41. 渺小的人类（讲解）

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When one wishes to play the wit, he sometimes wanders a little from the truth. I have not been altogether honest in what I have told you about the lamplighters. And I realize that I run the risk of giving a false idea of our planet to those who do not know it. Men occupy a very small place upon the Earth. If the two billion inhabitants who people its surface were all to stand upright and somewhat crowded together, as they do for some big public assembly, they could easily be put into one public square twenty miles long and twenty miles wide. All humanity could be piled up on a small Pacific islet.

The grown-ups, to be sure, will not believe you when you tell them that. They imagine that they fill a great deal of space. They fancy themselves as important as the baobabs. You should advise them, then, to make their own calculations. They adore figures, and that will please them. But do not waste your time on this extra task. It is unnecessary. You have, I know, confidence in me.

When the little prince arrived on the Earth, he was very much surprised not to see any people. He was beginning to be afraid he had come to the wrong planet, when a coil of gold, the color of the moonlight, flashed across the sand.



"Good evening," said the little prince courteously.

"Good evening," said the snake.

"What planet is this on which I have come down?" asked the little prince.

"This is the Earth; this is Africa," the snake answered.

"Ah! Then there are no people on the Earth?"

"This is the desert. There are no people in the desert. The Earth is large," said the snake.

语言点

- wit：n. 风趣，机智；例：to have a quick wit 才思敏捷
- wander：v. 游荡；例：“But if you don’t tie him,” I said, “he will wander off somewhere, and get lost.” “但如果你不拴住他，他可能会到处乱跑，最后会走丢的。”
- run the risk：冒着……的风险；例：If I help you, I run the risk of losing my job. 我要是帮了你，就有被开除的风险。
- occupy：v. 占用 / 使……忙碌；例：This man was so much occupied that he did not even raise his head at the little prince's arrival. 这个人特别忙，小王子到的时候，他连头都没抬起来。
- people：v. 居住在
- assembly：n. 集会
- assemble: v. 召集，集合 / 装配；例：to assemble a car 组装一台车
- pile up：堆积；例：the yard was piled up with rubbish 院子里堆满了垃圾
- islet：n. 小岛
- fancy：v. 想要 / 爱慕 / 自命不凡；例：Do you fancy a drink? 想喝一杯吗？I rather fancy her. 我看上她了。You fancy yourself in that hat, don’t you? 你觉得自己戴那顶帽子很漂亮，是不是？
- to make / do calculations：进行计算
- adore：v. 敬爱，喜爱
- coil：n. 卷 / 线圈
- flash：v. 闪光，闪现；例：Stop flashing that torch at me. 别用手电闪我。He flashed her an angry look. 他愤怒地看了她一眼。
- flash back：立刻回答；例：Then the little prince flashed back at me, with a kind of resentfulness. 他有点怨恨地说。
- courteously：adv. 有礼貌地