听小奥叔叔讲故事！

小奥还真有两把刷子！这不，刚从哥本哈根回来，他又做起了孩子王：

 

 

President Obama reads from "The Polar Express" (极地特快) and talks about the meaning of Christmas as he delivers cookies to a Boys and Girls Club in Washington, DC. December 21, 2009.

 

《极地特快》节选：

 

On Christmas Eve, many years ago, I lay quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets. I breathed slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound -- a sound a friend had told me I'd never hear -- the ringing bells of Santa's sleigh. "There is no Santa," my friend had insisted, but I knew he was wrong. Late that night I did hear sounds, though not of ringing bells. From outside came the sounds of hissing steam and squeaking metal. I looked through my window and saw a train standing perfectly still in front of my house.

 

It was wrapped in an apron of steam. Snowflakes fell lightly around it. A conductor stood at the open door of one of the cars. He took large pocket watch from his vest, then looked up at my window. I put on my slippers and robe. I tiptoed downstairs and out the door. "All aboard!" the conductor cried out. I ran up to him. "Well, are you coming? " "Where?" "Why to the North Pole of course. This is the Polar Express. " I took his outstretched hand and he pulled me aboard.

 

The train was filled with other children, all in their pajamas and nightgowns. We sang Christmas carols and ate candies with nougat centers as white as snow. We drank hot cocoa as thick and rich as melted chocolate bars. Outside the lights of towns and villages flickered in the distance as the Polar Express raced northward.

 

Soon there were no more lights to be seen. We traveled through cold, dark forests where lean wolves roamed and white tailed rabbits hid from our train as it thundered through the quiet wilderness.

 

We climbed mountains so high it seemed as if we could scrape the moon. But the Polar Express never slowed down. Faster and faster we ran along, rolling over peaks and through valleys like a car on a roller coaster.

 

The mountains turned into hills, the hills to snow covered plains. We crossed a barren desert of ice- the Great Polar Ice Cap. Lights appeared in the distance. They looked like the lights of a strange ocean line sailing on a frozen sea. "There is the North Pole," said the conductor.

 

"Look," shouted one of the children. "The elves." Outside we saw hundred of elves. As our train drew closed to the center of the North Pole we slowed to a crawl, so crowded were the streets with Santa's helpers. When the Polar Express could go no farther, we stopped and the conductor led us outside.

 

We pressed through the crowd to the edge of a large, open circle. In front of us stood Santa's sleigh. The reindeer were excited. They pranced and paced, ringing the silver bells that hung from their harnesses. It was a magical sound, like nothing I'll ever heard. Across the circle, the elves moved apart and Santa appeared. The elves cheered wildly. He marched over to us and, pointing to me, said, "Let's have this fellow here."  He jumped into his sleigh. The conductor handed me up. I sat on Santa's knee and he asked, "Now, what would you like for Christmas?"

 

I knew that I could have any gift I could imagine. But the thing I wanted most for Christmas was not inside Santa's giant bag. What I wanted more than anything was one silver bell from Santa's sleigh. When I asked, Santa smiled. The he gave me a hug and told an elf to cut a bell from a reindeer's harness. The elf tossed it up to Santa. He stood, holding the bell high above him and called out, "the first gift of Christmas!"

 

THE PRESIDENT:  I think one thing that's important to remember is that, even though there's a lot of fun at Christmas, you know, you got -- especially when it's snowy like this, so it's pretty outside, you got the Christmas tree, you got the Christmas cookies, you've got presents.  You know, I think that the most important thing is just to remember why we celebrate Christmas.

 

CHILD:  I know!

 

THE PRESIDENT:  Do you know?

 

CHILD:  The birth of baby Jesus.

 

THE PRESIDENT:  The birth of baby Jesus, and what he symbolizes for people all around the world is the possibility of peace and people treating each other with respect.  And so I just hope that spirit of giving that's so important at Christmas, I hope all of you guys remember that as well.  You know, it's not just about getting gifts but it's also doing something for other people.  So being nice to your mom and dad and grandma and aunties and showing respect to people -- that's really important too, that's part of the Christmas spirit, don't you think?  Do you agree with me?

 

CHILDREN:  Yes.

 

THE PRESIDENT:  You do?  Do you have an interesting observation?

 

CHILD:  I know why we give gifts to other people.

 

THE PRESIDENT:  Why is that?

 

CHILD:  Because the three wise men gave gifts to baby Jesus.

 

THE PRESIDENT:  That's exactly right.  But the three wise men -- the reason -- (sign falls off wall) -- uh-oh, I thought that was the cookies going down.  We couldn't have that.

 

You know, the three wise men, if you think about it, here are these guys, they have all this money, they've got all this wealth and power, and yet they took a long trip to a manger just to see a little baby.  And it just shows you that just because you're powerful or you're wealthy, that's not what's important.  What's important is what's -- the kind of spirit you have.

 

So I hope everybody has a spirit of kindness and thoughtfulness, and everybody is really thinking about how can they do for other people -- treating them well, because that's really the spirit of Christmas.

 

Does everybody agree with that?

 

CHILDREN:  Yes!

 

THE PRESIDENT:  I agree with that.  Well, you guys all seem like really sharp, sharp young people.  And I'm very proud of you.  And let me just ask you one last question.  Is everybody here working pretty hard in school?

 

CHILDREN:  Yes!

 

THE PRESIDENT:  Okay, because the thing that I want everybody to remember, the most important message I can leave is, is that you guys have so much potential -- one of you could end up being President some day.  But it's only going to happen if you stay focused and you work hard in school.  And you guys -- there's nothing wrong with having fun and fooling around and playing sports and listening to rap music and all that stuff.  But I want you guys to read and hit the books and do your math, because that's really what's going to determine how you do in the future.  All right?  That's the most important thing you can do.