小王子16 | 遇见地球

So then the seventh planet was the Earth.

那么，第七个星球就是地球了。

The Earth is not just an ordinary planet! One can count, there 111 kings( not forgetting, to be sure, the Negro kings among them), 7,000 geographers, 900,000 businessmen, 7,500,000 tipplers, 311,000,000 conceited men ... that is to say, about 2,000,000,000 grown-ups.

地球可不是一个普普通通的星球！随便数一数，就有一百一十一个国王（别忘了，这其中包括了黑人国王），七千个地理学家，九十万个商人，七百五十万个酒鬼，三亿一千一百万个狂妄之徒 ... 也就是说，有大约二十亿个成年人！

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 lamps.

为了让你对地球的大小有个概念， 这么跟你说吧，在发明电之前，六大洲，共需要维持一只由四十六万二千五百一十一个灯夫组成的点灯大军！

Seen from a slight distance, that would make a splendid spectacle. The movement 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 and Siberia 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.

从远处望去，那简直是壮观极了！这些灯夫大军的行动就像是歌剧里的芭蕾一样协调一致。先出场的是新西兰和澳大利亚灯夫，他们点亮了灯就去睡觉了。接着，就是中国和西伯利亚的灯夫登台表演，同样他们也会谢幕退出。然后，就是俄罗斯和西印度群岛的灯夫；然后是非洲和欧洲的灯夫；然后是南美洲；然后是北美洲。他们从来不会在登台顺序上出错。 这正是了不起啊！

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.

那个管北极那盏灯的灯夫，以及他的同事，管南极那盏灯的灯夫，这两人过得最舒服，一年就忙活两回就行了。