영어로 읽는 고전 _ 올리버 허포드의 동물원 이야기
"동물원의 둘"은 커티스 던햄과 올리버 허포드가 20세기 초에 쓴 기발한 어린이 이야기입니다. 이 이야기는 동물원을 배경으로 전개되며, 의인화된 동물들, 특히 늙은 코끼리 마흐무드와 그의 짝 더치스, 그리고 투츠라는 이름의 어린 소년과 공주라고 불리는 소녀를 만나게 됩니다. 이야기는 서로 다른 세계 간의 우정과 이해라는 주제를 강조하며, 투츠는 신체적 장애를 가지고 살아가며 동물들과 소통하고, 동물들은 그들의 경험과 지혜를 공유합니다.
책의 시작 부분에서, 우리는 포로 생활에 슬퍼하고 정글을 그리워하는 늙은 코끼리 마흐무드를 소개받습니다. 투츠와 공주가 코끼리 하우스에 도착하자, 투츠는 마흐무드와 연결되어 동물들 사이에서 엿들은 대화의 해석을 속삭입니다. 마흐무드는 코끼리들과 투츠 모두의 어려움을 성찰하며, 그들이 모두 자신들의 세계에 의해 부과된 제한을 경험하면서 그들 사이에 형성되는 독특한 유대를 인식합니다. 이러한 시작은 판타지와 공감의 진심 어린 교훈을 혼합한 이야기의 무대를 마련하여, 독자들이 차이를 받아들이고 소통의 힘을 포용하도록 격려합니다.
Classics Read in English _ Two in a Zoo by Curtis Dunham and Oliver Herford
"Two in a Zoo" by Curtis Dunham and Oliver Herford is a whimsical children's story written in the early 20th century. The narrative unfolds within a zoo setting, introducing readers to a cast of anthropomorphized animals, most notably Mahmoud, an elderly elephant, and his companion, Duchess, alongside a young boy named Toots and a girl referred to as Princess. The storyline emphasizes themes of friendship and understanding across different worlds, as Toots navigates life with a physical disability while communicating with the animals, who share their experiences and wisdom with him.
The book opens by introducing Mahmoud, the aging elephant who feels melancholy in his captivity and longs for his jungle homeland. When Toots and the Princess arrive at the Elephant House, Toots establishes a connection with Mahmoud, whispering interpretations of the conversations he overhears among the animals. Mahmoud contemplates the struggles faced by both the elephants and Toots, recognizing the special bond forming between them as they each experience limitations imposed by their respective worlds.
This opening establishes the foundation for a tale that blends fantasy with heartfelt lessons about empathy, encouraging young readers to embrace differences and appreciate the power of communication. Through the unlikely friendship between a boy and an elephant, the story explores how understanding can transcend barriers of species, language, and circumstance, creating meaningful connections that enrich the lives of all involved.
Among the contents
Mahmoud, swinging his wrinkled old trunk to and fro dejectedly, ignored the stack of fresh timothy which the Keeper had dumped on the floor of the Elephant House. There was a band of iron clasped tightly just above one of his great forefeet. Mahmoud had surged back in his discontent till the chain, attached to the iron and to a ring in the floor, creaked with the strain upon it. His broad ears flapped forward listlessly, but not far enough to conceal the moisture in his dim old eyes which gathered now and then into glistening drops that rolled down his cheeks and were lost in the huge wrinkles at the corners of his mouth. Duchess, his faithful mate, who stood at his side twisting up bunches of hay and tucking them into her mouth, understood and was sad. At intervals in her repast she would pause to stroke Mahmoud's furrowed cheek with the tip of her trunk. But her sorrowful mate was not to be wooed from his melancholy.
