🔊 Beside the well there was the ruin of an old stone wall. When I came back from my work, the next evening, I saw from some distance away my little prince sitting on top of a wall, with his feet dangling. And I heard him say:

水井旁有一堵古老石牆的廢墟。當我從工作回來,第二天傍晚,我從遠處看到我的小王子坐在牆頂上,雙腳懸空。我聽到他說:

🔊

ruin /ˈruːɪn/

n. 廢墟➕

🔊

dangling /ˈdæŋɡlɪŋ/

v. 懸掛➕

🔊 "Then you don't remember. This is not the exact spot."

"那麼你不記得了。這不是確切的地點。"

🔊

exact /ɪɡˈzækt/

adj. 精確的➕

🔊 Another voice must have answered him, for he replied to it: "Yes, yes! It is the right day, but this is not the place."

另一個聲音一定回答了他,因為他回應道:"是的,是的！日子是對的,但這不是地點。"

🔊

replied /rɪˈplaɪd/

v. 回答➕

🔊 I continued my walk toward the wall. At no time did I see or hear anyone. The little prince, however, replied once again:

我繼續朝牆走去。我一直沒有看到或聽到任何人。然而,小王子再次回答:

🔊

continued /kənˈtɪnjuːd/

v. 繼續➕

🔊

however /haʊˈevər/

adv. 然而➕

🔊 "—Exactly. You will see where my track begins, in the sand. You have nothing to do but wait for me there. I shall be there tonight."

"——正是。你會看到我的足跡從哪裡開始,在沙地裡。你只需在那裡等我。我今晚會在那裡。"

🔊

track /træk/

n. 足跡➕

🔊 I was only twenty metres from the wall, and I still saw nothing.

我離牆只有二十公尺,而我仍然什麼也沒看到。

🔊 After a silence the little prince spoke again:

沉默之後,小王子再次開口:

🔊

silence /ˈsaɪləns/

n. 沉默➕

🔊 "You have good poison? You are sure that it will not make me suffer too long?"

"你有好的毒藥嗎？你確定它不會讓我受苦太久？"

🔊

poison /ˈpɔɪzn/

n. 毒藥➕

🔊

suffer /ˈsʌfər/

v. 受苦➕

🔊 I stopped in my tracks, my heart torn asunder; but still I did not understand.

我停下腳步,心碎欲裂；但我還是不明白。

🔊

asunder /əˈsʌndər/

adv. 分離地➕

🔊 "Now go away," said the little prince. "I want to get down from the wall."

"現在走開," 小王子說。"我想從牆上下來。"

🔊 I dropped my eyes, then, to the foot of the wall—and I leaped into the air. There before me, facing the little prince, was one of those yellow snakes that take just thirty seconds to bring your life to an end. Even as I was digging into my pocket to get out my revolver I made a running step back. But, at the noise I made, the snake let himself flow easily across the sand like the dying spray of a fountain, and, in no apparent hurry, disappeared, with a light metallic sound, among the stones.

我垂下眼睛,看向牆腳——然後我跳了起來。在我面前,面對著小王子的,是那種黃蛇之一,只需三十秒就能結束你的生命。即使我正在口袋裡摸索掏出左輪手槍,我也後退了一步。但是,由於我發出的聲響,那條蛇讓自己輕鬆地流過沙地,像噴泉的垂死水花,而且,毫不匆忙,帶著輕微的金屬聲,消失在石頭間。

🔊

leaped /liːpt/

v. 跳躍➕

🔊

snakes /sneɪks/

n. 蛇（複數）➕

🔊

digging /ˈdɪɡɪŋ/

v. 挖掘➕

🔊

revolver /rɪˈvɒlvər/

n. 左輪手槍➕

🔊

flow /floʊ/

v. 流動➕

🔊

spray /spreɪ/

n. 噴灑➕

🔊

fountain /ˈfaʊntən/

n. 噴泉➕

🔊

metallic /məˈtælɪk/

adj. 金屬的➕

🔊 I reached the wall just in time to catch my little man in my arms; his face was white as snow.

我及時趕到牆邊,將我的小人兒抱在懷中；他的臉白如雪。

🔊 "What does this mean?" I demanded. "Why are you talking with snakes?"

"這是什麼意思？" 我質問。"你為什麼和蛇說話？"

🔊

demanded /dɪˈmændɪd/

v. 要求➕

🔊 I had loosened the golden muffler that he always wore. I had moistened his temples, and had given him some water to drink. And now I did not dare ask him any more questions. He looked at me very gravely, and put his arms around my neck. I felt his heart beating like the heart of a dying bird, shot with someone's rifle ...

我鬆開了他總是戴著的金色圍巾。我濕潤了他的太陽穴,並給他一些水喝。現在我不敢再問他任何問題。他非常嚴肅地看著我,並用手臂環繞我的脖子。我感到他的心臟像一隻垂死鳥兒的心臟一樣跳動,被某人的步槍射中……

🔊

loosened /ˈluːsnd/

v. 鬆開➕

🔊

muffler /ˈmʌflər/

n. 圍巾➕

🔊

moistened /ˈmɔɪsnd/

v. 弄濕➕

🔊

temples /ˈtemplz/

n. 太陽穴（複數）➕

🔊

gravely /ˈɡreɪvli/

adv. 嚴肅地➕

🔊

dying /ˈdaɪɪŋ/

adj. 垂死的➕

🔊

rifle /ˈraɪfl/

n. 步槍➕

🔊 "I am glad that you have found what was the matter with your engine," he said. "Now you can go back home—"

"我很高興你找到了引擎的問題," 他說。"現在你可以回家了——"

🔊

engine /ˈendʒɪn/

n. 發動機➕

🔊 "How do you know about that?"

"你怎麼知道那件事？"

🔊 I was just coming to tell him that my work had been successful, beyond anything that I had dared to hope.

我正要告訴他我的工作非常成功,超出了我敢希望的範圍。

🔊

successful /səkˈsɛsfəl/

adj. 成功的➕

🔊

beyond /bɪˈjɒnd/

prep. 超越➕

🔊

dared /deəd/

v. 敢於➕

🔊 He made no answer to my question, but he added: "I, too, am going back home today ..."

他沒有回答我的問題,但補充道:"我,今天也要回家了……"

🔊

added /ˈædɪd/

v. 添加➕

🔊 Then, sadly— "It is much farther ... It is much more difficult..."

然後,悲傷地—— "它遠得多……它困難得多……"

🔊

farther /ˈfɑːðər/

adj. 更遠的➕

🔊 I realized clearly that something extraordinary was happening. I was holding him close in my arms as if he were a little child; and yet it seemed to me that he was rushing headlong toward an abyss from which I could do nothing to restrain him ...

我清楚地意識到一些非凡的事情正在發生。我緊緊地抱著他,好像他是一個小孩子；然而在我看來,他正頭也不回地衝向一個我無法阻止他的深淵……

🔊

realized /ˈriːəlaɪzd/

v. 意識到➕

🔊

extraordinary /ɪkˈstrɔːrdəneri/

adj. 非凡的➕

🔊

happening /ˈhæpənɪŋ/

v. 發生➕

🔊

headlong /ˈhedlɒŋ/

adv. 頭向前地➕

🔊

abyss /əˈbɪs/

n. 深淵➕

🔊

restrain /rɪˈstreɪn/

v. 制止➕

🔊 His look was very serious, like some one lost far away.

他的表情非常嚴肅,像一個迷失在遠方的人。

🔊 "I have your sheep. And I have the sheep's box. And I have the muzzle ..."

"我有你的羊。我有羊的盒子。我有口套……"

🔊 And he gave me a sad smile.

他給了我一個悲傷的微笑。

🔊 I waited a long time. I could see that he was reviving little by little.

我等了很長時間。我可以看到他逐漸甦醒。

🔊

reviving /rɪˈvaɪvɪŋ/

v. 甦醒,復甦➕

🔊 "Dear little man," I said to him, "you are afraid ..."

"親愛的小人兒," 我對他說,"你害怕……"

🔊 He was afraid, there was no doubt about that. But he laughed lightly.

他害怕,毫無疑問。但他輕輕地笑了。

🔊

lightly /ˈlaɪtli/

adv. 輕輕地；輕鬆地➕

🔊 "I shall be much more afraid this evening ..."

"今晚我會更害怕……"

🔊 Once again I felt myself frozen by the sense of something irreparable. And I knew that I could not bear the thought of never hearing that laughter any more. For me, it was like a spring of fresh water in the desert.

