Chapter 14-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《小王子The Little Prince》

14 The fifth planet was very strange.It was the smallest of all.There was just enough room on it for a street lamp and a lamplighter.The little prince was not able to reach any explanation of the use of a street lamp and a lamplighter,somewhere in the heavens,on a planet which had no people,and not one house.But he said to himself,nevertheless, "It may well be that this 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 5.When he lights his street lamp,it is as if he brought one more star to life,or one flower.When he puts out his lamp,he sends the flower,or the star,to sleep.That is a beautiful occupation.And since it is beautiful,it is truly useful." When he arrived on the planet he respectfully saluted the lamplighter. "Good morning,why have you just put out your lamp?" “Those are the orders,”replied the lamplighter.“Good morning.” “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?” ·086· 14 第五个行星很特别。它是所有行星之中最小的 Dlamplighter /'lamplarta/n. 一颗。它的空间仅够容纳一盏街灯和一个灯夫。小 点燃街灯的灯夫 @somewhere /'sam(h)wea/ 王子心中纳闷，在天空的某一处角落，一颗没有人 ad某处，在某处 居住也不见一幢房子的行星，要街灯和灯夫做什么 nevertheless /nevao'les/ 呢？他喃喃自语： ad然而，依然 ④absurd/ab's3:da.荒谬的， “这人也许荒谬可笑。但是比起国王、自大者、 可笑的 商人及酒鬼等人的荒唐行径，他的工作还是有点儿 意义的。当他点亮街灯的时候，就好像使得又一颗 ⑤meaning/mi:n/n意义， 含意，意图 星星或者又一朵花儿苏醒了。当他熄灯的时候，那 ⑥put out熄灭 星星和花儿也都跟着睡着了。这是一项妙不可言的 工作。既然美妙，那就表示有用。” respectfully /ris'pektful/ ad.尊敬地，谦恭地 当小王子抵达这个行星的时候，心存尊敬地向 ⑧salute/sa'lu:t/v招呼，行 灯夫问候。 礼，致意，问候 “早安，刚才你为什么要把灯熄灭呢？” “我是奉命行事。”灯夫回答，“早安。” “奉命做什么？” “我奉命熄灯。晚安。” 说完，他又把灯点亮了。 “你为什么又把灯点亮呢？” ·087· The Little Prince "Those are the orders,"replied the lamplighter. “I do not understand,”said the little prince. “There is nothing to understand,.”said the lamplighter.“Orders①are orders.Good morning." And he put out his lamp. Then he mopped②his forehead③with a handkerchief④decorated⑤ with red squares. "I follow a terrible profession.In the old days it was reasonable.I put the lamp out in the morning,and in the evening I lighted it again.I had the rest of the day for relaxation and the rest of the night for sleep.” "And the orders have been changed since that time?" “The orders have not been changed,”said the lamplighter..“That is the tragedy!From year to year the planet has turned more rapidly and the orders have not been changed!" “Then what?”asked the little prince. "Then-the planet now makes a complete turn every minute,and I no longer have a single second for repose.Once every minute I have to light my lamp and put it out!" "That is very funny!A day lasts only one minute,here where you live!" “It is not funny at all!”said the lamplighter.“While we have been talking together a month has gone by." “A month?” "Yes,a month.Thirty minutes.Thirty days.Good evening." And he lighted his lamp again. As the little prince watched him,he felt that he loved this lamplighter who was so faithful to his orders.He remembered the ·088· 小王子 “我奉命行事。”灯夫回答。 “我不懂。”