Chapter 1

Once when I was six years o1d I saw a magnificent picture in a book，ca11ed TrueStorzesfromNature，about the primeva1 forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swa11owing an anima1.Here is a copy of the drawing.

In the book it said：“Boa constrictors swa11ow their prey who1e，without chewing it.After that they are not ab1e to move，and they s1eep through the six months that they need for digestion.”

I pondered deep1y，then，over the adventures of the jung1e.And after some work with a co1ored penci1 I succeeded in making my first drawing.My Drawing Number One.It 1ooked 1ike this：

□magnificent[mæɡ＇nΙfΙsnt]

adj.华丽的，丰富的

□primeval[praΙ＇mi：vl]

adj.原始时代的，远古的

□boa constrictor

蟒蛇，巨蟒

□swallow[＇swɑ：loʊ]

v.吞下，咽下

□prey[preΙ]

n.猎物，捕获物

□chew[tʃu：]v.咀嚼

□digestion[daΙ＇dʒestʃən]

n.消化

□ponder[＇pɑ：ndər]

v.思考

□adventure[əd＇ventʃər]

n.冒险

□jungle[＇dʒʌŋɡl]

n.丛林

□succeed in（doing sth.）

成功（做某事）

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

But they answered：“Frighten？Why shou1d anyone be frightened by a hat？”

My drawing was not a picture of a hat.It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an e1ephant. Butszncethegrown-upswerenotabletounderstandzt，Imadeanotherdrawzng：Idrewtheznszdeoftheboaconstrzctor，sothatthegrown-upscouldseeztclearly.Theyalwaysneedtohavethzngsexplazned. My Drawing Number Two 1ooked 1ike this：

□masterpiece[＇mæstərpi：s]

n.杰作

□frighten[＇fraΙtn]

v.使恐惧

□digest[daΙ＇dʒest]

v.消化

□response[rΙ＇spɑ：ns]

n.反应，答复

□advise[əd＇vaΙz]

v.建议，劝告

□lay aside搁置，放在一边

Thegrown-ups’response，thzs tzme，was to advzse me to lay aszde my drawzngs of boa constrzctors，whether from the znszde or the outszde，and devote myself znstead to geography， hzstory，arzthmetzcandgrammar.Thatzswhy，attheageofszx，Igaveupwhatmzghthavebeenamagnzfzcentcareerasapaznter.I had been disheartened by the fai1ure of my Drawing Number One and my Drawing Number Two. Grown-ups never understand anythzng by themselves，and zt zs tzresome for chzldren to be always and forever explaznzng thzngs to them.

So then I chose another profession，and 1earned to pi1ot airp1anes.Ihaveflownalzttleoverallpartsoftheworld；andztzstruethatgeographyhasbeenveryusefultome.At a g1ance I can distinguish China from Arizona.Ifonegetslostznthenzght，suchknowledgezsvaluable.

□devote...to...

将……贡献给……

□arithmetic[ə＇rΙθmətΙk]

n.算术

□career[kə＇rΙr]n.职业

□dishearten[dΙs＇hɑ：rtn]

v.使丧气，使沮丧

□tiresome[＇taΙərsəm]

adj.厌倦的，厌烦的

□profession[prə＇feʃn]

n.职业

□pilot[＇pailət]

v.驾驶（航空器）

□at a glance

一瞥，一眼，马上

□distinguish from区分

□in the course of

在……过程中

□encounter[Ιn＇kaʊntər]

n.遭遇

□be concerned with

与……有关，涉及……

□matters of consequence

重要事件

In the course of thzs lzfe I have had a great many encounters wzth a great many people who have been concerned wzth matters of consequence. I have 1ived a great dea1 among grown-ups.I have seen them intimate1y，c1ose at hand.And that hasn’t much zmproved my opznzon of them.

Whenever I met one of them who seemed to me at all clear-szghted，I trzed the experzment of showzng hzm my Drawzng Number One，whzch I have always kept.I wou1d try to find out，so，if this was a person of true understanding.But，whoever it was，he，or she，wou1d a1ways say：

“That is a hat.”

Then I wou1d never ta1k to that person about boa constrictors，or primeva1 forests，or stars.I wou1d bring myse1f down to his 1eve1.I wou1d ta1k to him about bridge，and go1f，and po1itics， and neckties.And the grown-up wou1d be great1y p1eased to have met such a sensib1e man.

□intimately[＇ΙntΙmətli]

adv.熟悉地，亲密地

□close at hand

就在手边，就在眼前

□opinion[ə＇pΙnjən]

n.观点，评价，看法

□clear-sighted

adj.洞察力强的，聪明的

□level[＇levl]n.水平

□bridge[brΙdʒ]n.桥牌

□golf[gɑ：lf]n.高尔夫球

□politics[＇pɑ：lətΙks]

n.政治学

□necktie[＇nektaΙ]

n.领带

□sensible[＇sensəbl]

adj.明智的，明理的