第四章

第四章

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06:12

Chapter 4


- the narrator speculates as to which asteroid from which the little prince came

I had thus learned a second fact of great importance: this was that the planet the little prince came from was scarcely any larger than a house!

《小王子》童话小说图片

But that did not really surprise me much. I knew very well that in addition to the great planets-- such as the Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Venus-- to which we have given names, there are also hundreds of others, some of which are so small that one has a hard time seeing them through the telescope. When an astronomer discovers one of these he does not give it a name, but only a number. He might call it, for example, "Asteroid 325."


I have serious reason to believe that the planet from which the little prince came is the asteroid known as B-612.


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

《小王子》童话小说土耳其天文学家图片

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. Grown-ups are like that…

《小王子》童话小说土耳其天文学家图片

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.

《小王子》土耳其天文学家

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.


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!"


Just so, you might say to them: "The proof that the little prince existed is that he was charming, that he laughed, and that he was looking for a sheep. If anybody wants a sheep, that is a proof that he exists." And what good would it do to tell them that? They would shrug their shoulders, and treat you like a child. But if you said to them: "The planet he came from is Asteroid B-612," then they would be convinced, and leave you in peace from their questions.


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


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 like 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…"


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


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…


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.


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 t he walls of boxes. Perhaps I am a little like the grown-ups. I have had to grow old.




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用户评论
  • 执笔小牧童

    本章关键词: Asteroid,astronomer,number,figure,grown-up,drawing 主要内容: 书中的主人公确认了小王子所来自的小行星B612,并且说明了“大人们对事物关注数字而不关注其重要内涵”这个特点,以及作者为写《小王子》这个故事付出的巨大努力——重新拾起画画!

  • 听友389888070

    要是原文有中文就好了!

  • 宙斯的鹅

    原来是真人读的啊!

    Yi声有你 回复 @宙斯的鹅: 哈哈 是的呢…

  • 汀听听汀话

  • 雪莲花_4tz

    真好听,很纯正,比之前都标准

    Yi声有你 回复 @雪莲花_4tz: 感谢收听!

  • 晨曦凌微露

    纯正的美式发音,优美丝滑的音色,真心喜欢的版本!

  • 彼岸盈盈

    很好听,口齿清晰

  • Molly_Yuan

    非常纯正,是我听过的非常纯正的版本。

  • 听友339871793

    可以加翻译吗

  • 亲亲宝贝双语早教

    好听