Chapter 5-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《小王子The Little Prince》

5 As each day passed I would learn,in our talk,something about the little prince's planet,his departure from it,his journey.The information would come very slowly,as it might chance to fall from his thoughts.It was in this way that I heard,on the third day,about the catastrophe③of the baobabs④. This time,once more,I had the sheep to thank for it.For the little prince asked me abruptly-as if seized5 by a grave doubt-"It is true, isn't it,that sheep eat little bushes?" “Yes,that is true.” “Ah!I am glad!" I did not understand why it was so important that sheep should eat little bushes.But the little prince added,"Then it follows that they also eat baobabs?" I pointed out to the little prince that baobabs were not little bushes, but,on the contrary,trees as big as castles;and that even if he took a whole herd of elephants away with him,the herd would not eat up one single baobab. The idea of the herd of elephants made the little prince laugh. ·030· 5 日子一天天过去，从我们的交谈中，我了解到 ①departure/dr'pa:tfal n.离 了小王子居住的小行星、他离开的原因、以及他旅 开，离去 途中的经历。这些信息得之不易，都是他无意之间 ②chance /tfarns/,偶然发 生，碰巧 透露出来的。在这种情况之下，我直到第三天才得 catastrophe /ka'taestrafi/n. 知猴面包树的浩劫。 灾祸，灾难 ④baobab /'be3bEb/n猴面 这一次，我要再次感谢这只小绵羊，因为小王 包树 子突然仿佛心里压着沉重的疑惑似地问我：“绵羊 ⑤seize/si:zl抓获，抓住， 真的会吃小灌木吗？” 夺取，攻占 ⑥grave/grerv/a.重大的： “是的，是真的。” 严重的 “啊！那真是太好了。” 我并不明白绵羊吃灌木为什么会这么重要，但 小王子又继续说：“这么说来，他也吃猴面包树 啰？” 我明确地告诉小王子，猴面包树并非小灌木， 而是像城堡般的大树，就算他带一群大象回去，恐 ⑦on the contrary(与此)相 怕也吃不完一棵猴面包树。 反，正相反 而成群大象的想法把小王子逗笑了。 ⑧a herd of大型动物的群集 “我们得把它们一只一只叠起来。”他说。 随即他又做了一个聪明的结论：“在猴面包树还 ·031· The Little Prince "We would have to put them one on top of the other."he said. But he made a wise comment, "Before they grow so big,the baobabs start out by being little." “That is strictly correct,.”I said.“But why do you want the sheep to eat the little baobabs?" He answered me at once,"Oh,come,come!",as if he were speaking of something that was self-evident.And I was obliged to make a great mental effort to solve this problem,without any assistance Indeed,as I learned,there were on the planet where the little prince lived-as on all planets-good plants and bad plants.In consequence5, there were good seeds from good plants,and bad seeds from bad plants. But seeds are invisible.They sleep deep in the heart of the earth's darkness,until someone among them is seized with the desire to awaken. Then this little seed will stretch itself and begin-timidly at first-to push a charming little sprig inoffensively upward toward the sun.If it is only a sprout of radish or the sprig of a rose-bush,one would let it grow wherever it might wish.But when it is a bad plant,one must destroy it as soon as possible,the very first instant that one recognizes it. Now there were some terrible seeds on the planet that was the home of the little prince;and these were the seeds of the baobab.The soil of that planet was infested with them.A baobab is something you will never,never be able to get rid of if you attend to it too late.It spreads over the entire planet.It bores clear through it with its roots.And if the planet is too small,and the baobabs are too many,they split it in pieces "It is a question of discipline,"the little prince said to me later on. "When you've finished your own toilet in the morning,then it is time ·032· 小王子1 没长成大树之前，也不过是一株小树苗而已。” “话是一点儿没错，”我问，“可是你为什么要绵 羊吃小猴面包树呢？” ①strictly /striktl/ad.严厉 他毫不迟疑地说：“哦！