13. 猴面包树（讲解）

节目文稿

As each day passed I would learn, in our talk, something about the little prince's planet, his departure from it, his journey. The information would come very slowly, as it might chance to fall from his thoughts. It was in this way that I heard, on the third day, about the catastrophe of the baobabs.

This time, once more, I had the sheep to thank for it. For the little prince asked me abruptly--as if seized by a grave doubt--"It is true, isn't it, that sheep eat little bushes?"

"Yes, that is true."

"Ah! I am glad!"

I did not understand why it was so important that sheep should eat little bushes. But the little prince added:

"Then it follows that they also eat baobabs?"

I pointed out to the little prince that baobabs were not little bushes, but, on the contrary, trees as big as castles; and that even if he took a whole herd of elephants away with him, the herd would not eat up one single baobab.

The idea of the herd of elephants made the little prince laugh.

"We would have to put them one on top of the other," he said.

But he made a wise comment:

"Before they grow so big, the baobabs start out by being little."

"That is strictly correct," I said. "But why do you want the sheep to eat the little baobabs?"

He answered me at once, "Oh, come, come!", as if he were speaking of something that was self-evident. And I was obliged to make a great mental effort to solve this problem, without any assistance.

语言点

- departure：n. 出发
- journey：n. 旅行，行程；例：to go on a journey 去旅行
- chance：v. 碰巧；例：If they chanced to meet, then it must be fate. 如果他们碰巧遇见了，那一定是缘分。
- catastrophe：n. 灾难
- baobab：n. 猴面包树
- seize：v. 抓住；例：to seize an opportunity 抓住机会；例：to be seized by pain 感到一阵疼痛
- grave：adj. 严重的，严肃的；例：We are in grave danger. 我们情况十分危险。
- bush：n. 灌木
- on the contrary：恰恰相反
- castle：n. 城堡
- herd：n. 兽群
- eat up：吃光，大量消耗；例：This game eats up a lot of storage. 这个游戏很占用存储空间。
- comment：n. 评论；例：No comment. 无可奉告。
- strictly：adv. 严格地，绝对的；例：His story isn’t strictly true. 他讲的故事不完全真实。
- self-evident：adj. 显而易见的
- oblige：v. 强迫；例：I feel obliged to help you. 我觉得有义务帮你。
- mental：adj. 智力的，精神的；例：a mental picture of sth. 某物在脑海里的形象；例：You’re mental! 你疯了吧！

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