The Little Prince 小王子- Chapter 10

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—the little prince visits the king 
—小王子拜见国王 
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He found himself in the neighborhood of the asteroids 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, and 330. He began, therefore, by visiting them, in order to add to his knowledge. 
他发现自己在小行星325、326、327、328、329和330附近。因此，他开始访问这些星球，以增长见识。 

The first of them was inhabited by a king. Clad in royal purple and ermine, he was seated upon a throne which was at the same time both simple and majestic. 
其中，第一个星球上住着一位国王。他身着皇家紫袍和貂皮大衣，坐在简单却庄严的宝座上。

"Ah! Here is a subject," exclaimed the king, when he saw the little prince coming. 
“啊！一个臣民来了。”看到小王子来了，国王高声喊道。 

And the little prince asked himself: 小王子自问道： 

"How could he recognize me when he had never seen me before?" “他以前从未见过我，怎么能认出我来呢？” 

He did not know how the world is simplified for kings. To them, all men are subjects. 
他不明白国王们是怎么简化这个世界的。对他们来说，所有人都是臣民。 

"Approach, so that I may see you better," said the king, who felt consumingly proud of being at last a king over somebody. 
“走近点，让我好好地看看你。”国王说道。他觉得特别骄傲，终于成为一个可以凌驾于他人之上的国王了。

The little prince looked everywhere to find a place to sit down; but the entire planet was crammed and obstructed by the king's magnificent ermine robe. So he remained standing upright, and, since he was tired, he yawned. 
小王子环顾四周，想找一个地方坐下来，但是整个星球都塞满了国王华丽的貂皮大衣。于是，他只好直挺挺地站着。因为他太累了，就打了个哈欠。 

"It is contrary to etiquette to yawn in the presence of a king," the monarch said to him. "I forbid you to do so." 
“在国王面前打哈欠是不合规矩的。”国王对他说道，“我禁止你这样做。” 

"I can't help it. I can't stop myself," replied the little prince, thoroughly embarrassed. "I have come on a long journey, and I have had no sleep..." 
“可我情不自禁啊。我自己没法控制。”小王子回答说，感到特别窘迫。“我走了很远的路才来到这里，我都没有睡觉……”

"Ah, then," the king said. "I order you to yawn. It is years since I have seen anyone yawning. Yawns, to me, are objects of curiosity. Come, now! Yawn again! It is an order." 
“呃，那么，”国王说，“我命令你打哈欠。我很多年没有看人打哈欠了。哈欠对我来说是令人好奇的东西。开始吧，就现在！再打一个哈欠！这是命令。” 

"That frightens me... I cannot, any more..." murmured the little prince, now completely abashed. 
“吓到我了……我再打不出来了……”小王子咕哝着，完全不知所措。 

"Hum! Hum!" replied the king. "Then I—I order you sometimes to yawn and sometimes to—" 
“嗯！嗯！”国王回答到。“那么我——我命令你有时可以打哈欠，有时可以——” 

He sputtered a little, and seemed vexed. 他有点语无伦次，似乎很生气。 

For what the king fundamentally insisted upon was that his authority should be respected. He tolerated no disobedience. He was an absolute monarch. But, because he was a very good man, he made his orders reasonable. 
因为国王最坚持的是他的权威必须受到尊重。他不能容忍任何人违抗他的旨意。他是拥有绝对权力的君王。然而，因为他是非常善良的一个人，他的命令都是合理的。 

"If I ordered a general," he would say, by way of example, "if I ordered a general to change himself into a sea bird, and if the general did not obey me, that would not be the fault of the general. It would be my fault." 
“如果我命令一个将军，”他常常举例子说，“如果我命令一个将军把他自己变成一只海鸟，而将军没有服从的话，那不会是将军的错。那是我的过错。” 

"May I sit down?" came now a timid inquiry from the little prince. “我可以坐下吗？”小王子怯怯地问。

"I order you to do so," the king answered him, and majestically gathered in a fold of his ermine mantle. 
“我命令你坐下。”国王回答他，并庄严地把他拖在地上的大衣衣襟收了收。 

But the little prince was wondering... The planet was tiny. Over what could this king really rule? 
小王子却在想，这个星球很小。那国王到底统治谁呢？ 

"Sire," he said to him, "I beg that you will excuse my asking you a question—" 
“陛下，”他向国王说，“我请求您能让我问您一个问题——” 

"I order you to ask me a question," the king hastened to assure him. 
“我命令你问我一个问题，”国王急忙肯定地回答他。 

"Sire—over what do you rule?" “陛下，您统治什么呢？

”Over everything," said the king, with magnificent simplicity. 
“统治一切。”国王极其简单地回答道。 

"Over everything?" “统治一切？” 

The king made a gesture, which took in his planet, the other planets, and all the stars. 
国王打了个手势，把他的星球，别的星球以及所有的星星都囊括在内。 

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