就是这样了。”仿佛他 地；严格地；完全地：绝对 所说的是一件显而易见的事。于是我只得在没有任 地 何提示的情况之下，费尽心 2self-evident/self'evidant/ 思来解开这个疑团。 a不证自明的，明摆着的 原来，据我了解，和其 ③mental /mentl a.精神的， 他小行星一样，在小王子所 头脑的，心理的，智力的 ④assistance/h'sistans/n帮 居住的小行星上，植物也有 助，援助 好与坏之分。因此，好的植 ⑤in consequence结果 物有好的种子，坏的植物则 ⑥invisible /in'vIzabl/a.看 有坏的种子。但是从地面是看不到种子的，它们 不见的：暗藏的 深埋在黑暗的地底，直到有一天，突然有一颗种 ⑦timidly/'timidlv/ad胆小 地，羞怯地 子萌生苏醒的欲望。于是，这颗种子探出头来， 开始只是小心翼翼地，然后，迷人的新发嫩芽朝 向太阳，恣意生长。假如它只是萝卜的幼芽，或 ⑧sprout/spraut/n.新芽，嫩 枝 者是玫瑰的嫩苗，人们便会任其随意生长。但是， 人们一旦认定它是一种有害的植物时，便会立即 将它铲除殆尽。 如今，在小王子居住的小行星上就有一些坏种 子存在，那就是猴面包树的种子。它们在小行星 ⑨infest/in'fest/遍布于 上四处盘踞，倘若不能及时铲除的话，就很难再 根除猴面包树了。一旦它四处蔓延，就会用树根 贯穿整个行星。假设这个行星又太小了而猴面包树 )split/splt/.使分裂：分 开 又太多的话，那么这个小行星便会被树根钻得四分 ①discipline'disaplm/n.规 五裂… 兔 “这是规矩问题。”小王子随后对我说，“每天早 2 toilet /torl/n梳妆，打 扮 上梳洗完毕之后，接着就是要非常细心地整理你的 ·033· The Little Prince to attend to the toilet of your planet,just so,with the greatest care.You must see to it that you pull up regularly all the baobabs,at the very first moment when they can be distinguished from the rose-bushes which they resemble so closely in their earliest youth.It is very tedious work,"the little prince added,“but very easy.” And one day he said to me,"You ought to make a beautiful drawing,so that the children where you live can see exactly how all this is.That would be very useful to them if they were to travel some day. Sometimes,”he added,“there is no harm in putting off②a piece of work until another day.But when it is a matter of baobabs,that always means a catastrophe.I knew a planet that was inhabited by a lazy man. He neglected③three little bushes...” So,as the little prince described it to me,I have made a drawing of that planet.I do not much like to take the tone of a moralist.But the danger of the baobabs is so little understood,and such considerable risks would be run by anyone who might get lost on an asteroid,that for once I am breaking through my reserve."Children,"I say plainly, “watch out for the baobabs.” My friends,like myself,have been skirting this danger for a long time,without ever knowing it;and so it is for them that I have worked so hard over this drawing.The lesson which I pass on by this means is worth all the trouble it has cost me. Perhaps you will ask me,"Why are there no other drawings in this book as magnificent and impressive as this drawing of the baobabs?" The reply is simple.I have tried.But with the others I have not been successful.When I made the drawing of the baobabs I was carried beyond myself by the inspiring force of urgent necessity. ·034· 小王子 行星的时间了。由于玫瑰和猴面包树的幼苗非常相 似，一旦你认出猴面包树幼苗，就必须刻不容缓地 想办法拔除它们。这项工作是很乏味的。”小王子 ①tedious/ti:dis/a乏味的， 很快又加了一句，“但是也很简单。” 单调的 有一天，他告诉我：“你应该画一张漂亮的图画， 这样你所居住的行星上的孩子们就能够准确地明白 这一切究竞是怎么一回事了。倘若有一天他们要去旅 行了，这对他们是相当有用的。有时候，”他补充道， ②put off延期，拖延 “将一件事情延迟到第二天再做，这并不会产生多大 的害处。但如果是猴面包树的话，就意味着一场大的 灾难了。我知道某颗行星上住着一位懒惰的人。他忽 ③neglect/n'glekt/疏忽： 视了三棵小树.” 忽略：遗漏 于是，小王子一边向我描述 ④moralist/mpralist/n道德 着，我一边着手将那个行星画下 家 ⑤considerable 来。我向来不喜用道德家的口吻来 kan'sidarab/a不可忽视 说教，但是一般人对猴面包树的危 的 险性了解得太少，要是有人在一颗 行星上迷路的话，那么他就有可能引发这种巨大的 危险。所以这一次我不再沉默了。“孩子们，”我 ⑥watch out当心，小心 ⑦skit/sk3t/.位于（某物 直截了当地说，“小心猴面包树！” 的)边缘，沿着（某物的）边 我的朋友们也和我一样，长期处于这种危险的 缘走 边缘而不自知，因此，为了他们，我格外用心地去 ⑧pass on传递，传达 ②magnificent 画这幅画。只要能用这个教训来警醒他人，那么花 /meg'nmfisnt/a.壮观 再多的心血都是值得的。 impressive /m'presrv/a. 或许你会问我：“为什么在这本书中没有一幅画 人深刻印象的，令人难忘 的 像猴面包树这幅那么壮观、令人震撼呢？” ①inspiring'spaiarin/a.鼓 答案很简单。我尝试过其他的画，但是都没有 舞人的：使人感兴趣的 成功。我在画猴面包树时，因为有紧迫的使命感激 里urgent'3d3nt/a.急迫 的，紧要的 励我，所以我才能画得超乎平时的水平。 ·035·