再一次,我感到自己被某種無法挽回的事情凍結了。我知道我無法忍受再也聽不到那笑聲的想法。對我來說,它就像沙漠中的一股清泉。

🔊

frozen /ˈfrəʊzn/

adj. 凍結的；僵住的➕

🔊

irreparable /ɪˈrepərəbl/

adj. 無法修復的,不可挽回的➕

🔊

bear /beə(r)/

v. 忍受,承受➕

🔊

spring /sprɪŋ/

n. 泉水；源泉➕

🔊 "Little man," I said, "I want to hear you laugh again."

"小人兒," 我說,"我想再聽你笑。"

🔊 But he said to me:

但他對我說:

🔊 "Tonight, it will be a year ... My star, then, can be found right above the place where I came to the Earth, a year ago ..."

"今晚,將是一年……我的星星,那時,可以在我一年前來到地球的地方正上方找到……"

🔊 "Little man," I said, "tell me that it is only a bad dream—this affair of the snake, and the meeting-place, and the star..."

"小人兒," 我說,"告訴我這只是一個惡夢——關於蛇、會面地點和星星的這件事……"

🔊

affair /əˈfeə(r)/

n. 事情；事件；（常指）曖昧關係➕

🔊 But he did not answer my plea. He said to me, instead: "The thing that is important is the thing that is not seen ..."

但他沒有回答我的懇求。相反,他對我說:"重要的東西是看不見的東西……"

🔊

plea /pliː/

n. 懇求；請求；答辯➕

🔊 "Yes, I know ..."

"是的,我知道……"

🔊 "It is just as it is with the flower. If you love a flower that lives on a star, it is sweet to look at the sky at night. All the stars are a-bloom with flowers ..."

"就像花一樣。如果你愛上一朵住在星星上的花,晚上看天空是甜蜜的。所有的星星都開滿了花……"

🔊

a-bloom /əˈbluːm/

adj. 盛開中（文學用語）➕

🔊 "Yes, I know ..."

"是的,我知道……"

🔊 "It is just as it is with the water. Because of the pulley, and the rope, what you gave me to drink was like music. You remember—how good it was."

"就像水一樣。因為滑輪和繩子,你給我喝的水就像音樂。你記得——它多麼好。"

🔊

pulley /ˈpʊli/

n. 滑輪➕

🔊 "Yes, I know..."

"是的,我知道……"

🔊 "And at night you will look up at the stars. Where I live everything is so small that I cannot show you where my star is to be found. It is better, like that. My star will just be one of the stars, for you. And so you will love to watch all the stars in the heavens ... they will all be your friends. And, besides, I am going to make you a present..."

"晚上你會抬頭看星星。我住的地方一切都那麼小,我無法告訴你我的星星在哪裡。這樣更好。對你來說,我的星星只是眾星之一。所以你會喜歡觀看天空中所有的星星……它們都將是你的朋友。而且,我要送你一份禮物……"

🔊 He laughed again.

他又笑了。

🔊 "Ah, little prince, dear little prince! I love to hear that laughter!"

"啊,小王子,親愛的小王子！我愛聽那笑聲！"

🔊

laughter /ˈlæf.tər/

n. 笑聲➕

🔊 "That is my present. Just that. It will be as it was when we drank the water ..."

"那是我的禮物。就這個。它會像我們喝水時一樣……"

🔊

present /ˈprez.ənt/

n. 禮物➕

🔊 "What are you trying to say?"

"你想說什麼？"

🔊 "All men have the stars," he answered, "but they are not the same things for different people. For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides. For others they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems. For my businessman they were wealth. But all these stars are silent. You—you alone—will have the stars as no one else has them—"

"所有人都有星星," 他回答,"但對不同的人來說,它們不是同樣的東西。對一些旅行者來說,星星是指導。對其他人來說,它們不過是天空中的小光點。對其他學者來說,它們是問題。對我的商人來說,它們是財富。但所有這些星星都是沉默的。你——只有你——將擁有星星,像沒有人 else 一樣——"

🔊

guides /ɡaɪdz/

n. 嚮導➕

🔊

scholars /ˈskɒl.ərz/

n. 學者➕

🔊

wealth /welθ/

n. 財富➕

🔊

silent /ˈsaɪ.lənt/

adj. 沉默的➕

🔊

travelers /ˈtræv.əl.ərz/

n. 旅行者➕

🔊

businessman /ˈbɪz.nɪs.mæn/

n. 商人➕

🔊 "What are you trying to say?"

