The Little Prince

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

《小王子》是法國(guó)作家安托萬(wàn)·德·圣-?？颂K佩里于1942年寫(xiě)成的著名法國(guó)兒童文學(xué)短篇小說(shuō)。小說(shuō)的主 人公是來(lái)自外星球的小王子。小說(shuō)以一位飛行員作為故事敘述者，講述了小王子從自己星球出發(fā)前往地球的過(guò) 程中，所經(jīng)歷的各種歷險(xiǎn)。作者以小王子的孩子式的眼光，透視出成人的空虛、盲目，愚妄和死板教條，用天真簡(jiǎn) 單的語(yǔ)言寫(xiě)出了人類(lèi)的孤獨(dú)寂寞。同時(shí)，也表達(dá)出作者對(duì)金錢(qián)關(guān)系的批判，對(duì)真善美的謳歌。

本文節(jié)選自《小王子》第六章。

Such power was a thing for the little prince tomarvel at.

If he had been master of such complete authority，he wou ld have been able to watch the sunset，not forty- four times in one day，

but seventy two，or even a hundred，or even twohundred times，with out ever having to move his chair.

And because he felt a bit sad as he remembered his little p lanet which he had for saken，he plucked up his courage to ask the king a favor：“I should like to see a sunset...me thatkindness... Order the sun to set...”

If I ordered a general to fly from one flower to another like a butterfly，or to write a tragicdrama，or to change himself into a sea bird ，and if the general did not carry out the order that he had received，which one of us would bein the wrong？

The king demanded.“The general，or myself？”

“You，”said the little prince firmly.

“Exactly. One much require from each one the duty which?each one can perform，”the kingwent on.

Accepted authority rests first of all on reason.

If you ordered your people to go and throw themselves into?the sea，they would rise up inrevolution.

I have the right to require obedience because my orders are?reasonable.

“Then my sunset？”the little prince reminded him：for he never forgot a question once he hadasked it.

You shall have your sunset.

I shall command it. But，according to my science of gov -

這樣的權(quán)力使小王子驚嘆不已。

如果掌握了這樣的權(quán)力，那么，他一天就不只是看到四十三次日落，

而可以看到七十二次，甚至一百次，或是二百次日落，也不必要去挪動(dòng)椅子了。

由于他想起了他那被遺棄的小星球，心里有點(diǎn)難過(guò)，他大膽地向國(guó)王提出了一個(gè)請(qǐng)求：“我想看日落，請(qǐng)求您……命令太陽(yáng)落山吧……”

如果我命令一個(gè)將軍像一只蝴蝶那樣從這朵花飛到那朵花，或者命令他寫(xiě)作一個(gè)悲劇劇本或者變一只海鳥(niǎo)，而如果這位將軍接到命令不執(zhí)行的話(huà)，那么，是他不對(duì)還是我不對(duì)呢？

國(guó)王問(wèn)道。“將軍，還是自己？”

“那當(dāng)然是您的不對(duì)?！毙⊥踝涌隙ǖ鼗卮稹?/p>

“一點(diǎn)也不錯(cuò)，”國(guó)王接著說(shuō)，“向每個(gè)人提出的要求應(yīng)該是他們所能做到的。

權(quán)威首先應(yīng)該建立在理性的基礎(chǔ)上。

如果命令你的老百姓去投海，他們非起來(lái)革命不可。

我的命令是合理的，所以我有權(quán)要?jiǎng)e人服從。

“那么我提出的日落呢？”小王子一旦提出一個(gè)問(wèn)題，他是不會(huì)忘記這個(gè)問(wèn)題的。

日落嘛，你會(huì)看到的。

我一定要太陽(yáng)落山，不過(guò)按照我的統(tǒng)治科

ernment，I shall wait until conditionsare favorable.

“When will that be？”inquired the little prince.

“Hum！ Hum！”replied the king;and before saying anything else he consulted a bulky almanac.

“Hum！ Hum！ That will be about- about-that will be this evening about twenty minutes to eight.”

And you will see how well I am obeyed.

The little prince yawned.

He was regretting his lost sunset.

And then，too，he was already beginning to be a little bored.

I have nothing more to do here，he said to the king.

So I shall set out on my way again.

“Do not go，”said the king，who was very proud of having a subject.“Do not go. I will make you a Minister！”

“Minister of what？”

“Minster of-of Justice！”

“But there is nobody here to judge！”

“We do not know that，”the king said to him.“I have not yet made a complete tour of my kingdom.”

I am very old. There is no room here for a carriage. And it?tires me to walk.

“Oh，but I have looked already！”said the little prince， turning around to give one more glance to the other side of the?planet.

On that side，as on this，there was nobody at all...

“Then you shall judge yourself，”the king answered.“that?is the most dificult thing of all.

“It is much more difficult to judge oneself than to judge?others.”

“If you succeed in judging yourself rightly，then you are indeed a man of true wisdom.”

“Yes，”said the little prince，but I can judge myself anywhere.

