小王子-chapter5（上）

As each day passed I would learn, in our talk, something about the little prince's planet, his departure from it, his journey.
每天我都了解到一些关于小王子的星球，他的出走和旅行等事情。

The information would come very slowly, as it might chance to fall from his thoughts. It was in this way that I heard, on the third day, about the catastrophe of the baobabs.
这些都是偶然从各种反应中慢慢得到的。就这样，第三天我就了解到关于猴面包树的悲剧。

This time, once more, I had the sheep to thank for it. For the little prince  asked me abruptly-- as if seized by a grave doubt--
这一次又是因为羊的事情，小王子突然好象是非常担心地问我道：

"It is true, isn't it, that  sheep eat little bushes?"
"Yes, that is true."
"Ah! I am glad!"
“羊吃小灌木，这是真的吗？”
“没错，是真的。”
“啊，我真高兴。”

I did not understand why it was so important that sheep should eat little  bushes. But the little prince added: "Then it follows that they also eat baobabs?"
我不明白羊吃小灌木这件事为什么如此重要。可小王子又说道： “因此，它们也吃猴面包树罗？”

I pointed out to the little prince that baobabs were not little bushes, but,  on the contrary, trees as big as castles; and that even if he took a whole herd  of elephants away with him, the herd would not eat up one single baobab.
我对小王子说，猴面包树可不是小灌木，而是像教堂那么大的大树；即便是带回一群大象，也啃不了一棵猴面包树。

The idea of the herd of elephants made the little prince laugh. "We would have to put them one on top of the other," he said.
一群大象这种想法使小王子发笑：“那可得把这些大象一只叠一只地垒起来。”

But he made a wise comment: "Before they grow so big, the baobabs start out by being little."
他很有见识地说：“猴面包树在长大之前，开始也是小小的。”

"That is strictly correct," I said. "But why do you want the sheep to eat the little baobabs?"
“不错。可是为什么你想叫你的羊去吃小猴面包树呢？”

He answered me at once, "Oh, come, come!", as if he were speaking of something that was self-evident. And I was obliged to make a great mental effort to solve this problem, without any assistance.
他立即回答我道：“唉！这还用说！”似乎这是不言而喻的。可是我自己要费很大的心劲才能弄懂这个问题。

Indeed, as I learned, there were on the planet where the little prince lived-- as on all planets-- good plants and bad plants. In consequence, there were good seeds from good plants, and bad seeds from bad plants. But seeds are invisible.
原来，在小王子的星球上就像其他所有星球上一样，有好草和坏草；因此，也就有益草的草籽和毒草的草籽，可是草籽是看不见的。

They sleep deep in the heart of the earth's darkness, until some one among them is seized with the desire to awaken. Then this little seed will  stretch itself and begin-- timidly at first-- to push a charming little sprig inoffensively upward toward the sun. 
它们沉睡在泥土里，直到其中的一粒忽然想要苏醒过来……于是它就伸展开身子，开始腼腆地朝着太阳长出一棵秀丽可爱的小嫩苗。

If it is only a sprout of radish or the sprig of a rose-bush, one would let it grow wherever it might wish. But when it is a bad plant, one must destroy it as soon as possible, the very first instant that one recognizes it.
如果是小萝卜或是玫瑰的嫩苗，就让它去自由地生长。如果是一棵坏苗，一旦被辨认出来，就应该马上把它拔掉。