Chapter 16-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《小王子The Little Prince》

16 So then the seventh planet was the Earth. The Earth is not just an ordinary^{①} planet! One can count, there, 111 kings not forgetting, 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, ooo,ooo,oo0 grown-ups. To give you an idea of the size of the Earth, I will tell you that before the invention② of electricity③} it was necessary to maintain, over the whole of the six continents④,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 come the turn of the lamplighters of New Zealand{} and Australid. 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 come the turn of the lamplighters of Russia and the lndies; then those of Africa and Europe; then those of South America; then those of North America. And never would they make a 100: 16 第七个行星是地球。 Dordinary /:dtnaria. 平常 地球可是一颗非比寻常的行星!统计起来,那 的,善通的,平凡的 里有一百一十一位国王(黑人的国王自然也包含在 内),七千个地理学家,九于万个商人,七百五十 万个酒鬼,三亿一千一百万个自大者,也就是说, ② invention /in'venfan/ n. 发 大概有二十亿个大人。 明,创造 ③electricity /tlektrisrtw n. 电 为了让你对地球大小有一些概念,我可以事先 流,电,电学 ④continent/kpntinant/ n. 大 告诉你,在电力还没发明之前,整个六大洲,用来 陆,陆地 ③veritable /veritabl/ a. 真正 点亮街灯的灯夫大军就有四十六万二千五百一十 的 一人。 spectacle /spektakl/ n. 展 览物,奇观,景象 从远处眺望,可真是壮丽非凡。这群人的一举 regulate /regjoleit/ v. 管 制,控制,调节,校准 一动颇像歌剧院的芭蕾舞者般整齐而有规律。首先 ⑧ ballet /'baeler.bae'ler/ n. 芭 蕾舞,芭蕾舞乐曲 上场的是新西兰和澳洲的灯夫,他们把灯点亮后便 ② opera/ppora/ n. 歌剧 NewZealand 去休息了;其次轮到中国和西伯利亚的灯夫上场表 /nju:'zi:land/n. 新西兰 (太平洋南部岛国) 演,他们完成任务之后,也挥挥手回到边厢;接着 nalight /a'lart/a 点着的. 发亮的 轮到饿罗斯和印度的灯夫;接着是非洲和欧洲的灯 2 Siberia /sar'braria/ n. 西伯 夫;继之是南美洲的灯夫;最后则是北美洲的灯 利亚(罗斯一地区) Bwing/wn/n. 侧厅,边厢 夫。他们依次登场,却不会发生任何差错。场面真 .101: The Cittfe Prince mistake in the order of their entry upon the stage①. It would be magnificent. Only the man who was in charge of the single lamp at the North Pole, and his colleague②} who was responsible for③ the single lamp at the South Pole-only these two would live free from toil{} and care: they would be busy twice a year. 。 102. 小王子1 ①stage /steid3/n. 舞台:戏 是浩大。 剧:活动场所:驿站 只有负责北极那一盏灯的灯夫和他负责南极那 ② colleague /kpli:o/ n. 同事. 盏灯的同事,不必那么辛苦一他们一年中只要忙 同 两次。 ③ be responsible for 为..... 负责,形成......的原因 ④toil/toiln辛苦.劳累 ·103·