I do not need to live on this planet.

“Hum！ Hum！”said the king.“I have good reason to believe that somewhere on my planet there is an old rat.”

I hear him at night.

You can judge this old rat. From time to time you will?condemn him to death.

Thus his life will depend on your justice.

But you will pardon him on each occasion;for he must be treated thriftily.

學(xué)，我得等到條件成熟的時(shí)候。

小王子問(wèn)道：“這要等到什么時(shí)候呢？”

國(guó)王在回答之前，首先翻閱了一本厚厚的日歷，嘴里慢慢說(shuō)道：“嗯！嗯！”

“日落大約……大約……在今晚七時(shí)四十分的時(shí)候！”

你將看到我的命令一定會(huì)被服從的。

小王子又打起哈欠來(lái)了。

他遺憾沒(méi)有看到日落。

他對(duì)國(guó)王說(shuō)：“他有點(diǎn)厭煩了，”

我沒(méi)有必要再呆在這兒了。

我要走了。

這位因?yàn)閯倓傆辛艘粋€(gè)臣民而十分驕傲自得的國(guó)王說(shuō)道：“別走，別走。我任命你當(dāng)大臣?！?/p>

“什么大臣？”

“嗯……司法大臣！”

“可是，這兒沒(méi)有一個(gè)要審判的人。”

“很難說(shuō)呀，”國(guó)王說(shuō)道?！耙虼宋疫€沒(méi)有巡視過(guò)我的王國(guó)呢！”

“我很老了，我這地方又小，沒(méi)有放鑾駕的地方，另外，一走路我就累。”

“噢！可是我已經(jīng)看過(guò)了?！毙⊥踝诱f(shuō)道，并探身朝星球的那一側(cè)看了看。

那邊也沒(méi)有一個(gè)人……

“那么你就審判你自己呀！”國(guó)王回答他說(shuō)。“這可是最難的了。

“審判自己比審判別人要難得多?。　薄澳阋悄軐徟泻米约?，你就是一個(gè)真

正有才智的人?！?/p>

“我嘛，隨便在什么地方我都可以審度自己?！?/p>

“我沒(méi)有必要留在這里。”

國(guó)王又說(shuō)：“嗯……嗯……我想，在我的星球上有一只老耗子?！?/p>

夜里，我聽(tīng)見(jiàn)它的聲音。

你可以審判它，不時(shí)地判處它死刑。

因此它的生命取決于你的判決。

可是，你要有節(jié)制地使用這只耗子，每次判刑后都要赦免它。

He is the only one we have.

“I，” replied the little prince，“do not like to condemn anyone to death. And now I think I will go on my way.”

“No，”said the king.

But the little prince， having now completed his?preparations for departure，had no wish to grieve the old?monarch.

“If Your Majesty wishes to be promptly obeyed，” he said，"he should be able to give me a reasonable order.

He should be able，for example，to order me to be?gone by the end of one minute.

It seems to me that conditions are favorable...

As the king made no answer， the little prince?hesitated a moment.

Then，with a sigh，he took his leave.

“I made you my Ambassador，”the king called out， hastily.

He had a magnificent air of authority.

“The grown- ups are very strange，”the little prince?said to himself，as he continued on his journey.

The second planet was inhabited by a conceited man.

“Ah！ Ah！ I am about to receive a visit from an admirer！”

he exclaimed from afar，when he first saw the little prince coming.

For，to conceited men，all other men are admirers.

“Good morning，”said the little prince.“That is a queer hat you are wearing.”

“It is a hat for salutes，”the conceited man replied.

“It is to raise in salute when people acclaim me.”

Unfortunately，nobody at all ever passes this way.

“Yes？”said the little prince，who did not understand what the conceited man was talking about.

“Clap your hands，one against the other，”the conceited man now directed him.

The little prince clapped his hands.

The conceited man raised his hat in a modest salute.

“This is more entertaining than the visit to the?king，”the little prince said to himself.

And he began again to clap his hands，one against the other.

因?yàn)橹挥羞@一只耗子。

“可是我不愿判死刑，我想我還是應(yīng)該走?！毙⊥踝踊卮鸬?。

“不行?！眹?guó)王說(shuō)。

但是小王子，準(zhǔn)備完畢之后，不想使老君主難過(guò)，

他說(shuō)道：“如果國(guó)王陛下想要不折不扣地得到服從，你可以給我下一個(gè)合理的命令?！?/p>

比如說(shuō)，你可以命令我，一分鐘之內(nèi)必須離開(kāi)。

我認(rèn)為這個(gè)條件是成熟的……

國(guó)王什么也沒(méi)有回答。起初，小王子有些猶疑不決，

隨后嘆了口氣，就離開(kāi)了……

“我派你當(dāng)我的大使?！眹?guó)王匆忙地喊道。

國(guó)王顯出非常有權(quán)威的樣子。

小王子在旅途中自言自語(yǔ)地說(shuō)：“這些大人真奇怪。”

