On the fifth day again, as always, it was thanks to the sheep–the secret of the little prince's life was revealed to me.
第五天，还是羊的事，把小王子的生活秘密向我揭开了。
Abruptly, without anything to lead up to it, and as if the question had been born of long and silent meditation on his problem, he demanded:
好象默默地思索了很长时间以后，得出了什么结果一样，他突然没头没脑地问我：
"A sheep–if it eats little bushes, does it eat flowers, too?"
羊，要是吃小灌木，它也要吃花罗？
"A sheep," I answered, "eats anything it finds in its reach."
“它碰到什么吃什么”，我说。
"Even flowers that have thorns?"
连有刺的花也吃吗？
"Yes, even flowers that have thorns."
有刺的也吃！
"Then the thorns–what use are they?"
那么刺有什么用呢？
I did not know.
我不知道该怎么回答。
At that moment, I was very busy trying to unscrew a bolt that had got stuck in my engine.
那会儿我正忙着要从发动机上卸下一颗拧得太紧的螺丝。
I was very much worried, for it was becoming clear to me that the breakdown of my plane was extremely serious.
心里很着急，我发现机器故障似乎很严重，
And I had so little drinking-water left that I had to fear for the worst.
饮水也快完了，担心可能发生最坏的情况，
"The thorns–what use are they?
那么刺有什么用呢？
The little prince never let go of a question, once he had asked it.
小王子一旦提出了问题，从来不会放过。
As for me, I was upset over that bolt.
这个该死的螺丝使我很恼火，
And I answered with the first thing that came into my head: "The thorns are of no use at all. Flowers have thorns just for spite!"
我于是就随便回答了他一句：“刺么，什么用都没有，这纯粹是花的恶劣表现。”
"Oh!"
噢！
There was a moment of complete silence.
可是他沉默了一会儿之后，
Then the little prince flashed back at me, with a kind of resentfulness: "I don't believe you!"
怀着不满的心情冲我说：“我不信！”
"Flowers are weak creatures. They are naive. They reassure themselves as best they can.
花是弱小的、淳朴的，它们总是设法保护自己，
They believe that their thorns are terrible weapons."
以为有了刺就可以显出自己的厉害。
I did not answer.
我默不作声。
At that instant I was saying to myself: "If this bolt still won't turn, I am going to knock it out with the hammer."
我当时想的，“如果这个螺丝再和我作对，我就一锤子敲掉它。”
Again the little prince disturbed my thoughts.
小王子又来打搅我的思绪了。
"And you actually believe that the flowers,"
你却认为花…
"Oh, no!" I cried. "No, no no! I don't believe anything.
“嗷，不，”我哭着说，“算了吧，算了吧！我什么也不认为！
I answered you with the first thing that came into my head.
我是随便回答你的。
Don't you see–I am very busy with matters of consequence!"
我可有正经事要做。”
He stared at me, thunderstruck.
他惊讶地看着我。
"Matters of consequence!"
正经事？
He looked at me there, with my hammer in my hand, my fingers black with engine-grease, bending down over an object which seemed to him extremely ugly.
他瞅着我手拿锤子，手指沾满了油污，伏在一个在他看来丑不可言的机件上。
"You talk just like the grown-ups!"
你说话就和那些大人一样！
That made me a little ashamed.
这话使我有点难堪。
But he went on, relentlessly: "You mix everything up together...You confuse everything."
可是他又尖刻无情地说道：“你什么都分不清…你把什么都混在一起！”
He was really very angry.
他着实非常恼火。
He tossed his golden curls in the breeze.
摇动着脑袋，金黄色的头发随风颤动着。
"I know a planet where there is a certain red-faced gentleman.
我到过一个星球，上面住着一个红脸先生。
He has never smelled a flower.
他从来没闻过一朵花。
He has never looked at a star.
他从来没有看过一颗星星。
He has never loved any one.
他什么人也没有喜欢过。
He has never done anything in his life but add up figures.
除了算帐以外，他什么也没有做过。
And all day he says over and over, just like you: 'I am busy with matters of consequence!'
他整天同你一样老是说：“我有正经事，我是个严肃的人”。
And that makes him swell up with pride.
这使他傲气十足。
But he is not a man– he is a mushroom!"
他简直不象是个人，他是个蘑菇。
"A what?"
是个什么？
"A mushroom!"
是个蘑菇！
The little prince was now white with rage.
小王子当时气得脸色发白。
"The flowers have been growing thorns for millions of years.
几百万年以来花儿都在制造着刺，
For millions of years the sheep have been eating them just the same.
几百万年以来羊仍然在吃花。
And is it not a matter of consequence to try to understand why the flowers go to so much trouble to grow thorns which are never of any use to them?
要搞清楚为什么花儿费那么大劲给自己制造没有什么用的刺，这难道不是正经事？
Is the warfare between the sheep and the flowers not important?
难道羊和花之间的战争不重要？
Is this not of more consequence than a fat red-faced gentleman's sums?
这难道不比那个大胖子红脸先生的帐目更重要？
And if I know–I, myself–one flower which is unique in the world, which grows nowhere but on my planet,
如果我认识一朵人世间唯一的花，只有我的星球上有它，别的地方都不存在，
but which one little sheep can destroy in a single bite some morning, without even noticing what he is doing–Oh! You think that is not important!"
而一只小羊胡里胡涂就这样把它一下子毁掉了，这难道不重要？
His face turned from white to red as he continued:
他的脸气得发红，然后又接着说道：
"If some one loves a flower, of which just one single blossom grows in all the millions and millions of stars, it is enough to make him happy just to look at the stars.
如果有人爱上了在这亿万颗星星中独一无二的一株花，当他看着这些星星的时候，这就足以使他感到幸福。
He can say to himself, 'Somewhere, my flower is there.'
他可以自言自语地说：“我的那朵花就在其中的一颗星星上”，
But if the sheep eats the flower, in one moment all his stars will be darkened.
但是如果羊吃掉了这朵花，对他来说，好象所有的星星一下子全都熄灭了一样！
And you think that is not important!"
这难道也不重要吗？！
He could not say anything more. His words were choked by sobbing.
他无法再说下去了，突然泣不成声。
The night had fallen.
夜幕已经降临。
I had let my tools drop from my hands.
我放下手中的工具。
Of what moment now was my hammer, my bolt, or thirst, or death
我把锤子、螺钉、饥渴、死亡，全都抛在脑后。
On one star, one planet, my planet, the Earth, there was a little prince to be comforted.
在一颗星球上，在一颗行星上，在我的行星上，在地球上有一个小王子需要安慰！
I took him in my arms, and rocked him.
我把他抱在怀里。
I said to him："The flower that you love is not in danger.
我摇着他，对他说：“你爱的那朵花没有危险。”
I will draw you a muzzle for your sheep.
我给你的小羊画一个罩子。
I will draw you a railing to put around your flower. I will。"
我给你的花画一副盔甲…我…
I did not know what to say to him.
我也不太知道该说些什么。
I felt awkward and blundering.
我觉得自己太笨拙。
I did not know how I could reach him, where I could overtake him and go on hand in hand with him once more.
我不知道怎样才能达到他的境界，怎样才能再进入他的境界。
It is such a secret place, the land of tears.
唉，泪水的世界是多么神秘啊！
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