双语童话故事 小王子(4)
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。
所以后来,我选择了另外一个职业,我学会了开飞机。我几乎飞遍了世界各地。的确,地理学帮了我很大的忙。我一眼就能分辨出中国和(美国)亚里桑那。要是在夜里迷失了航向,这些知识很有用的。
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。
在我的生活中,我跟许多严肃认真的人有过很多的接触。我在大人们中间生活过很长时间。我仔细地观看过他们,但这并没有改变我对他们的看法。
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。 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:
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第一号作品来测试他。我想知道他是否真的能理解这幅画。可是,他或者她,给我的回答总是:
“That is a hat。”
“这是顶帽子。”
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,我就不和他讨论巨蟒、原始森林、或者星星之类的事。我只得迁就他/她的水平,和他们谈谈桥牌、高尔夫球、政治、领带这些东西。于是大人们就十分高兴能认识我这样一个通情达理的人。