🔊 "I sort out travelers, in bundles of a thousand," said the switchman.

"我把旅客分成一批批,每批一千人," 扳道工说。

🔊

sort out /sɔːt aʊt/

phrasal v. 整理,分类,解决

🔊

bundles /ˈbʌndlz/

n. 捆,束,包

🔊 And a brilliantly lighted express train shook the switchman's cabin as it rushed by.

一辆灯火辉煌的特快列车疾驰而过,震动了扳道工的小屋。

🔊

brilliantly /ˈbrɪliəntli/

adv. 灿烂地,出色地

🔊

lighted /ˈlaɪtɪd/

adj. 点燃的,照亮的

🔊

express train /ɪkˈspres treɪn/

n. 特快列车

🔊

switchman's cabin /ˈswɪtʃmənz ˈkæbɪn/

n. 扳道工的小屋

🔊

rushed /rʌʃt/

v. 冲,奔,快速通过（rush的过去式）

🔊 "Not even the locomotive engineer knows that," said the switchman.

"连火车司机都不知道这一点," 扳道工说。

🔊

locomotive engineer /ˌləʊkəˈməʊtɪv ˌendʒɪˈnɪə(r)/

n. 机车工程师,火车司机

🔊 And a second brilliantly lighted express thundered by, in the opposite direction.

第二辆灯火辉煌的特快列车从相反方向轰鸣而过。

🔊

thundered /ˈθʌndəd/

v. 发出雷鸣般的声音,轰隆隆地驶过（thunder的过去式）

🔊 "These are not the same ones," said the switchman. "It is an exchange."

"这些不是同一批人," 扳道工说。"这是一次交换。"

🔊

exchange /ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ/

n. 交换,互换

🔊 "No one is ever satisfied where he is," said the switchman.

"没有人对自己所在的地方感到满足," 扳道工说。

🔊

satisfied /ˈsætɪsfaɪd/

adj. 感到满意的

🔊 And they heard the roaring thunder of a third brilliantly lighted express.

他们听到了第三辆灯火辉煌的特快列车的轰鸣雷声。

🔊

roaring /ˈrɔːrɪŋ/

adj. 咆哮的,轰鸣的

🔊 "They are pursuing nothing at all," said the switchman. "They are asleep in there, or if they are not asleep they are yawning. Only the children are flattening their noses against the windowpanes."

"他们根本不是在追求什么," 扳道工说。"他们在里面睡着了,或者如果没有睡着,也在打哈欠。只有孩子们把鼻子贴在车窗玻璃上。"

🔊

pursuing /pəˈsjuːɪŋ/

v. 追求,追赶（pursue的现在分词）

🔊

yawning /ˈjɔːnɪŋ/

v. 打哈欠（yawn的现在分词）

🔊

flattening /ˈflætnɪŋ/

v. 压平,使变平（flatten的现在分词）

🔊

windowpanes /ˈwɪndəʊpeɪnz/

n. 窗玻璃

🔊 "Only the children know what they are looking for," said the little prince. "They waste their time over a rag doll and it becomes very important to them."

"只有孩子们知道他们在寻找什么," 小王子说。"他们把时间浪费在一个破布娃娃上,但这对他们来说变得非常重要。"

🔊

rag doll /ræɡ dɒl/

n. 布娃娃,碎布玩偶

🔊 "They are lucky," the switchman said.

"他们是幸运的," 扳道工说。

Chapter XXII (第二十二章)