小王子-the little prince (英文版)-第6章

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What　the　little　prince　did　not　dare　confess　was　that　he　was　sorry　most　of　all　to　leave　this　pla；　because　it　was　blest　every　day　with　1440　sunsets！
　
　
＇　Chapter　15　＇

　　the　little　prince　visits　the　geographer


The　sixth　pla　was　ten　times　larger　than　the　last　one。　It　was　inhabited　by　an　old　gentleman　who　wrote　voluminous　books。　
〃Oh；　look！　Here　is　an　explorer！〃　he　exclaimed　to　himself　when　he　saw　the　little　prince　ing。　
The　little　prince　sat　down　on　the　table　and　panted　a　little。　He　had　already　traveled　so　much　and　so　far！　
〃Where　do　you　e　from？〃　the　old　gentleman　said　to　him。　
〃What　is　that　big　book？〃　said　the　little　prince。　〃What　are　you　doing？〃　
〃I　am　a　geographer；〃　the　old　gentleman　said　to　him。　
〃What　is　a　geographer？〃　asked　the　little　prince。　
〃A　geographer　is　a　scholar　who　knows　the　location　of　all　the　seas；　rivers；　towns；　mountains；　and　deserts。〃　
〃That　is　very　interesting；〃　said　the　little　prince。　〃Here　at　last　is　a　man　who　has　a　real　profession！〃　And　he　cast　a　look　around　him　at　the　pla　of　the　geographer。　It　was　the　most　magnificent　and　stately　pla　that　he　had　ever　seen。　

　
〃Your　pla　is　very　beautiful；〃　he　said。　〃Has　it　any　oceans？〃　
〃I　couldn‘t　tell　you；〃　said　the　geographer。　
〃Ah！〃　The　little　prince　was　disappointed。　〃Has　it　any　mountains？〃　
〃I　couldn‘t　tell　you；〃　said　the　geographer。　
〃And　towns；　and　rivers；　and　deserts？〃　
〃I　couldn‘t　tell　you　that；　either。〃　
〃But　you　are　a　geographer！〃　

〃Exactly；〃　the　geographer　said。　〃But　I　am　not　an　explorer。　I　haven‘t　a　single　explorer　on　my　pla。　It　is　not　the　geographer　who　goes　out　to　count　the　towns；　the　rivers；　the　mountains；　the　seas；　the　oceans；　and　the　deserts。　The　geographer　is　much　too　important　to　go　loafing　about。　He　does　not　leave　his　desk。　But　he　receives　the　explorers　in　his　study。　He　asks　them　questions；　and　he　notes　down　what　they　recall　of　their　travels。　And　if　the　recollections　of　any　one　among　them　seem　interesting　to　him；　the　geographer　orders　an　inquiry　into　that　explorer‘s　moral　character。〃　
〃Why　is　that？〃　
〃Because　an　explorer　who　told　lies　would　bring　disaster　on　the　books　of　the　geographer。　So　would　an　explorer　who　drank　too　much。〃　
〃Why　is　that？〃　asked　the　little　prince。　
〃Because　intoxicated　men　see　double。　Then　the　geographer　would　note　down　two　mountains　in　a　place　where　there　was　only　one。〃　
〃I　know　some　one；〃　said　the　little　prince；　〃who　would　make　a　bad　explorer。〃　
〃That　is　possible。　Then；　when　the　moral　character　of　the　explorer　is　shown　to　be　good；　an　inquiry　is　ordered　into　his　discovery。〃　
〃One　goes　to　see　it？〃　
〃No。　That　would　be　too　plicated。　But　one　requires　the　explorer　to　furnish　proofs。　For　example；　if　the　discovery　in　question　is　that　of　a　large　mountain；　one　requires　that　large　stones　be　brought　back　from　it。〃　
The　geographer　was　suddenly　stirred　to　excitement。　
〃But　you　you　e　from　far　away！　You　are　an　explorer！　You　shall　describe　your　pla　to　me！〃　

