing up."
"I like lumpy present，" said Kipper.
"It makes you wonder what's inside."
Pig也回来了。“不好意思，这礼物包的凹凸不平的。”Pig说，“我不太会包装东西。”
“我喜欢这样凹凸不平的礼物，”Kipper说，“会让我很想知道里面装着什么。”
lumpy [ˈlʌmpi] a.多块的;凹凸不平的
"Time to go home，" said Pig to Arnold.
Kipper took Arnold's hat from the tree and gave it back to him.
Arnold looked inside. There was no mouse."Merry Christmas，Kipper！" said Pig.
"Merry Christmas，Kipper！" said Tiger."Merry Christmas，everyone！" said Kipper，as they walked out into the snow.
"Look out for Father Christmas！"Arnold waved and looked
inside his hat once more，just to make sure there really was nothing there.
“该回家啦！”Pig对Arnold说。
Kipper从树顶上拿下驯鹿帽子，递给Arnold。Arnold朝帽子里看看，没有老鼠。
“圣诞快乐，Kipper！”Pig说。“圣诞快乐，Kipper！”Tiger说。
“你们也圣诞快乐！”当大家走到外面的雪地时，Kipper说，“看看有没有圣诞老人啊！”
Arnold挥挥手，然后又看看他的帽子里面，想要确认他的帽子里确实什么都没有。
"I think Christmas Eve is best，"said Kipper，putting out some
biscuits for Father Christmas.He pegged Sock Thing to
his basket with a note."To Father Christmas.
Anything please. Thank you.Love from Kipper."
He pulled the blanket up and lay staring out of
the window at the stars.He was wide awake.
He wasn't sleepy at all.He couldn't wait for
Father Christmas to come ...
“我觉得，还是平安夜最好。”Kipper说着，为圣诞老人准备了一些饼干。
他把他的圣诞袜和一张给圣诞老人的字条夹在他的篮子上。
字条上写着：“圣诞老人，什么礼物都可以。谢谢你。爱你的Kipper。”
Kipper盖好毯子，躺在篮子里，凝视着窗外的星空。
他很清醒，一点都不想睡觉。
他已经快等不及圣诞老人的到来了。
Nor could the mouse ...
... and nor could Arnold.
小老鼠也等不及了。
Arnold也是……
文化背景
每年的12月25日是西方国家非常重要的节日——圣诞节(Christmas)，为了庆祝耶稣的降生而设立。
Christmas Eve，圣诞前夜（12月24日），也就是平安夜。平安夜当晚，全家人会团聚在客厅中，围绕在圣诞树旁唱圣诞歌曲，互相交换礼物，彼此分享一年来生活中的喜怒哀乐，表达内心的祝福及爱。
