《小王子》是法國作家安托萬·德·圣·埃克蘇佩里（Antoine de Saint-Exupéry）于1942年寫成的著名兒童文學(xué)短篇小說。本書的主人公是來自外星球的小王子。書中以一位飛行員作為故事敘述者，講述了小王子從自己星球出發(fā)前往地球的過程中所經(jīng)歷的各種歷險(xiǎn)。作者以小王子的孩子式的眼光，透視出成人的空虛、盲目，愚妄和死板教條，用淺顯天真的語言寫出了人類的孤獨(dú)寂寞、沒有根基隨風(fēng)流浪的命運(yùn)。同時，也表達(dá)出作者對金錢關(guān)系的批判，對真善美的謳歌。

Once when I was six years old I saw amagnificentpicture in a book， called True Stories from Nature， about the primeval（原始的）forest.It was a picture of a boa（蟒蛇）constrictor（大蟒）in the act ofswallowing an animal.

In the book it said：“Boa constrictors swallow their prey （獵物）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（深思）deeply，then，over theadventuresof the jungle.And after some work with a colored pencil Isucceeded in makingmy first drawing—My Drawing Number One.It looked like this:

I showed my masterpiece（杰作）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:

當(dāng)我還只有六歲的時候，在一本描寫原始森林的名叫《真實(shí)的故事》的書中，我看到了一幅精彩的插畫，畫的是一條蟒蛇正在吞食一只大野獸。

這本書寫道：“這些蟒蛇把它們的獵獲物不加咀嚼地囫圇吞下，爾后就不能再動彈了；它們就在長長的六個月的睡眠中消化這些食物?！?/p>

當(dāng)時，我對叢林中的奇遇想得很多，于是，我也用彩色鉛筆畫出了我的第一幅圖畫——我的第一號作品。它是這樣的：

我把我的這份杰作拿給大人看，并問他們我的畫有沒有讓他們害怕。

但是，他們回答我說：“害怕？一頂帽子有什么可怕的？”

我畫的不是帽子，是一條巨蟒在消化著一頭大象。于是我又把巨蟒肚子里的情況畫了出來，以便讓大人們能夠看懂。這些大人總是需要解釋。我的第二號作品是這樣的：

這次大人們勸我把這些畫著開著肚皮的或閉上肚皮的蟒蛇的圖畫放在一邊，還是把興趣放在地理、歷史，算術(shù)和語法上。就這樣，在六歲的那年，我就放棄了畫家這一美好的職業(yè)。我的第一號、第二號作品的不成功，使我泄了氣。這些大人們，靠他們自己什么也弄不懂，還得老是不斷地給他們作解釋。這真叫孩子們膩味。

>The grown-ups'response， this time， was toadvise me to lay asidemy drawings of boa constrictors，whether from the inside or the outside，anddevote myselfinsteadtogeography，history，arithmetic（算術(shù)）and grammar.That is why，at the age of six，I gave upwhat might have been a magnificent career as a painter.I had been disheartened （使沮喪）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 glanceI candistinguishChinafromArizona.If onegets lostin the night，such knowledge is valuable.

In the course of this life I have hada great manyencounters（相遇）with a great many people who have been concerned with matters of consequence （結(jié)果）.I have liveda great dealamong grown-ups.I have seen them intimately （密切地）， close at hand.And that hasn't much improved my opinion of them.

Whenever I met one of them who seemed to me at all clearsighted，I tried the experiment of showing him my Drawing Number One， which I have always kept.I would try tofind 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 asensibleman.

后來，我只好選擇了另外一個職業(yè)，我學(xué)會了開飛機(jī)，世界各地差不多都飛到過。的確，地理學(xué)幫了我很大的忙。我一眼就能分辨出中國和亞里桑那。要是在夜里迷失了航向，那些知識是很有用的。

這樣，在我的生活中，我跟許多嚴(yán)肅的人有過很多的接觸。我在大人們中生活過很長一段時間。我仔細(xì)地觀察過他們，但這并沒有使我對他們的看法有多大的改變。

當(dāng)我遇到一個頭腦看起來稍微清醒的大人時，我就拿出我一直保存著的那個第一號作品來測試測試他。我想知道他是否真的有理解能力?？墒牵玫降幕卮鹂偸牵?/p>

“這是頂帽子?！?/p>

然后，我就不和他談巨蟒呀，原始森林呀，或者星星之類的事。我只得遷就他們的水平，和他們談些橋牌呀，高爾夫球呀，政治呀，領(lǐng)帶呀這些。于是大人們就十分高興能認(rèn)識我這樣一個通情達(dá)理的人。

閱讀掃障

Ⅰ.詞匯積累

1.magnificent adj.壯觀的；瑰麗的；精彩的；了不起的

2.adventure n.冒險(xiǎn)；奇遇

3.sensible adj.明智的；明白事理的

4.in the act of正在做……時

5.succeed in doing成功做……

6.advise sb to do建議某人做……

7.lay aside保存；放在一邊；丟棄；留著

8.devote oneself to獻(xiàn)身于；致力于

9.at a glance一眼；一眼就

10.distinguish...from將……與……區(qū)別開來

11.get lost迷路

12.a great many許多（修飾可數(shù)名詞）

13.a great deal許多（修飾不可數(shù)名詞）

14.find out找出；查明

Ⅱ.難句分析

That is why， at the age of six， I gave up what might have been a magnificent career as a painter.就這樣，在六歲的那年，我就放棄了畫家這一美好的職業(yè)。

句中why引導(dǎo)的是表語從句；what引導(dǎo)的是賓語從句，并在從句中做主語。at the age of“在……歲時”，give up“放棄”。