"你想說什麼？"

🔊 "In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky at night... You—only you—will have stars that can laugh!"

"在其中的一顆星星上,我將活著。在其中的一顆上,我將笑著。所以當你晚上看天空時,就好像所有的星星都在笑……你——只有你——將有會笑的星星！"

🔊 And he laughed again.

他又笑了。

🔊 "And when your sorrow is comforted (time soothes all sorrows) you will be content that you have known me. You will always be my friend. You will want to laugh with me. And you will sometimes open your window, so, for that pleasure ... And your friends will be properly astonished to see you laughing as you look up at the sky! Then you will say to them, \"Yes, the stars always make me laugh!\" And they will think you are crazy. It will be a very shabby trick that I shall have played on you ..."

"當你的悲傷得到安慰時（時間撫慰所有悲傷）,你會因為認識我而感到滿足。你將永遠是我的朋友。你會想和我一起笑。你有時會打開窗戶,就這樣,為了那種樂趣……你的朋友會很驚訝地看到你抬頭看天空時笑！然後你會對他們說,\"是的,星星總是讓我笑！\" 他們會認為你瘋了。這將是我對你玩的一個非常卑鄙的把戲……"

🔊

sorrow /ˈsɒr.əʊ/

n. 悲傷➕

🔊

comforted /ˈkʌm.fə.tɪd/

v. 安慰➕

🔊

soothes /suːðz/

v. 舒緩➕

🔊

content /kənˈtent/

adj. 滿足的➕

🔊

properly /ˈprɒp.ə.li/

adv. 恰當地➕

🔊

astonished /əˈstɒn.ɪʃt/

adj. 驚訝的➕

🔊

crazy /ˈkreɪ.zi/

adj. 瘋狂的➕

🔊

shabby /ˈʃæb.i/

adj. 破舊的,卑鄙的➕

🔊

trick /trɪk/

n. 詭計➕

🔊 And he laughed again.

他又笑了。

🔊 "It will be as if, in place of the stars, I had given you a great number of little bells that knew how to laugh ..."

"就好像,代替星星,我給了你許多會笑的小鈴鐺……"

🔊 And he laughed again. Then he quickly became serious: "Tonight—you know ... Do not come."

他又笑了。然後他迅速變得嚴肅:"今晚——你知道……不要來。"

🔊 "I shall not leave you," I said.

"我不會離開你," 我說。

🔊 "I shall look as if I were suffering. I shall look a little as if I were dying. It is like that. Do not come to see that. It is not worth the trouble ..."

"我看起來會像是在受苦。我看起來有點像要死了。就是這樣。不要來看那個。不值得麻煩……"

🔊

suffering /ˈsʌf.ər.ɪŋ/

v. 受苦➕

🔊 "I shall not leave you."

"我不會離開你。"

🔊 But he was worried.

但他很擔心。

🔊 "I tell you—it is also because of the snake. He must not bite you. Snakes —they are malicious creatures. This one might bite you just for fun ..."

"我告訴你——這也是因為蛇。他不能咬你。蛇——它們是惡意的生物。這一條可能只是為了好玩咬你……"

🔊

malicious /məˈlɪʃ.əs/

adj. 惡意的➕

🔊

creatures /ˈkriː.tʃərz/

n. 生物➕

🔊 "I shall not leave you."

"我不會離開你。"

🔊 But a thought came to reassure him:

但一個想法來安慰他:

🔊

reassure /ˌriː.əˈʃʊər/

v. 使安心➕

🔊 "It is true that they have no more poison for a second bite."

"確實,它們沒有第二次咬的毒藥了。"

🔊 That night I did not see him set out on his way. He got away from me without making a sound. When I succeeded in catching up with him he was walking along with a quick and resolute step. He said to me merely:

那晚我沒有看到他出發。他悄無聲息地離開了我。當我成功追上他時,他正以快速而堅定的步伐走著。他只是對我說:

🔊

resolute /ˈrez.ə.luːt/

adj. 堅決的➕

🔊 "Ah! You are there ..."

"啊！你在那裡……"

🔊 And he took me by the hand. But he was still worrying.

他握住我的手。但他仍然擔心。

🔊 "It was wrong of you to come. You will suffer. I shall look as if I were dead; and that will not be true ..."

