我就這樣孤獨(dú)地生活著,沒(méi)有一個(gè)能真正談得來(lái)的人,一直到六年前在撒哈拉沙漠上發(fā)生了那次故障。
Something was broken in my engine.
我的發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)里有個(gè)東西損壞了。
And as I had with me neither a mechanic nor any passengers, I set myself to attempt the difficult repairs all alone.
當(dāng)時(shí)由于我既沒(méi)有帶機(jī)械師也沒(méi)有帶旅客,我就試圖獨(dú)自完成這個(gè)困難的維修工作。
It was a question of life or death for me: I had scarcely enough drinking water to last a week.
這對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō)是個(gè)生與死的問(wèn)題。我隨身帶的水只夠飲用一星期。
The first night, then, I went to sleep on the sand, a thousand miles from any human habitation.
第一天晚上我就睡在這遠(yuǎn)離人間煙火的大沙漠上。
I was more isolated than a shipwrecked sailor on a raft in the middle of the ocean.
我比大海中伏在小木排上的遇難者還要孤獨(dú)得多。
Thus you can imagine my amazement, at sunrise,when I was awakened by an odd little voice.
而在第二天拂曉,當(dāng)一個(gè)奇怪的小聲音叫醒我的時(shí)候,你們可以想見(jiàn)我當(dāng)時(shí)是多么吃驚。
It said:"If you please– draw me a sheep!”
這小小的聲音說(shuō)道:“請(qǐng)你給我畫(huà)一只羊,好嗎?”
What!
啊!
Draw me a sheep!
給我畫(huà)一只羊…
I jumped to my feet, completely thunderstruck. I blinked my eyes hard.
我象是受到驚雷轟擊一般,一下子就站立起來(lái)。
I looked carefully all around me.
我使勁地揉了揉眼睛,仔細(xì)地看了看。
And I saw a most extraordinary small person,who stood there examining me with great seriousness.
我看見(jiàn)一個(gè)十分奇怪的小家伙嚴(yán)肅地朝我凝眸望著。
Here you may see the best portrait that, later, I was able to make of him.
這是后來(lái)我給他畫(huà)出來(lái)的最好的一副畫(huà)像。
But my drawing is certainly very much less charming than its model.
可是,我的畫(huà)當(dāng)然要比他本人的模樣遜色得多。
That, however, is not my fault.
這不是我的過(guò)錯(cuò)。
The grown-ups discouraged me in my painter’s career when I was six years old, and I never learned to draw anything,
六歲時(shí),大人們使我對(duì)我的畫(huà)家生涯失去了勇氣,
except boas from the outside and boas from the inside.
除了畫(huà)過(guò)開(kāi)著肚皮和閉著肚皮的蟒蛇,后來(lái)再?zèng)]有學(xué)過(guò)畫(huà)。
Now I stared at this sudden apparition with my eyes fairly starting out of my head inastonishment.
我驚奇地睜大著眼睛看著這突然出現(xiàn)的小家伙。