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Question 1

Cuando yo tenía seis años

Answer 1

When I was six years old

Question 2

vi en un libro sobre la selva virgen que se titulaba “Historias vividas”,

Answer 2

I saw in a book about the virgin forest that was titled “Lived Stories”,

Question 3

una magnífica lámina. Representaba una serpiente boa que se tragaba a una fiera.

Answer 3

a magnificent sheet. It represented a boa snake that swallowed a beast.

Question 4

En el libro se afirmaba: “La serpiente boa se traga su presa entera, sin masticarla.

Answer 4

The book stated: “The boa snake swallows its prey whole, without chewing it.

Question 5

y duerme durante los seis meses que dura su digestión

Answer 5

and sleeps during the six months that his digestion lasts.

Question 5

Luego ya no puede moverse

Answer 5

Then he can no longer move

Question 6

Reflexioné mucho en ese momento sobre las aventuras de la jungla

Answer 6

I reflected a lot at that time on the adventures of the jungle

Question 7

Por qué habría de asustar un sombrero? — me respondieron

Answer 7

Why would a hat be scary? —they answered me.

Question 7

y a mi vez logré trazar con un lápiz de colores mi primer dibujo.

Answer 7

and at the same time I managed to draw my first drawing with a colored pencil.

Question 7

y les pregunté si mi dibujo les daba miedo.

Answer 7

and I asked them if my drawing scared them.

Question 7

Mi dibujo número 1 era de esta manera:

Answer 7

My drawing number 1 was like this:

Question 8

Mi dibujo no representaba un sombrero.

Answer 8

My drawing did not represent a hat.

Question 8

Enseñé mi obra de arte a las personas mayores

Answer 8

I showed my artwork to older people and asked them if my drawing scared them.

Question 9

Representaba una serpiente boa que digiere un elefante.

Answer 9

It represented a boa snake digesting an elephant.

Question 9

al primer vistazo podía distinguir perfectamente la China de Arizona.

Answer 9

At first glance I could perfectly distinguish China from

Question 10

y es muy aburrido para los niños tener que darles una y otra vez explicaciones.

Answer 10

and it is very boring for children to have to give them explanations over and over again.

Question 10

Dibujé entonces el interior de la serpiente boa

Answer 10

I then drew the inside of the boa snake

Question 10

a fin de que las personas mayores pudieran comprender.

Answer 10

so that older people could understand.

Question 11

Esto es muy útil, sobre todo si se pierde uno durante la noche.

Answer 11

This is very useful, especially if you lose one during the night.

Question 11

Siempre estas personas tienen necesidad de explicaciones.

Answer 11

These people always need explanations.

Question 11

Mi dibujo número 2 era así

Answer 11

My drawing number 2 was like this:

Question 12

Las personas mayores me aconsejaron abandonar el dibujo de serpientes boas,

Answer 12

The older people advised me to abandon the drawing of boa snakes,

Question 13

ya fueran abiertas o cerradas,

Answer 13

whether they were open or closed,

Question 13

y poner más interés en la geografía, la historia, el cálculo y la gramática.

Answer 13

and put more interest in geography, history, calculus and grammar.

Question 13

De esta manera a la edad de seis años abandoné una magnífica carrera de pintor.

Answer 13

In this way, at the age of six, I abandoned a magnificent career as a painter.

Question 14

Había quedado desilusionado por el fracaso de mis dibujos número 1 y número 2

Answer 14

I had been disappointed by the failure of my drawings number 1 and number 2.

Question 14

Las personas mayores nunca pueden comprender algo por sí solas

Answer 14

Older people can never understand something on their own

Question 14

Tuve, pues, que elegir otro oficio y aprendía pilotear aviones.

Answer 14

So I had to choose another job and I learned to fly airplanes.

Question 14

pero esto no ha mejorado demasiado mi opinión sobre ellas.

Answer 14

but this has not improved my opinion of them much.

Question 14

He volado un poco por todo el mundo y la geografía, en efecto, me ha servido de mucho;

Answer 14

I have flown a bit around the world and geography has indeed served me well; Arizona.

Question 14

Quería saber si verdaderamente era un ser comprensivo.

Answer 14

I wanted to know if he was truly an understanding being.

Question 15

A lo largo de mi vida he tenido multitud de contactos con multitud de gente seria.

Answer 15

Throughout my life I have had many contacts with many serious people.

Question 15

lo he sometido a la experiencia de mi dibujo número 1 que he conservado siempre.

Answer 15

, I have subjected them to the experience of my drawing number 1 that I have always kept

Question 15

Viví mucho con personas mayores y las he conocido muy de cerca;

Answer 15

I lived a lot with older people and got to know them very closely;

Question 15

Cuando me he encontrado con alguien que me parecía un poco lúcido

Answer 15

When I have met someone who seemed a little lucid to me,

Question 15

Algo se había estropeado en el motor.

Answer 15

Something had gone wrong in the engine.

Question 16

hasta cuando hace seis años tuve una avería en el desierto de Sahara.

Answer 16

until six years ago when I had a breakdown in the Sahara desert.

Question 16

Viví así, solo, nadie con quien poder hablar verdaderamente,

Answer 16

I lived like this, alone, with no one I could really talk to,

Question 16

invariablemente me contestaban siempre: “Es un sombrero”.

Answer 16

Invariably they always answered me: “It’s a hat.”

Question 16

Me abstenía de hablarles de la serpiente boa, de la selva virgen y de las estrellas.

Answer 16

I refrained from talking to them about the boa snake, the virgin forest and the stars.

Question 16

Poniéndome a su altura, les hablaba del bridge, del golf, de política y de corbatas.

Answer 16

Putting myself at their level, I talked to them about bridge, golf, politics and ties.

Question 16

Y mi interlocutor se quedaba muy contento de conocer a un hombre tan razonable

Answer 16

And my interlocutor was very happy to meet such a reasonable man.

Question 17

me dispuse a realizar, yo solo, una reparación difícil.

Answer 17

I set out to carry out a difficult repair alone.

Question 17

Era para mí una

Answer 17

It was for me a

Question 17

Como no llevaba conmigo ni mecánico ni pasajero alguno,

Answer 17

Since I didn’t have a mechanic or passenger with me,

Question 17

cuestión de vida o muerte, pues apenas tenía agua de beber para ocho días

Answer 17

It was a matter of life or death, since he barely had enough water to drink for eight days.

Question 18

La primera noche me dormí sobre la arena

Answer 18

The first night I fell asleep on the sand,

Question 19

a unas mil millas de distancia del lugar habitado más próximo.

Answer 19

about a thousand miles away from the nearest inhabited place.

Question 19

Estaba más aislado que un náufrago en una balsa en medio del océano.

Answer 19

He was more isolated than a castaway on a raft in the middle of the ocean.

Question 19

Imagínense, pues, mi sorpresa cuando al amanecer me despertó una extraña vocecita que decía

Answer 19

Imagine, then, my surprise when at dawn I was awakened by a strange little voice that said: