小王子 第18期:花苞中的奇跡

I soon learned to know this flower better.

很快我就進(jìn)一步了解了這朵花兒。

On the little prince's planet the flowers had always been very simple.

在小王子的星球上，過去一直都生長著一些只有一層花瓣的很簡單的花。

They had only one ring of petals; they took up no room at all; they were a trouble to nobody.

這些花非常小，一點(diǎn)也不占地方，從來也不會去打攪任何人。

One morning they would appear in the grass, and by night they would have faded peacefully away.

她們早晨在草叢中開放，晚上就凋謝了。

But one day, from a seed blown from no one knew where, a new flower had come up;

有一天，不知從哪里來了一顆種子，忽然一天這種子發(fā)了芽。

and the little prince had watched very closely over this small sprout which was not like any other small sprouts on his planet.

小王子特別仔細(xì)地監(jiān)視著這棵與眾不同的小苗：

It might, you see, have been a new kind of baobab.

這玩藝說不定是一種新的猴面包樹。

The shrub soon stopped growing, and began to get ready to produce a flower.

但是，這小苗不久就不再長了，而且開始孕育著一個(gè)花朵。

The little prince, who was present at the first appearance of a huge bud, felt at once that some sort of miraculous apparition must emerge from it.

看到在這棵苗上長出了一個(gè)很大很大的花蕾，小王子感覺到從這個(gè)花苞中一定會出現(xiàn)一個(gè)奇跡。

But the flower was not satisfied to complete the preparations for her beauty in the shelter of her green chamber.

然而這朵花藏在它那綠茵茵的房間中用了很長的時(shí)間來打扮自己。

She chose her colours with the greatest care. she drest her slowly.

她精心選擇著她將來的顏色，慢慢騰騰地妝飾著，

She adjusted her petals one by one.

一片片地搭配著她的花瓣，

She did not wish to go out into the world all rumpled, like the field poppies.

她不愿象虞美人那樣一出世就滿臉皺紋。

It was only in the full radiance of her beauty that she wished to appear.

她要讓自己帶著光艷奪目的麗姿來到世間。

Oh, yes! She was a coquettish creature!

是的，她是非常愛俏的。

And her mysterious adornment lasted for days and days.

她用好些好些日子天仙般地梳妝打扮。