Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal. Here is a copy of the drawing.
英 [mæɡˈnɪfɪsnt]美 [mæɡˈnɪfɪsnt]
adj.壮丽的;宏伟的;值得赞扬的
举例子：These magnificent ancient buildings demonstrate the great intelligence of the labouring people.
这些壮丽的古代建筑显示了劳动人民的高度智慧。
英 [praɪˈmiːvl]美 [praɪˈmiːvl]
adj.远古的;原始的;出于原始天性的
举例子：From such a picture of Nature in primeval simplicity, tell me, my much respected friend, are you in love with fatigue and solitude?
看看这一幅原始单纯的自然照片，告诉我，我最尊敬的朋友，你热爱疲劳和孤独吗。
boa：
英 [ˈbəʊə]美 [ˈboʊə]
n.(用羽毛或轻质织物制成的)长围巾;同 boa constrictor蟒
英 [kənˈstrɪktə]美 [kənˈstrɪktər]
n.大蟒;（解）括约肌；缩肌;（技）压缩物；压缩器
In the book it said: “Boa constrictors swallow their prey 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 deeply, then, over the adventures of the jungle. And after some work with a colored pencil I succeeded in making my first drawing. My Drawing Number One.
prey ：
英 /preɪ/ 美 /preɪ/
n. 猎物；受害者，牺牲品；（情绪易受伤的）脆弱的人；掠夺品
v. 捕食；伤害；折磨，困扰
n. (Prey) （美、德、爱）普赖（人名）
词组：prey on： v. 捕食；掠夺
英 /daɪˈdʒestʃən; dɪˈdʒestʃən/
美 /daɪˈdʒestʃən,dɪˈdʒestʃən/
n. 消化；领悟
英 /ˈpɒndə(r)/ 美 /ˈpɑːndər/
vt. 仔细考虑；衡量
vi. 考虑；沉思
n. (Ponder)人名；(英)庞德
词组：ponder over 深思，沉思，考虑
英 /ədˈventʃə(r)/ 美 /ədˈventʃər/
n. 冒险；冒险精神；投机活动
vt. 冒险；大胆说出
vi. 冒险
举个例子：
Life should be an adventure.
生活应该是一场冒险。
succeed in : 成功；在…方面成功；顺利完成。succeed in sth. / succeed in doing sth.
I showed my masterpiece 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 a boa constrictor, so that the grown-ups could see it clearly. They always need to have things explained.
The grown-ups' response, this time, was to advise me to lay aside my drawings of boa constrictors, whether from the inside or the outside, and devote myself instead to geography, history, arithmetic, and grammar. That is why, at the age of six, I gave up what might have been a magnificent career as a painter. I had been disheartened 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.
英 /ˈmɑːstəpiːs/美 /ˈmæstərpiːs/
n. 杰作；绝无仅有的人
boa：(第二次出现）
英 [ˈbəʊə]美 [ˈboʊə]
n.(用羽毛或轻质织物制成的)长围巾;同 boa constrictor蟒
constrictor：（第二次出现）
英 [kənˈstrɪktə]美 [kənˈstrɪktər]
n.大蟒;（解）括约肌；缩肌;（技）压缩物；压缩器
英 /əˈsaɪd/美 /əˈsaɪd/
prep. 在…旁边
n. 旁白；私语，悄悄话；离题的话
adv. 离开，撇开；在旁边
devote oneselfe instead to :致力于;把自己的生活奉献给···
disheartened：
英 /dʒiˈɒɡrəfi/美 /dʒiˈɑɡrəfɪ/
n. 地理；地形
英 /əˈrɪθmətɪk/美 /əˈrɪθmətɪk/
n. 算术，算法
英 /ˈɡræmə(r)/美 /ˈɡræmər/
n. 语法；语法书
难句：The grown-ups' response, this time, was to advise me to lay aside my
drawings of boa constrictors, whether from the inside or the outside,
and devote myself instead to geography, history, arithmetic, and
grammar.大人们劝我把这些画着开着肚皮或开着肚皮的蟒蛇的图画放在一边，把心思放在地理、历史、算术和语法上。
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 glance I can distinguish China from Arizona. If one gets lost in the night, such knowledge is valuable.
