有道晨读 《小王子》十六&十七章
So then the seventh planet was the Earth.
因此，第七个星球便是地球。
The Earth is not just an ordinary planet!
地球可不是个普通的行星！
One can count that there are 111 kings (not forgetting, to be sure, the Negro kings among them),
这里有一百一十一位国王（当然也包括黑人们的国王）、
7000 geographers, 900,000 businessmen, 7,500,000 tipplers, 311,000,000 conceited men.
七千名地理学家、九十万商人、七百五十万酒鬼、三亿一千一百万虚荣心强的人.
That is to say, about 2,000,000,000 grown-ups.
也就是说，大约有二十亿大人。
To give you an idea of the size of the Earth,
为了让你对地球的大小有个概念，
I will tell you that before the invention of electricity it was necessary to maintain, over the whole of the six continents, a veritable army of 462511 lamplighters for the street lamps.
我这么跟你说吧：在电还没有被发明以前，六个大洲上共有四十六万二千五百一十一名灯夫来照管路灯，这实在是一支庞大的部队。
Seen from a slight distance, that would make a splendid spectacle.
从稍远的地方看，实在是一幅壮观的景象。
The movements of this army would be regulated like those of the ballet in the opera.
这支部队的行动就像一出编排好的芭蕾舞。
First would come the turn of the lamplighters of New Zealand and Australia. Having set their lamps alight, these would go off to sleep.
首先出场的是新西兰和澳大利亚的灯夫，他们把路灯点亮之后就去睡觉了。
Next, the lamplighters of China and Siberia would enter for their steps in the dance, and then they too would be waved back into the wings.
接着在舞蹈中出场的是中国和西伯利亚的灯夫。之后他们也隐入了幕后。
After that would come the turn of the lamplighters of Russia and the Indies;
接下来轮到俄罗斯和印度的灯夫。
then those of Africa and Europe, then those of South America; then those of North America.
然后是非洲和欧洲的灯夫，再下来轮到南美洲和北美洲。
And never would they make a mistake in the order of their entry upon the stage.
他们的出场顺序绝不会弄错。
It would be magnificent.
这样的场面多么宏大啊。
Only the man who was in charge of the single lamp at the North Pole,
只有北极点那唯一一盏路灯的灯夫
and his colleague who was responsible for the single lamp at the South Pole-- only these two would live free from toil and care:
和他在南极点负责唯一一盏路灯的同行可以过逍遥自在、无忧无虑的生活：
they would be busy twice a year.
他们一年只工作两次。
When one wishes to play the wit, he sometimes wanders a little from the truth.
当一个人想卖弄自己的学问时，就难免会撒点儿谎。
I have not been altogether honest in what I have told you about the lamplighters.
当我跟你们说灯夫的事情时，并不是完全诚实的。
And I realize that I run the risk of giving a false idea of our planet to those who do not know it.
我很可能给了那些不了解地球的人一个错误的概念。
Men occupy a very small place upon the Earth.
人类在地球上占据的地方很小。
If the two billion inhabitants who people its surface were all to stand upright and somewhat crowded together, as they do for some big public assembly,
如果地球上的二十亿人全都站着靠拢在一起，就跟开群众大会似的，
they could easily be put into one public square twenty miles long and twenty miles wide.
那么，一个方圆二十英里的广场就能轻易地把他们全部装下。
All humanity could be piled up on a small Pacific islet.
也可以把全人类都堆在太平洋中的一个小岛上。
The grown-ups, to be sure, will not believe you when you tell them that.
当然，如果你这么告诉大人，他们是不会相信的。
They imagine that they fill a great deal of space.
大人们认为他们占的地方很大。
They fancy themselves as important as the baobabs.
他们总以为自己很重要，就跟猴面包树似的。
You should advise them, then, to make their own calculations.
所以你应该建议他们做做算术，
They adore figures, and that will please them.
因为他们崇拜数字，这会让他们高兴的。
But do not waste your time on this extra task.
