1 I had been disheartened by the failure of my Drawing Number One and my Drawing Number Two. 我的第一号、第二号作品的不成功,使我泄了气。
2 Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them. 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。
3 So then I chose another profession, and learned to pilot airplanes. 后来,我只好选择了另外一个职业,我学会了开飞机,
4 I have flown a little over all parts of the world; and it is true that geography has been very useful to me. 世界各地差不多都飞到过。的确,地理学帮了我很大的忙。(a little在这里是比较特殊的一个用法,这是一个委婉语,表示“差不多,几乎”)
5 At a glance I can distinguish China from Arizona. 我一眼就能分辨出中国和亚里桑那。
6 If one gets lost in the night, such knowledge is valuable. 要是夜里迷失了航向,这是很有用的。
7 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. 这样,在我的生活中,我跟许多严肃的人有过很多的接触。(have encounter(n/v) with people 与人相遇; 这些人参与问题都是要追究结果的,所以很严肃。)
8 I have lived a great deal among grown-ups. 我在大人们中间生活过很长时间。 9 I have seen them intimately, close at hand.And that hasn’t much improved my opinion of them. 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。(close at hand: adv,就在眼前)
10 Whenever I met one of them who seemed to me at all clear-sighted, 当我遇到一个头脑看起来很清楚的大人时,( clear-sighted,有清晰判断能力的)
11.I tried the experiment of showing him my Drawing Number One, which I have always kept. 我就拿出一直保存着的我那第一号作品来测试测试他。
12 I would try to find out, so, if this was a person of true understanding. 我想知道他是否真的有理解能力。
13 But, whoever it was, he, or she, would always say: “That is a hat.” 可是,不管是谁,得到的回答总是:“这是顶帽子。”
14 Then I would never talk to that person about boa constrictors, or primeval forests, or stars. 我就不和他谈巨蟒呀,原始森林呀,或者星星之类的事。
15 I would bring myself down to his level. I would talk to him about bridge,and golf, and politics, and neckties. 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。
16 And the grown-up would be greatly pleased to have met such a sensible man. 于是大人们就十分高兴能认识我这样一个通情达理的人。(sensible 明白事理的,明智的)
小王子 little prince 2 通情达理之人 中英文翻译版带讲解
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