Video：from 像學母語一樣學英語 LIKE A NATIVE
Contents：
Maria was a young woman with a song in her heart.
This was a problem for her. She lived in a quiet house with other women.
The house was a place for prayer and silent work.
Maria was not a quiet person. She loved to sing in the mountains.
The wind moved her hair there. The sun warmed her face.
A big smile was always on her face in the mountains.
Life in the quiet house was the same every day.
The women prayed. They worked in the garden.
Their hands were dirty with soil.
Maria tried to follow the rules. But a song was always inside her.
The song wanted to come out.
So she often sang her songs in a low voice.
The head of the house was a kind, old woman.
She watched Maria with gentle eyes.
The old woman understood the situation.
Maria had a good heart.
But this quiet life was not for her. A different path was waiting.
One day, the old woman called Maria to her office.
The room was large and still.
Sunlight made a square on the wood floor.
A big desk was in the middle. Maria stood in front of it.
She felt small and nervous.
“You are not happy here, “the old woman said.
Her voice was soft like old cloth.
Maria looked at the floor.
“I try to be good. l really try.”
“You are good, “the old woman said. “But your life is outside these walls.
A man needs help. He has seven children.”
Maria looked up. Her eyes were wide with surprise. “Seven children?”
“Yes. Their mother is gone. They need a teacher, “the old woman explained.
“The man is a captain. You will go to his house. It is a very important job.”
A new life was a big change. Maria felt a little scared. She also felt a little excited.
A real adventure was starting. She packed a small bag.
It had one old dress and her guitar. Maria said goodbye to the quiet house.
The old woman gave her a warm hug.
Maria walked toward the captain’s big house. A new story began for her.
The captain’s house was very large. It looked cold and silent from the road.
Tall trees stood around it like guards. No flowers grew in the garden.
Maria walked to the big front door. She knocked.
The sound was loud in the quiet air. It felt like a lonely sound.
A woman in a black dress opened the door. Her face had no expression.
She did not smile. Maria went inside. The house was dark and grand.
The air smelled of old wood and polish. No pictures were on the walls.
No music was in the air. It was not a happy home. It was just a building.
Soon, the captain came down the wide stairs. He was a tall man.
His face was hard like a stone. “You are the new teacher?” he asked.
His voice was strong and loud. It filled the big hall. “Yes.l am Maria, ” she said.
The captain did not use her name. He gave her a small, silver whistle.
“You will use this, ” he said. ‘It is how we work in this house. “
A sharp sound came from his whistle. Seven children walked into the room.
They stood in a straight line. Their movements were quick and automatic.
They wore matching clothes. The children looked like little soldiers.
They did not smile or look at her. The captain used the whistle again.
Each child said their name. “Liesl.” “Friedrich.” “Louisa.” “Kurt.” “Brigitta.” “Marta.” “Gretl.”
Their voices were quiet and sad. Maria looked at their faces.
She saw seven unhappy children. Their eyes were empty.
The captain gave orders with his whistle. The children followed every sound without a word.
He thought this was good discipline. Maria thought it was very sad.
Children were not animals. They needed love, not whistles.
She saw the challenge in their sad eyes. She did not know their little war had already begun.
That night, Maria went to her new room. It was simple and clean.
A small bed and a wooden chair were the only furniture. She sat on the bed.
The mattress was hard. She felt a strange thing in her pocket.
Maria put her hand inside. She pulled out a small, green frog. The frog jumped on the floor.
It looked around the strange room. Maria was not angry. A small smile came to her face.
She knew the children did it. This was their little game of war.
At dinner, she sat down on her chair. Something was hard under her. She stood up quickly.
A pinecone was on the chair. The children watched her. Their faces were serious.
But Maria saw their lonely eyes. They wanted her to see them. She did not get angry.
Maria picked up the pinecone. She held it in her hand. It felt rough and woody.
The captain looked at her. He did not understand. His face showed confusion.
