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第一章（第3页）

我几乎飞遍了世界的每个角落。

的确，地理学对我非常有用。

飞过世界各地的我一眼就能分辨出中国和亚利桑那州。

要是夜里迷失了航向，这样的知识是很有价值的。

在这样的生活轨道中，我邂逅过许许多多一直在关心重要事情的人。

我有足够多的在大人们中间生活的经历。

我近距离亲密地观察过他们。

这些都没有显著提高我对他们的评价。

每当遇到一个在我看来头脑稍微清楚的大人时，我就拿出随身带着的我那第一号作品来测试他。

我想知道他是否真的有理解能力。

可是，不管我测试的人是谁，他或者她都会说：“这是顶帽子。”

因此，我也就不和他们谈大蟒蛇啊、原始森林啊，或者星星之类的事。

我会把自己降低到他们的水平，和他们谈些桥牌啊、高尔夫球啊、政治啊、领带啊这些。

于是大人们就十分高兴能认识我这样一个通情达理的人。

Chapter1

OncewhenIwassixyearsoldIsawamagnificentpictureinabook，calledTrueStoriesfromNature，abouttheprimevalforest.Itwasapictureofaboaconstrictorintheactofswallowingananimal.Hereisacopyofthedrawing.

Inthebookitsaid:"

Boaconstrictorsswallowtheirpreywhole，withoutchewingit.Afterthattheyarenotabletomove，andtheysleepthroughthesixmonthsthattheyneedfordigestion."

Ipondereddeeply，then，overtheadventuresofthejungle.AndaftersomeworkwithacoloredpencilIsucceededinmakingmyfirstdrawing.MyDrawingNumberOne.Itlookedlikethis:

Ishowedmymasterpiecetothegrown-ups，andaskedthemwhetherthedrawingfrightenedthem.

Buttheyanswered:"

FrightenWhyshouldanyonebefrightenedbyahat"

Mydrawingwasnotapictureofahat.Itwasapictureofaboaconstrictordigestinganelephant.Butsincethegrown-upswerenotabletounderstandit，Imadeanotherdrawing:Idrewtheinsideoftheboaconstrictor，sothatthegrown-upscouldseeitclearly.Theyalwaysneedtohavethingsexplained.MyDrawingNumberTwolookedlikethis:

Thegrown-upsresponse，thistime，wastoadvisemetolayasidemydrawingsofboaconstrictors，whetherfromtheinsideortheoutside，anddevotemyselfinsteadtogeography，history，arithmeticandgrammar.Thatiswhy，attheageofsix，Igaveupwhatmighthavebeenamagnificentcareerasapainter.IhadbeendisheartenedbythefailureofmyDrawingNumberOneandmyDrawingNumberTwo.Grown-upsneverunderstandanythingbythemselves，anditistiresomeforchildrentobealwaysandforeverexplainingthingstothem.

SothenIchoseanotherprofession，andlearnedtopilotairplanes.Ihaveflownalittleoverallpartsoftheworld;anditistruethatgeographyhasbeenveryusefultome.AtaglanceIcandistinguishChinafromArizona.Ifonegetslostinthenight，suchknowledgeisvaluable.

InthecourseofthislifeIhavehadagreatmanyencounterswithagreatmanypeoplewhohavebeenconcernedwithmattersofconsequence.Ihavelivedagreatdealamonggrown-ups.Ihaveseenthemintimately，closeathand.Andthathasntmuchimprovedmyopinionofthem.

WheneverImetoneofthemwhoseemedtomeatallclear-sighted，ItriedtheexperimentofshowinghimmyDrawingNumberOne，whichIhavealwayskept.Iwouldtrytofindout，so，ifthiswasapersonoftrueunderstanding.But，whoeveritwas，he，orshe，wouldalwayssay:"

Thatisahat."

ThenIwouldnevertalktothatpersonaboutboaconstrictors，orprimevalforests，orstars.Iwouldbringmyselfdowntohislevel.Iwouldtalktohimaboutbridge，andgolf，andpolitics，andneckties.Andthegrown-upwouldbegreatlypleasedtohavemetsuchasensibleman.