我們會變成怎樣的大人

編者按：

《小王子》是法國作家安東尼#8226;德#8226;圣埃克蘇佩里于1942寫成的小說，以一位飛行員作為故事敘述者，講述了小王子從自己星球出發(fā)前往地球的過程中，所經(jīng)歷的各種歷險。作者沒有在書里長篇大論地講道理，而是把一切藏在美妙的故事中。

《小王子》通常被稱作哲理童話，當然適合孩子閱讀，但就如同作者自己所說，它是獻給那些曾經(jīng)是孩子并且記得這一點的大人的。書里描繪的成人世界有些孤獨，有些不盡如人意，不過我覺得，我們自己會變成怎樣的大人，這個世界就會變成怎樣的世界。小編選取的兩章，正是小王子經(jīng)歷中的兩段，也可以當作單獨的寓言來看。

The Little Prince（Excerpt）

Chapter 17

［1］ When one wishes to play the wit， he sometimes wanders a little from the truth. I have not been altogether honest in what I have told you about the lamplighters. And I realize that I run the risk of giving a 1 idea of our planet to those who do not know it. Men occupy a very small place upon the Earth. If the two billion inhabitants who people its surface were all to stand upright and somewhat crowded together， as they do for some big public assembly，

小王子（節(jié)選）

17章

［1］ 當人們想要說得俏皮些的時候，說話就可能會不大實在。在給你們講點燈人的時候，我就不那么忠實，很可能給不了解我們這個星球的人們造成一個錯誤的概念。在地球上，人們所占的位置非常小。如果住在地球上的二十億居民全站著，并且像開大會一樣靠得緊些，那么就可以從容地站在一個二十海里見方的廣場上。也就是說可以把整個人類集中在太平洋中一個最小的島嶼上。

they could easily be put into one public square twenty miles long and twenty miles wide. All humanity could be piled up on a small Pacific islet.

The grownups， to be sure， will not believe you when you tell them that. They imagine that they fill a great deal of space. They fancy themselves as important as the baobabs. You should advise them， then， to make their own calculations. They adore figures， and that will please them. But do not waste your time on this extra task. It is unnecessary. You have， I know， confidence in me.

［2］ When the little prince arrived on the Earth， he was very much surprised not to see any people. He was beginning to be afraid he had come to the wrong planet， when a coil of gold， the color of the moonlight， flashed across the sand.

“Good evening，” said the little prince courteously.

“Good evening，” said the snake.

“What planet is this on which I have come down?” asked the little prince.

“This is the Earth; this is Africa，” the snake answered.

“Ah! Then there are no people on the Earth?”

“This is the desert. There are no people in the desert. The Earth is large，” said the snake.

The little prince sat down on a stone， and raised his eyes toward the sky.

“I wonder，” he said， “whether the stars are set alight in heaven so that one day each one of us may find his own again… Look at my planet. It is right there above us. But how far away it is!”

“It is beautiful，” the snake said. “What has brought you here?”

當然，大人們是不會相信你們的。他們自以為要占很大地方，他們把自己看得像猴面包樹那樣大得了不起。你們可以建議他們計算一下。這樣會使他們很高興，因為他們非常喜歡數(shù)字。可是你們無須浪費時間去做這種乏味的連篇累牘的演算。這沒有必要。你們可以完全相信我。

［2］ 小王子到了地球上感到非常奇怪，他一個人也沒有看到，他正擔心自己跑錯了星球。這時，在沙地上有一個月光色的圓環(huán)在蠕動。

小王子毫無把握地隨便說了聲：“晚安?！?/p>

“晚安?！鄙哒f道。

“我落在什么行星上？”小王子問道。

“在地球上，在非洲。”蛇回答道。

“??！……怎么，難道說地球上沒有人嗎？”

“這里是沙漠，沙漠中沒有人。地球是很大的?！鄙哒f。

小王子坐在一塊石頭上，抬眼望著天空，說道：

“我捉摸這些星星閃閃發(fā)亮是否為了讓每個人將來有一天都能重新找到自己的星球?？?，我那顆行星。它恰好在我們頭頂上……可是，它離我們好遠喲！”

“它很美?！鄙哒f，“你到這里來干什么呢？”

“I have been having some trouble with a flower，” said the little prince.

“Ah!” said the snake.

And they were both silent.

［3］ “Where are the men?” the little prince at last took up the conversation again. “It is a little lonely in the desert…”

“It is also lonely among men，” the snake said.

The little prince gazed at him for a long time.

“You are a funny animal，” he said at last. “You are no thicker than a finger…”

“But I am more powerful than the finger of a king，” said the snake.

The little prince smiled.

