小王子英文版-text

小王子英文版_textLittlePrince(《小王子》英文版)WrittenByAntoinedeSaiot-Exupery(1900,1944)ToLeonWerthwhenhewasalittleboyasktheindulgenceofthechildrenwhomayreadthisbookfordedicatingittoagrown-up.Ihaveaseriousreason:heisthebestfriendIhaveintheworld.Ihaveanotherreason:thisgrown-upunderstandseverything,evenbooksaboutchildren.Ihaveathirdreason:helivesinFrancewhereheishungryandcold.Heneedscheeringup.Ifallthesereasonsarenotenough,Iwilldedicatethebooktothechildfromwhomthisgrown-upgrew.Allgrown-upswereoncechildren--althoughfewofthemrememberit.AndsoIcorrectmydedication:[Chapter1]-weareintroducedtothenarrator,apilot,andhisideasaboutgrown-upsOncewhenIwassixyearsoldIsawamagnificentpictureinabook,calledTrueStoriesfromNature,abouttheprimevalforest.Itwasapictureofaboaconstrictorintheactofswallowingananimal.Hereisacopyofthedrawing.Inthebookitsaid:"Boaconstrictorsswallowtheirpreywhole,withoutchewingit.Afterthattheyarenotabletomove,andtheysleepthroughthesixmonthsthattheyneedfordigestion."Ipondereddeeply,then,overtheadventuresofthejungle.AndaftersomeworkwithacoloredpencilIsucceededinmakingmyfirstdrawing.MyDrawingNumberOne.Itlookedlikethis:Ishowedmymasterpiecetothegrown-ups,andaskedthemwhetherthedrawingfrightenedthem.Buttheyanswered:"Frighten?Whyshouldanyonebefrightenedbyahat?"Mydrawingwasnotapictureofahat.Itwasapictureofaboaconstrictordigestinganelephant.Butsincethegrown-upswerenotabletounderstandit,Imadeanotherdrawing:Idrewtheinsideoftheboaconstrictor,sothatthegrown-upscouldseeitclearly.Theyalwaysneedtohavethingsexplained.MyDrawingNumberTwolookedlikethis:Thegrown-ups‘response,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.Andthathasn‘tmuchimprovedmyopinionofthem.WheneverImetoneofthemwhoseemedtomeatallclear-sighted,ItriedtheexperimentofshowinghimmyDrawingNumberOne,whichIhavealwayskept.Iwouldtrytofindout,so,ifthiswasapersonoftrueunderstanding.But,whoeveritwas,he,orshe,wouldalwayssay:"Thatisahat."ThenIwouldnevertalktothatpersonaboutboaconstrictors,orprimevalforests,orstars.Iwouldb