小王子14 | 忠于职守

The fifth planet was very strange. It was the smallest of all. There was just enough room on it for a street lamp and a lamplighter. The little prince was not able to reach any explanation of the use of a street lamp and a lamplighter, somewhere in the heavens, on a planet which had no people, and not one house. But he said to himself, nevertheless:

第五个星球很奇怪，它是所有星球中最小的一个，只能刚好容下一盏路灯和一个灯夫。小王子怎么也弄不明白，在太空的某个角落，在一个没有人烟的星球上，要一盏路灯和一个点灯的人有什么用？！不过，他还是自言自语道：

" It may well be that this man is absurd. But he is not so absurd as the king, the conceited man, the businessman, and the tippler. For at least his work has some meaning. when  he lights his street lamp, it is as if he brought one more star to life, or one flower. When he puts out his lamp, he sends the flower, or the star to sleep. That is a beautiful occupation. And since it is beautiful, it is truly useful."

”这个人很可能有点荒唐，但又比他们好点，不像那个国王、那个狂妄自大的人，那个生意人，还有那个酒鬼那般荒唐。至少，他的工作还有些意义。当他把路灯点亮，就像是又唤醒了一颗星星或一棵花。当他熄灭路灯，又像是把花儿和星星送入梦乡。这是个美妙的差事。正因为美妙，所以一定有用！”

When he arrived on the planet he respectfully saluted the  lamplighter.

于是，他一踏上这个星球，就礼貌地向灯夫行礼。

"Good morning. Why heave you just put out your lamp?"

“早上好。您为什么把灯熄灭？”

“Those are the orders," replied the lamplighter， “Good morning."

“这是命令，” 灯夫答道，“早上好。”

"What are the orders?"

“什么命令？”

"The orders are that I put out my lamp. Good evening."

“命令就是熄灯。 晚上好。”

And he lighted his lamp again.

说着，他又把灯点亮。

"But why you just lighted again?"

“可是，为什么又点亮了呢？”

"Those are the orders," said the lamplighter.

“这时命令。”灯夫说到。

"I do not understand," said the little prince.

“我晕了。”小王子说。

"There is nothing to understand," said the lamplighter,"Orders are orders. Good morning."

“这没什么明白不明白的，”灯夫说，“命令就是命令。早上好。”

And he put out his lamp.

说着，他又把灯熄了。

Then he mopped his forehead with a handkerchief decorated with red squares.

接着，他用手绢擦了擦额头上的汗，手绢上印着红色的方块图案。

"I follow a terrible profession. In the old days it was reasonable. I put the lamp out in the morning, and in the evening I lighted it again. I had the rest of the day for relaxation and the rest of the night for sleep."

“这是个挺糟糕的差事。在早些年还凑合，我在早上把灯熄灭，在晚上把灯点亮。剩下的时间，白天玩玩，晚上就睡觉。”

"And the orders have been changed since then?"

“后来，命令就变了吗？”

"The orders have not been changed," said the lamplighter," That is the tragedy! From year to year the planet has turned more rapidly and the orders have not been changed.!"

“没变，”灯夫说，“这正是悲剧所在！星球一年比一年转得快，而命令却从未改变。”

”Then what?" asked the little prince.

“后来呢？”小王子问。

"Then ... the planet now makes a complete turn every minute, and I  no longer have a single second for repose. Once every minute, I have to light my lamp and put it out!"

“后来 ... 现在星球每一分钟就转一圈，我连一钟都不得闲。每分钟，我得点一次灯，熄一次灯。”
"That is very funny! A day lasts only one minute, here where you live!"

“这真是滑稽！你这里一天只有一分钟！”

“It is not funny at all!" said the lamplighter, "While we have been talking together a month has gone by."

“没什么可笑的！” 灯夫说，“就在我们说话的时候，一个月过去了。”

"A month?"

“一个月？”

Yes, a month. Thirty minutes. Thirty days. Good evening."

“是的，一个月。三十分钟。三十天。早上好。”

And he lighted his lamp again.

说着，又点亮了灯。

As the little prince watched him, he felt that he loved this lamplighter who was so faithful to his orders. He remembered the sunsets which he himself had gone to seek, in other days, merely by pulling up his chair, and he wanted to help his friend.

小王子看着他，觉得挺喜欢这个忠于职守、服从命令的灯夫了。他想起了以前自己欣赏日落，只要挪挪椅子就得了，于是想帮帮这个灯夫朋友。

"You know," he said,"I can tell you a way you can rest  whenever you want to ... "

“你知道嘛，”小王子说，“ 我可以告诉你个办法，你想什么时候休息都行 ...”

"I always want to rest," said the lamplighter.

“我是一直想着歇歇，“灯夫说。

For it is possible for a man to be faithful and lazy at the same time.

忠诚和惰性是有可能集于一身的。

The little prince went on with his explanation:

小王子继续说道：

"Your planet is so small that three strides will take you all the way around it. To be always in the sunshine. You need only to walk along rather slowly. When you want to rest, you will walk, and the day will last as long as you like."

”你的星球太小了，三大步就可以转一圈。要想白天永驻，你就要慢慢地走。你想要休息了，你就走，于是你要白天多长就多长。“

"That doesn't do me much good," said the lamplighter, " The one thing I love in life is to sleep."

”这样可对我不灵。“ 灯夫说，” 我喜欢睡觉。“

"Then you're unlucky," said the little prince.

”那就没救了，“小王子说。

"I am unlucky," said the lamplighter. "Good morning."

”算我倒霉，“灯夫说，”早上好。“

And he put out his lamp.

说着又熄了灯。

"That man," said the little prince to himself, as he continued father on his journey, "that man would be scorned by all the others, by the king, by the conceited man, by the tippler, by the businessman. Nevertheless he is the only one of them all who does not seem to me ridiculous. Perhaps that is because he is think of something else besides himself. 

”这个人啊！”小王子自言自语着，又开始他的旅程，“这个人肯定会被所有其他人嘲笑的，包括那个国王，那个自大的人，那个酒鬼，还有那个商人。但是，在所有人中，他是唯一不荒唐的。也许，是因为他不自私自利的缘故。

He breathed a sigh of regret, and said to himself, again:

他遗憾地叹了口气，又对自己说：

"That man is the only one of them all whom could have made my friend. But His planet is indeed too small. There is no room on it for two people ... "

“在他们这些人中，这个人是唯一可以和我做朋友的。但他的星球太小了，实在是挤不下两个人 ... "

What the little prince did not dare confess was that he was sorry most of all to leave this planet, because it was blest  every day with 1,440 sunsets!

有一点小王子没敢坦白，离开这个星球让他最为感到遗憾的原因是，这里每天都能有幸看到1440次日落！