The Little Prince（I）

《小王子》是法国作家安托万·德·圣·埃克苏佩里（Antoine de Saint-Exupéry）于1942年写成的著名儿童文学短篇小说。本书的主人公是来自外星球的小王子。书中以一位飞行员作为故事叙述者，讲述了小王子从自己星球出发前往地球的过程中所经历的各种历险。作者以小王子的孩子式的眼光，透视出成人的空虚、盲目，愚妄和死板教条，用浅显天真的语言写出了人类的孤独寂寞、没有根基随风流浪的命运。同时，也表达出作者对金钱关系的批判，对真善美的讴歌。

Once when I was six years old I saw amagnificentpicture in a book， called True Stories from Nature， about the primeval（原始的）forest.It was a picture of a boa（蟒蛇）constrictor（大蟒）in the act ofswallowing an animal.

In the book it said：“Boa constrictors swallow their prey （猎物）whole，without chewing it.After that they are not able to move，and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion.”

I pondered（深思）deeply，then，over theadventuresof the jungle.And after some work with a colored pencil Isucceeded in makingmy first drawing—My Drawing Number One.It looked like this:

I showed my masterpiece（杰作）to the grown-ups，and asked them whether the drawing frightened them.

But they answered：“Frighten?Why should any one be frightened by a hat?”

My drawing was not a picture of a hat.It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting 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，so that the grown-ups could see it clearly.They always need to have things explained.My Drawing Number Two looked like this:

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，我看到了一幅精彩的插画，画的是一条蟒蛇正在吞食一只大野兽。

这本书写道：“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。”

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幅图画——我的第一号作品。它是这样的：

我把我的这份杰作拿给大人看，并问他们我的画有没有让他们害怕。

但是，他们回答我说：“害怕？一顶帽子有什么可怕的？”

我画的不是帽子，是一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样的：

这次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，算术和语法上。就这样，在六岁的那年，我就放弃了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。

>The grown-ups'response， this time， was toadvise me to lay asidemy drawings of boa constrictors，whether from the inside or the outside，anddevote myselfinsteadtogeography，history，arithmetic（算术）and grammar.That is why，at the age of six，I gave upwhat might have been a magnificent career as a painter.I had been disheartened （使沮丧）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 explaining things to them.

So then I chose another profession，and learned to pilot airplanes.I have flown a little over all parts of the world;and it is true that geography has been very useful to me.At a glanceI candistinguishChinafromArizona.If onegets lostin the night，such knowledge is valuable.

In the course of this life I have hada great manyencounters（相遇）with a great many people who have been concerned with matters of consequence （结果）.I have liveda great dealamong grown-ups.I have seen them intimately （密切地）， close at hand.And that hasn't much improved my opinion of them.

Whenever I met one of them who seemed to me at all clearsighted，I tried the experiment of showing him my Drawing Number One， which I have always kept.I would try tofind out， so， if this was a person of true understanding.But， whoever it was， he， or she，would always say:

“That is a hat.”

Then I would never talk to that person about boa constrictors，or primeval forests，or stars.I would bring myself down to his level.I would talk to him about bridge， and golf， and politics， and neckties.And the grown-up would be greatly pleased to have met such asensibleman.

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，地理学帮了我很大的忙。我一眼就能分辨出中国和亚里桑那。要是在夜里迷失了航向，那些知识是很有用的。

这样，在我的生活中，我跟许多严肃的人有过很多的接触。我在大人们中生活过很长一段时间。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。

当我遇到一个头脑看起来稍微清醒的大人时，我就拿出我一直保存着的那个第一号作品来测试测试他。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。”

然后，我就不和他谈巨蟒呀，原始森林呀，或者星星之类的事。我只得迁就他们的水平，和他们谈些桥牌呀，高尔夫球呀，政治呀，领带呀这些。于是大人们就十分高兴能认识我这样一个通情达理的人。

阅读扫障

Ⅰ.词汇积累

1.magnificent adj.壮观的；瑰丽的；精彩的；了不起的

2.adventure n.冒险；奇遇

3.sensible adj.明智的；明白事理的

4.in the act of正在做……时

5.succeed in doing成功做……

6.advise sb to do建议某人做……

7.lay aside保存；放在一边；丢弃；留着

8.devote oneself to献身于；致力于

9.at a glance一眼；一眼就

10.distinguish...from将……与……区别开来

11.get lost迷路

12.a great many许多（修饰可数名词）

13.a great deal许多（修饰不可数名词）

14.find out找出；查明

Ⅱ.难句分析

That is why， at the age of six， I gave up what might have been a magnificent career as a painter.就这样，在六岁的那年，我就放弃了画家这一美好的职业。

句中why引导的是表语从句；what引导的是宾语从句，并在从句中做主语。at the age of“在……岁时”，give up“放弃”。