實話實說
World according to Kids, The: A Child's Eye View of Life, Love and Chocolate Cake

Kids tell it like it is. And they know some very useful stuff indeed. Such as the fact that you can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk. Or it's never a good idea to try to baptize a cat. You just can't argue with these things.
Our children are bursting to share commonsense advice that will help us grown-ups get through the day with a smile on our faces. Smart, warm, telling and funny. The World According to Kids captures a beautiful sense of the world seen from knee height.
Some of the contributors to this book have just learned to talk, others have been at it for a decade or so, but they all have something to say that will brighten your day. The sayings here will make you smile - and laugh out loud. Along with plenty of laughs there are grains of true wisdom about friendship and caring, pain and joy.
These quotes have been submitted by parents worldwide - because the wisdom of children is universal. After writing two emotional books about cancer and a girl who survived horrific accidents,author Sally Collings needed a break, so she asked children for their advice. 在寫完有關癌症及描寫一名在可怕意外中倖存的女孩這兩本令人情緒波動的書後,作家
莎莉柯林斯需要喘口氣,於是她便向孩子們徵詢意見。 The result is hilarious yet insightful at the same time. “The World According to Children: A Child’s Eye View of Life, Love and Chocolate Cake” is a collection of musings on life that ranges from the worst thing about thing an adult to what happens when we die. 詢問的結果很爆笑,不過也很有洞察力。《孩子看世界:孩子對生活、愛與巧克力蛋糕的看法》彙整了對生活種種的思考,內容涉及的範圍小至作為大人最糟的事,大到我們死時會如何。 “I like the idea of a book that’s in the words of kids, words that are not filtered by parents,” said Collings, who lives in Brisbane , Australia , with her two daughters. “I thought it was a real heartwarmer, and it makes you laugh because it’s not just funny, it’s also so true.” 柯林斯與兩個女兒住在澳洲布里斯本,她表示:「我喜歡書採用孩子話語的點子,這些話沒有被父母『過濾』過;我認為那真的讓人感到很溫馨,而且會令你大笑,因為這不但好笑,還很切實。」 IF YOU WANT A KITTEN… She put together a survey and went around several kindergartens and schools, asking children questions herself, and collected the wisdom of about 200 kids for the book. “The kids got a complete kick out of being asked about love, dinosaurs and what the sun is made of,” she said. “They were thrilled to be asked their perspective, as it’s not very often that people ask their opinion about things.” 她表示:「孩子們被問到有關愛、恐龍、以及太陽是什麼做的問題時,都興奮得不得了;孩子們很高興有人問他們的意見,因為大家不常詢問他們對事情的看法。」 The book is full of gems such as the following advice from 15-year-old Naomi: “If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse,” to 6-year-old Alexa, who said “I need to put shorts on for playing with the boys because boys are very ‘runny.’” 9-year-old Armir commented that “You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk” while 8-year-old Eileen’s advice was “Never try to baptize a cat.” 這本書「字字珠璣」,例:從十五歲的娜歐咪建議:「如果你想要一隻小貓,就先說你要一匹馬;」到六歲的艾莉莎說:「跟男生玩時我要穿上短褲,因為男生『很會跑』;」九歲的阿莫表示:「你不能把一小朵青花菜藏在一杯牛奶裡;」而八歲的艾琳則說:「千萬別想給貓咪受洗。」 Why asked why God made mothers, second-graders’ answers ranged from “she’s the only one who knows where the sticky tape is” to “to help us out when we were getting born.” 被問及上帝為什麼創造母親時,二年級生的答案從「只有她知道膠帶放在哪」到「在我們出生時幫忙把我們生出來」都有。 Although the book is not really aimed at children, Collings said she was surprised at how much children love it, because it ultimately empowers them. “I thought it would be just for mums or grandparents, but the young ones want to sleep with it and those aged 6 and over think everything makes perfect sense,” she added. “I guess children love the idea that it’s their words, not someone talking to them or about them. It’s a reminder that we sometimes forget to listen to kids.” 她指出:「我原本以為這只是給媽媽或祖父母看的,不過這些小傢伙卻要這本書伴著他們入睡,而六歲以上的孩子認為書裡的一切都很有道理;我想孩子們喜歡用他們自己的話語這個點子,而不是誰在對他們說話或是談論他們;這也提醒我們,有時我們會忘記傾聽孩子說話。」 Source: student post
整理:Josie Lai
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