“Thank you for my gifts, ” Maria said to the children.
Her voice was warm like a summer day. The children were surprised.
Their eyes opened wide. They looked at each other. “What gifts?” the captain asked.
His voice was sharp. “lt is a secret, “Maria said with a playful look. “A secret between us.”
She looked at the children. A real smile was on her face. “lt is nice to feel welcome, ” she said.
“You made me feel welcome in your home.” One of the younger girls started to cry.
Her small shoulders shook. Soon, another child cried. Then another.
All seven children were crying soft, silent tears. They cried for her kindness.
They also cried for their own lonely hearts. The captain was very confused.
He did not understand his children at all. He only saw disorder.
He did not know the real storm was coming. A few days later, a big storm came.
The sky was dark gray. Rain hit the windows hard. It sounded like small stones.
A loud sound of thunder filled the house. The youngest child, Gretl, was very scared.
She ran to Maria’s room. Her little feet made no sound on the thick carpet.
“l am scared of the sound, ” Gretl said. Her small body trembled. Maria held her close.
The child felt so small in her arms. “lt is okay. You can stay with me.”
Soon, the other girls came to the room. The thunder was very loud. It shook the big house.
Even the boys came too. They said they were not scared.
They just wanted to check on the girls. But their faces were white.
All the children were in Maria’s room. They sat on her bed.
Another loud crash of thunder came. Everyone jumped. Maria had an idea.
“When l am sad or scared,”she said, “I think about nice things. It always helps.”
She took out her guitar. Its wood was smooth and familiar.
Her fingers touched the strings. A soft music filled the room.
“What are your favorite things?” she asked.
“‘Raindrops on flowers, said one of the girls. “A warm cat, ” said a boy.
“Brown paper packages, ” said another girl. Maria started to sing.
She sang about all their favorite things. Her voice was clear and happy.
The children listened. The music was like a warm blanket.
They started to forget the storm. They began to smile.
For the first time, the house was filled with music and happy sounds.
The dark room felt bright. The captain was in his office. He heard the noise.
He walked up the stairs. His steps were heavy and angry.
He opened the door to Maria’s room. All his children were there.
They were laughing and singing. This was against his rules.
His house was a place of order. “What is this?” he asked. His voice was a storm too.
The children stopped singing. The happy feeling was gone. They stood up straight.
The smiles left their faces. “lt was my fault, ” Maria said. “They were scared of the storm.”
“Go to your rooms. Now, ” the captain ordered. The children left quickly.
The captain looked at Maria. “There is no music in this house,” he said.
He closed the door. The house was silent again. The silence felt heavy.
Maria knew she needed to change things. The children needed to play.
They needed to be children. Their soldier clothes were not good for playing
They were stiff and uncomfortable. She asked the captain for cloth to make play clothes.
“No, ” he said. “They have their clothes. They are perfectly fine.”
Maria did not give up. An idea was growing in her mind. She looked around her room.
The curtains were old and thick. They had a flower pattern of faded green and yellow.
She had an idea. A very good idea. She took down the curtains.
She cut the cloth with her small scissors. Maria worked all night.
The only light was from a small lamp. She made seven sets of play clothes.
The next morning, the captain went away for a few days.
He had business in the city. Maria gave the new clothes to the children.
They looked at the clothes with big eyes. They touched the soft cloth.
They were so happy. The clothes were soft and comfortable.
They ran outside. They climbed trees. Their laughter was a new sound in the garden.
They ran in the grass. They got dirty. It was wonderful. Maria took them to the city.
They walked in the market. The air smelled of bread and flowers.
They ate fresh red strawberries. She took them to the mountains. The same mountains she loved.
The air was clean and fresh. They had a picnic on the soft green grass.
The city looked small below them. “We never do this, ” said Liesl, the oldest girl.
Her face was happy. “Why did you make the other teachers leave?” Maria asked gently.
