《小王子》第1章



第一篇
_生

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

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
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