🔊 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.

真相。关于点灯人,我告诉你的并不完全真实。我意识到,对于那些不了解我们星球的人来说,我可能会给他们一个错误的印象。人类在地球上只占据非常小的空间。如果居住在地球表面的二十亿居民全部直立起来,像参加某些大型公共集会时那样稍微拥挤地站在一起,他们可以轻易地被安置在一个长二十英里、宽二十英里的公共广场里。全人类都可以堆叠在太平洋的一个小岛上。

🔊

altogether /ˌɔːltəˈɡeðə(r)/

adv. 完全地,总共

🔊

lamplighters /ˈlæmplaɪtəz/

n. 点灯人（复数）

🔊

inhabitants /ɪnˈhæbɪtənts/

n. 居民,栖居的动物（复数）

🔊

islet /ˈaɪlət/

n. 小岛

🔊 They imagine that they fill a great deal of space. They fancy themselves as important as the baobabs. You should advise them 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.

他们以为自己占据了很大的空间。他们幻想自己像猴面包树一样重要。你应该建议他们自己计算一下。他们崇拜数字,这会让他们高兴。但不要在这个额外任务上浪费时间。这是不必要的。我知道,你信任我。

🔊

fancy /ˈfænsi/

v. 想象,自认为

🔊

baobabs /ˈbeɪəʊbæbz/

n. 猴面包树（复数）

🔊

calculations /ˌkælkjuˈleɪʃnz/

n. 计算,估算（复数）

🔊

adore /əˈdɔː(r)/

v. 热爱,非常喜欢

🔊 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.

当小王子抵达地球时,他非常惊讶没有看到任何人。他开始担心自己来错了星球,这时,一道月光般金色的线圈在沙地上闪过。

🔊

coil /kɔɪl/

n. （一）卷,（一）圈

🔊

flashed /flæʃt/

v. 闪光,掠过（过去式）

🔊 "Good evening," said the snake.

"晚上好,"蛇说。

🔊 "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?"

"我降落的是哪个星球？"小王子问道。"这是地球；这里是非洲,"蛇回答。"啊！那么地球上没有人吗？"

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

"这是沙漠。沙漠里没有人。地球很大,"蛇说。

🔊

desert /ˈdezət/

n. 沙漠

🔊 The little prince sat down on a stone and raised his eyes toward the sky.

小王子在一块石头上坐下,抬眼望向天空。

🔊 "I wonder," he said, "whether the stars are set alight in heaven so that one day each one of us may find his own again . . . Look at my planet. It is right there above us. But how far away it is!" "It is beautiful," the snake said. "What has brought you here?" "I have had a quarrel with a flower," said the little prince. "Ah!" said the snake. And they were both silent. "Where are the men?" the little prince at last took up the conversation again. "It is a little lonely in the desert..." "It is also lonely among men," the snake said. The little prince gazed at the snake for a long time. "You are a funny animal," he said at last. "You are no thicker than a finger ..." "But I am more powerful than the finger of a king," said the snake. "You are not very powerful. You haven't even any feet. You cannot even travel..." "I can carry you farther than any ship could take you," said the snake. And he twined himself around the little prince's ankle, like a golden bracelet. "Whomever I touch, I send back to the earth from whence he came," the snake spoke again. "But you are innocent and true, and you come from a star..." The little prince made no reply. "You move me to pity—you are so weak on this Earth made of granite," the snake said. "I can help you, some day, if you grow too homesick for your own planet. I can—" "Oh! I understand you very well," said the little prince. "But why do you always speak in riddles?" "I solve them all," said the snake. And they were both silent.

"我在想,"他说,"星星在天空中点亮,是不是为了让有一天我们每个人都能重新找到属于自己的那颗……看看我的星球。它就在我们正上方。但它离得多远啊！""它很美,"蛇说。"是什么把你带到这里来的？""我和一朵花吵架了,"小王子说。"啊！"蛇说。然后他们都沉默了。"人在哪里？"小王子终于又开口问道。"在沙漠里有点孤单……""在人群中也很孤单,"蛇说。小王子凝视了蛇很久。"你是个有趣的动物,"他最后说。"你还没有一根手指粗……""但我比国王的手指更有力量,"蛇说。"你并不是很有力量。你甚至没有脚。你甚至不能旅行……""我可以把你带到比任何船都远的地方,"蛇说。然后他像一只金手镯一样缠绕在小王子的脚踝上。"凡是我触碰的人,我都会把他送回他来的地方,"蛇再次开口。"但你是天真而真实的,你来自一颗星星……"小王子没有回答。"你让我感到怜悯——在这个由花岗岩构成的地球上,你是如此脆弱,"蛇说。"如果有一天,你对你的星球思念成疾,我可以帮助你。我可以——""哦！我非常明白你的意思,"小王子说。"但你为什么总是说谜语呢？""我能解开所有的谜,"蛇说。然后他们都沉默了。

🔊

alight /əˈlaɪt/

adj. 点着的,发亮的

🔊

quarrel /ˈkwɒrəl/

n. 争吵,争执

🔊

gazed /ɡeɪzd/

v. 凝视,注视（过去式）

🔊

twined /twaɪnd/

v. 盘绕,缠绕（过去式）

🔊

ankle /ˈæŋkl/

n. 脚踝

🔊

bracelet /ˈbreɪslət/

n. 手镯,臂镯

🔊

whence /wens/

adv. 从何处,从哪里（旧式或正式用语）

🔊

innocent /ˈɪnəsnt/

adj. 天真无邪的,无辜的

🔊

granite /ˈɡrænɪt/

n. 花岗岩

🔊

homesick /ˈhəʊmsɪk/

adj. 想家的,思乡的

🔊

riddles /ˈrɪdlz/

n. 谜语,谜团（复数）

Chapter XVII (第十七章)