《小王子》第4章

地方小王子画得太大了些，另一个地方又画得太小了些。对他衣服的颜色我也拿不准。于是我就摸索着这么试试那么改改，画个大概齐。我很可能在某些重要的细节上画错了。这就得请大家原谅我了。因为我的这个朋友，从来也不加说明解释。他认为我同他一样。可是，很遗憾，我却不能透过盒子看见小羊。我大概有点和大人们差不多。我一定是变老了。
＇　chapter　4　＇　…　the　narrator　speculates　as　to　which　asteroid　from　which　the　little　prince　came　
i　had　thus　learned　a　second　fact　of　great　importance：　this　was　that　the　planet　the　little　prince　came　from　was　scarcely　any　larger　than　a　house！　
but　that　did　not　really　surprise　me　much。　i　knew　very　well　that　in　addition　to　the　great　planets……　such　as　the　earth；　jupiter；　mars；　venus……　to　which　we　have　given　names；　there　are　also　hundreds　of　others；　some　of　which　are　so　small　that　one　has　a　hard　time　seeing　them　through　the　telescope。　when　an　astronomer　discovers　one　of　these　he　does　not　give　it　a　name；　but　only　a　number。　he　might　call　it；　for　example；　〃asteroid　325。〃　
i　have　serious　reason　to　believe　that　the　planet　from　which　the　little　prince　came　is　the　asteroid　known　as　b…612。　
this　asteroid　has　only　once　been　seen　through　the　telescope。　that　was　by　a　turkish　astronomer；　in　1909。　
on　making　his　discovery；　the　astronomer　had　presented　it　to　the　international　astronomical　congress；　in　a　great　demonstration。　but　he　was　in　turkish　costume；　and　so　nobody　would　believe　what　he　said。　
grown…ups　are　like　that。。。　
fortunately；　however；　for　the　reputation　of　asteroid　b…612；　a　turkish　dictator　made　a　law　that　his　subjects；　under　pain　of　death；　should　change　to　european　costume。　so　in　1920　the　astronomer　gave　his　demonstration　all　over　again；　dressed　with　impressive　style　and　elegance。　and　this　time　everybody　accepted　his　report。　
if　i　have　told　you　these　details　about　the　asteroid；　and　made　a　note　of　its　number　for　you；　it　is　on　account　of　the　grown…ups　and　their　ways。　when　you　tell　them　that　you　have　made　a　new　friend；　they　never　ask　you　any　questions　about　essential　matters。　they　never　say　to　you；　〃what　does　his　voice　sound　like？　what　games　does　he　love　best？　does　he　collect　butterflies？〃　instead；　they　demand：　〃how　old　is　he？　how　many　brothers　has　he？　how　much　does　he　weigh？　how　much　money　does　his　father　make？〃　only　from　these　figures　do　they　think　they　have　learned　anything　about　him。　
if　you　were　to　say　to　the　grown…ups：　〃i　saw　a　beautiful　house　made　of　rosy　brick；　with　geraniums　in　the　windows　and　doves　on　the　roof；〃　they　would　not　be　able　to　get　any　idea　of　that　house　at　all。　you　would　have　to　say　to　them：　〃i　saw　a　house　that　cost　20；000。〃　then　they　would　exclaim：　〃oh；　what　a　pretty　house　that　is！〃　
just　so；　you　might　say　to　them：　〃the　proof　that　the　little　prince　existed　is　that　he　was　charming；　that　he　laughed；　and　that　he　was　looking　for　a　sheep。　if　anybody　wants　a　sheep；　that　is　a　proof　that　he　exists。〃　and　what　good　would　it　do　to　tell　them　that？　they　would　shrug　their　shoulders；　and　treat　you　like　a　child。　but　if　you　said　to　them：　〃the　planet　he　came　from　is　asteroid　b…612；〃　then　they　would　be　convinced；　and　leave　you　in　peace　from　their　questions。　
they　are　like　that。　one　must　not　hold　it　against　them。　children　should　always　show　great　forbearance　toward　grown…up　people。　
but　certainly；　for　us　who　understand　life；　figures　are　a　matter　of　indifference。　i　should　have　liked　to　begin　this　story　in　the　fashion　of　the　fairy…tales。　i　should　have　like　to　say：　〃once　upon　a　time　there　was　a　little　prince　who　lived　on　a　planet　that　was　scarcely　any　bigger　than　himself；　and　who　had　need　of　a　sheep。。。〃　
to　those　who　understand　life；　that　would　have　given　a　much　greater　air　of　truth　to　my　story。　
for　i　do　not　want　any　one　to　read　my　book　carelessly。　i　have　suffered　too　much　grief　in　setting　down　these　memories。　six　years　have　already　passed　since　my　friend　went　away　from　me；　with　his　sheep。　if　i　try　to　describe　him　here；　it　is　to　make　sure　that　i　shall　not　forget　him。　to　forget　a　friend　is　sad。　not　every　one　has　had　a　friend。　and　if　i　forget　him；　i　may　bee　like　the　grown…ups　who　are　no　longer　interested　in　anything　but　figures。。。　
it　is　for　that　purpose；　again；　that　i　have　bought　a　box　of　paints　and　some　pencils。　it　is　hard　to　take　up　drawing　again　at　my　age；　when　i　have　never　made　any　pictures　except　those　of　the　boa　constrictor　from　the　outside　and　the　boa　constrictor　from　the　inside；　since　i　was　six。　i　shall　certainly　try　to　make　my　portraits　as　true　to　life　as　possible。　but　i　am　not　at　all　sure　of　success。　one　drawing　goes　along　all　right；　and　another　has　no　resemblance　to　its　subject。　i　make　some　errors；　too；　in　the　littl　e　princes　height：　in　one　place　he　is　too　tall　and　in　another　too　short。　and　i　feel　some　doubts　about　the　color　of　his　costume。　so　i　fumble　along　as　best　i　can；　now　good；　now　bad；　and　i　hope　generally　fair…to…middling。　
in　certain　more　important　details　i　shall　make　mistakes；　also。　but　that　is　something　that　will　not　be　my　fault。　my　friend　never　explained　anything　to　me。　he　thought；　perhaps；　that　i　was　like　himself。　but　i；　alas；　do　not　know　how　to　see　sheep　through　t　he　walls　of　boxes。　perhaps　i　am　a　little　like　the　grown…ups。　i　have　had　to　grow　old。　
．．
第五篇
Ⅴ
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。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。　
这一次又是因为羊的事情，突然小王子好象是非常担心地问我道：　
“羊吃小灌木，这是真的吗？”　
“是的，是真的。”　
“啊，我真高兴。”　
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？”　
我对小王子说，猴面包树可不是小灌木，而是象教堂那么大的大树；即便是带回一群大象，也啃不了一棵猴面包树。　
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。”
他很有见识地说：　
“猴面包树在长大之前，开始也是小小的。”　
“不错。可是为什么你想叫你的羊去吃小猴面包树呢？”　
他回答我道：“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。　
原来，在小王子的星球上就象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。它们沉睡在泥土里，直到其?