在2025年2月23日，英国苗苗中文学校（MM Chinese Club）与苏州实验小学(Suzhou Experimental Primary School)顺利举办了第二期双语绘本共读活动。这一次中英学生们共同阅读的绘本为：《十二生肖的故事(The story of the Chinese zodiac)》。
On 23rd February 2025, MM Chinese Club in the UK and Suzhou Experimental Primary School in China successfully held the second session of their bilingual picture book reading event. This time, Chinese and British students read The Story of the Chinese Zodiac together.
对于中国的学生们而言，十二生肖是一个相对熟悉的概念，尽管部分英国学生对于这一文化并没有那么熟悉，但是在阅读绘本之后也能够熟练地说出十二生肖中所含有的动物，并对于中国传统文化有了更深入的了解。
For Chinese students, the concept of the Chinese zodiac is relatively familiar. Although some British students were not as familiar with this aspect of Chinese culture, after reading the picture book, they were able to confidently name the animals in the zodiac and gained a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese culture.
在阅读课的最初，老师让中英两国的学生们分别进行自我介绍，相互认识，以增进他们此后课堂互动的积极性。在绘本阅读的环节中，两国的学生们均对不同模块进行了双语阅读，中国的小学生们展现出了优秀的英语水平，而苗苗语文的英国学生们也展示了自己标准且优异的中文水平，他们不论是发音、断句、语速还是文本解读的能力都相对较强，并且能够语气生动地将故事娓娓道来。
At the beginning of the reading session, the teacher asked the students from China and the UK to introduce themselves to each other, helping to foster connections and encourage active participation in the lesson. During the picture book reading segment, students from both countries took turns reading different sections in both languages. The Chinese primary school students demonstrated excellent English proficiency, while the British students from MM Chinese Club showcased their clear and impressive Chinese skills. Their pronunciation, intonation, pacing, and text comprehension were notably strong, and they were able to narrate the story in an engaging and expressive manner.
在系统地阅读了全文过后，老师也提出了问题鼓励学生们进行思考，在《十二生肖的故事(The story of the Chinese zodiac)》中你最喜欢哪一个动物，而原因又是什么呢？
有的学生说，他最喜欢龙，因为龙会在路上帮助其他动物；
有的学生说，他最喜欢兔子，因为兔子毛茸茸的样子很可爱；
……
After systematically reading through the entire book, the teacher posed a question to encourage students to reflect: Which animal in The Story of the Chinese Zodiac do you like the most, and why?*
Some students said they liked the dragon best because it helped other animals along the way.
Others said they preferred the bunny because its fluffy appearance was very cute.
……
其后，老师又引导学生们思考在这十四页的故事中，他们究竟最喜欢那一页的内容或情节，并鼓励他们探索自己喜欢的原因。
有的学生说，他喜欢憨厚的老牛在路上展现出自己的善良；
有的学生说，她喜欢小兔子身上不甘示弱的品质；
有的学生说，他最喜欢老虎威风凛凛的外表；
有的学生说，她最喜欢富有中国特色的时辰与生肖；
有的学生说，他最喜欢解释了猫与老鼠产生冲突的有趣情节；
……
最后，老师让学生们发散思维大胆思考，让他们讨论认为哪些动物可以被其他动物所替代。
有的学生认为，猫如果没有受到老鼠的欺骗，猫可以登上十二生肖中一个靠前的位置；
有的学生认为，海豚可以替代老鼠，因为海豚更加聪慧；
有的学生认为，狮子可以凭借自己的勇猛位列生肖之中；
……
The teacher then guided the students to reflect on their favourite page or scene from the 14-page story, encouraging them to explore the reasons behind their choices.
Some students said they liked the kind-hearted ox for showing kindness along the way.
Others said they admired the bunny’s determined and resilient spirit.
Some students favoured the tiger for its majestic and imposing appearance.
Others appreciated the uniquely Chinese concept of the zodiac and the traditional timekeeping system.
Some found the scene explaining the conflict between the cat and the rat particularly interesting.
...
Finally, the teacher encouraged students to think creatively and discuss which animals they believed could replace others in the zodiac.
Some students suggested that if the cat had not been deceived by the rat, it could have secured a prominent place in the zodiac.
Others proposed that the dolphin could replace the rat, as dolphins are more intelligent.
Some believed that the lion, with its bravery, deserved a place in the zodiac.
...
在这一个小时的双语绘本阅读过程中，中英的小学生们都积极参与课堂讨论。神话故事的版本众多，老师也鼓励学生们根据自己丰富的想象力对故事的情节进行改编与再创造，这不仅有助于学生了解中国文化，而且有效地培养了学生们的创造性思维。
During this one-hour bilingual picture book reading session, both Chinese and British primary school students actively participated in classroom discussions. With many different versions of the mythological story, the teacher encouraged students to use their imagination to adapt and recreate parts of the narrative. This not only helped them gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture but also effectively nurtured their creative thinking skills.
接下来，在四月，我们还将推出双语绘本阅读的第三期内容，敬请期待！
Coming up in April, we will be launching the third session of our bilingual picture book reading series—stay tuned!
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