Chapter 15-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《小王子The Little Prince》

15 The sixth planet was ten times larger than the last one.It was inhabited2 by an old gentleman who wrote voluminous books. “Oh,look！Here is an explorer!”he exclaimed to himself when he saw the little prince coming. The little prince sat down on the table and panted a little.He had already traveled so much and so far! "Where do you come from?"the old gentleman said to him. “What is that big book?”said the little prince.“What are you doing?" “I am a geographer,”said the old gentleman. "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 last8isa man who has a real profession!"And he cast a look around him at the planet of the geographer.It was the most magnificent and stately planet that he had ever seen. “Your planet is very beautiful,”he said.“Has it any oceans?'" ·092· 15 ①time/tam/a.倍 第六个行星则比前一颗大上十倍。这里住着一 2 inhabit/n'h:ebt/g.居住， 位老绅士，他写了很多卷书。 占据 “瞧！这回来了一个探险家！”他一看到小王子， 3 voluminous va'lu:minas/ a卷数多的：著书多的：丰 就大声喊道。 满的 小王子坐在桌子上，喘了口气。他已经长途跋 ④explorer/ks'plb:ral.探 险家，探测器 涉好一阵子了。 5pnt/pent/k.气喘 “你从哪里来？”老绅士对他说道。 “那本大部头是什么书？”小王子问，“你在做什 么呢？” “我是一位地理学家。”老绅士说。 geographer /d31'ografal n. “什么是地理学家？”小王子问。 地理学者，地理学家 “地理学家是一种学者，他知道所有海洋、河 ⑦scholar广skola/n.学者 流、城镇、山脉及沙漠的位置。” “真有趣，”小王子说，“终于遇到一位有正经职 霜at last终于 业的人了。”他环顾一周地理学家的行星。这是他 9 cast a look瞥了一眼 所看见的行星中，最富丽堂皇的一颗。 stately'steith/a.庄严的， “你的行星真是美啊。”他说，“这里有海洋吗？” 堂皇的 “我说不上来。”地理学家说 “啊！”小王子大失所望地问，“这里有山脉吗？” ·093· The Little Prince “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!" “Exactly②，”the geographer said.“But I am not an explorer.I haven't a single explorer on my planet.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 about3.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 5 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 complicated But one requires the explorer ·094· 小王子 “我说不上来。”地理学家说。 “那城镇、河流及沙漠呢？” disappointed /disa'pointid/ a.失望的 “我都说不上来。” “可你是一位地理学家啊！” “没错，”地理学家说，“不过我不是一位探险 家。在这个行星上并没有探险家。地理学家的职责 不是去勘探城镇、河流、山脉、海洋和沙漠的数 2 exactly /g'zaktlv/ad. 确地，严密地 量。地理学家太重要了，他不能四处闲逛。他不会 离开书桌，但会在书房接待探险家。他向他们提出 问题，记录他们旅行中的所见所闻。如果某位探险 罗loaf about四处闲逛、游荡 家的见闻引人入胜，那么他就会派人调查这个探险 ④recall'ko回忆，回 家的人格。” 想，记起，取消 “为什么呢？” 3 recollection /reka'lekfon/ n.回忆，记忆，回想 “因为探险家若是说谎，会对地理学家的著作带 6 inquiry /in'kwaior/n. 来灾难。酗酒的探险家也是一样。”“为什么呢？” 询，调查 小王子问道。 “因为喝醉酒的人，看 ⑦disaster/d'za:sta/n灾难， 东西会有重影。信了他的 天灾，灾祸 话，地理学家就会把一座山 记成两座。” 8 intoxicated /in'tpksikeitid/ “我认识一个人，”小王 a喝醉的：极其兴奋的 子说，“他如果当探险家的 话一定很差劲。” “可能吧！若是他品格端正，接下来就必须调查 他的发现。” discovery /dis'kAvarv/n. “派人去调查吗？” 现，发明的东西 “不是。那太麻烦了。