,
第一篇
_生
Ⅰ
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。
这本书中写道:“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副图画。我的第一号作品。它是这样的:
我把我的这副杰作拿给大人看,我问他们我的画是不是叫他们害怕。
他们回答我说:“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:
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。
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。要是夜里迷失了航向,这是很有用的。
这样,在我的生活中,我跟许多严肃的人有过很多的接触。我在大人们中间生活过很长时间。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。
当我遇到一个头脑看来稍微清楚的大人时,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。”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。
' chapter 1 ' … we are introduced to the narrator; a pilot; and his ideas about grown…ups
once when i was six years old i saw a magnificent picture in a book; called true stories from nature; about the primeval forest。 it was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal。 here is a copy of the drawing。
in the book it said: 〃boa constrictors swallow their prey 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 deeply; then; over the adventures of the jungle。 and after some work with a colored pencil i succeeded in making my first drawing。 my drawing number one。 it looked like this:
i showed my masterpiece 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:
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。 that is why; at the age of six; i gave up what might have been a magnificent career as a painter。 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。
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 glance i can distinguish china from arizona。 if one gets lost in the night; such knowledge is valuable。
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。 i have lived a great deal among grown…ups。 i have seen them intimately; close at hand。 and that hasnt much improved my opinion of them。
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。 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。 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 a sensible man。
。。
第二篇
小说
Ⅱ
我就这样孤独地生活着,没有一个能真正谈得来的人,一直到六年前在撒哈拉沙漠上发生了那次故障。我的发动机里有个东西损坏了。当时由于我既没有带机械师也没有带旅客,我就试图独自完成这个困难的维修工作。这对我来说是个生与死的问题。我随身带的水只够饮用一星期。
第一天晚上我就睡在这远离人间烟火的大沙漠上。我比大海中伏在小木排上的遇难者还要孤独得多。而在第二天拂晓,当一个奇怪的小声音叫醒我的时候,你们可以想见我当时是多么吃惊。这小小的声音说道:
“请你给我画一只羊,好吗?”
“啊!”
“给我画一只羊……”
我象是受到惊雷轰击一般,一下子就站立起来。我使劲地揉了揉眼睛,仔细地看了看。我看见一个十分奇怪的小家伙严肃地朝我凝眸望着。这是后来我给他画出来的最好的一副画像。可是,我的画当然要比他本人的模样逊色得多。这不是我的过错。六岁时,大人们使我对我的画家生涯失去了勇气,除了画过开着肚皮和闭着肚皮的蟒蛇,后来再没有学过画。
我惊奇地睁大着眼睛看着这突然出现的小家伙。你们不要忘记,我当时处在远离人烟千里之外的地方。而这个小家伙给我的印象是,他既不象迷了路的样子,也没有半点疲乏、饥渴、惧怕的神情。他丝毫不象是一个迷失在旷无人烟的大沙漠中的孩子。当我在惊讶之中终于又能说出话来的时候,对他说道:
“唉,你在这儿干什么?”
可是他却不慌不忙地好象有一件重要的事一般,对我重复地说道:
“请……给我画一只羊……”
当一种神秘的东西把你镇住的时候,你是不敢不听从它的支配的,在这旷无人烟的沙漠上,面临死亡的危险的情况下,尽管这样的举动使我感到十分荒诞,我还是掏出了一张纸和一支钢笔。这时我却又记起,我只学过地理、历史、算术和语法,就有点不大高兴地对小家伙说我不会画画。他回答我说:
“没有关系,给我画一只羊吧!”
因为我从来没有画过羊,我就给他重画我所仅仅会画的两副画中的那副闭着肚皮的巨蟒。
“不,不!我不要蟒蛇,它肚子里还有一头象。”
我听了他的话,简直目瞪口呆。他接着说:“巨蟒这东西太危险,大象又太占地方。我住的地方非常小,我需要一只羊。给我画一只羊吧。”
我就给他画了。
他专心地看着,随后又说:
“我不要,这只羊已经病得很重了。给我重新画一只。”
我又画了起来。
我的这位朋友天真可爱地笑了,并且客气地拒绝道:“你看,你画的不是小羊,是头公羊,还有犄角呢。”
于是我又重新画了一张。
这副画同前几副一样又被拒绝了。
“这一只太老了。我想要一只能活得长的羊。”
我不耐烦了。因为我急于要检修发动机,于是就草草画了这张画,并且匆匆地对他说道:
“这是一只箱子,你要的羊就在里面。”
这时我十分惊奇地看到我的这位小评判员喜笑颜开。他说:
“这正是我想要的,……你说这只羊需要很多草吗?”
“为什么问这个呢?”
“因为我那里地方非常小……”
“我给你画的是一只很小的小羊,地方小也够喂养它的。”
他把脑袋靠近这张画。
“并不象你说的那么小……瞧!它睡着了……”
就这样,我认识了小王子。
' chapter 2 ' … the narrator crashes in the desert and makes the acquaintance of the little prince
so i lived my life alone; without anyone that i could really talk to; until i had an accident with my plane in the desert of sahara; six years ago。 something was broken in my engine。 and as i had with me neither a mechanic nor any passengers; i set myself to attempt the difficult repairs all alone。 it was a question of life or death for me: i had scarcely enough drinking water to last a week。
the first night; then; i went to sleep on the sand; a thousand miles from any human habitation。 i was more isolated than a shipwrecked sailor on a raft in the middle of the ocean。 thus you can imagine my amazement; at sunrise; when i was awakened by an odd little voice。 it said:
〃if you please…… draw me a sheep!〃
〃what!〃
〃draw me a sheep!〃
i jumped to my feet; pletely thunderstruck。 i blinked my eyes hard。 i looked carefully all around me。 and i saw a most extraordinary small person; who stood there examining me with great seriousness。 here you may see the best potrait that; later; i was able to make of him。 but my drawing is certainly very much less charming than its model。
that; however; is not my fault。 the grown…ups discouraged me in my painters career when i was six years old; and i never learned to draw anything; except boas from the outside and boas from the inside。
now i stared at this sudden apparition with my eyes fairly starting out of my head in astonishment。 remember; i had crashed in the desert a thousand miles from any inhabited region。 and yet my little man seemed neither to be straying uncertainly among the sands; nor to be fainting from fatigue or hunger or thirst or fear。 nothing about him gave any suggestion of a child lost in the middle of the desert; a thousand miles from any human habitation。 when at last i was able to speak; i said to him:
〃but…… what are you doing h