Chapter 16 小王子来到地球

Chapter 16

So then the seventh planet was the Earth.

那么第七个行星，于是就是地球了。

The Earth is not just an ordinary planet!

地球可不是一颗普通的行星！

One can count; there are 111 kings (not forgetting, to be sure, the Negro kings among them) , 7000 geographers, 900,000 businessmen, 7,500,000 tipplers, and 311,000,000 conceited men -- that is to say, about 2,000,000,000 grown-ups.

它上面有一百一十一个国王（当然，没有漏掉黑人国王），七千个地理学家，九十万个实业家，七百五十万个酒鬼，三亿一千一百万个爱虚荣的人，也就是说，大约有二十亿的成人。

To give you an idea of the size of the Earth, I will tell you that before the invention of electricity,

为了使你们对地球的大小有一个概念，我想要告诉你们：在发明电之前，

it was necessary to maintain, over the whole of the six continents, a veritable army of 462,511 lamplighters for the street lamps.

在全部的六个大洲上，为了点路灯，需要维持一支四十六万二千五百一十一个点灯人的真正军队。

Seen from a slight distance, that would make a splendid spectacle.

从稍远的地方看过去，那会是一个壮观的景象。

The movements of this army would be regulated like those of the ballet in the opera.

这支军队的行动就象歌剧院的芭蕾舞动作一样整齐。

First would come the turn of the lamplighters of New Zealand and Australia.

首先出现的是新西兰和澳大利亚的点灯人。

Having set their lamps alight, these would go off to sleep.

点着了灯，这些人便离开去睡觉了。

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.

于是就轮到中国和西伯利亚的点灯人走上舞台。随后，他们也藏到幕布后面去了。

After that would come the turn of the lamplighters of Russia and the Indies;

于是就又轮到俄罗斯和印度的点灯人了。

then those of Africa and Europe, then those of South America; then those of South America; then those of North America.

然后就是非洲和欧洲的。接着是南美的，再来是南美，再就是北美的。

And never would they make a mistake in the order of their entry upon the stage. It would be magnificent.

他们从来也不会搞错他们上场的次序。真了不起。

Only the man who was in charge of the single lamp at the North Pole, and his colleague who was responsible for the single lamp at the South Pole -- only these two would live free from toil and care: they would be busy twice a year.

北极仅有一盏路灯，南极也只有一盏；唯独北极的点灯人和他南极的同行，过着闲逸、懒散的生活：他们每年只工作两次。