we are introduced to the narrator, a pilot, and his ideas about grown-ups

我們被引薦給了（本文）作者兼飛行員忆嗜，并了解了他關(guān)于成年人的看法

Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal. Here is a copy of the drawing.

曾經(jīng)走贪，當(dāng)我只有六歲的時(shí)候晌缘，我在一本叫做自然的真實(shí)故事临燃、描寫原始森林的書中看到了一張神奇的圖片忙干。畫面中搅窿，一只巨蟒正在吞食一個(gè)動物摊聋。這里有那幅畫的復(fù)制品苦囱。

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."

書中寫到：“巨蟒，沒有咀嚼就吞食了他們的食物。然后断国，他們不能動贤姆，而是需要睡眠長達(dá)6個(gè)月來消化∥瘸模”

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:

我仔細(xì)思考叢林冒險(xiǎn)霞捡。然后用一只彩色的鉛筆和一些功夫，我成功的畫出了我的第一幅作品薄疚。我的作品一是這樣的：

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

我向成年人們展示我的作品碧信，并且問他們我的畫作是否嚇到他們了。

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

但是他們回答：“嚇到街夭？一個(gè)人為什么會被一頂帽子嚇到砰碴？”

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:

我畫的不是一頂帽子。它是一只巨蟒正在消化一只大象板丽。但是呈枉，因?yàn)槌赡耆藗儾荒芾斫猓晕揖椭匦庐嬃艘环何耶嫵隽司掾膬?nèi)臟埃碱，這樣大人們就可以看的清清楚楚了猖辫。他們總是需要事情被解釋清楚。我的畫作二是這樣的：

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.

這次砚殿，大人們的回應(yīng)是建議我先把我的畫作放在一邊住册，不管是從內(nèi)部還是從外部，然后把我的精力放在地理瓮具，歷史荧飞，算數(shù)和語法上。那就是為什么我六歲的時(shí)候放棄了成為一個(gè)偉大的畫家名党。我已經(jīng)被畫作一和畫作二的失敗傷透了心叹阔。成年人們永遠(yuǎn)不能自己理解任何事情，孩子們感到很疲憊传睹，總是需要給他們解釋耳幢。

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.

所以，我選擇了另一個(gè)職業(yè)欧啤，學(xué)開飛機(jī)睛藻。我已經(jīng)飛過了世界上很多地方，地理確實(shí)對我非常有用邢隧。僅僅瞥一眼店印，我就可以區(qū)分中國和坦桑尼亞。如果一個(gè)人半夜失蹤了倒慧，這些知識也非常的有用按摘。

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 hasn't much improved my opinion of them.

在生活的課堂中包券，我和很多關(guān)心結(jié)果的人打過交道。我和很多成年人成活在一起過炫贤。我可以隨時(shí)立即見到他們溅固。但是這仍然沒有改變我對他們的看法。

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. 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:

每當(dāng)我遇到他們之中任何一個(gè)對我來說是聰慧的人的時(shí)候兰珍，我就會重復(fù)之前的實(shí)驗(yàn)侍郭，向他們展示我隨時(shí)帶在身邊的畫作一。我會努力找出是否有人能夠理解掠河。但是亮元，無論他是誰，他們總是會說：

"That is a hat."

那是一頂帽子口柳。

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.

然后，我就不會跟那個(gè)人談起巨蟒或者原始森林或者星星有滑。我會把自己降到這樣的水平跃闹。我會和他討論大橋、高爾夫毛好、政治和領(lǐng)帶望艺。那些成年人們也會非常開心遇到這樣明智的人。