小王子 第40期:人類的位置

When one wishes to play the wit, he sometimes wanders a little from the truth.

當(dāng)人們想要說(shuō)得俏皮些的時(shí)候，說(shuō)話就可能會(huì)不大實(shí)在。

I have not been altogether honest in what I have told you about the lamplighters.

在給你們講點(diǎn)燈人的時(shí)候，我就不那么忠實(shí)，

And I realize that I run the risk of giving a false idea of our planet to those who do not know it.

很可能給不了解我們這個(gè)星球的人們?cè)斐梢粋€(gè)錯(cuò)誤的概念。

Men occupy a very small place upon the Earth.

在地球上，人們所占的位置非常小。

If the two billion inhabitants who people its surface were all to stand upright and somewhat crowded together,

如果住在地球上的二十億居民全站著，并且象開(kāi)大會(huì)一樣靠得緊些，

as they do for some big public assembly, they could easily be put into one public square twenty miles long and twenty miles wide.

那么就可以從容地站在一個(gè)二十海里見(jiàn)方的廣場(chǎng)上。

All humanity could be piled up on a small Pacific islet.

也就是說(shuō)可以把整個(gè)人類集中在太平洋中一個(gè)最小的島嶼上。

The grown-ups, to be sure, will not believe you when you tell them that.

當(dāng)然，大人們是不會(huì)相信你們的。

They imagine that they fill a great deal of space.

他們自以為要占很大地方，

They fancy themselves as important as the baobabs.

他們把自己看得象猴面包樹那樣大得了不起。

You should advise them, then, to make their own calculations.

你們可以建議他們計(jì)算一下。這樣會(huì)使他們很高興，

They adore figures, and that will please them.

因?yàn)樗麄兎浅Ｏ矚g數(shù)目字。

But do not waste your time on this extra task. It is unnecessary.

可是你們無(wú)須浪費(fèi)時(shí)間去做這種乏味的連篇累牘的演算。這沒(méi)有必要。

You have, I know, confidence in me.

你們可以完全相信我。

When the little prince arrived on the Earth, he was very much surprised not to see any people.

小王子到了地球上感到非常奇怪，他一個(gè)人也沒(méi)有看到，

He was beginning to be afraid he had come to the wrong planet, when a coil of gold, the color of the moonlight, flashed across the sand.

他正擔(dān)心自己跑錯(cuò)了星球。這時(shí)，在沙地上有一個(gè)月光色的圓環(huán)在蠕動(dòng)。

"Good evening," said the little prince courteously.

小王子毫無(wú)把握地隨便說(shuō)了聲：“晚安。”

"Good evening," said the snake.

“晚安。”蛇說(shuō)道。

"What planet is this on which I have come down?" asked the little prince.

“我落在什么行星上?”小王子問(wèn)道。

"This is the Earth; this is Africa," the snake answered.

“在地球上，在非洲。”蛇回答道。

Ah! Then there are no people on the Earth?

啊!…怎么，難道說(shuō)地球上沒(méi)有人嗎?

"This is the desert. There are no people in the desert. The Earth is large,"said the snake.

“這里是沙漠，沙漠中沒(méi)有人。地球是很大的。”蛇說(shuō)。