The Little Prince

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

《小王子》是法國作家安托萬·德·圣一埃克蘇佩里于1942年寫成的著名法國兒童文學短篇小說。小說的主人公是來自外星球的小王子。小說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前往地球的過程中，所經歷的各種歷險。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，用天真簡單的語言寫出了人類的孤獨寂寞。同時，也表達出作者對金錢關系的批判，對真善美的謳歌。

本文節選自《小王子》第七章。

The fourth planet belonged to a businessman.

This man was so much occupied that he did not evenraise his head at the little prince ' s arrival.

"Good morning，" the little prince said to him. "Your cig-arette has gone out."

Three and two make Five. Five and seven make twelve.Twelve and three make Fifteen.

Good morning. Fifteen and seven make twenty- two.Twenty-two and six make twenty-eight.

I haven't time to light it again.

Twenty-six and Five make thirty-one.

Phew！ Then that makes Five-hundred-and-one-million，six-hundred-twenty-two-thousand， seven-hundred-thirty-one.

"Five hundred million what？ " asked the little prince.

Eh？ Are you still there？

Five-hundred-and-one million， I can' t stop， I have somuch to do！

I am concerned with matters of consequence.

I don' t amuse myself with balderdash. Two and Fivemake seven...

"Five-hundred-and-one million what？" repeated the lit-tle prince，

who never in his life had let go of a question once he hadasked it.

The businessman raised his head.

During the Fifty- four years that I have inhabited thisplanet， I have been disturbed only three times.

The First time was twenty-two years ago， when some gid-dy goose fell from goodness knows where.

He made the most frightful noise that resounded all overthe place，

and I made four mistakes in my addition.

The second time， eleven years ago， I was disturbed byan attack of theumatism.

I don 't get enough exercise.

I have no time for loafing.

The third time - well， this is it！

I was saying， then， Five-hundred-and-one millions...

Millions of what？

The businessman suddenly realized that there was nohope of being left in peace until he answered this question.

Millions of those little objects， he said， which one some-times sees in the sky.

Flies？

Oh， no. Little glittering objects.

Bees？

Oh， no. Little golden objects that set lazy men to idledreaming.

As for me， I am concerned with matters of consequence.

There is no time for idle dreaming in my life.

Ah！ You mean the stars？

Yes， that's it. The stars.

And what do you do with five-hundred millions of stars？

Five-hundred-and-one million， six-hundred-twenty-two thousand， seven-hundred-thirty-one.

I am concerned with matters of consequence： I am accu-rate.

And what do you do with these stars？

What do I do with them？

Yes.

Nothing. I own them.

You own the stars？

Yes.

But I have already seen a king who...

Kings do not own， they reign over. It is a very differentmatter.

And what good does it do you to own the stars？

It does me the good of making me rich.

And what good does it do you to be rich？

It makes it possible for me to buy more stars， if any areever discovered.

"This man，" the little prince said to himself， "reasons alittle like my poor tippler..."

Nevertheless， he still had some more questions.

How is it possible for one to own the stars？

"To whom do they belong？ " the businessman retorted，peevishly.

I don 't know. To nobody.

Then they belong to me， because I was the first personto think of it.

Is that all that is necessary？

Certainly. When you find a diamond that belongs to no-body， it is yours.

When you discover an island that belongs to nobody， itis yours.

When you get an idea before any one else， you take outa patent on it： it is yours.

So with me：l own the stars， because nobody else beforeme ever thought of owning them."

"Yes， that is true，" said the little prince. "And what doyou do with them？ "

"I administer them，" replied the businessman.

I count them and recount them. It is difficult.

But I am a man who is naturally interested in matters ofconsequence.

The little prince was still not satisfied.

"If I owned a silk scarf" he said，

I could put it around my neck and take it away with me.

If I owned a flower， I could pluck that flower and take itaway with me.

But you cannot pluck the stars from heaven.

No. But I can put them in the bank.

Whatever does that mean？

That means that I write the number of my stars on a lit-tle paper.

And then I put this paper in a drawer and lock it with akey.

And that is all？

"That is enough，" said the businessman.

"It is entertaining，" thought the little prince. "It is rath-er poetic. But it is of no great consequence.

On matters of consequence， the little prince had ideaswhich were very different from those of the grown-ups.

I myself own a flower， he continued his conversationwith the businessman， which I water every day.

I own three volcanoes， which I clean out every week （forI also clean out the one that is extinct; one never knows.

It is of some use to my volcanoes， and it is of some use tomy flower， that I own them.

But you are of no use to the stars...

The businessman opened his mouth， but he found noth-ing to say in answer.

And the little prince went away.

"The grown-ups are certainly altogether extraordinary，"he said simply， talking to himself as he continued on his jour-ney.

The fifth planet was very strange.

It was the smallest of all.

There was just enough room on it for a street lamp and alamplighter.

The little prince was not able to reach any explanation ofthe use of a street lamp and a lamplighter，

somewhere in the heavens， on a planet which had no peo-ple， and not one house.

But he said to himself， nevertheless， It may well be thatthis man is absurd.

But he is not so absurd as the king，the conceited man，the businessman， and the tippler.

For at least his work has some meaning.

When he lights his street lamp， it is as if he brought onemore star to life， or one flower.

When he puts out his lamp， he sends the flower， or thestar， to sleep.

That is a beautiful occupation. And since it is beautiful，it is truly useful.

When he arrived on the planet he respectfully salutedthe lamplighter.

Good morning. Why have you just put out your lamp？

"Those are the orders，" replied the lamplighter. "Goodmorning."

What are the orders？

The orders are that I put out my lamp. Good evening.

And he lighted his lamp again.

But why have you just lighted it again？

"Those are the orders，" replied the lamp lighter.

"I do not understand，" said the little prince.

"There is nothing to understand，" said the lamplighter."Orders are orders. Good morning."

And he put out his lamp.

第四個行星是一個實業家的星球。

這個人忙得不可開交，小王子到來的時候，他甚至連頭都沒有抬一下。

小王子對他說：“您好。您的煙卷滅了。”

三加二等于五。五加七等于十二。十二加三等于十五。

你好。十五加七，二十二。二十二加六，二十八。

我沒有時間去再點著它。

二十六加五，三十一。

哎喲！一共是五億一百六十二萬二千七百三十一。

“五億什么呀？”小王子問。

嗯？你還待在這兒呢？

五億一百萬，我不能停下來。我的工作很多！

我關注事情的結果。

我可是從來也沒有功夫去閑聊！二加五得七

“五億一百萬什么呀？”小王子重復問道。

一旦他提出了一個問題，是從來也不會放棄的。

這位實業家抬起頭說。

我住在這個星球上五十四年以來，只被打攪過三次。

第一次是二十二年前，不知從哪里跑來了一只

金龜子來打攪我。

它發出一種可怕的噪音，

使我在一筆帳目中出了四個差錯。

第二次，在十一年前，是風濕病發作，

因為我缺乏鍛煉所致?！?br>