Dr. Seuss neve fogalom: ő a gyerekirodalom egyik legnépszerűbb alakja. Figurái elsőre gyakran furának tűnnek, ám egy-kettőre szívünkbe zárjuk őket.
Dr. Seuss egyedülálló képi világa, humoros és zseniálisan egyszerű versei a legkisebbektől a már önállóan olvasókig mindenkit megszólítanak. Az alábbiakban a Green Eggs and Ham című vers teljes angol szövege olvasható.
Green Eggs and Ham
GREEN EGGS AND HAM
(by Doctor Seuss)
I AM SAM.
I AM SAM.
SAM I AM.
THAT SAM-I-AM!
THAT SAM-I-AM!
I DO NOT LIKE THAT SAM-I-AM!
DO WOULD YOU LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM?
I DO NOT LIKE THEM,SAM-I-AM.
I DO NOT LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM.
WOULD YOU LIKE THEM HERE OR THERE?
I WOULD NOT LIKE THEM HERE OR THERE.
I WOULD NOT LIKE THEM ANYWHERE.
I DO NOT LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM, SAM-I-AM.
WOULD YOU LIKE THEM IN A HOUSE?
WOULD YOU LIKE THEN WITH A MOUSE?
I DO NOT LIKE THEM IN A HOUSE.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM WITH A MOUSE.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM HERE OR THERE.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM ANYWHERE.
I DO NOT LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM, SAM-I-AM.
WOULD YOU EAT THEM IN A BOX?
WOULD YOU EAT THEM WITH A FOX?
NOT IN A BOX.
NOT WITH A FOX.
NOT IN A HOUSE.
NOT WITH A MOUSE.
I WOULD NOT EAT THEM HERE OR THERE.
I WOULD NOT EAT THEM ANYWHERE.
I WOULD NOT EAT GREEN EGGS AND HAM.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM, SAM-I-AM.
WOULD YOU?
COULD YOU?
IN A CAR?
EAT THEM! EAT THEM!
HERE THEY ARE.
I WOULD NOT, COULD NOT, IN A CAR.
YOU MAY LIKE THEM.
YOU WILL SEE.
YOU MAY LIKE THEM IN A TREE!
I WOULD NOT, COULD NOT IN A TREE.
NOT IN A CAR!
YOU LET ME BE.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM IN A BOX.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM WITH A FOX.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM IN A HOUSE.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM WITH A MOUSE.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM HERE OR THERE.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM ANYWHERE.
I DO NOT LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM, SAM-I-AM.
A TRAIN! A TRAIN!
A TRAIN! A TRAIN!
COULD YOU, WOULD YOU ON A TRAIN?
NOT ON TRAIN!
NOT IN A TREE!
NOT IN A CAR!
SAM! LET ME BE!
I WOULD NOT, COULD NOT, IN A BOX.
I WOULD NOT, COULD NOT, WITH A FOX.
I WILL NOT EAT THEM IN A HOUSE.
I WILL NOT EAT THEM HERE OR THERE.
I WILL NOT EAT THEM ANYWHERE.
I DO NOT EAT GREEM EGGS AND HAM.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM, SAM-I-AM.
SAY! IN THE DARK?
HERE IN THE DARK!
WOULD YOU, COULD YOU, IN THE DARK?
I WOULD NOT, COULD NOT, IN THE DARK.
WOULD YOU COULD YOU IN THE RAIN?
I WOULD NOT, COULD NOT IN THE RAIN.
NOT IN THE DARK.
NOT ON A TRAIN.
NOT IN A CAR.
NOT IN A TREE.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM, SAM, YOU SEE.
NOT IN A HOUSE.
NOT IN A BOX.
NOT WITH A MOUSE.
NOT WITH A FOX.
I WILL NOT EAT THEM HERE OR THERE.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM ANYWHERE!
YOU DO NOT LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM?
I DO NOT LIKE THEM, SAM-I-AM.
COULD YOU, WOULD YOU, WITH A GOAT?
