Smile at each other, smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile at each other―it doesn’t matter who it is―and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other.
Many Americans are familiar with The Little Prince, a wonderful book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. This is a whimsical（古怪的） and fabulous book and works as a children’s story as well as a thought-provoking（刺激的） adult fable. Far fewer are aware of Saint-Exupery’s other writings, novels and short stories.
Saint-Exupery was a fighter pilot who fought against the Nazis and was killed in action. Before World War II, he fought in the Spanish Civil War against the fascists. He wrote a fascinating story based on that experience entitled The Smile. It is this story which I'd like to share with you now. It isn't clear whether or not he meant this to be autobiographical or fiction. I choose to believe it to be the former.
He said that he was captured by the enemy and thrown into a jail cell. He was sure that from the contemptuous（轻蔑的，侮辱的） looks and rough treatment he received from his jailers he would be executed the next day. From here, I’ll tell the story as I remember it in my own words.
"I was sure that I was to be killed. I became terribly nervous and distraught（发狂的） . I fumbled in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes, which had escaped their search. I found one and because of my shaking hands, I could barely get it to my lips. But I had no matches, they had taken those.
“I looked through the bars at my jailer. He did not make eye contact with me. After all, one does not make eye contact with a thing, a corpse. I called out to him 'Have you got a light?' He looked at me, shrugged and came over to light my cigarette.
"As he came close and lit the match, his eyes inadvertently（不注意地） locked with mine. At that moment, I smiled. I don’t know why I did that. Perhaps it was nervousness, perhaps it was because, when you get very close, one to another, it is very hard not to smile. In any case, I smiled. In that instant, it was as though a spark jumped across the gap between our two hearts, our two human souls. I know he didn’t want to, but my smile leaped through the bars and generated a smile on his lips, too. He lit my cigarette but stayed near, looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile.
"I kept smiling at him, now aware of him as a person and not just a jailer. And his looking at me seemed to have a new dimension, too. 'Do you have kids?' he asked.
"'Yes, here, here.' I took out my wallet and nervously fumbled for（摸索） the pictures of my family. He, too, took out the pictures of his family and began to talk
Suddenly, without another word, he unlocked my cell and silently led me out. Out of the jail, quietly and by back routes, out of the town. There, at the edge of town, he released me. And without another word, he turned back toward the town.
My life was saved by a smile.
Yes, the smile―the unaffected（自然的，真挚的） , unplanned, natural connection between people. I tell this story in my work because I’d like people to consider that underneath all the layers we construct to protect ourselves, our dignity, our titles, our degrees, our status and our need to be seen in certain ways―underneath all that, remains the authentic（真实的） , essential self. I’m not afraid to call it the soul. I really believe that if that part of you and that part of me could recognize each other, we wouldn’t be enemies. We couldn’t have hate or envy or fear. I sadly conclude that all those other layers, which we so carefully construct through our lives, distance and insulate（隔离，使孤立） us from truly contacting others. Saint-Exupery’s story speaks of that magic moment when two souls recognize each other.
I’ve had just a few moments like that. Falling in love is one example. And looking at a baby. Why do we smile when we see a baby? Perhaps it’s because we see someone without all the defensive layers, someone whose smile for us we know to be fully genuine and without guile（狡猾，诡计） . And that baby-soul inside us smiles wistfully（渴望地） in recognition.
相关单词：fabulous
fabulous解释：adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的
fabulous例句：
We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。
相关单词：fable
fable解释：n.寓言；童话；神话
fable例句：
The fable is given on the next page. 这篇寓言登在下一页上。
He had some motive in telling this fable. 他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。
相关单词：Nazis
Nazis解释：n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义
Nazis例句：
The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》
The Nazis were responsible for the mass murder of Jews during World War Ⅱ. 纳粹必须为第二次世界大战中对犹太人的大屠杀负责。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：fascists
fascists解释：n.法西斯主义的支持者( fascist的名词复数 )
fascists例句：
The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists. 老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：fumbled
fumbled解释：（笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下
fumbled例句：
She fumbled in her pocket for a handkerchief. 她在她口袋里胡乱摸找手帕。
He fumbled
相关单词：corpse
corpse解释：n.尸体，死尸
corpse例句：
What she saw was just an unfeeling corpse.她见到的只是一具全无感觉的尸体。
The corpse was preserved from decay by embalming.尸体用香料涂抹以防腐烂。
相关单词：shrugged
shrugged解释：vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）
shrugged例句：
Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：nervously
nervously解释：adv.神情激动地，不安地
nervously例句：
He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。
相关单词：underneath
underneath解释：adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面
underneath例句：
Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。
相关单词：remains
remains解释：n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹
remains例句：
He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
相关单词：authentic
authentic解释：a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的
authentic例句：
This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。
相关单词：fully
fully解释：adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地
fully例句：
The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
相关单词：defensive
defensive解释：adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的
defensive例句：
Their questions
The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。
相关单词：guile
guile解释：n.诈术
guile例句：
He is full of guile.他非常狡诈。
A swindler uses guile;a robber uses force.骗子用诈术；强盗用武力。