The oldest boy looked down. “We wanted Father to see us, “he said, “He never looks at us.
He only blows his whistle.” Maria understood. The children were not bad. They were just lonely.
They needed their father’s love. “Maybe we can get his attention in a new way, with a song, ” Maria said.
She took out her guitar. The children looked at her.
“We don’t know how to sing, ” one of the girls said.
“Father says singing is not useful.”
“I can teach you, ” Maria said. ‘lt is easy. And it is very useful for a happy heart.”
She started with the basic notes. Do, Re, Mi.
She sang, “Do, a deer, a female deer. The children repeated the words.
They learned the notes one by one. Their voices were small at first.
Then they became stronger. They sang together.
Their seven voices made one beautiful sound. They practiced every day.
A new song was in the house. It was a song of hope.
But a car was driving up the road. And it would change everything. The captain came home.
A woman was with him. She was rich and beautiful. She was the Baroness.
Her dress was made of silk. The captain planned to marry her. They drove near the house.
The captain saw something strange. Children were in a tree. They were wearing old curtains.
“What is that?” the Baroness asked. The captain’s face became hard.
“I think those are my children, ” he said. His voice was tight.
Maria and the children were in a boat on the lake. They saw the captain’s car.
They were so excited. They stood up and waved. The boat turned over.
Everyone fell into the cold water. They walked back to the house.
They were wet and dripping. Water made puddles on the clean floor.
The captain was waiting for them. He was very angry. The Baroness stood beside him.
She looked very elegant. The children looked like little wet animals.
“Go and change your clothes. Now, ” the captain said.
His voice was cold like the lake water. The children ran inside.
The captain looked at Maria. “You put my children in danger, ” he said.
“You dressed them in curtains.” “They were happy, ” Maria said. “They were playing. They were singing.”
“l give the orders here, ” a loud voice said.
“You do not. You are finished. Pack your bags. Leave my house. “
Maria’s heart felt heavy. She failed. She turned to go inside.
Then, a sound stopped them. It was singing. The children stood on the stairs.
They were in their clean clothes. They sang a song for the Baroness.
Their voices were sweet and clear. The harmony was perfect.
The captain listened. His hard face started to change. The music went into his heart.
It opened a door that was closed for a long time. He remembered his wife.
This was her favorite song. A tear came to his eye. He walked to the children.
He started to sing with them. His voice was deep and beautiful.
The children were shocked. They never heard their father sing.
He put his arms around them. He held them close. The cold house was finally warm.
He looked at Maria. His eyes were different now. They were soft. They were full of feeling.
“You brought music back to my house, he said. “I was wrong. Please. Do not leave.”
Maria looked at him. She looked at the happy children.
She knew she could not leave. Not yet. The house changed completely.
Music was always in the air. The captain bought new guitars. He played the piano every day.
The family sang together every evening. The captain started to smile more.
He played games with his children. He was a father again, not just a captain.
One evening, the captain had a big party. Many important people came to the house.
The Baroness was there. She looked like a queen in a beautiful white dress.
The children watched the adults dance.
“l want to dance like that, ” said one of the boys.
“Maria, can you teach us?” asked one of the girls. Maria laughed. “Of course.”
She showed them the steps in the garden. The moon was bright.
They laughed and stumbled on the soft grass. The captain came outside.
He saw them. A warm smile was on his face. “No, no, ” he said.
“This is how you do it. ” He took Maria’s hand. Her hand was small in his.
He started to dance with her. The music from the party floated into the garden.
They moved together perfectly. They danced under the stars.
The world was quiet around them. They looked into each other’s eyes.
Something special happened. A new feeling was between them.
It was strong and quiet. Maria’s face became red. She felt confused.
Her heart was beating very fast. She pulled her hand away.
The Baroness watched them from the window. She saw everything.
Her face was not happy. She saw the new feeling between them.
Later that night, the Baroness went to Maria’s room.
