Chapter 1（童年梦想与成长的困惑）

we are introduced to the narrator, a pilot, and his ideas about grown-ups.我们首次听到了叙述者，一位飞行员，以及他对成年人的看法。 —-

Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest.六岁的时候，有一次我在一本名为《大自然的真实故事》的书中看到了一幅壮丽的画，画着一片原始森林。 —-

It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal.那是一幅描绘一条蟒蛇正在吞食一只动物的画面。 —-

Here is a copy of the drawing.这是那幅图的复制品。 —-

In the book it said: “Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole, without chewing it.书上写道：“蟒蛇会整条吞下它们的猎物，而不会嚼碎。” —-

After that they are not able to move, and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion.” I pondered deeply, then, over the adventures of the jungle.之后它们就无法移动了，要睡上六个月才能消化完。于是，我对丛林中的冒险深思熟虑。 —-

And after some work with a colored pencil I succeeded in making my first drawing.经过一番用彩色铅笔的努力，我成功地完成了我的第一幅画。 —-

My Drawing Number One. It looked like this:我的第一幅作品就是这个样子的： —-

I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups, and asked them whether the drawing frightened them.我把我的杰作展示给了成年人们，问他们这幅画是否吓到了他们。 —-

But they answered: “Frighten?但他们回答道：“吓到？ —-

Why should any one be frightened by a hat?” My drawing was not a picture of a hat.为什么有人会被一顶帽子吓到呢？”我的画不是一张帽子的画。 —-

It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant.这是一张巨蟒吞食大象的图片。 —-

But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it, I made another drawing:但是因为成年人无法理解，所以我又画了一幅图： —-

I drew the inside of the boa constrictor, so that the grown-ups could see it clearly.我画了巨蟒的内部，这样成年人就能清楚地看到了。 —-

They always need to have things explained.他们总是需要解释。 —-

My Drawing Number Two looked like this:我的第二幅作品如下所示：

The grown-ups’ response, this time, was to advise me to lay aside my drawings of boa constrictors, whether from the inside or the outside, and devote myself instead to geography, history, arithmetic and grammar.这一次，成年人的反应是建议我放下巨蟒的画作，无论是内部还是外部，而是把精力集中在地理、历史、算术和语法上。 —-

That is why, at the age of six, I gave up what might have been a magnificent career as a painter.这就是为什么在六岁的时候，我放弃了作为画家的灿烂前程。 —-

I had been disheartened 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.我对画作一号和画作二号的失败感到灰心。成年人自己从来不明白任何事情，对孩子们来说，总是不断解释是很烦人的。 —-

So then I chose another profession, and learned to pilot airplanes.因此，我选择了另一种职业，并学习驾驶飞机。 —-

I have flown a little over all parts of the world;我已经飞越世界各地， —-

and it is true that geography has been very useful to me.地理知识对我非常有用。 —-

At a glance I can distinguish China from Arizona.一眼就能分辨出中国和亚利桑那州。 —-

If one gets lost in the night, such knowledge is valuable.如果夜晚迷失方向，这种知识就变得十分宝贵。

In the course of this life I have had a great many encounters with a great many people who have been concerned with matters of consequence. 在这一生中，我曾与许多关心重大问题的人有过许多相遇。 —-

I have lived a great deal among grown-ups.我曾与成年人们生活在一起， —-

I have seen them intimately, close at hand.近距离地观察过他们。 —-

And that hasn’t much improved my opinion of them. 但这并没有改善我对他们的看法。 —-

Whenever I met one of them who seemed to me at all clear-sighted, I tried the experiment of showing him my Drawing Number One, which I have always kept.每当我遇到一个我认为有点眼光的人，我就尝试向他展示我一直保存着的第一张画。 —-

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.” Then I would never talk to that person about boa constrictors, or primeval forests, or stars.我想找出来，这个人是否真正理解。但无论这个人是谁，他或她总是会说：“那是一个帽子。”那么我就永远不会跟这个人谈论蟒蛇、原始森林或星星。 —-

I would bring myself down to his level.我会把自己降到他的水平。 —-

I would talk to him about bridge, and golf, and politics, and neckties.我会和他聊桥牌、高尔夫、政治和领带。 —-

And the grown-up would be greatly pleased to have met such a sensible man.而且成年人会非常高兴能认识这样一个明智的人。