In the course of this life I have had a great many encounters with a great many people. I have lived a great deal among grown-ups. I have seen them intimately，close at head. And that hasn't much improved my opinion of them.
英 /prəˈfeʃn/ 美 /prəˈfeʃn/
n. 职业，专业；声明，宣布，表白
英 /ˈpaɪlət/ 美 /ˈpaɪlət/
n. 飞行员；领航员
adj. 试点的
v. 驾驶；领航；试用
英 /fləʊn/ 美 /floʊn/
v. 飞行（fly的过去分词）
英 /ɪnˈkaʊntə(r)/ 美 /ɪnˈkaʊntər/
v. 遭遇；邂逅；遇到
n. 遭遇；偶然碰见
close at head：：熟悉的，亲切的
Whenever I met one of them who seemed to me at all clear-sighted, I tried the experiment of showing him my Drawing Number One. I would try to find 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 a sensible man.
neckite :
英 /ˈnektaɪ/ 美 /ˈnektaɪ/
n. 领带
英 /ˈsensəbl/ 美 /ˈsensəbl/
adj. 明智的; 通情达理的; 合乎情理的; 意识到的，能感觉到的;
n. 可感觉到的东西; 敏感的人;
六岁那一年，我在一本描写原始森林的书里看见一幅扣人心弦的图画。那本书的书名叫《丛林奇遇记》。图中画的是正在吞吃野兽的蟒蛇。下面是这幅画的摹仿件。
书中说：“蟒蛇囫囵吞下猎物，肚子撑得它不能动弹，要躺六个月才能把猎物消化掉。”
从此，我对丛林的种种奇事产生了无穷尽的遐想。我也用彩色铅笔绘下我的第一幅画。我称它为一号画。
我把我的杰作拿给大人看，还问他们，我的画是否吓坏了他们。
他们回答我说：“一顶帽子有什么可怕的？”
我画的不是一顶帽子，而是一条正在消化大象的蟒蛇啊。我又画了一张画，画的是蟒蛇和它肚子里的大象，好让大人看懂我的画。他们总是需要我们给他们解释的。
大人们劝我，别画这些肚子没打开或打开了的蟒蛇了，把心思放到地理、历史、算术、语法上去吧。就这样，我在六岁这一年放弃了画家的光辉生涯。一号画、二号画的失败令我垂头丧气。大人们老是需要孩子们费尽唇舌，给他们再三解释，不然就一窍不通，真把我们累得够呛。
我只好选择另一门职业。我学会了驾驶飞机，几乎跑遍了世界各地。地理确实帮了我的大忙。
在空中，我一眼就能认出中国和亚利桑那，这样的本领很管用——如果夜航时迷了路。
我一生与许多重要人物打过交道，我在大人当中生活了很长时间，我仔细地观察过他们，然而我对他们的看法没有多大的改善。
每当遇到一个我认为略为懂事的大人，我就用我的一号画做试验，看他是否真的懂事，但他们总是这样回答我：“这是一顶帽子。”
听了这样的话，我就不再与他们谈蟒蛇、原始森林、星星了。我谈他们能理解的事情，例如桥牌啦，高尔夫球啦，政治啦，领带啦。大人们便很满意，以为他们认识了一个通情达理、善解人意的人。
句子整理：
1.从此，我对丛林的种种奇事产生了无穷尽的遐想。我也用彩色铅笔绘下我的第一幅画。
And after some work with a colored pencil I succeeded in making my first drawing. My Drawing Number One.
2.大人们老是需要孩子们费尽唇舌，给他们再三解释，不然就一窍不通，真把我们累得够呛。
Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome
for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.
3.我谈他们能理解的事情，例如桥牌啦，高尔夫球啦，政治啦，领带啦。大人们便很满意，以为他们认识了一个通情达理、善解人意的人。
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 a sensible man.
小孩子有着天马行空的美妙的想法，她们眼中的世界有着十万个为什么，一只蚂蚁，一片落叶，雨滴，彩虹……都是神奇的。大人们却往往站在一个我比你多了几十年的经验的睿智者的角度看待这些孩子……却未曾想过自己在成长的路上丢掉了的好奇心，懵懂心，简单心……