"你來是錯的。你會受苦。我看起來會像是死了；而那不會是真的……"

🔊 I said nothing.

我什麼也沒說。

🔊 "You understand ... it is too far. I cannot carry this body with me. It is too heavy."

"你明白……太遠了。我無法帶著這個身體。它太重了。"

🔊 I said nothing.

我什麼也沒說。

🔊 "But it will be like an old abandoned shell. There is nothing sad about old shells ..."

"但它會像一個被遺棄的舊殼。舊殼沒有什麼可悲傷的……"

🔊

abandoned /əˈbændənd/

adj. 被遺棄的➕

🔊 I said nothing.

我什麼也沒說。

🔊 He was a little discouraged. But he made one more effort:

他有點沮喪。但他再努力一次:

🔊

discouraged /dɪsˈkɜːrɪdʒd/

adj. 氣餒的➕

🔊 "You know, it will be very nice. I, too, shall look at the stars. All the stars will be wells with a rusty pulley. All the stars will pour out fresh water for me to drink ..."

"你知道,那會很好。我也會看星星。所有的星星都將是有生鏽滑輪的水井。所有的星星都將為我倒出清水喝……"

🔊

rusty /ˈrʌsti/

adj. 生鏽的➕

🔊 I said nothing.

我什麼也沒說。

🔊 "That will be so amusing! You will have five hundred million little bells, and I shall have five hundred million springs of fresh water ..."

"那會很有趣！你將有五億個小鈴鐺,我將有五億股清水……"

🔊

amusing /əˈmjuːzɪŋ/

adj. 有趣的➕

🔊

springs /sprɪŋz/

n. 泉水➕

🔊 And he too said nothing more, because he was crying ...

他也沒再說什麼,因為他在哭……

🔊 "Here it is. Let me go on by myself."

"就是這裡。讓我自己繼續吧。"

🔊 And he sat down, because he was afraid. Then he said, again:

他坐下來,因為他害怕。然後他又說:

🔊 "You know—my flower ... I am responsible for her. And she is so weak! She is so naive! She has four thorns, of no use at all, to protect herself against all the world ..."

"你知道——我的花……我對她負責。她是那麼弱！她是那麼天真！她有四根刺,一點用也沒有,來保護自己對抗整個世界……"

🔊

responsible /rɪˈspɒnsəbl/

adj. 負責任的➕

🔊

naive /naɪˈiːv/

adj. 天真的➕

🔊

thorns /θɔːrnz/

n. 刺➕

🔊 I too sat down, because I was not able to stand up any longer.

我也坐下來,因為我再也站不住了。

🔊 "There now—that is all..."

"現在——就這樣了……"

🔊 He still hesitated a little; then he got up. He took one step. I could not move.

他仍然猶豫了一下；然後他站起來。他走了一步。我無法動彈。

🔊

hesitated /ˈhezɪteɪtɪd/

v. 猶豫➕

🔊 There was nothing but a flash of yellow close to his ankle. He remained motionless for an instant. He did not cry out. He fell as gently as a tree falls. There was not even any sound, because of the sand.

只有一道黃光靠近他的腳踝。他一動不動地待了一會兒。他沒有哭喊。他像樹倒下一樣溫柔地倒下。甚至沒有任何聲音,因為沙地。

🔊

flash /flæʃ/

n. 閃光➕

🔊

ankle /ˈæŋkl/

n. 腳踝➕

🔊

motionless /ˈmoʊʃənləs/

adj. 不動的➕

🔊

gently /ˈdʒentli/

adv. 溫柔地➕

🔊 And when I lightened my heart a little the next morning, I found that I could once more look at the stars. But I was not able to find his star. Perhaps it is just as well. For I shall always think of him as I saw him that first time, when he asked me to draw him a sheep. And I shall always hear his laughter, like a little bell. But I am not sure that I want to hear it. For I have grown to love that laughter.

當我第二天早上稍微輕鬆心情時,我發現我可以再次看星星了。但我找不到他的星星。或許這樣也好。因為我將永遠記得我第一次見到他時的樣子,當他請我畫一隻羊給他。我將永遠聽到他的笑聲,像一個小鈴鐺。但我不確定我想聽到它。因為我已經愛上了那笑聲。

Chapter twenty-six (第二十六章)