　
　And；　having　opened　his　big　register；　the　geographer　sharpened　his　pencil。　The　recitals　of　explorers　are　put　down　first　in　pencil。　One　waits　until　the　explorer　has　furnished　proofs；　before　putting　them　down　in　ink。　
〃Well？〃　said　the　geographer　expectantly。　
〃Oh；　where　I　live；〃　said　the　little　prince；　〃it　is　not　very　interesting。　It　is　all　so　small。　I　have　three　volcanoes。　Two　volcanoes　are　active　and　the　other　is　extinct。　But　one　never　knows。〃　
〃One　never　knows；〃　said　the　geographer。　
〃I　have　also　a　flower。〃　
〃We　do　not　record　flowers；〃　said　the　geographer。　
〃Why　is　that？　The　flower　is　the　most　beautiful　thing　on　my　pla！〃　
〃We　do　not　record　them；〃　said　the　geographer；　〃because　they　are　ephemeral。〃　
〃What　does　that　mean　‘ephemeral‘？〃　
〃Geographies；〃　said　the　geographer；　〃are　the　books　which；　of　all　books；　are　most　concerned　with　matters　of　consequence。　They　never　bee　oldfashioned。　It　is　very　rarely　that　a　mountain　changes　its　position。　It　is　very　rarely　that　an　ocean　empties　itself　of　its　waters。　We　write　of　eternal　things。〃　
〃But　extinct　volcanoes　may　e　to　life　again；〃　the　little　prince　interrupted。　〃What　does　that　mean　‘ephemeral‘？〃　
〃Whether　volcanoes　are　extinct　or　alive；　it　es　to　the　same　thing　for　us；〃　said　the　geographer。　〃The　thing　that　matters　to　us　is　the　mountain。　It　does　not　change。〃　
〃But　what　does　that　mean　‘ephemeral‘？〃　repeated　the　little　prince；　who　never　in　his　life　had　let　go　of　a　question；　once　he　had　asked　it。　
〃It　means；　‘which　is　in　danger　of　speedy　disappearance。‘〃
〃Is　my　flower　in　danger　of　speedy　disappearance？〃　
〃Certainly　it　is。〃　
〃My　flower　is　ephemeral；〃　the　little　prince　said　to　himself；　〃and　she　has　only　four　thorns　to　defend　herself　against　the　world。　And　I　have　left　her　on　my　pla；　all　alone！〃　
That　was　his　first　moment　of　regret。　But　he　took　courage　once　more。　
〃What　place　would　you　advise　me　to　visit　now？〃　he　asked。　
〃The　pla　Earth；〃　replied　the　geographer。　〃It　has　a　good　reputation。〃　
And　the　little　prince　went　away；　thinking　of　his　flower。
　
　
　
　
　
＇　Chapter　16　＇

　　the　narrator　discusses　the　Earth‘s　lamplighters


So　then　the　seventh　pla　was　the　Earth。　

The　Earth　is　not　just　an　ordinary　pla！　One　can　count；　there　111　kings　（not　fetting；　to　be　sure；　the　Negro　kings　among　them）；　7000　geographers；　900；000　businessmen；　7；500；000　tipplers；　311；000；000　conceited　men　that　is　to　say；　about　2；000；000；000　grownups。　

To　give　you　an　idea　of　the　size　of　the　Earth；　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　462；511　lamplighters　for　the　street　lamps。　

Seen　from　a　slight　distance；　that　would　make　a　splendid　spectacle。　The　movements　of　this　army　would　be　regulated　like　those　of　the　ballet　in　the　opera。　First　would　e　the　turn　of　the　lamplighters　of　New　Zealand　and　Australia。　Having　set　their　lamps　alight；　these　would　go　off　to　sleep。　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。　After　that　would　e　the　turn　of　the　lamplighters　of　Russia　and　the　Indies；　then　those　of　Africa　and　Europe；　then　those　of　South　America；　then　those　of　South　America；　then　those　of　North　America。　And　never　would　they　make　a　mistake　in　the　order　of　their　entry　upon　the　stage。　It　would　be　magnificent。　

Only　the　man　who　was　in　charge　of　the　single　lamp　at　the　North　Pole；　and　his　colleague　who　was　responsible　for　the　single　lamp　at　the　South　Pole　only　these　two　would　live　free　from　toil　and　care：　they　would　be　busy　twice　a　year。

