CHAPTER 1
Once when I wassix years old I saw a magnificent(壮观的) picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval(原始的)forest.It was a picture of a boa constrictor(巨蟒) in the act of swallowing(吞下) an animal.Here is a copyof the drawing.
当我还只有六岁的时候，在一本描写原始森林的名叫《真实的故事》的书中，看到了一副精彩的插画，画的是一条蟒蛇正在吞食一只大野兽。页头上就是那副画的摹本。
In the book it said:“Boa constrictors(巨蟒) swallow(吞下) their prey(猎物) whole, without chewing(嚼) it.After that they are not able to move, and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion(消化).”
这本书中写到：“这些蟒蛇把它们的猎获物不加咀嚼地囫囵吞下，尔后就不能再动弹了；它们就在长长的六个月的睡眠中消化这些食物。”
I pondered(思索) deeply, then, over the adventures(冒险) ofthe jungle(丛林).And after somework with a colored pencil I succeeded in making my first drawing.My Drawing Number One. It looked like this:
当时，我对丛林中的奇遇想得很多，于是，我也用彩色铅笔画出了我的第一副图画。我的第一号作品。它是这样的：
I showed my masterpiece(杰作) to the grown-ups, and asked them whether the drawing frightened(使害怕) them.
我把我的这副杰作拿大人看，我问他们我的画是不是叫他们害怕。
But they answered:“Frighten(害怕)? Why should anyone be frightened(害怕) by a hat?”
他们回答我说：“一顶帽子有什么可怕的？”
My drawing was not a picture of a hat.It was a picture of a boa constrictor(巨蟒) digesting(消化) an elephant.But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it,I made another drawing: I drew the inside of the boa constrictor(巨蟒), so that the grown-ups could see it clearly.They always need to have things explained.My Drawing Number Two looked like this:
我画的不是一顶帽子，是不条巨蟒在消化着一头大象。于是我又把巨蟒肚子里的情况画了出来，以便让大人们能够看懂。这些大人总是需要解释。我的第二号作品是这些的：
The grown-ups’ response(回答), this time, was to advise me to lay aside(在旁边) my drawings of boa constrictors(巨蟒), whether from the inside or the outside,and devote(专心致力于) myself instead to geography, history, arithmetic(算术) and grammar.That is why, atthe age of six, I gave up what might have been a magnificent(美好的) career(职业) as a painter.I had been disheartened(沮丧) by the failure of my Drawing Number One and my Drawing Number Two.Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever(总是) explaining things to them.
大人们劝我把这些画着开着肚皮的，或闭上肚皮的蟒蛇的图画放在一边，还是把兴趣放在地理、历史、算术、语法上。就这样，在六岁的那年，我就放弃了当画家这一美好的职业。我的第一号、第二号作品的不成功，使我泄了气。这些大人们，靠他们自己什么也弄不懂，还得老是不断地给他们作解释。这真叫孩子们腻味。
So then I chose another profession(职业), and learned to pilot airplanes(飞机).I have flown alittle over all parts of the world; and it is true that geography has been very useful to me.At a glance(一瞥) I can distinguish(辨别) China from Arizona.If one gets lost in the night, such knowledge is valuable.
后来，我只好选择了另外一个职业，我学会了开飞机，世界各地差不多都飞到过。的确，地学帮了我很大的忙。我一眼就能中国和亚里面难桑那。要是夜里迷失了航向，这是很有用的。
In the course of this life I have had a great many encounters(相遇) with a great many people who have been concerned with matters of consequence(重要的事).I have lived a great deal among grown-ups. I have seen them intimately(熟悉地), close at hand.And that hasn’t much improved(改善) my opinion of them.
这样，在我的生活中，我跟许多严肃的人有过很多的接触。我在大人们中间生产过很长时间。我仔细地观察过他们，但这并没有使我对他们的看法有多大的改变。
Whenever I met one of them who seemed to me at all clear-sighted,I tried the experiment(试验) of showing him my Drawing Number One, which I have always kept.I would try to find out, so, if this was a person of true understanding.But, whoever it was, he, or she, would always say:
“That is a hat.”
当我看到一个头脑稍微清楚的大人时， 我就拿出一直保存着的我那第一号作品来测试他。我想知道他是否真的有理解能力。可是，得到的回答总是：“这是顶帽子。”
Then I would never talk to that person about boa constrictors(巨蟒), or primeval(原始的) forests, or stars.I would bring myself down to his level.I would talk to him about bridge, and golf(高尔夫球), and politics, and neckties(领带).And the grown-up would be greatly pleased to have met such a sensible(通晓事理的) man.
我就不和谈巨蟒呀，原始森林呀，或者星星之类的事。我只迁就他们的水平，和他们谈些桥牌，高尔夫，政治，领带。于是大人们就十分高兴能认识我这样一个通情达理的人
