🔊 I had thus learned a second fact of great importance: this was that the planet from which the little prince came is the asteroid known as B-612.

我因此得知了第二個極其重要的事實:那就是小王子所來自的星球是名為B-612的小行星。

🔊

asteroid /ˈæstərɔɪd/

n. 小行星

🔊 This asteroid has only once been seen through the telescope. That was by a Turkish astronomer, in 1909.

這顆小行星僅有過一次透過望遠鏡被觀測到的記錄。那是在1909年,由一位土耳其天文學家所為。

🔊

telescope /ˈtelɪskəʊp/

n. 望遠鏡

🔊

astronomer /əˈstrɒnəmə(r)/

n. 天文學家

🔊 On making his discovery, the astronomer had presented it to the International Astronomical Congress, in a great demonstration. But he was in Turkish costume, and so nobody would believe what he said.

在做出發現後,這位天文學家曾在一場盛大的演示中向國際天文學大會報告。但由於他身穿土耳其服裝,所以沒人相信他的話。

🔊

presented /prɪˈzentɪd/

v. 提出,展示（present 的過去式）

🔊

International Astronomical Congress /ˌɪntəˈnæʃnəl ˌæstrəˈnɒmɪkəl ˈkɒŋɡres/

n. 國際天文學大會

🔊

demonstration /ˌdemənˈstreɪʃn/

n. 示範,論證

🔊

costume /ˈkɒstjuːm/

n. 服裝,裝束

🔊 Grown-ups are like that...

大人們就是這樣……

🔊 Fortunately, however, for the reputation of Asteroid B-612, a Turkish dictator made a law that his subjects, under pain of death, should change to European costume. So in 1920 the astronomer gave his demonstration all over again, dressed with impressive style and elegance. And this time everybody accepted his report.

然而,幸運的是,為了小行星B-612的聲譽,一位土耳其獨裁者頒布法律,規定他的臣民必須改穿歐洲服裝,違者處死。於是在1920年,這位天文學家重新進行了演示,穿著得體而優雅。這一次,大家都接受了他的報告。

🔊

Fortunately /ˈfɔːtʃənətli/

adv. 幸運地

🔊

reputation /ˌrepjuˈteɪʃn/

n. 名譽,聲望

🔊

dictator /dɪkˈteɪtə(r)/

n. 獨裁者

🔊

subjects /ˈsʌbdʒɪkts/

n. 臣民,國民（subject 的複數）

🔊

impressive /ɪmˈpresɪv/

adj. 令人印象深刻的

🔊

elegance /ˈelɪɡəns/

n. 優雅,高雅

🔊 If I have told you these details about the asteroid, and made a note of its number for you, it is on account of the grown-ups and their ways. When you tell them that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?" Instead, they demand: "How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make?" Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.

如果我告訴你這些關於小行星的細節,並為你記下它的編號,那是因為大人們及其行事方式。當你告訴他們你交了一個新朋友時,他們從不詢問任何關於重要事情的問題。他們從不會問你:「他的聲音聽起來怎麼樣？他最喜歡什麼遊戲？他收集蝴蝶嗎？」相反,他們會問:「他幾歲了？他有幾個兄弟？他有多重？他父親賺多少錢？」只有從這些數字中,他們才認為自己了解了他。

🔊

essential /ɪˈsenʃl/

adj. 必要的,基本的

🔊

butterflies /ˈbʌtəflaɪz/

n. 蝴蝶（butterfly 的複數）

🔊

demand /dɪˈmɑːnd/

v. 要求,詢問

🔊

figures /ˈfɪɡəz/

n. 數字,數據（figure 的複數）

🔊 If you were to say to the grown-ups: "I saw a beautiful house made of rosy brick, with geraniums in the windows and doves on the roof," they would not be able to get any idea of that house at all. You would have to say to them: "I saw a house that cost $20,000." Then they would exclaim: "Oh, what a pretty house that is!"

如果你對大人們說:「我看到一幢用玫瑰色磚塊砌成的漂亮房子,窗戶上有天竺葵,屋頂上有鴿子。」他們根本無法想像那房子是什麼樣子。你必須對他們說:「我看到一幢價值兩萬美元的房子。」然後他們會驚呼:「哦,那房子多美啊！」

🔊

rosy /ˈrəʊzi/

adj. 玫瑰色的,粉紅色的

🔊

geraniums /dʒəˈreɪniəmz/

n. 天竺葵（geranium 的複數）

🔊

doves /dʌvz/

n. 鴿子（dove 的複數）

🔊

exclaim /ɪkˈskleɪm/

v. 驚呼,大聲說

🔊 So you see, it is of no use to tell them about the little prince. You would have to say to them: "The planet from which he came is Asteroid B-612," then they would be convinced, and leave you in peace from their questions.