我会要求他们提出证据。 complicated komplikeitid/a.复杂的， 比如说，他发现了一座山脉，那他就必须从当地带 难解的 一块大石头回来。” ·095· The Little Prince to furnish proofs2.For example,if the discovery in question is that of a large mountain,one requires that large stones be brought back from i北” The geographer was suddenly stirred to excitement. "But you-you come from far away!You are an explorer!You shall describe your planet to me!" And,having opened his big register③，the geographer sharpened④ 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 planet!" “We do not record them,”said the geographer,“because they are ephemeral 7" "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 become old-fashioned.It is very rarely that a mountain changes its position.It is very rarely that an ocean empties itself of its water.We write of eternal things." "But extinct volcanoes may come to life again,"the little prince ·096· 小王子 ①fumish /'f3:nfl供应， 地理学家突然兴奋起来。 提供，装备，布置 proof /pru:fn证据，试验， “你一你可是从遥远的地方来的！你是一位探 考验，校样 险家。请把你的行星的情况详细说给我听吧！” 地理学家翻开他的大笔记簿，并削尖铅笔。一 个人应该先用铅笔把探险家所叙述的记下来，直到 探险家提供出证据之后，才用钢笔重新抄写一遍。 “可以了吗？”地理学家满心期待地说。“哦！我 选register /red3 ista/n.记录， 登记簿，登记，注册 所住的行星，”小王子说，“它并不是个很有趣的地 ④sharpen /'fa:pan/g.削尖， 方。行星很小，有三座火山。其中两座是活火山， 磨快 一座死火山。但没有人能够预料它是不是会再度 金recital'saitV n.朗诵；叙 述：独奏会：独唱会 爆发。” expectantly /iks'pektantl/ “没有人知道。”地理学家说。 ad期待地，期望地 “我还有一朵花。” “我们是不记录花的。” 地理学家说。 “为什么呢？这朵花是 我的行星上最美丽的东西。” “我不记录它们，”地 理学家说，“因为它们生命太短暂。” “‘短暂’是什么意思？” “地理学，”地理学家说，“在所有的书籍中，地 ①ephemeral /'femaral/a.朝 生暮死的，短暂的 理学书籍关注的都是最重要的事情。它们永远不会 geography /d3t'ngraft/n. 过时。一座山脉很少会变更位置，海洋也绝少会干 理学，地理 涸。我们只记录恒久不变的事物。” old-fashioned /ald'faefand/a.老式的， “可是死火山有朝一日可能会再度复活。”小王 过时的，守旧的 子打断他道，“‘短暂’是什么意思？” )eternal /(:'t3:nl/a.永恒 “无论是死火山或者活火山，对我们而言都是一 的，永远的，不灭的，没完 没了的 样的，”地理学家说，“我们认定的就是山。山是亘 古不变的。” ·097· The Little Prince interrupted..“What does that mean--‘ephemeral'?” "Whether volcanoes are extinct or alive,it comes 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 speedy2 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 planet,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 planet Earth,”replied the geographer..“It has a good reputation.” And the little prince went away,thinking of his flower. ·098· 小王子 “可是一‘短暂’是什么意思呢？”小王子又问 道。他一旦提出问题，得不到解答便不肯善罢甘休。 “这意思是说那东西有瞬间就消失的危险。” “那么我的花也有瞬间就消失的危险吗？” “是的。” “我的花生命短暂，”小王子自语道，“她只有四 根刺可以保护自己，抵御世界，我却将她独自留在 ①in danger of在危险中，垂 我的行星上了！” 危 ②speedy'spi:dWa快的，迅 这是他第一次感到后悔。稍后，他又鼓起了勇气。 速的 “你认为我现在应该去哪里拜访呢？”他问道。 disappearance “地球，”地理学家回答，“它的名气很大。” /dis3'prarans/n.不见，消 失 小王子挂念着他的花儿，黯然地走了。 ④take courage鼓起勇气 reputation/repjo'teifan/n. 名誉，名声，名气 ·099·