今天介绍的《The Nutcracker Ballet》，是世界上最大的童书出版社美国兰登书屋畅销25年的经典分级阅读：Step into reading第三阶段的其中一本。

这套书共分5级，在美国畅销近30年，是一套适合学龄前及小学阶段儿童学习英语的分级“教材”。之所以称之为教材，是因为这套书太受欢迎了，随便进入一个小学教室，就一定有它，而众所周知，美国小学没有指定教材，很多老师就是用这套书来给孩子们学习的。

整套系列都是原汁原味的英语原版图书，书中用词地道，词汇丰富，插画漂亮，有助于改善孩子的英语阅读能力。内容包罗万象，有图画书、数学、经典童话故事、励志故事和科普类等。
  The Nutcracker Ballet   



1故事简介
“The Nutcracker Ballet”故事中在圣诞夜晚，Marie抱着礼物进入了梦乡...胡桃夹子变成了一位王子，领着一群玩具同老鼠兵作战。在Marie的帮助下赢得了战斗，她去到王子的国家参加舞会。舞者们跳着来自法国、阿拉伯、中国、俄国等国的舞蹈，最后在花之圆舞曲中Marie和王子乘坐皇家雪橇消失在远处...

2内页故事展示和翻译
《The Nutcracker Ballet 》
胡桃夹子

It was Christmas Eve.
Marie and her brother Fritz peeked into the living room.
“Oh, I can’t wait for the party to start!” said Marie.
今晚是平安夜
Marie和她的弟弟Fritz偷偷朝客厅里张望
“我简直等不及派对开始了！”Marie说

