64. 六年后（讲解）

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And now six years have already gone by . . . I have never yet told this story. The companions who met me on my return were well content to see me alive. I was sad, but I told them: "I am tired."

Now my sorrow is comforted a little. That is to say--not entirely. But I know that he did go back to his planet, because I did not find his body at daybreak. It was not such a heavy body . . . and at night I love to listen to the stars. It is like five hundred million little bells . . .

But there is one extraordinary thing . . . when I drew the muzzle for the little prince, I forgot to add the leather strap to it. He will never have been able to fasten it on his sheep. So now I keep wondering: what is happening on his planet? Perhaps the sheep has eaten the flower . . .

At one time I say to myself: "Surely not! The little prince shuts his flower under her glass globe every night, and he watches over his sheep very carefully . . ." Then I am happy. And there is sweetness in the laughter of all the stars.

But at another time I say to myself: "At some moment or other one is absent-minded, and that is enough! On some one evening he forgot the glass globe, or the sheep got out, without making any noise, in the night . . ." And then the little bells are changed to tears . . .

Here, then, is a great mystery. For you who also love the little prince, and for me, nothing in the universe can be the same if somewhere, we do not know where, a sheep that we never saw has--yes or no?--eaten a rose . . .

Look up at the sky. Ask yourselves: is it yes or no? Has the sheep eaten the flower? And you will see how everything changes . . .

And no grown-up will ever understand that this is a matter of so much importance!

This is, to me, the loveliest and saddest landscape in the world. It is the same as that on the preceding page, but I have drawn it again to impress it on your memory. It is here that the little prince appeared on Earth, and disappeared.

Look at it carefully so that you will be sure to recognize it in case you travel some day to the African desert. And, if you should come upon this spot, please do not hurry on. Wait for a time, exactly under the star. Then, if a little man appears who laughs, who has golden hair and who refuses to answer questions, you will know who he is. If this should happen, please comfort me. Send me word that he has come back.

语言点

- go by：过去；例：as time goes by 随着时间流逝；被叫做；例：to go by another name 叫另一个名字
- companion：n. 朋友，伙伴；例：traveling companions 旅伴
- did go：do / did + 动词原形表达强调语气
- daybreak：n. 破晓；同义词：dawn
- strap：n. 带子（表、皮包、吉他）
- fasten：v. 系上；例：Fasten your seat-belt! 系好安全带！
- shut：v. 关上
- watch over：看护，保护
- absent-minded：adj. 心不在焉的
- preceding：adj. 在前的
- precede: v. 先于；例：Her death was preceded by a long illness. 她死前病了很长一段时间
- impress：v. 使钦佩，使铭记；例：She impressed the examiners. 她给考官们留下了好印象。
- refuse：v. 拒绝