所以你看,告訴他們關於小王子的事是沒有用的。你必須對他們說:「他所來自的星球是小行星B-612。」然後他們才會信服,不再用問題煩你。

🔊

convinced /kənˈvɪnst/

adj. 確信的,被說服的

🔊 They are like that. One must not hold it against them. Children should always show great forbearance toward grown-up people.

他們就是這樣。不應該為此責怪他們。孩子們應該總是對大人們表現出極大的忍耐。

🔊

forbearance /fɔːˈbeərəns/

n. 忍耐,寬容

🔊 But certainly, for us who understand life, figures are a matter of indifference. I should have liked to begin this story in the fashion of the fairy-tales. I should have liked to say: "Once upon a time there was a little prince who lived on a planet that was scarcely any bigger than himself, and who had need of a sheep..."

但當然,對我們這些理解生命的人來說,數字無關緊要。我本想以童話的方式開始這個故事。我本想說:「從前有一個小王子,他住在一個幾乎不比他大的星球上,他需要一隻羊……」

🔊

indifference /ɪnˈdɪfrəns/

n. 漠不關心,冷淡

🔊

fairy-tales /ˈfeəri teɪlz/

n. 童話故事（fairy-tale 的複數）

🔊

scarcely /ˈskeəsli/

adv. 幾乎不,剛剛

🔊 To those who understand life, that would have given a much greater air of truth to my story.

對那些理解生命的人來說,這會讓我的故事更具真實感。

🔊 For I do not want any one to read my book carelessly. I have suffered too much grief in setting down these memories. Six years have already passed since my friend went away from me, with his sheep. If I try to describe him here, it is to make sure that I shall not forget him. To forget a friend is sad. Not every one has had a friend. And if I forget him, I may become like the grown-ups who are no longer interested in anything but figures...

因為我不希望任何人草率地閱讀我的書。我在記錄這些回憶時承受了太多悲傷。自從我的朋友帶著他的羊離開我,已經六年了。如果我在這裡試圖描述他,那是為了確保我不會忘記他。忘記一個朋友是悲哀的。不是每個人都有過朋友。如果我忘記了他,我可能會變得像那些只對數字感興趣的大人……

🔊

carelessly /ˈkeələsli/

adv. 粗心地,漫不經心地

🔊

grief /ɡriːf/

n. 悲傷,悲痛

🔊

memories /ˈmeməriz/

n. 記憶,回憶（memory 的複數）

🔊 It is for that purpose, again, that I have bought a box of paints and some pencils. It is hard to take up drawing again at my age, when I have never made any pictures except those of the boa constrictor from the outside and the boa constrictor from the inside, since I was six. I shall certainly try to make my portraits as true to life as possible. But I am not at all sure of success. One drawing goes along all right, and another has no resemblance to its subject. I make some errors, too, in the little prince's height: in one place he is too tall and in another too short. And I feel some doubts about the color of his costume. So I fumble along as best I can, now good, now bad, and I hope generally fair-to-middling.

正是為了這個目的,我又買了一盒顏料和一些鉛筆。在我這個年紀重新拿起畫筆是困難的,因為自從六歲起,我除了畫過蟒蛇的外部和蟒蛇的內部之外,從未畫過任何圖畫。我當然會盡力使我的肖像盡可能逼真。但我完全不確定能否成功。一張畫畫得還可以,另一張卻與對象毫不相似。我在小王子的身高上也犯了一些錯誤:一處畫得太高,另一處畫得太矮。而且我對他的服裝顏色也有些懷疑。所以我盡我所能摸索著,時好時壞,希望總體上還過得去。

🔊

boa constrictor /ˈbəʊə kənˈstrɪktə(r)/

n. 蟒蛇（一種大型蛇類）

🔊

portraits /ˈpɔːtreɪts/

n. 肖像,畫像（portrait 的複數）

🔊

resemblance /rɪˈzembləns/

n. 相似,相像

🔊

fumble /ˈfʌmbl/

v. 笨拙地處理,摸索

🔊

fair-to-middling /ˌfeə tə ˈmɪdlɪŋ/

adj. 中等水平的,還過得去的

🔊 In certain more important details I shall make mistakes, also. But that is something that will not be my fault. My friend never explained anything to me. He thought, perhaps, that I was like himself. But I, alas, do not know how to see sheep through the walls of boxes. Perhaps I am a little like the grown-ups. I have had to grow old.

在某些更重要的細節上,我也會犯錯。但這不是我的錯。我的朋友從未向我解釋任何事情。他或許以為我和他一樣。但我,唉,不知道如何透過盒子的牆壁看到羊。也許我有點像大人們。我不得不變老了。

🔊

alas /əˈlæs/

interj. 唉,哎呀（表示悲傷、遺憾的感嘆詞）

Chapter IV (第四章)