Chapter 04 B612号小行星

Chapter 04

I had thus learned a second fact of great importance: this was that the planet the little prince came from was scarcely any larger than a house.

我还因此了解到另一件重要的事实，就是他老家所在的那个星球几乎比一座房子大不了多少。

But that did not really surprise me much.

这倒并没有使我感到太奇怪。

I knew very well that in addition to the great planets-- such as the Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Venus-- to which we have given names, there are also hundreds of others, some of which are so small that one has a hard time seeing them through the telescope.

我很清楚除地球、木星、火星、金星这几个我们已经命名的大行星以外，还有成百个别的星球，它们有的小得很，就是用望远镜也很难看见。

When an astronomer discovers one of these he does not give it a name, but only a number. He might call it, for example, "Asteroid 3251". 

当一个天文学者发现了其中一个星星，他不会给它起名，而只是给它一个编号，例如他可能会把它称作“3251小行星”。

I have serious reason to believe that the planet from which the little prince came is the asteroid known as B-612.

我有确切的理由认为小王子所来自的那个星球是小行星B612。

This asteroid has only once been seen through the telescope. That was by a Turkish astronomer, in 1909.

这颗小行星仅仅在1909年被一个土耳其天文学家用望远镜看见过一次。

On making his discovery, the astronomer had presented it to the International Astronomical Congress, in a great demonstration.

他在一次演示中向国际天文学家代表大会展示了他的发现。

But he was in Turkish costume, and so nobody would believe what he said. Grown-ups are like that. . .

但由于他所穿的是土耳其服饰，所以没有人相信他所说的。那些大人们就是这样。

Fortunately, however, for the reputation of Asteroid B-612, a Turkish dictator made a law that his subjects, under pain of death, should change to European costume.

然而幸好，为了小行星B612的声誉，土耳其的一个独裁者制定了法律：他的人民都要穿欧式服装，否则就处以死刑。

So in 1920 the astronomer gave his demonstration all over again, dressed with impressive style and elegance.

1920年，这位天文学家穿了一身非常时尚优雅的服装，重新作了一次论证。

And this time everybody accepted his report.

这一次所有的人都接受了他的报告。

If I have told you these details about the asteroid, and made a note of its number for you, it is on account of the grown-ups and their ways. Grown-ups love figures.

如果我已经给你们讲过关于小行星B612的这些细节，并且告诉你们它的编号，这是出于大人们以及他们的方式而考虑。大人们就爱数字。

When you tell them that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters.

当你给他们讲起你交了一个新朋友时，他们从来不问你实质性的问题。

They never say to you, "What does his voice sound like? What game does he love best? Does he collect butterflies"?

他们从来不讲：“他说话声音什么样啊？他最喜欢什么样的游戏啊？他是否收集蝴蝶标本呀？”

Instead, they demand: "How old is he?

他们却问你：“他多大年纪呀？

How many brothers has he?

他弟兄几个呀？

How much does he weigh?

他体重多少呀？

How much money does his father make"?

他父亲挣多少钱呀？”

Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.

只有通过这些数字他们才认为了解了他。

If you were to say to the grown-ups: "I saw a beautiful house made of rosy brick, with geraniums in the windows and doves on the roof," they would not be able to get any idea of that house at all.

如果你对大人们说：“我看到一幢用玫瑰色的砖盖成的漂亮的房子，它的窗户上有天竺葵，屋顶上还有鸽子……”他们一点也想象不出这种房子什么样子的。

You would have to say to them: "I saw a house that cost $20,000."

你必须对他们说：“我看见了一幢价值两万美元的房子。”

Then they would exclaim: "Oh, what a pretty house that is"!

那么他们就惊叫道：“多么漂亮的房子啊！”

Just so, you might say to them: "The proof that the little prince existed is that he was charming, that he laughed, and that he was looking for a sheep.