“The captain is in love with you, ” the Baroness said.
Her voice was calm, but her eyes were cold.
“That is not true, ” Maria said. She felt her heart beat fast.
“‘lt is true, ” the Baroness said.
“And you love him too. But you are a nun. This is not your world. You must leave.”
Maria closed the door after the Baroness left. The room was dark and quiet.
She looked at her simple dress. She thought, “l made a promise to God. My life is for him.”
Her hand went to her heart. It felt heavy and full of pain.
“But my heart feels something new for the captain. This feeling is strong. It is wrong.”
A tear fell on her hand. She knew she could not stay. The choice was hard. But it was her only choice.
She felt a great sadness. She wrote a short letter. Then she packed her small bag.
While everyone was asleep, she left the big house. She walked back to the only home she knew.
The children were very sad. Maria was gone. The music stopped again.
The house was quiet and unhappy. “Where did she go?” one of the little girls asked every day.
Her voice was small. The captain did not know. He only had her short letter.
It said she missed the quiet house. He felt a great emptiness in the house.
The captain made a decision. He told the children he would marry the Baroness.
“You will have a new mother, ” he said. The children did not want a new mother.
They wanted Maria. They went to the quiet house. They asked to see her.
But the women said Maria was in prayer. She did not want to see anyone.
Maria was hiding from the world. She was also hiding from her own heart.
She worked hard in the garden. She prayed for many hours. But she was not happy.
The kind, old woman saw her sadness. “You cannot hide here, ” the old woman said.
“You must face your problems. What is wrong?”
“l love him,” Maria said in a small voice. “I love the captain. It is wrong.”
“Love is not wrong, ” the old woman said. “You have a big heart.
You must find how God wants you to use it. You must go back. You must find your life.”
So Maria went back. The children saw her first. They were playing sadly in the garden.
They ran to her. They hugged her. They were so happy. The captain came out. He saw Maria.
His heart was full. The Baroness came out too. She saw the look on the captain’s face.
She saw the love in his eyes when he looked at Maria. She understood. She lost.
That evening, the Baroness talked to the captain.
“You need music in your life, Captain,” she said softly. “l cannot bring you that song.”
She was sad, but she was also a proud woman. She said goodbye and left.
The captain found Maria in the garden. The moon was bright.
“Why did you leave?” he asked. “l was scared,” she said.
“Why did you come back?” he asked. “l was not scared anymore, ” she said.
He took her hands. “l love you, Maria.” “l love you too, ” she said.
He kissed her. It was a new beginning for both of them.
They were married in a beautiful church. All seven children were there.
They were a real family now. Their happy time was short.
New soldiers came to their country, Austria. They had a black and red flag.
The soldiers were hard and cold. They gave orders to everyone.
The captain loved his country. He hated the new soldiers. He hated their new rules.
He refused to fly their flag. One day, a letter came. It was from the new government.
The letter ordered the captain to join their navy.
“l will not do it, ” the captain said. “l will not work for them. They are bad men.”
“What can we do?” Maria asked. She was worried. “We must leave, ” he said.
“We must leave Austria. Tonight.” “But how?” Maria asked.
“The soldiers watch everything.” The captain was silent.
Then he looked at a paper on the table. It was for a music festival.
“Max gave me this, ” he said slowly. “He wants the children to sing.”
A new idea came to his mind. “We will go to the festival, ” he said.
“We will sing our songs. Then, we will not go home.”
That night, they went to the festival. The theater was full.
Many new soldiers were in the audience. They watched the family with hard eyes.
The family walked onto the stage. The lights were bright.
Maria held the captain’s hand. The children stood together.
They were scared. But they were also brave. They sang their songs.
Their voices filled the big room. The people loved them. They clapped their hands.
For their last song, the captain sang a beautiful, sad song about his country.
Everyone in the theater felt his love for his home.
At the end of the festival, a judge announced the winner. He called many names.