小王子说。 “没有什么要懂的，”灯夫说，“奉命行事就是奉 ①order:da/n秩序，命令， 命行事。早安。” 定单 他又把灯熄灭了。 然后他用一条红色格子手帕擦拭额头。 ②mop/mop/片用拖把擦 “我从事这一个职业是很辛苦的。以前比较合于 地：擦（泪、汗等） 情理。早上熄灯，到晚上再把灯点亮。至于白天所 ③forehead/'fprid/n前额， (任何事物的)前部 剩余的时间，我就可以好好休息，而晚上有空则可 ④handkerchief 以安然睡觉。” hacnkotfi:f/n.手帕 ⑤decorate'dekoreit/k.装 “后来，你所奉行的命令改了吗？” 饰的 “命令没改。”灯夫说，“这正是悲剧所在！这个 profession /pra'fefan/n. 行星的运转一年比一年快，而命令却从未有所改变。” 业，专业 relaxation /iri:laek'seifon/n. “后来呢？”小王子问。 松弛，放宽，缓和，减轻，娱 “后来一如今这个行星每分钟就运转一周，使 乐 ⑧tum作3nl转动，旋转， 得我片刻也不得安宁了。每一分钟，我都必须要点 转变方向 灯和熄灯各一次。” “那真好玩！在你居住的地方，一天只有一分钟 而已呢！” ⑨repose/r'pauz/h休息， “一点儿都不好玩！”灯夫说，“就在我们说话的 睡眠，静止 时候，日子已经过了一个月了。” “一个月？” “是的，一个月。三十分钟， 也就是三十天。晚安。” 0goby(从…旁)走过，顺 他又把灯点亮了。 便走访 小王子凝视着他，心里觉得 自己已经喜欢上这个忠于职守的 a⑩faithful /fereful/a.守信 灯夫了。他回忆起自己追寻着落日的那段日子，只 的，忠实的，可靠的 ·08g· The Little Prince sunsets which he himself had gone to seek,in other days,merely by pulling up his chair;and he wanted to help his friend. “You know,”he said,“I can tell you a way you can rest whenever you want to..” “I always want to rest,”said the lamplighter. For it is possible for a man to be faithful and lazy at the same time. The little prince went on with his explanation, "Your planet is so small that three strides will take you all the way around it.To be always in the sunshine,you need only walk along rather slowly.When you want to rest,you will walk-and the day will last as long as you like." “That doesn't do me much good,”said the lamplighter.“The one thing I love in life is to sleep.”“Then you're unlucky④，”said the little prince. “I am unlucky,”said the lamplighter.“Good morning.” And he put out his lamp. "That man,"said the little prince to himself,as he continued farther on his journey,"that man would be scorned 5 by all the others;by the king,by the conceited man,by the tippler,by the businessman. Nevertheless he is the only one of them all who does not seem to me ridiculous.Perhaps that is because he is thinking of something else besides himself..” He breathed a sigh of regret,and said to himself,again, "That man is the only one of them all whom I could have made my friend.But his planet is indeed too small.There is no room on it for two people..."What the little prince did not dare confess was that he was sorry most of all to leave this planet,because it was blessed every day with 1440 sunsets! ·090 小王子 ①merely /miall ad.仅仅， 消移动一下椅子就可以。于是他想帮助这个朋友。 只，不过 “你知道吗？”他说，“我能告诉你一个可以休息 的办法…” “我总是想休息。”灯夫说。 人是可以忠于工作同时又偷一点儿闲的。 小王子继续解释说： “你的行星这么小，跨三步就可以绕一周。你只 ②stride/straid/n.步幅 要一步一步慢慢地走，就可以一直待在太阳底下 ③sunshine/sAnfarn//n.阳光 了。想休息的时候，你就走一走一白天就能如你 所愿，要多长就有多长。” “这对我没有多大的好处，”灯夫说，“我生来就 是喜欢睡觉。” “那可真是不幸。”小王子说。 ④unlucky/n'IAki/a.不幸 的，不祥的 “我是不幸。”灯夫说。“早安。” 他又把灯熄灭了。 “这个人，”小王子一边走，一边自语道，“这个 人会被其他人讥笑，如国王、自大者、酒鬼及商人。 不过，他却是他们当中我认为唯一比较合乎常理的 ⑤scom/skon/.轻蔑，嘲 笑，被叱责 人。大概是他能关心自身以外的事情吧！” 他惋惜地叹了一口气，又自言自语道： “这个人是他们当中我唯一想结交的朋友。可 ⑥ridiculous /'dikjulas/a荒 谬的，可笑的 是，他的行星真的是太小了，小到容纳不下两个 人…”小王子不敢承认自己最舍不得离开这个 行星的原因，是因为这里幸运地每天有一千四百 四十次日落！ ⑦confess/kon'fes/k.承认， 坦白，杆悔 ⑧blessed/'blest/a.受祝福 的 ·091·