“You are not very powerful. You haven‘t even any feet. You cannot even travel…”

“I can carry you farther than any ship could take you，” said the snake.

He twined himself around the little prince’s ankle， like a golden bracelet.

“Whomever I touch， I send back to the earth from whence he came，” the snake spoke again. “But you are innocent and true， and you come from a star…”

The little prince made no reply.

“You move me to pity — you are so weak on this Earth made of granite，” the snake said. “I can help you， some day， if you grow too homesick for your own planet. I can —”

“Oh! I understand you very well，” said the little prince. “But why do you always speak in riddles?”

“I solve them all，” said the snake.

And they were both silent.

Chapter 22

［4］ “Good morning，” said the little prince.

“Good morning，” said the railway switchman.

“我和一朵花鬧了別扭。”小王子說。

“??！”蛇說道。

于是他們都沉默下來。

［3］ “人在什么地方？”小王子終于又開了腔?！霸谏衬希嬗悬c孤獨……”

“到了有人的地方，也一樣孤獨?！鄙哒f。

小王子長時間地看著蛇。

“你是個奇怪的動物，細得像個手指頭……。”小王子終于說道。

“但我比一個國王的手指更有威力?！鄙哒f道。

小王子微笑著說：

“你并不那么有威力……你連腳都沒有……你甚至都不能旅行……”

“我可以把你帶到很遠的地方去，比一只船能去的地方還要遠?！鄙哒f道。

蛇就盤結在小王子的腳腕子上，像一只金鐲子。

“被我碰觸的人，我就把他送回老家去?！鄙哌€說，“可是你是純潔的，而且是從另一個星球上來的……”

小王子什么也沒有回答。

“在這個花崗石的地球上，你這么弱小，我很可憐你。如果你非常懷念你的星球，那時我可以幫助你。我可以……”

“啊！我很明白你的意思。”小王子說，“但是你為什么說話總是像讓人猜謎語似的？”

“這些謎語我都能解開的?！鄙哒f。

于是他們又都沉默起來。

22章

［4］ “你好。”小王子說道。

“你好。”扳道工說道。

“What do you do here?” the little prince asked.

“I sort out travelers， in bundles of a thousand，” said the switchman. “I send off the trains that carry them; now to the right， now to the left.”

And a brilliantly lighted express train shook the switchman’s cabin as it rushed by with a roar like thunder.

“They are in a great hurry，” said the little prince. “What are they looking for?”

“Not even the locomotive engineer knows that，” said the switchman.

［5］ And a second brilliantly lighted express thundered by， in the opposite direction.

“Are they coming back already?” demanded the little prince.

“These are not the same ones，” said the switchman. “It is an exchange.”

“Were they not satisfied where they were?” asked the little prince.

“No one is ever satisfied where he is，” said the switchman.

And they heard the roaring thunder of a third brilliantly lighted express.

“Are they pursuing the first travelers?” demanded the little prince.

“They are pursuing nothing at all，” said the switchman. “They are asleep in there， or if they are not asleep they are yawning. Only the children are flattening their noses against the windowpanes.”

“Only the children know what they are looking for，” said the little prince. “They waste their time over a rag doll and it becomes very important to them; and if anybody takes it away from them， they cry…”

“They are lucky，” the switchman said.

“你在這里做什么？”小王子問。

“我一包包地分選旅客，按每千人一包?！卑獾拦ふf，“我打發(fā)這些運載旅客的列車，一會兒發(fā)往右方，一會兒發(fā)往左方。”

這時，一列燈火明亮的快車，雷鳴般地響著，把扳道房震得顫顫悠悠。

“他們真匆忙呀，”小王子說，“他們要尋找什么？”

“開機車的人自己也不知道。”扳道工說道。

［5］ 于是，第二列燈火通明的快車又朝著相反的方向轟隆轟隆地開過去。

“他們怎么又回來了呢？”小王子問道。

“他們不是原來那些人了?！卑獾拦ふf，“這是一次對開列車?！?/p>

“他們不滿意他們原來所住的地方嗎？”

“人們是從來也不會滿意自己所在的地方的?！卑獾拦ふf。

此時，第三趟燈火明亮的快車又隆隆而過。

“他們是在追隨第一批旅客嗎？”小王子問道。

“他們什么也不追隨?！卑獾拦ふf，“他們在里面睡覺，或是在打哈欠。只有孩子們把鼻子貼在玻璃窗上往外看?！?/p>

“只有孩子知道他們自己在尋找什么?！毙⊥踝诱f，“他們?yōu)橐粋€布娃娃花費不少時間，這個布娃娃就成了很重要的東西，如果有人奪走的他們的布娃娃，他們就哭泣……”

“他們真幸運。”扳道工說。