Happy Anniversary, Winnie-the-Pooh!
—Owain Mckimm
Ninety years ago, the world was introduced to an adorable, honey-loving bear named Winnie-the-Pooh in a book by the British writer A. A. Milne. Titled Winnie-the-Pooh, it became an instant classic and was soon available in more than 25 languages. Since then, Pooh and his friends have never been far from the spotlight. In the 1960s, Disney adapted the book into several films. Original Winnie-the-Pooh stories written by Disney soon followed, giving rise to a TV series and merchandise.
Winnie-the-Pooh's success was largely due to its ability to capture children's imaginations. Pooh's early adventures include encounters with strange creatures in the Hundred Acre Wood and an attempt to reach the North Pole. Of course, Pooh doesn't have these adventures alone. He's often accompanied by his friends, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, and others. Pooh's best friend, however, is Christopher Robin, a character that was based on the author's son, Christopher Robin Milne.
Milne was inspired to write the book by watching his young son at play. For his first birthday, Christopher received a teddy bear which he would play with in and around the forest near the family's holiday home. Later, the bear was joined by more soft toys, which Milne also brought to life as characters in his stories.
小熊維尼週年快樂！
九十年前，英國作家 A.A.米恩在一本書中讓世人認識到一隻可愛、喜愛蜂蜜，名叫維尼的熊。這本書名為《小熊維尼》的書立即成了經典作品，並且很快就發行超過二十五種語言。從那之後，維尼和他的朋友們就沒遠離過鎂光燈。在一九六○年代，迪士尼公司將這本書改編成好幾部電影。不久迪士尼公司所新創作的小熊維尼故事便跟進，促使電視系列節目和商品的推出。
《小熊維尼》的成功主要是由於它能夠吸引孩子的想像力。維尼早期的歷險故事包括在百畝森林遇見奇怪的生物，以及嘗試到達北極。當然，維尼並不是獨自去探險。他常常有朋友小豬、驢子依唷、貓頭鷹與其他角色的陪伴。不過，維尼最好的朋友是克里斯多福．羅賓，這是根據作者的兒子克里斯多福．羅賓．米恩所創造的角色。
米恩看到他年幼的兒子在玩耍而有了寫這本書的靈感。克里斯多福曾收到一隻泰迪熊作為一歲生日禮物，他會在家庭的度假屋內或附近的森林裡跟它玩。後來，有更多絨毛玩具加入這個泰迪熊，米恩也賦予它們生命、成為他故事裡的角色。
|
