适合大人读的童话书：《小王子》 第25章

小说简介

《小王子》是作家安东尼·德·圣埃克苏佩里于1942写成的著名法国儿童文学短篇小说。本书的主人公是来自外星球的小王子。书中以一位飞行员作为故事叙述者，讲述了小王子从自己星球出发前往地球的过程中，所经历的各种历险。作者以小王子的孩子式的眼光，透视出成人的空虚、盲目和愚妄，用浅显天真的语言写出了人类的孤独寂寞、没有根基随风流浪的命运。同时，也表达出作者对金钱关系的批判，对真善美的讴歌。

 

 

章节连载

Such power was a thing for the little prince to marvel at.

这样的权力使小王子惊叹不已。

 

If he had been master of such complete authority, he would have been able to watch the sunset, not forty-four times in one day, but seventy-two, or even a hundred, or even two hundred times, with out ever having to move his chair.

如果掌握了这样的权力，那么，他一天就不只是看到四十三次日落，而可以看到七十二次，甚至一百次，或是二百次日落，也不必要去挪动椅子了!

 

And because he felt a bit sad as he remembered his little planet which he had for sake, he plucked up his courage to ask the king a favor: "I should like to see a sunset... do me that kindness...Order the sun to set..."

由于他想起了他那被遗弃的小星球，心里有点难过，他大胆地向国王提出了一个请求：“我想看日落，请求您……命令太阳落山吧……”

 

If I ordered a general to fly from one flower to another like a butterfly, or to write a tragic drama, or to change himself into a sea bird, and if the general 31 did not carry out the order that he had received, which one of us would be in the wrong?

如果我命令一个将军象一只蝴蝶那样从这朵花飞到那朵花，或者命令他写作一个悲剧剧本或者变一只海鸟，而如果这位将军接到命令不执行的话，那么，是他不对还是我不对呢？

 

The king demanded. "The general, or myself?"

国王问道。“将军，还是自己？”

 

"You," said the little prince firmly.

“那当然是您的不对。”小王子肯定地回答。

 

"Exactly. One much require from each one the duty which each one can perform," the king went on.

“一点也不错，”国王接着说，“向每个人提出的要求应该是他们所能做到的。

 

 

Accepted authority rests first of all on reason. If you ordered your people to go and throw themselves into the sea, they would rise up in revolution. I have the right to require obedience because my orders are reasonable.

权威首先应该建立在理性的基础上。如果命令你的老百姓去投海，他们非起来革命不可。我的命令是合理的，所以我有权要别人服从。

 

"Then my sunset?" the little prince reminded him: for he never forgot a question once he had asked it.

“那么我提出的日落呢？”小王子一旦提出一个问题，他是不会忘记这个问题的。

 

You shall have your sunset. I shall command it. But, according to my science of government, I shall wait until conditions are favorable.

日落么，你会看到的。我一定要太阳落山，不过按照我的统治科学，我得等到条件成熟的时候。

 

"When will that be?" inquired the little prince. "Hum! Hum!" replied the king; and before saying anything else he consulted a bulky almanac.

小王子问道：“这要等到什么时候呢？”国王在回答之前，首先翻阅了一本厚厚的日历，嘴里慢慢说道：“嗯！嗯！”

 

"Hum! Hum! That will be about - about - that will be this evening about twenty minutes to eight. And you will see how well I am obeyed. The little prince yawned.

日落大约……大约……在今晚七时四十分的时候! 你将看到我的命令一定会被服从的。小王子又打起哈欠来了。

 

He was regretting his lost sunset. And then, too, he was already beginning to be a little bored. I have nothing more to do here, he said to the king. So I shall set out on my way again.

他遗憾没有看到日落。他对国王说：“他有点厌烦了。我没有必要再呆在这儿了。我要走了。”