書名：The Way Back Home
作者：Oliver Jeffers
Once there was a boy,
從前有個小男孩，
and one day, as he was putting his things back in the cupboard, he found an aeroplane.
有一天，他把自己的東西放回櫥櫃的時候，他發現了一架飛機。
He didn’t remember leaving it in there but he though he’d take it out for a go right away.
雖然不記得什麼時候把它留在這裡的，但是他想馬上開著它出去轉一圈。
The plane lifted off the ground and up into the sky…
這架飛機從地面起飛然後衝向了天空……
higher
飛的高一點
and higher
然後再高一點
and higher.
再高一點。
Suddenly the plane spluttered…
忽然飛船失控地顛簸起來……
it had run out of petrol.
糟糕，它的燃油用完了。
Now the boy was stuck on the moon.
現在這個男孩被困在了月亮上。
What was he to do?
他該怎麼做？
He was all alone and afraid and soon his torch began to go out.
他獨自一個人在這裡非常害怕而且他的手電也快沒電了。
Up in space someone else was in trouble too.
太空中的某個人也遇到麻煩了。
His engine had broken down…
他的引擎壞了……
and steering the ship towards a flicker of light, he landed on the moon with a bump.
他朝著一束光亮開了過去，砰地一聲降落到了月亮上。
Both the boy and Martian could hear noises in the dark and both feared the worst.
黑暗中，男孩和火星人聽到了奇怪的聲音，他們都嚇壞了。
But as their eyes got used to the dark, they both realised they’d met someone else in trouble.
但是當他們的眼睛漸漸適應了黑暗後，他們都意識到他們碰到了同樣遇上麻煩的另一個人。
They weren’t alone any more.
他們不再孤單了。
The boy showed the Martian his empty petrol tank and the Martian showed the boy his broken engine.
男孩給火星人看了他空空的油箱然後火星人給男孩看了壞掉的引擎。
Together they thought of ways to fix their machines and how to get them both back home.
他們一起想出了修理機械的方法以及怎樣讓他們到回到自己的家。
The boy jumped down to earth to get the things they would need…
男孩跳下地球去尋找他們需要的東西……
right down into the sea…
他落到了海里……
and swam towards home.
然後游泳回到了家裡。
But by the time he got there, the boy was tired out so he sat in his favourite chair, just to catch his breath.
但當他到家的時候，男孩實在累壞了。他就坐進他最愛的椅子裡，休息一下。
His favourite programme was just starting and he settled down to watch.
他最愛的節目就要開播了，他安定下來正要開始看。
Suddenly he remembered what he should be doing and rushed off to the cupboard to get what he needed.
忽然他想起他還有事情要做，於是他衝到櫥櫃找出需要的東西。
He ran outside and shouted.
他跑到外面大聲呼喊。
But there was no reply, he couldn’t be heard.
但沒有回答，火星人聽不到。
The boy climbed to higher ground, called again and waited.
男孩爬到了更高的地方，又呼叫了一陣然後靜靜地等著。
This time, a rope was lowered.
這時候，一根繩子緩緩降下來。
The boy began to climb and the Martian began to pull, and soon the boy was back on the moon.
抓到繩子的男孩開始爬然後火星人開始拉，於是很快男孩回到了月亮上。
The boy fixed up the Martian’s engine with the right spanner and the Martian filled the boy’s petrol tank.
男孩用扳手修理好了火星人的引擎，火星人給男孩的油箱加滿了油。
They said goodbye and thanked each other for their help.
他們向對方道別併為彼此的幫助互相道謝。
They wondered if they’d ever meet again.
他們不知道是不是還有機會可以再見。
After a long night they were both finally off the moon.
在漫漫長夜之後他們都離開了月亮。
The boy went one way and the Martian went another, both on their way back home.
男孩去了一個方向而火星人去了另一個方向，他們都踏上了回家的路。
繪本推薦
今天的故事是一個關於友誼的溫馨小故事：小男孩和外星人在旅途中相遇，雖然彼此陌生但是他們相互幫助和支援，最終都踏上了歸家之路。隨著小朋友們慢慢步入社會，這樣的場景也許他們也會逐漸熟悉起來，和父母一起出遊，和小夥伴去探險，甚至是去商店買東西。。。都有可能遇到一些突發狀況，在這個時候來自陌生人的關心和幫助會讓我們感覺很溫暖。讀完故事後，也可以讓孩子們分享一些他們生活中受到別人點滴幫助的小故事並且記錄下來，讓親子閱讀變得更加豐富～