🔊 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 be drawn out of a chance remark. It was in this way that I heard, on the third day, about the catastrophe of the baobabs.

日子一天天过去,在交谈中,我逐渐了解到关于小王子的星球、他的离开以及他的旅程。这些信息总是缓慢地浮现,仿佛是从偶然的言语中不经意流露出来的。就这样,在第三天,我听说了猴面包树的灾难。

🔊

departure /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/

n. 离开,启程

🔊

catastrophe /kəˈtæstrəfi/

n. 灾难,大祸

🔊

baobabs /ˈbeɪəʊbæbz/

n. 猴面包树（复数）

🔊 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?"

这一次,我又要感谢那只绵羊。因为小王子突然问我——仿佛被一个严重的疑虑攫住了——"绵羊吃小灌木,这是真的,对吧？"

🔊

abruptly /əˈbrʌptli/

adv. 突然地,唐突地

🔊

grave /ɡreɪv/

adj. 严重的,重大的

🔊 "Yes, that is true."

"是的,是真的。"

🔊 "Ah! I am glad!"

"啊！我真高兴！"

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

我不明白为什么绵羊吃小灌木如此重要。但小王子补充道:

🔊 "Then it follows that they also eat baobabs?"

"那么,它们也吃猴面包树咯？"

🔊 I pointed out to the little prince that baobabs are 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.

我向小王子指出,猴面包树不是小灌木,相反,它们是像城堡一样高大的树木；即使他带着一整群大象,这群大象也吃不掉一棵猴面包树。

🔊

herd /hɜːrd/

n. 兽群,牧群

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

一群大象的想法让小王子笑了起来。

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

"我们得把它们一头叠在另一头上面,"他说。

🔊 But he made a wise comment:

但他提出了一个明智的看法:

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

"在长得那么大之前,猴面包树起初也是小小的。"

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

"完全正确,"我说。"但为什么你希望绵羊吃小猴面包树呢？"

🔊

strictly /ˈstrɪktli/

adv. 严格地,完全地

🔊 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.

他立刻回答我:"哦,得了,得了！"仿佛在说一件不言自明的事情。而我不得不独自费尽心思去解决这个问题。

🔊

self-evident /ˌself ˈevɪdənt/

adj. 不言而喻的,显而易见的

🔊

obliged /əˈblaɪdʒd/

adj. 被迫的,有义务的

🔊 Indeed, as I learned, there were on the planet where the little prince lived—as on all planets—good plants and bad plants. In consequence, there were good seeds from good plants, and bad seeds from bad plants. But seeds are invisible. They sleep deep in the heart of the earth's darkness, until some one among them is seized with the desire to awaken. Then this little seed will stretch itself and begin—timidly at first—to push a charming little sprig inoffensively upward toward the sun. If it is only a sprout of radish or the sprig of a rose-bush, one would let it grow wherever it might wish. But when it is a bad plant, one must destroy it as soon as possible, the very first instant that one recognizes it.

确实,正如我所了解到的,在小王子居住的星球上——就像在所有星球上一样——有好的植物和坏的植物。因此,有来自好植物的好种子,也有来自坏植物的坏种子。但种子是看不见的。它们沉睡在地球黑暗深处的怀抱里,直到其中某个种子被唤醒的欲望攫住。然后这颗小种子会伸展自己,开始——起初怯生生地——无害地向太阳推出一株迷人的小嫩枝。如果它只是萝卜的嫩芽或是玫瑰丛的枝条,人们会任由它在任何它想生长的地方生长。但如果它是一种坏植物,人们就必须在认出它的第一时间尽快摧毁它。

🔊

consequence /ˈkɑːnsəkwens/

n. 结果,后果

🔊

invisible /ɪnˈvɪzəbl/

adj. 看不见的,隐形的

🔊

timidly /ˈtɪmɪdli/

adv. 胆怯地,羞怯地

🔊

charming /ˈtʃɑːrmɪŋ/

adj. 迷人的,有魅力的

🔊

sprig /sprɪɡ/

n. 小枝,嫩枝

🔊

inoffensively /ˌɪnəˈfensɪvli/

adv. 不冒犯地,无害地

🔊

sprout /spraʊt/

n. 新芽,嫩苗

🔊

radish /ˈrædɪʃ/

n. 小萝卜

🔊

rose-bush /ˈroʊz bʊʃ/

n. 玫瑰丛

🔊 Now there were some terrible seeds on the planet that was the home of the little prince; and these were the seeds of the baobab. The soil of that planet was infested with them. A baobab is something you will never, never be able to get rid of if you attend to it too late. It spreads over the entire planet. It bores clear through it with its roots. And if the planet is too small, and the baobabs are too many, they split it in pieces . . .