但你自己别把时间浪费在这种没意思的事上。
It is unnecessary. You have, I know, confidence in me.
那毫无用处。请相信我。
When the little prince arrived on the Earth, he was very much surprised not to see any people.
所以，当小王子到达地球的时候非常诧异，因为他没有看见一个人。
He was beginning to be afraid he had come to the wrong planet,
他甚至已经开始担心自己是否走错了星球。
when a coil of gold, the color of the moonlight, flashed across the sand.
就在这时，他看见一条像月光一般金黄的环状物在沙子里移动。
"Good evening," said the little prince courteously.
“晚上好，”小王子礼貌地说。
"Good evening," said the snake.
“晚上好，”蛇答道。
"What planet is this on which I have come down?" asked the little prince.
“我落到什么星球上来了？”小王子问。
"This is the Earth; this is Africa," the snake answered.
“这里是地球，你是在非洲，”蛇回答说。
"Ah! Then there are no people on the Earth?"
“啊！这么说，地球上没有人喽？”
"This is the desert. There are no people in the desert. The Earth is large," said the snake.
“这里是沙漠，沙漠里没有人，地球是很大的，”蛇说。
The little prince sat down on a stone, and raised his eyes toward the sky.
小王子在一块石头上坐下，抬眼望着天空。
"I wonder," he said, "whether the stars are set alight in heaven so that one day each one of us may find his own again…
“我在想，”他说，“不知道天上的星星是否都已经亮了起来，这样我们每个人终有一天都可以再找到他自己的那颗星星。
Look at my planet. It is right there above us. But how far away it is!"
瞧我的星球，它就在我们头顶上方……可是它离得好远啊！”
"It is beautiful," the snake said. "What has brought you here?"
“它很美，”蛇说，“你来这里做什么？”
"I have been having some trouble with a flower," said the little prince.
“我和一朵花儿闹了别扭，”小王子说。
"Ah!" said the snake.
“噢！”蛇说。
And they were both silent.
他们俩都沉默下来。
"Where are the men?" the little prince at last took up the conversation again. "It is a little lonely in the desert…"
“人都在哪儿呀？”小王子终于又开口了。“在沙漠里待着有点孤单……”
"It is also lonely among men," the snake said.
“在人群之中也会孤单，”蛇说。
The little prince gazed at him for a long time.
小王子注视了它好一会儿。
"You are a funny animal," he said at last. "You are no thicker than a finger…"
“你是个奇特的动物，”他又说道，“细得像根手指……”
"But I am more powerful than the finger of a king," said the snake.
“可我比一位国王的手指还要厉害，”蛇说。
The little prince smiled.
小王子面露微笑。
"You are not very powerful. You haven't even any feet. You cannot even travel…"
“你没那么厉害吧……你连脚都没有……甚至没办法旅行……”
"I can carry you farther than any ship could take you," said the snake.
“我可以把你送到很远的地方去，比船走得还远，”蛇说。
He twined himself around the little prince's ankle, like a golden bracelet.
它盘上了小王子的脚踝，就像一只金镯子。
"Whomever I touch, I send back to the earth from whence he came," the snake spoke again. "But you are innocent and true, and you come from a star…"
“任何被我碰过的人，都会被我送回到他来的地方，”蛇接着说。“但是你很纯洁，而且你来自一颗星星……”
The little prince made no reply.
小王子没有回答。
"You move me to pity-- you are so weak on this Earth made of granite," the snake said.
“你让我怜惜。在这个花岗石构成的地球上，你是这么脆弱。
"I can help you, some day, if you grow too homesick for your own planet. I can--"
也许有一天我可以帮助你，如果你非常怀念你的星球。我可以……”
"Oh! I understand you very well," said the little prince. "But why do you always speak in riddles?"
“噢！我很明白你的意思，”小王子说，“可你为什么讲起话来总像在说谜语？”
"I solve them all," said the snake.
“我会揭开所有的谜底，”蛇说。
And they were both silent.
他们又沉默下来。
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