The Little Prince 小王子 - chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

—the narrator discusses the Earth's lamplighters 

——叙述者谈论地球上的点灯人 

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So then the seventh planet was the Earth. 
那么，第七大行星就是地球了。 


The Earth is not just an ordinary planet! One can count, there 111 kings, 7000 geographers, 900,000 businessmen, 7,500,000 tipplers, 311,000,000 conceited men—that is to say, about 2,000,000,000 grown—ups. 
地球并非一颗普通的行星！那里，可以数一数，有一百一十一位国王，有七千位地理学家，九十万个商人，七百五十 万个酒鬼，三亿一千一百万个自大狂——也就是说，大概有二十亿成年人。 


To give you an idea of the size of the Earth, I will tell you that before the invention of electricity it was necessary to maintain, over the whole of the six continents, a veritable army of 462,511 lamplighters for the street lamps. 
为了让你对地球的大小有个大概的了解，我会告诉你：在电被发明之前，需要一支四十六万两千五百一十一个点灯人组成的真正的大军来点燃街灯，照亮六大洲。 


Seen from a slight distance, that would make a splendid spectacle. The movements of this army would be regulated like those of the ballet in the opera. First would come the turn of the lamplighters of New Zealand and Australia. Having set their lamps alight, these would go off to sleep. Next, the lamplighters of China would enter for their steps in the dance, and then they too would be waved back into the wings. After that would come the turn of the lamplighters of Russia and the Indies; then those of Africa and Europe, then those of South America; then those of North America. And never would they make a mistake in the order of their entry upon the stage. It would be magnificent.
从远一点的地方望过去，那将会是一片壮观的景象。这支大军的行动将有序进行，就像歌剧中的芭蕾舞一样。先是新西兰和澳大利亚的点灯人开始。他们把灯点亮后就去睡觉了。接着，中国的点灯人伴着舞曲，踏着舞步登场，然后也被挥手示意，退到幕后。随后轮到俄国和印度的点灯人，之后是非洲和欧洲的点灯人，接下来是南美洲的点灯人，再接着就是北美洲的点灯人了。他们从来不会弄错自己出场的顺序。这非常重要。 


Only the man who was in charge of the single lamp at the North Pole, and his colleague who was responsible for the single lamp at the South Pole—only these two would live free from toil and care: they would be busy twice a year. 
唯有负责北极那盏灯的人，和负责南极那盏灯的人——唯有这两个人，过着自在悠闲的生活，因为一年里他们只忙上两次。