解放前，民国教育家、文学家夏丏尊先生，同教育家叶圣陶先生合著《阅读与写作》一书，书中谈到英语阅读教育需要注意的地方，甚为精彩，摘录一段如下：诸君读英文的时候，曾经读过“龟兔赛跑”的故事吧。诸君读过这故事，如果让注意力为内容所牵绊，只记得兔最先怎样自负、怎样疏忽、怎样熟睡、龟怎样努力、怎样胜过了兔等等一大串，而忘却了本课里所有的生字、难句，及别种文字上的表达方式，那么结果就等于只听到“龟兔赛跑”的故事，并没有学到英文。

老先生的论述，一针见血。我看到小学 5、6 年级孩子，在家长督促下，边查字典，边啃原版书，甚是辛苦，毅力感人。可惜，孩子啃完书之后，仅能了解故事梗概，书中大量英文难点，并没有得到解决。换言之，孩子仅仅看了一个外国故事，少了很多语言上的收获。

我在教学中，特别强调孩子在自主阅读原版书之前，一定先“踏踏实实理解几本原版书”。道理很浅显：“没有理解，就没有能力；没有能力，就没有兴趣；没有兴趣，就不爱读书”。 

 
孩子从中文阅读世界，渡到英文阅读世界，是艰难的一跃，更是伟大的一跃。这个过程，来不得半点浮躁，来不得半点马虎。下面的文字，选自《夏洛的网》第 27 课，孩子认真听我讲读（点击喜马拉雅音频），是独立通读类似文字的基础。

“Let's let the children go off by themselves,” suggested Mr. Arable.  “The Fair only comes once a year.”  Mr. Arable gave Fern two quarters and two dimes.  He gave Avery five dimes and four nickels.  “Now run along!” he said.  “And remember, the money has to last all day.  Don't spend it all the first few minutes.  And be back here at the truck at noontime so we can all have lunch together.  And don't eat a lot of stuff that's going to make you sick to your stomachs.”  

“And if you go in those swings,” said Mrs. Arable, “you hang on tight!  You hang on very tight.  Hear me?”

“And don't get lost!” said Mrs. Zuckerman.  “And don't get dirty!”

“Don't get overheated!” said their mother.

“Watch out for pickpockets!” cautioned their father.

“And don't cross the race track when the horses are coming!” cried Mrs. Zuckerman.  

The children grabbed each other by the hand and danced off in the direction of the merry-go-round, toward the wonderful music and the wonderful adventure and the wonderful excitement, into the wonderful midway where there would be no parents to guard them and guide them, and where they could be happy and free and do as they pleased.  Mrs. Arable stood quietly and watched them go.  Then she sighed.  Then she blew her nose.

“Do you really think it's all right?” she asked.

“Well, they've got to grow up some time,” said Mr. Arable.  “And a fair is a good place to start, I guess.”   

博文延伸阅读：我怎么给孩子讲读英文原版《哈利波特与魔法石》

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