看似聪慧，但也是成年人中的一员

　　course.过程
　　in the course of在……的过程中，在……期间
　　encounter相遇，邂逅
　　consequence重要性，重大意义
　　intimately熟悉地，亲切地
　　close at hand就在眼前，在附近
　　clear-sighted有清晰判断能力的，聪明的
　　sensible明智的，通晓事理的
　　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.
　　在这一生中，我和很多只关心大事的(理智的)人相遇。
　　I have lived a great deal among grown-ups.
　　我在成年人中生活了很久。
　　I have seen them intimately, close at hand,
　　近距离地观察他们。
　　And that hasn＂t much improved my opinion of them.
　　那也没有让我对他们的想法有所改善。
　　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.
　　无论何时，当我遇见我觉得聪明的人，我尝试把我一直保留着的蟒蛇作品一给他看，去测试一下他是否真的有理解能力。
　　But, whoever it was, he, or she, would always say, ＂That is a hat.＂
　　但是无论是谁都会说：＂那是一顶帽子。＂
　　Then I would never talk to that person about boa constrictors, or primeval forests, or stars.
　　之后我就不会和那个人谈论蟒蛇啊，原始森林啊，星星之类的。
　　I would bring myself down to his level.
　　我会将我自己降低到他的水平。
　　I would talk to him about bridge, and golf, and politics, and neckties.
　　我会和他谈论桥牌啊，高尔夫啊，政治啊和领带之类的。
　　And the grown-up would be greatly pleased to have met such a sensible man.
　　这样成年人们就会十分高兴认识我这样一个通情达理的人。
　　PS: 其实我还是对人能理解我有期待的。