He talked for a long time. Max helped him talk longer. It was part of the plan.
When the judge finally called the family’s name as the winner, they were gone.
They escaped from a back door. The family ran through the dark streets.
They went to the quiet house. The kind women there helped them hide.
The new soldiers came. They looked everywhere.
Their flashlights cut through the darkness.
The family hid behind big stone markers in the garden. The stone was cold.
They did not move. They did not make a sound.
Gretl held Maria’s hand very tight.
One young soldier found them. It was Rolf. He was the boy who liked Liesl.
He was a soldier now. He looked at Liesl. He looked at her family. He had a gun.
The captain stood in front of his family. “‘We are leaving, ” he said.
His voice was quiet but strong. Rolf was quiet for a moment. He could stop them.
His face was full of conflict. But he did not. He looked away.
He shouted to the other soldiers, “‘No one is here!”
The family had one more chance. They ran to a car.
The good women from the quiet house gave it to them.
The soldiers ran to their cars. But the cars would not start.
The captain looked back. He saw two old women from the quiet house.
They secretly took important parts from the soldiers’ cars.
In their hands, they held the small engine parts. They smiled.
The family drove as far as they could. Then the road ended.
In front of them were the mountains. The big, beautiful mountains.
“We must walk from here, ” the captain said. They got out of the car.
The night air was cold. They looked up at the tall mountains.
It was a long and hard journey. But they were together. They were a family.
They had their music. And they had their freedom.
They started to walk, up into the clean mountain air, toward a new life.
Words：
prayer /prɛər/ (名詞) 祈禱 與神溝通的言行
gentle /ˈdʒɛntəl/ (形容詞) 溫柔的 溫和且友善的
nervous /ˈnɜːrvəs/ (形容詞) 緊張的 感到擔憂或輕微恐懼的
expression /ɪkˈsprɛʃən/ (名詞) 表情 臉上顯露的情感
grand /ɡrænd/ (形容詞) 宏偉的 規模巨大且令人印象深刻的
whistle /ˈwɪsəl/ (名詞) 哨子 用來發出尖銳聲音的工具
automatic /ˌɔːtəˈmætɪk/ (形容詞) 自動的 無意識且機械性的
discipline /ˈdɪsəplɪn/ (名詞) 紀律 訓練人們遵守規則或行為準則
challenge /ˈtʃæləndʒ/ (名詞) 挑戰 需要努力才能完成的新任務
mattress /ˈmætrəs/ (名詞) 床墊 放在床上供人躺臥的軟墊
