Day 1 外教原文朗读 & To Leon Worth 名师讲解

To Leon Worth

    I ask the forbearance of the children who may read this book for dedicating it to a grown-up. My first and most serious reason is that he is the best friend I have in the world. My second reason is that this grown-up understands everything, even books about children. And my third reason is that he lives in France where he is hungry and cold. He needs cheering up. If all these reasons are not enough, I will dedicate this book to the little boy from whom this grown-up grew.

    All grown-ups were children once—although few of them remember it.

    And so I correct my dedication:

    TO LEON WORTH 

    WHEN HE WAS A LITTLE BOY

    A. DE S.-E., 1944

Chapter 1

Once when I was six years old I saw a beautiful picture in a book about the primeval forest called True Stories. It showed a boa constrictor swallowing an animal. Here is a copy of the drawing.

The book stated: 'Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole without chewing it whereupon they can no longer move and sleep for six months digesting it.'

I then reflected deeply upon the adventures in the jungle and in turn succeeded in making my first drawing with a colour pencil. My Drawing No.1 was like this:

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

They answered: 'Why should anyone be frightened by a hat?' My drawing did not represent a hat. It was supposed to be a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. So I made another drawing of the inside of the boa constrictor to enable the grown-ups to understand. They always need explanations. My Drawing No. 2 looked like this:

The grown-ups then advised me to give up my drawings of boa constrictors, whether from the inside or the outside, and to devote myself instead to geography, history, arithmetic and grammar. Thus it was that I gave up a magnificent career as a painter at the age of six. I had been disappointed by the lack of success of my drawing No.1 and my drawing No.2. Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves and it is rather tedious for children to have to explain things to them time and again.

So I had to choose another job and learnt to pilot aeroplanes. I flew more or less all over the world. And indeed geography has been extremely useful to me. I am able to distinguish between China and Arizona at a glance. It's extremely helpful if one gets lost in the night.

As a result of which I have been in touch, throughout my life, with all kinds of serious people. I have spent a lot of time with grown-ups. I have seen them at very close quarters which I'm afraid has not greatly enhanced my opinion of them.

Whenever I met one who seemed reasonably clear-sighted to me, I showed them my drawing No.1, which I had kept, as an experiment. I wanted to find out whether he or she was truly understanding. But the answer was always: 'It is a hat.' So I gave up mentioning boa constrictors or primeval forests or stars. I would bring myself down to his or her level and talk about bridge, golf, politics and neckties. And the grown-up would be very pleased to have met such a sensible person.

（一）作品及作者背景

作者：圣埃克苏佩里，法国飞行员

推荐阅读：《人的大地》《夜航》《空中飞行员》

作品介绍：以飞行员作为故事的叙述者，讲述了小王子从自己星球出发，前往地球途中的种种历险。该书以孩子般的眼光透视出成人的空虚、盲目、愚妄和死板教条，用浅显到几乎天真的语言，写出了人类的孤独寂寞和漂泊的命运，同时也表达了对真善美的赞扬、对金钱利益关系的批判。

作品背景：

《小王子》在美国用法语写成，创作于1942年，当时正是二战最关键的时刻。1940年法国战败，随着欧战开始，圣埃克苏佩里曾应征入伍，参加空军侦察行动，目睹法国空军大溃败。维希政府与希特勒签订停战协定后，他复员沉没彷徨了一段时间，辗转北非、葡萄牙来到了美国。在美国的两年期间，他与母亲的通信联系几乎完全阻绝。他认为，童年是盼望奇迹、追求温情、充满梦想的时代，对比之下，大人死气沉沉、权欲心重、虚荣肤浅。“大人应该以孩子为榜样”,于是作者选取了一个孩子看世界的角度，用孩子的童真、好奇心和想更多了解这个世界的欲望来给成人讲故事，尤其是给那些“童心未泯”的成人讲，让他们借小王子的想象力暂时忘记属于大人世界的欲望，飞回童年，并反思现实生活，发现人生的真谛。

（二）序言

To Leon Worth

I ask the forbearance of the children who may read this book for dedicating it to a grown-up. My first and most serious reason is that he is the best friend I have in the world. My second reason is that this grown-up understands everything even books about children. And my third reason is that he lives in France where he is hungry and cold. He needs cheering up.

All grown-ups were children once—although few of them remember it.

单词积累：

forbearance /fɔː'beərəns/： n. 忍耐，克制；宽容

ask the forbearance of sb：乞求某人的原谅

dedicate /'dedɪkeɪt,'dedəkeɪt/：v. 致力于；献给；把…专用于

be dedicated to sb：献给某人

grown-up：n. 成年人，大人〔儿语〕

           adj. 成年的; 成熟的

文本解析：

I ask the forbearance of the children/ who may read this book/ for dedicating it to a grown-up.

我祈求读这本书的孩子们的原谅，因为这是一本献给大人的书。

He lives in France where he is hungry and cold.

背景：时值二战，德国入侵法国，法国情况糟糕。

金句积累：

All grown-ups were once children—although few of them remember it.

所有的大人曾经都是小孩，虽然很少人会记得。