第二個(gè)行星上住著一個(gè)愛(ài)虛榮的人。

“喔唷！一個(gè)崇拜我的人來(lái)拜訪(fǎng)了！”

這個(gè)愛(ài)虛榮的人一見(jiàn)到小王子，老遠(yuǎn)就叫喊起來(lái)。

在那些愛(ài)虛榮的人眼里，別人都成了他們的崇拜者。

“你好！”小王子說(shuō)道?！澳愕拿弊雍芷婀?。”

“這是為了向人致意用的?！睈?ài)虛榮的人回答道，“當(dāng)人們向我歡呼的時(shí)候，我就用帽子向他們致意?！?/p>

可惜，沒(méi)有一個(gè)人經(jīng)過(guò)這里。

小王子不解其意。說(shuō)道：“??？是嗎？”

愛(ài)虛榮的人向小王子建議道：“你用一只手去拍另一只手?！?/p>

小王子就拍起巴掌來(lái)。

這位愛(ài)虛榮者就謙遜地舉起帽子向小王子致意。

小王子心想：“這比訪(fǎng)問(wèn)那位國(guó)王有趣?！?/p>

于是他又拍起巴掌來(lái)。

The conceited man against raised his hat in salute.

After five minutes of this exercise the little prince grew?tired of the games monotony.

“And what should one do to make the hat come?down？”he asked.

But the conceited man did not hear him.

Conceited people never hear anything but praise.

“Do you really admire me very much？”he demanded?of the little prince.

“What does that mean‘a(chǎn)dmire？”

“To admire mean that you regard me as the handsomest， the best- dressed，the richest，and the most intelligent man on this planet.”

“But you are the only man on your planet！”

“Do me this kindness. Admire me just the same.”

“I admire you，”said the little prince，shrugging his shoulders slightly，“but what is there in that to interest you so much？”

And the little prince went away.

“The grown- ups are certainly very odd，”he said to himself，as he continued on his journey.

The next planet was inhabited by a tippler.

This was a very short visit，but it plunged the little prince into deep dejection.

“What are you doing there？”he said to the tippler， whom he found settled down in silence before a collection of?empty bottles and also a collection of full bottles.

“I am drinking，”replied the tippler，with a lugubrious air.

“Why are you drinking？”demanded the little prince.

“So that I may forget，”replied the tippler.

“Forget what？”inquired the little prince，who already was sorry for him.

“Forget that I am ashamed，”the tippler confessed， hanging his head.

“Ashamed of what？”insisted the little prince，who wanted to help him.

“Ashamed of drinking！”The tippler brought his speech to an end，and shut himself up in an impregnable silence.

And the little prince went away，puzzled.

“The grown-ups are certainly very，very odd，”he said to himself，as he continued on his journey.

愛(ài)虛榮者又舉起帽子來(lái)向他致意。

小王子這樣做了五分鐘，之后對(duì)這種單調(diào)的把戲有點(diǎn)厭倦了，

說(shuō)道：“要想叫你的帽子掉下來(lái)，該怎么做呢？”

可這回愛(ài)虛榮者聽(tīng)不進(jìn)他的話(huà)，

因?yàn)榉彩菒?ài)虛榮的人只聽(tīng)得進(jìn)贊美的話(huà)。

他問(wèn)小王子道：“你真的欽佩我嗎？”

“‘欽佩是什么意思？”

“欽佩嘛，就是承認(rèn)我是星球上最美的人，服飾最好的人，最富有的人，最聰明的人。”

“可您是您的星球上唯一的人呀！”

“讓我高興吧，請(qǐng)你還是來(lái)欽佩我吧！”

小王子輕輕地聳了聳肩膀，說(shuō)道：“我欽佩你，可是，這有什么能使你這樣感興趣的？”

于是小王子就走開(kāi)了。

小王子在路上自言自語(yǔ)地說(shuō)了一句：“這些大人，肯定是十分古怪的?！?/p>

小王子所訪(fǎng)問(wèn)的下一個(gè)星球上住著一個(gè)酒鬼。

訪(fǎng)問(wèn)時(shí)間非常短，可是它卻使小王子非常憂(yōu)傷。

“你在干什么？”小王子問(wèn)酒鬼，這個(gè)酒鬼默默地坐在那里，面前有一堆酒瓶子，有的裝著酒，有的是空的。

“我喝酒?！彼幊翍n(yōu)郁地回答道。

“你為什么喝酒？”小王子問(wèn)道。

“為了忘卻。”酒鬼回答。

小王子已經(jīng)有些可憐酒鬼。他問(wèn)道：“忘卻什么呢？”

酒鬼垂下腦袋坦白道：“為了忘卻我的羞愧。”

“你羞愧什么呢？”小王子很想救助他。

“我羞愧我喝酒?！本乒碚f(shuō)完以后就再也不開(kāi)口了。

小王子迷惑不解地離開(kāi)了。

在旅途中，他自言自語(yǔ)地說(shuō)道：“這些大人確實(shí)怪?！?/p>