现在,在小王子的家乡星球上,有一些可怕的种子；这些就是猴面包树的种子。那个星球的土壤里遍布着它们。一棵猴面包树,如果你处理得太晚,就永远、永远无法摆脱它。它会蔓延到整个星球。它的根会彻底穿透星球。如果星球太小,而猴面包树又太多,它们会把星球撑裂成碎片……

🔊

infested /ɪnˈfestɪd/

adj. 遍布的,滋生有害物的

🔊

bores /bɔːrz/

v. 钻孔,穿透（bore的第三人称单数现在时）

🔊 "It is a question of discipline," the little prince said to me later on. "When you've finished your own toilet in the morning, then it is time to attend to the toilet of your planet, just so, with the greatest care. You must see to it that you pull up regularly all the baobabs, at the very first moment when they can be distinguished from the rosebushes which they resemble so closely when they are very young. It is very tedious work," the little prince added, "but very easy."

"这是个纪律问题,"小王子后来对我说。"当你早上完成自己的梳洗后,就该仔细地去照料你的星球,就是这样,要极其小心。你必须确保定期拔掉所有的猴面包树,就在它们刚能被辨认出来的那一刻,因为它们在非常幼小的时候和玫瑰丛长得太像了。这是非常繁琐的工作,"小王子补充道,"但也非常容易。"

🔊

discipline /ˈdɪsəplɪn/

n. 纪律,训练

🔊

toilet /ˈtɔɪlət/

n. 梳洗,打扮（此处指整理、清洁）

🔊

distinguished /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃt/

adj. 区别开的,分辨出的（distinguish的过去分词作形容词）

🔊

resemble /rɪˈzembl/

v. 像,类似于

🔊

tedious /ˈtiːdiəs/

adj. 冗长乏味的,沉闷的

🔊 And one day he said to me: "You ought to make a beautiful drawing, so that the children where you live can see exactly how all this is. That would be very useful to them if they were to travel some day. Sometimes," he added, "there is no harm in putting off a piece of work until another day. But when it is a matter of baobabs, that always means a catastrophe. I knew a planet that was inhabited by a lazy man. He neglected three little bushes . . ."

有一天他对我说:"你应该画一幅漂亮的画,让你那里的孩子们能清楚地看到这一切。如果有一天他们去旅行,这对他们会非常有用。有时候,"他补充道,"把一项工作推迟到另一天并无害处。但如果是猴面包树的事,那总是意味着灾难。我知道一个星球,上面住着一个懒人。他疏忽了三棵小灌木……"

🔊

inhabited /ɪnˈhæbɪtɪd/

adj. 有人居住的

🔊

neglected /nɪˈɡlektɪd/

adj. 被忽视的,疏于照管的（neglect的过去分词作形容词）

🔊 So, as the little prince described it to me, I have made a drawing of that planet. I do not much like to take the tone of a moralist. But the danger of the baobabs is so little understood, and such considerable risks would be run by anyone who might get lost on an asteroid, that for once I am breaking through my reserve. "Children," I say plainly, "watch out for the baobabs!"

于是,按照小王子向我描述的那样,我画下了那个星球。我不太喜欢以说教者的口吻说话。但猴面包树的危险如此不为人知,任何可能在小行星上迷路的人都会面临相当大的风险,因此这一次我打破了沉默。"孩子们,"我直率地说,"当心猴面包树！"

🔊

moralist /ˈmɔːrəlɪst/

n. 道德家,说教者

🔊

considerable /kənˈsɪdərəbl/

adj. 相当大（或多）的,值得考虑的

🔊

asteroid /ˈæstərɔɪd/

n. 小行星

🔊

reserve /rɪˈzɜːrv/

n. 矜持,保留

🔊 My friends, like myself, have been skirting this danger for a long time, without ever knowing it; and so it is for them that I have worked so hard over this drawing. The lesson which I pass on by this means is worth all the trouble it has cost me.

我的朋友们,像我一样,长期以来一直与这种危险擦肩而过,却从未察觉；正是为了他们,我才如此努力地绘制这幅画。我通过这种方式传递的教训,值得我付出的所有辛劳。

🔊

skirting /ˈskɜːrtɪŋ/

v. 沿着...边缘走,避开（skirt的现在分词）

🔊 Perhaps you will ask me, "Why are there no other drawings in this book as magnificent and impressive as this drawing of the baobabs?"

也许你会问我:"为什么这本书里没有其他像这幅猴面包树画一样壮观而令人印象深刻的画呢？"

🔊

magnificent /mæɡˈnɪfɪsnt/

adj. 壮丽的,宏伟的

🔊

impressive /ɪmˈpresɪv/

adj. 令人印象深刻的

🔊 The reply is simple. I have tried. But with the others I have not been successful. When I made the drawing of the baobabs I was carried beyond myself by the inspiring force of urgent necessity.

答案很简单。我试过。但其他的画我没有成功。当我画猴面包树时,我被紧迫需要的激励力量所驱使,超越了自己。

🔊

inspiring /ɪnˈspaɪərɪŋ/

adj. 鼓舞人心的,启发灵感的

🔊

urgent /ˈɜːrdʒənt/

adj. 紧急的,急迫的

Chapter V (第五章)