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在实际生活中，我与很多严肃认真的人，有过很多很多的接触。我在成年人之中，生活了很多年，对他们有近距离的观察。对他们的了解，并没有怎么改变我对他们的上述看法。 每当我遇上一个我觉得还算聪明的成年人的时候， 我就拿出我一直保存着的那幅绘画作品第一号，做个测试，看对方是否理解那幅画。但是，我每次都得到同样的回答："这是一顶帽子。"于是，我跟他就不谈蟒蛇了，也不谈原始森林，更不谈星星月亮。我就把自己降到他那个水平，跟他谈桥牌，谈高尔夫球，谈政局，谈领带。在这种情况下，对方总感到很高兴能结识我这么一个通情达理的朋友。 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. I have lived a great deal among grown-ups. I have seen them intimately, 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 clear-sighted, I tried the experiment of showing him my Drawing Number One, which I have always kept. 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. |
