Polar Bear's Promise

Polar Bear's Promise, written by Russ Bouillac. Illustrated by Anita Barghejani. Focus question. What is the Polar Bear's Promise, and why did he make it?

《北极熊的承诺》，拉斯·布亚克 著 安妮塔·巴格贾尼 绘 思考问题 北极熊许下了什么承诺？他为什么要许下这个承诺？

Once upon a time, a hungry polar bear hunted for his next meal. He had lived in the Arctic since he was a cub and remembered when the ice extended far into the ocean. Back then, he only had to search for a hole or crack in the ice and patiently wait for a seal to emerge to breathe. One seal would provide several days of food. In recent years though, the ice had started to recede which meant seals were difficult to catch. Sometimes he would dangle his paws in the frigid ocean water and gaze out at the horizon, remembering where the ice used to be. He'd imagine all the delicious seals that were now too far away to reach.

很久很久以前，一只饥饿的北极熊正在寻找下一餐 他从小就生活在北极，还记得冰面曾延伸到远海的样子 那时候，他只要找到冰面上的冰洞或是裂缝，耐心等海豹出来透气就好 一只海豹就够他吃上好几天 可近几年来，冰面不断消退，海豹也变得很难捕捉 有时候他会把爪子垂进冰冷的海水，望着地平线，怀念从前冰面所在的地方 他会想象那些美味的海豹，现在都远得够不到了

One day, the bear discovered a human village. These weren't the first humans he'd encountered, so he knew they could be dangerous. He decided to avoid the village, but then something peculiar caught his eye. A small child was marching with a heavy looking pack. The bear only noticed her because she wore a bright red coat, which stood out against the white surroundings. He watched her walk farther from the village than he'd ever seen a child wander before.

一天，北极熊发现了一个人类村庄 他不是第一次遇到人类，所以知道人类可能很危险 他决定绕开村庄，可一个奇怪的景象吸引了他的目光 一个小女孩背着沉甸甸的背包往前走 北极熊注意到她，是因为她穿着鲜红色外套，在白茫茫的环境里格外显眼 他看着她走得离村庄越来越远，从没见过哪个小孩走这么远

The bear thought this was curious and stepped out from behind a snowbank. Oh, hello, human child, the bear said, pretending to be surprised. What is your name? Hello to you, wandering one, the girl child said politely. My name is Omka.

北极熊觉得很好奇，从雪堆后面走了出来 哦，你好呀小朋友，北极熊装作惊讶地说 你叫什么名字？ 你好呀，漫游的朋友，小女孩有礼貌地说 我的名字叫奥姆卡

Well, Amka, it is a lovely day, and I was wondering if you might know the location of any seals for my supper. The bear licked his lips. He'd never had much interest in eating humans, but any animal looked appetizing to him at that moment. He considered gobbling up the little girl right there, but he hesitated because the other humans might see. I'm sorry, but I don't. Now I must be on my way, Amka said. My mother said I should head straight to my grandmother's house, near the rock coming from the ice. I'm not supposed to stop or speak with anyone. I understand completely, and your mother is correct, little crimson coat. The bear said, I shall bother you no more. The bear knew the rock coming from the ice well, and he knew a faster route to get there. His patience had paid off, for now he had two meals instead of one. Soon the bear reached the grandmother's house, where he thumped on the door with a massive paw.

你好呀奥姆卡，今天天气真好，我想问你知不知道哪里有海豹当我的晚餐 北极熊舔了舔嘴唇 他本来没什么兴趣吃人类，可那一刻他饿到什么动物都看起来很诱人 他都打算当场把这个小姑娘吞下去了，可他犹豫了，怕别的人类看见 对不起，我不知道哪里有海豹 现在我得赶路了，奥姆卡说 我妈妈让我直接去外婆家，就在冰里凸出来的那块岩石旁边 我不能停下，也不能和任何人说话 我完全理解，你妈妈说的对，穿红外衣的小姑娘 北极熊说，我不会再打扰你了 北极熊很清楚那块冰凸出来的岩石，还知道一条更快的路 他的耐心没有白费，这下他能得到两顿饭，而不是一顿了 很快北极熊就到了外婆家，用大大的熊掌砰砰敲门

Amka, is that you?" came a voice from inside. The bear knocked again, and an old woman opened the door. She wore a coat of white fur.

奥姆卡，是你吗？屋里传来一个声音 北极熊又敲了敲门，一位老太太打开了门 她穿着一件白色的毛皮大衣