At last the living room doors were opened, and the children rushed in.
The Christmas tree was dazzling!
Hundreds of tiny candles twinkled. Sparkling decorations and candies hung from all the branches.Under the tree were so many presents!
终于，客厅的门打开了，孩子们拥了进来
圣诞树可真炫目呀！
数不清的小蜡烛在叶间闪烁，闪闪发光的装饰和糖果悬挂在枝头，树下堆满了礼物！
Soon the guests arrived. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends came carrying even more presents.
Marie ran to greet her godfather.
He was an odd-looking man. He was tall and thin. He wore a black patch over one eye and a frizzy white wig on his head.
He looked magical and spooky. But he was a wonderful godfather. He always came with amazing toys that he had invented himself.
不一会儿客人便陆续而至了。阿姨们，叔叔们，表兄妹们，朋友们带着更多的礼物来了
Marie跑去迎接她的教父
他的相貌有些古怪：他又高又瘦，一只眼睛上戴着黑眼罩，头顶是卷曲的白色假发
他看起来仿佛具有魔力，有些吓人，但他是个绝好的教父。他总是带着一大堆自己发明的奇妙玩具
This Christmas Eve he came with a big red box and a bigger green box.
He opened the red box and out stepped a very big toy soldier.
Godfather turned the key on his back---CRANK! CRANK! CRANK!
The soldier marched around the room! Left, right, left, right.
As the key turned, he marched slower and slower. Then he jerked to a stop.
Next Godfather opened the green box and wound up two toy clowns. They danced together!
Everyone clapped in delight.
这个平安夜，他带着一个红色的大盒子和一个更大的绿盒子来了
他打开红盒子，一名巨大的玩具士兵从里头走出来
教父转动他背后的发条——咔嚓！咔嚓！咔嚓！
士兵绕着房间走了一圈！左，右，左，右
发条逐渐转动，他走得越来越慢，最后猛地停下了
接着教父打开绿盒子，两个玩具小丑转了出来，他们一起跳起了舞！
大家高兴地鼓起了掌
Then Godfather looked under the tree. He picked up his present for Marie and gave it to her.
It was a wooden nutcraker shaped like a little man.
Marie knew at once that the nutcraker was special. His legs were too short. His head was too big. He wore a fine purple suit with brass buttons.
On his head was a funny little hat. His eyes were kind and gentle. He had a white beard and a wonderful smile.
然后教父在树底下翻找了一阵，从中挑出他要送给Marie的礼物，递给了她
那是一个小男孩模样的木制胡桃夹子
Marie立刻便看出这个胡桃夹子的特别。他的腿太短了，头又太大了。他穿着一身精致的紫色衣裳，上面镶着黄铜纽扣
他的头顶戴着一顶滑稽的小帽子。他的眼神友好而温柔。他长着雪白的胡子，露出和蔼的笑容
Godfather watched Marie with a twinkle in his eye.
“It is a small gift,” he said to her.
Marie hugged the nutcracker and said, “It is the present I love best of all.”
Then Fritz grabbed the nutcracker from Marie. “What an ugly fellow!” he said. He ran across the room. Marie ran after him.
教父望向Marie的目光中闪过一丝光芒
“一个小礼物，”他对她说
Marie抱着胡桃夹子说道，“这是我最喜欢的礼物。”
Fritz从Marie怀里抢过胡桃夹子，“这家伙可真丑！”他说。他穿过房间，Marie紧追不舍
Fritz put the biggest walnut into poor Nutcracker’s mouth.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! Three little wooden teeth fell out.
“Stop it, Fritz! You’re hurting him!” cried Marie. She took the nutcracker back and rocked him in her arms. “I will protect you,” she whispered. “Forever!”
Fritz把最大的胡桃放到了可怜的胡桃夹子嘴里
咔嚓！咔嚓！咔嚓！三颗木头牙齿掉了出来
“住手！Fritz！你弄坏他了！“Marie叫道。她把胡桃夹子抢了回来，抱在怀里。“我会保护你的，”她轻声说道，“永远会的！”
After the party was over and everyone was in bed. Marie could not sleep. She tiptoed downstairs into the dark living room.
It was so, so quiet…and then…BONG! BONG! The grandfather clock began striking midnight.
Marie was surprised by the noise. She looked up at the tall clock, and suddenly she saw something strange at the top. Something that was moving.
派对结束后，大家都去睡觉了。Marie却睡不着。她蹑手蹑脚地溜到楼下一片漆黑的客厅里
一切都是那么地安静…突然…梆！梆！老爷钟开始报时，到午夜了
Marie被钟声吓了一跳，她抬头看看高大的钟，突然看到钟顶有些奇怪，有什么东西在动
Godfather was sitting on top of the clock! He peered down at Marie like an owl.
“Godfather, you scare me!” cried Marie. But before she could say another word, the most amazing thing happened. The Christmas tree began to grow.
教父正坐在钟顶上！他像只猫头鹰一样俯视着Marie
“教父！你吓到我啦！”Marie叫道，但还没等她说第二句话，最神奇的事发生了：圣诞树开始变大
It grew bigger and bigger---and bigger. As the Christmas tree grew, the windows and toys and everything in the room grew with it.