因此，你也许会对他们说：“英俊的外表和笑声是小王子存在的证据，而且他在寻找一只羊。

If anybody wants a sheep, that is a proof that he exists".

如果有人想要一只羊，这就是他存在的证明。”

And what good would it do to tell them that?

这么给他们说会有什么好处？

They would shrug their shoulders, and treat you like a child.

他们会耸耸肩膀，把你当作孩子看待。

But if you said to them: "The planet he came from is Asteroid B-612," then they would be convinced, and leave you in peace from their questions.

但是，如果你对他们说：“小王子来自的星球就是小行星B612”，那么他们就十分信服，他们就不会提出一大堆问题来和你纠缠。

They are like that. One must not hold it against them.

他们就是这样的。我们千万不要因此而跟他们作对。

Children should always show great forbearance toward grown-up people.

小孩子们应该永远对大人们表现出极大的宽容。

But certainly, for us who understand life, figures are a matter of indifference.

当然，对我们懂得生活的人来说，数字都是些无关紧要的事。

I should have liked to begin this story in the fashion of the fairy-tales.

我本想像讲童话故事那样来开始这个故事。

I should have liked to say: "Once upon a time there was a little prince who lived on a planet that was scarcely any bigger than himself, and who had need of a sheep. . ."

我本想这样说：“从前呀，有一个小王子，他住在一个和他身体差不多大的星球上，他希望有一只羊……”

To those who understand life, that would have given a much greater air of truth to my story.

对懂得生活的人来说，这样说就显得真实。

For I do not want any one to read my book carelessly.

我可不喜欢人们轻率地读我的书。

I have suffered too much grief in setting down these memories.

我在写下这些记忆的时候心情是很难过的。

Six years have already passed since my friend went away from me, with his sheep.

我的朋友带着他的小羊已经离去六年了。

If I try to describe him here, it is to make sure that I shall not forget him.

我在这里尽力描述他，是为了确定我没有忘记他。

To forget a friend is sad. Not everyone has had a friend.

忘记一个朋友太让人悲伤了。并不是所有的人都有过一个朋友。

And if I forget him, I may become like the grown-ups who are no longer interested in anything but figures. . .

再说，如果我忘了他，我也可能变成那些只对数字感兴趣的大人们。

It is for that purpose, again, that I have bought a box of paints and some pencils.

也正是为了这个目的，我买了一盒颜料和一些画笔。

It is hard to take up drawing again at my age, when I have never made any pictures except those of the boa constrictor from the outside and the boa constrictor from the inside, since I was six.

像我这样年纪的人很难再开始绘画，我除了六岁时画过蟒蛇的内部和外部以外，别的什么也没画过。

I shall certainly try to make my portraits as true to life as possible. But I am not at all sure of success.

我一定要把我的画尽量地画得贴近生活，但我自己也没有成功的把握。

One drawing goes along all right, and another has no resemblance to its subject.

一张画得还可以，另一张一点也不像画的对象。

I make some errors, too, in the little prince's height: in one place he is too tall and in another too short.

对于小王子的身高，我也犯了一些错误。在一个地方小王子画得太高，另一个地方又画得太矮。

And I feel some doubts about the colors of his costume.

对他衣服的颜色我也拿不准。

So I fumble along as best I can, now good, now bad, and I hope generally fair-to-middling.

于是我就尽力地摸索着，一会儿好一会儿坏，我希望能画得差不多就行。

In certain more important details I shall make mistakes, also.

我也可能在某些重要的细节上我也犯错了。

But that is something that will not be my fault. My friend never explained anything to me.

但有些事情不是我的错。我的朋友从来没有给我解释任何事情。

He thought, perhaps, that I was like himself.

他可能以为我同他一样。

But I, alas, do not know how to see sheep through the walls of boxes.

唉，可是我不知道如何透过盒子的四壁看小羊。

Perhaps I am a little like the grown-ups. I have had to grow old.

或许我有点像那些大人们吧。我一定是变老了。