pinecone /ˈpaɪnˌkoʊn/ (名詞) 松果 松樹的木質果實
serious /ˈsɪəriəs/ (形容詞) 嚴肅的 不笑且表情莊重的
confusion /kənˈfjuːʒən/ (名詞) 困惑 無法理解或清晰思考的狀態
playful /ˈpleɪfəl/ (形容詞) 開玩笑的 充滿樂趣且不嚴肅的
shoulder /ˈʃoʊldər/ (名詞) 肩膀 連接手臂與軀幹的身體部位
disorder /dɪsˈɔːrdər/ (名詞) 混亂 缺乏秩序或安排的狀態
thunder /ˈθʌndər/ (名詞) 雷聲 閃電後發出的巨大聲響
tremble /ˈtrɛmbəl/ (動詞) 顫抖 因害怕或激動而輕微發抖
familiar /fəˈmɪliər/ (形容詞) 熟悉的 以前經常見到或聽到的
package /ˈpækɪdʒ/ (名詞) 包裹 用紙或盒子包裝起來的物品
blanket /ˈblæŋkɪt/ (名詞) 毯子 用於保暖的厚織物
fault /fɔːlt/ (名詞) 過錯 對錯誤或失敗應負的責任
uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌmfərtəbəl/ (形容詞) 不舒服的 身體或心理上感到不自在的
curtain /ˈkɜːrtn/ (名詞) 窗簾 掛在窗戶上的布料
pattern /ˈpætərn/ (名詞) 圖案 由線條或形狀組成的重複設計
scissors /ˈsɪzərz/ (名詞) 剪刀 用於剪切東西的工具
business /ˈbɪznəs/ (名詞) 公務 工作或商業上的事務
picnic /ˈpɪknɪk/ (名詞) 野餐 在戶外進行的簡便餐飲
attention /əˈtɛnʃən/ (名詞) 注意力 觀察或傾聽某人某事的行為
useful /ˈjuːsfəl/ (形容詞) 有用的 能夠以實際方式幫助你的
basic /ˈbeɪsɪk/ (形容詞) 基本的 構成起點的簡單事實或事物
practice /ˈpræktɪs/ (動詞) 練習 為了提高技能而重複做某事
Baroness /ˈbærənəs/ (名詞) 女男爵 一位女性貴族稱號
puddle /ˈpʌdəl/ (名詞) 水坑 地面上的小水窪
elegant /ˈɛlɪɡənt/ (形容詞) 優雅的 風度翩翩且有格調的
fail /feɪl/ (動詞) 失敗 未能成功達成某事
harmony /ˈhɑːrməni/ (名詞) 和聲 同時發出的悅耳音符組合
stumble /ˈstʌmbəl/ (動詞) 絆倒 走路時因絆到東西而站不穩
float /floʊt/ (動詞) 漂浮 在液體或空氣中輕柔移動
promise /ˈprɑːmɪs/ (名詞) 承諾 告訴某人你肯定會做某事
sadness /ˈsædnəs/ (名詞) 悲傷 感到不快樂的狀態或情緒
emptiness /ˈɛmptinəs/ (名詞) 空虛 缺乏意義或目的的感覺
decision /dɪˈsɪʒən/ (名詞) 決定 經過考慮後做出的選擇
hide /haɪd/ (動詞) 躲藏 到一個別人找不到的地方
face /feɪs/ (動詞) 面對 勇敢地處理困難的情況
proud /praʊd/ (形容詞) 驕傲的 因成就而感到滿足和喜悅的
beginning /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/ (名詞) 開始 某件事物的起點
soldier /ˈsoʊldʒər/ (名詞) 士兵 軍隊中的成員
refuse /rɪˈfjuːz/ (動詞) 拒絕 表示不願意做某事
government /ˈɡʌvərnmənt/ (名詞) 政府 統治一個國家的系統或團體
navy /ˈneɪvi/ (名詞) 海軍 一個國家的海上軍事力量
festival /ˈfɛstəvəl/ (名詞) 節日 通常有表演的慶祝活動
audience /ˈɔːdiəns/ (名詞) 觀眾 觀看表演或活動的人群
brave /breɪv/ (形容詞) 勇敢的 在危險或困難前不畏懼的
announce /əˈnaʊns/ (動詞) 宣布 公開地告知某事
escape /ɪˈskeɪp/ (動詞) 逃脫 從危險或不愉快的地方離開
flashlight /ˈflæʃˌlaɪt/ (名詞) 手電筒 可攜帶的電池供電燈具
marker /ˈmɑːrkər/ (名詞) 標記物 此處指墓碑等石碑
conflict /ˈkɒnflɪkt/ (名詞) 矛盾 難以抉擇的內心掙扎
shout /ʃaʊt/ (動詞) 喊叫 為了讓人聽到而大聲說話
secretly /ˈsiːkrətli/ (副詞) 秘密地 不讓他人知道地做某事
engine /ˈɛndʒɪn/ (名詞) 引擎 使車輛移動的機器部分
journey /ˈdʒɜːrni/ (名詞) 旅程 從一個地方到另一個地方的旅行
freedom /ˈfriːdəm/ (名詞) 自由 能夠自由行動或選擇的權利
toward /tɔːrd/ (介詞) 朝向 表示移動或方向的目的地