　
　
　
　
　
＇　Chapter　17　＇

　　the　little　prince　makes　the　acquaintance　of　the　snake


When　one　wishes　to　play　the　wit；　he　sometimes　wanders　a　little　from　the　truth。　I　have　not　been　altogether　honest　in　what　I　have　told　you　about　the　lamplighters。　And　I　realize　that　I　run　the　risk　of　giving　a　false　idea　of　our　pla　to　those　who　do　not　k　now　it。　Men　occupy　a　very　small　place　upon　the　Earth。　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；　they　could　easily　be　put　into　one　public　square　twenty　miles　long　and　twenty　miles　wide。　All　humanity　could　be　piled　up　on　a　small　Pacific　islet。　

The　grownups；　to　be　sure；　will　not　believe　you　when　you　tell　them　that。　They　imagine　that　they　fill　a　great　deal　of　space。　They　fancy　themselves　as　important　as　the　baobabs。　You　should　advise　them；　then；　to　make　their　own　calculations。　They　adore　fig　ures；　and　that　will　please　them。　But　do　not　waste　your　time　on　this　extra　task。　It　is　unnecessary。　You　have；　I　know；　confidence　in　me。　

When　the　little　prince　arrived　on　the　Earth；　he　was　very　much　surprised　not　to　see　any　people。　He　was　beginning　to　be　afraid　he　had　e　to　the　wrong　pla；　when　a　coil　of　gold；　the　color　of　the　moonlight；　flashed　across　the　sand。

〃Good　evening；〃　said　the　little　prince　courteously。　
〃Good　evening；〃　said　the　snake。　
〃What　pla　is　this　on　which　I　have　e　down？〃　asked　the　little　prince。
〃This　is　the　Earth；　this　is　Africa；〃　the　snake　answered。　
〃Ah！　Then　there　are　no　people　on　the　Earth？〃　
〃This　is　the　desert。　There　are　no　people　in　the　desert。　The　Earth　is　large；〃　said　the　snake。

The　little　prince　sat　down　on　a　stone；　and　raised　his　eyes　toward　the　sky。　
〃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。。。　Look　at　my　pla。　It　is　right　there　above　us。　But　how　far　away　it　is！〃　
〃It　is　beautiful；〃　the　snake　said。　〃What　has　brought　you　here？〃
〃I　have　been　having　some　trouble　with　a　flower；〃　said　the　little　prince。　
〃Ah！〃　said　the　snake。　
And　they　were　both　silent。　
〃Where　are　the　men？〃　the　little　prince　at　last　took　up　the　conversation　again。　〃It　is　a　little　lonely　in　the　desert。。。〃　
〃It　is　also　lonely　among　men；〃　the　snake　said。　

The　little　prince　gazed　at　him　for　a　long　time。　
〃You　are　a　funny　animal；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃You　are　no　thicker　than　a　finger。。。〃　
〃But　I　am　more　powerful　than　the　finger　of　a　king；〃　said　the　snake。　
The　little　prince　smiled。　
〃You　are　not　very　powerful。　You　haven‘t　even　any　feet。　You　cannot　even　travel。。。〃　
〃I　can　carry　you　farther　than　any　ship　could　take　you；〃　said　the　snake。　
He　twined　himself　around　the　little　prince‘s　ankle；　like　a　golden　bracelet。　
〃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　e　from　a　star。。。〃

The　little　prince　made　no　reply。　
〃You　move　me　to　pity　you　are　so　weak　on　this　Earth　made　of　granite；〃　the　snake　said。　〃I　can　help　you；　some　day；　if　you　grow　too　homesick　for　your　own　pla。　I　can〃　
〃Oh！　I　understand　you　very　well；〃　said　the　little　prince。　〃But　why　do　you　always　speak　in　riddles？〃　
〃I　solve　them　all；〃　said　the　snake。　
And　they　were　both　silent。
　
　
　
　
＇　Chapter　18　＇

　　the　little　prince　goes　looking　for　men　and　meets　a　flower

　
The　little　prince　crossed　the　desert　and　met　with　only　one　flower。　It　was　a　flower　with　three　petals；　a　flower　of　no　account　at　all。　
〃Good　morning；〃　said　the　little　prince。　
〃Good　morning；〃　said　the　flower。　
〃Where　are　the　men？〃　the　little　prince　asked；　politely。　
The　flower　had　once　seen　a　caravan　passing。　
〃Men？〃　she　echoed。　〃I　think　there　are　six　or　seven　of