Chapter 1: The Star-Struck Pilot

The Encounter with the Book

*Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called *True Stories from Nature*, about the primeval forest.*

*A snake was swallowing a lion.*

The Fascination with Nature

This image sparked my curiosity about the natural world. The idea of a snake consuming a lion was both terrifying and mesmerizing. It set the tone for my journey to other planets and my quest for understanding 。

补充说明

The book *True Stories from Nature* is a collection of illustrations that inspired the author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The snake swallowing the lion is a powerful metaphor that echoes themes of growth, consumption, and the cyclical nature of life 。

The protagonist's childhood fascination with this image foreshadows his later encounters with other extraordinary beings and his reflections on the nature of relationships and responsibility 。

翻译提示

*Primeval forest* 可译为 *primitive forest* 或 *wild jungle*，均能传达出原始、神秘的自然氛围。

*True Stories from Nature* 是法语书名，英文翻译保留了原称，也可译为 *Stories from the Wild* 以增强英文表达的流畅性。