I WOULD NOT, COULD NOT WITH A GOAT!
WOULD YOU, COULD YOU, ON A BOAT?
I COULD NOT, WOULD NOT, ON A BOAT.
I WILL NOT, WILL NOT, WITH A GOAT.
I WILL NOT EAT THEM IN THE RAIN.
NOT IN THE DARK!
NOT IN A TREE!
NOT IN A CAR!
YOU LET ME BE!
I DO NOT LIKE THEM IN A BOX.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM WITH A FOX.
I WILL NOT EAT THEM IN A HOUSE.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM WITH A MOUSE.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM HERE OR THERE.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM ANYWHERE!
I DO NOT LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM!
I DO NOT LIKE THEM, SAM-I-AM.
YOU DO NOT LIKE THEM.
SO YOU SAY.
TRY THEM! TRY THEM!
AND YOU MAY.
TRY THEM AND YOU MAY, I SAY.
sAM! IF YOU LET ME BE,
I WILL TRY THEM.
YOU WILL SEE.
(. and he tries them . )
SAY! I LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM!
I DO!
I LIKE THEM, SAM-I-AM!
AND I WOULD EAT THEM IN A BOAT.
AND I WOULD EAT THEM WITH A GOAT.
AND I WILL EAT THEM, IN THE RAIN.
AND IN THE DARK.
AND ON A TRAIN.
AND IN A CAR.
AND IN A TREE.
THEY ARE SO GOOD, SO GOOD, YOU SEE!
SO I WILL EAT THEM IN A BOX.
AND I WILL EAT THEM WITH A FOX.
AND I WILL EAT THEM IN A HOUSE.
AND I WILL EAT THEM WITH A MOUSE.
AND I WILL EAT THEM HERE AND THERE.
SAY! I WILL EAT THEM ANYWHERE!
I DO SO LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM!
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU, SAM I AM.
Dr. Seuss verseinek sajátosságai
Dr. Seuss egyedülálló képi világa, humoros és zseniálisan egyszerű versei a legkisebbektől a már önállóan olvasókig mindenkit megszólítanak. A Green Eggs and Ham játékos ismétlésekre, kérdésekre, feleletekre és egyre újabb helyszínek felsorolására épül.
A vers központi alakja Sam, aki újra és újra megkérdezi, hogy a másik szereplő megkóstolná-e a zöld tojást sonkával. A másik szereplő minden alkalommal elutasítja az ételt, majd a történet végén mégis kipróbálja.
A versben a ház, az egér, a róka, a doboz, az autó, a fa, a vonat, a sötét, az eső, a kecske és a hajó egymás után jelennek meg. Ezek az ismétlődő helyszínek egyszerű szerkezetet adnak a szövegnek, miközben fokozzák a ritmust és a humort.
A versben szereplő helyszínek és társak
| Angol kifejezés | Magyar jelentés |
|---|---|
| in a house | egy házban |
| with a mouse | egy egérrel |
| in a box | egy dobozban |
| with a fox | egy rókával |
| in a car | egy autóban |
| in a tree | egy fán |
| on a train | egy vonaton |
| in the dark | a sötétben |
| in the rain | az esőben |
| with a goat | egy kecskével |
| on a boat | egy hajón |
Ismétlődő mondatok és ritmus
I DO NOT LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM, SAM-I-AM.
Ez a két mondat többször visszatér, ezért könnyen megjegyezhetővé teszi a verset. A rövid kérdések és válaszok, valamint a „WOULD YOU?”, „COULD YOU?” és „I WOULD NOT, COULD NOT” típusú fordulatok hangosan olvasva különösen erős ritmust adnak.
A történet végén az elutasítás fokozatosan elfogadássá változik:
SAY! I LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM!
I DO!
I LIKE THEM, SAM-I-AM!
A befejezésben ugyanazok a helyszínek és társak jelennek meg, amelyek korábban az elutasítás okai voltak, de immár pozitív állítások kapcsolódnak hozzájuk.
