第一章[第1頁/共4頁]

但是，我畫的不是一頂帽子，畫裡代表的是一條蟒蛇正在消化著一頭大象。為了讓這些大人們能夠瞭解，我隻好又畫了一張畫：我把大蟒蛇肚子裡的環境畫了出來――這些大人們老是需求解釋。我的第二號作品是如許的：

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.

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