Soon the toys were the same size as Marie!
而且越变越大，与此同时，屋子里的窗户、玩具和所有的一切同时变大了
不一会儿，玩具们便和Marie一般大小了！
Marie watched in amazement.
Suddenly she heard: “SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK!” Then she heard the pitter-patter of many feet.
Dozens of tiny eyes glittered and darted all around her.
Marie was surrounded by an army of huge mice!
Marie震惊地看着这一切
突然她听到了：“吱吱！吱吱！吱吱！”紧接着啪嗒啪嗒的脚步声便传入耳中
几十双小眼睛在黑暗中发光，从她身边一闪而过
Marie被大老鼠军团包围了！
Out jumped the King of Mice. He had seven horrible heads, each with a golden crown.
He took out his sword and glared at Marie.
“Where is Nutcracker?” he hissed. Marie would not tell him.
The King of Mice squeaked his command to his army. “Find Nutcracker!”
老鼠王跳了出来。他有七个头，每个头上戴了一个金王冠
他拔出剑，瞪着Marie
“胡桃夹子在哪里？”他嘶嘶地说道。Marie是不会告诉他的
老鼠王吱吱地命令他的军队，“把胡桃夹子搜出来！”
The door of the toy chest flew open. Out popped toy soldier, puppets, and dolls. They were led by Nutcracker. Now he was the same size as Marie.
Drums beat! Trumpets blared! The battle began.
He was leading the army of toys!
Swords clashed! Cannons boomed! Nutcracker’s army chases the mice.
玩具箱的门打开了，玩具士兵、木偶、娃娃们由胡桃夹子率领着，跳了出来。胡桃夹子现在已经和Marie一般大了
鼓声擂起来，喇叭鸣响了，战斗开始了
胡桃夹子率领着玩具大军！
双方的宝剑碰撞了，大炮发射了，胡桃夹子的军队紧追着老鼠
But more and more mice came. Nutcracker’s army of toys was being beaten.
Mice surrounded Nutcracker. The King of Mice grabbed Nutcracker’s sword.
“Now I have you!” he squeaked.
但是越来越多的老鼠加入了战斗。胡桃夹子的军队渐渐处于劣势了
老鼠包围了胡桃夹子。老鼠王一把抢过胡桃夹子的宝剑
“我可算抓到你了！”他吱吱叫道
Marie watched in horror. “Oh, my poor nutcracker!” she cried.
What could she do? She kicked her right shoe as hard as she could at the King of Mice.
POOF! Like magic, the mice were gone. Every single one…
Marie惊恐地看着这一幕，“哦，我可怜的胡桃夹子！“她叫道
她该怎么办呢？她将右脚上的鞋子用力地朝老鼠王踢去
嘭！仿佛有魔力一般，老鼠全部消失了，一只不剩…
Marie turned to look at the nutcracker she loved.
And before her eyes the funny-looking wooden nutcracker became a handsome prince.
He looked at Marie with his kind eyes and his wonderful smile.
“You saved my life. Now let me take you to my kingdom---the Land of Sweets!”
Marie转去瞧她喜爱的胡桃夹子
就在她眼前，长相滑稽的木制胡桃夹子变成了一位帅气的王子
他带着和蔼的笑容，用友好的眼神打量着Marie
“你救了我。现在让我带你去我的王国——糖果王国吧！”
The prince led Marie out the window and into Christmas Wood.
The snowflakes tasted like sugar, and little snow fairies danced all around them.
Soon they came to the prince’s palace. A beautiful lady greeted them.
“She is the Sugar Plum Fairy,” the prince told Marie. “And now-to the party!”
王子带着Marie出了窗户，进入圣诞树林
雪花像白糖一样甜，小巧的雪精灵在他们身边舞蹈
不久他们便到了王子的宫殿，一位漂亮的女士迎接了他们
“她是糖梅精灵，”王子告诉Marie，“该去派对了！”
Marie and the prince went into the palace. They sat together on a golden throne in a crystal room.
All the people in the Land of Sweets appeared. One by one they performed their special dances for the prince and Marie.
Marie同王子进入宫殿。他们一同坐在水晶殿里的金宝座上
糖果王国的所有人都来了，他们一个接一个在王子和Marie面前表演了特色舞蹈
From Spain came the dance of hot chocolate.
An Arabian lady did the dance of coffee.
西班牙的舞者带来了热可可之舞
阿拉伯女子带来咖啡之舞
Chinese dancers jumped out of a giant teapot and did a lively dance.
From Russia came the dancing candy canes.
中国舞者从一个大茶壶里蹦出来，表演了一场精彩的舞蹈
会跳舞的拐杖糖从俄罗斯赶来
From France came Mother Ginger and her little puppets.
They ran out from under her skirt and did a playful dance.
姜糖妈妈和她的小木偶们来自法国
小木偶们从姜糖妈妈的裙底钻出来，跳着顽皮的舞蹈
Then all the flowers of the kingdom danced the Waltz of the Flowers.
“I wish we could stay here forever!” Marie said.
“Yes,” said the prince. “But now it is time to go on to other wonderful places!”
接着王国中所有花儿一齐跳了花之华尔兹
“我多希望我们能永远呆在这儿啊！”Marie说道
“我也是，“王子说，“但我们该去其他有意思的地方瞧瞧了！”
Marie and her nutcracker prince stepped into the royal sled and waved good-bye.
The sled rose slowly into the sky. Marie and the prince she had loved from the start vanished from sight.
Marie和她的胡桃夹子坐上皇家雪橇，同大家告别
雪橇慢慢地升空了。Marie和她一开始便爱上的王子逐渐从视野中消失了
The End    

小朋友读完故事了吗？
晚安啦~