The sixth planet was ten times larger than the last one.It was inhabited by an old gentleman who wrote voluminous books.
第六颗行星比上一颗大十倍。它居住着一位写了大量书的老绅士。
"Oh, look! Here is an explorer!" he exclaimed to himself when he saw the little prince coming.
“哦，看！这儿有个探险家！”当他看到小王子走来时，他对自己惊呼道。
The little prince sat down on the table and panted a little.
小王子在桌子旁坐下，微微喘着气。
He had already traveled so much and so far!
他已经旅行了这么多，这么远！
"Where do you come from?" the old gentleman said to him.
“你从哪里来？”老绅士问他。
"What is that big book?" said the little prince."What are you doing?"
“那本大书是什么？”小王子说。“你在做什么？”
"I am a geographer," said the old gentleman.
“我是地理学家，”老绅士说。
"What is a geographer?" asked the little prince.
“地理学家是什么？”小王子问道。
"A geographer is a scholar who knows the location of all the seas, rivers, towns, mountains, and deserts."
“地理学家是一位学者，他知道所有海洋、河流、城镇、山脉和沙漠的位置。”
"That is very interesting," said the little prince. "Here at last is a man who has a real profession!"And he cast a look around him at the planet of the geographer. It was the most magnificent and stately planet that he had ever seen.
“这非常有趣，”小王子说。“这里终于有一个有真正职业的人了！”他环顾四周，看着地理学家的星球。那颗行星是他见过的最壮丽、最庄严的星球。
"Your planet is very beautiful," he said. "Has it any oceans?"
“你的星球非常美丽，”他说。“它有海洋吗？”
"I couldn't tell you," said the geographer.
“我不能告诉你，”地理学家说。
"Ah!"The little prince was disappointed."Has it any mountains?""I couldn't tell you," said the geographer.
“啊！”小王子感到失望。“它有山吗？”“我无法告诉你，”地理学家说。
"And towns, and rivers, and deserts?"
“还有城镇、河流和沙漠吗？”
"I couldn't tell you that, either."
“我也无法告诉你那些。”
"But you are a geographer!"
“但你是一位地理学家！”
"Exactly," the geographer said. "But I am not an explorer.I haven't a single explorer on my planet.It is not the geographer who goes out to count the towns, the rivers, the mountains, the seas, the oceans, and the deserts.The geographer is much too important to go loafing about.He does not leave his desk.But he receives the explorers in his study.He asks them questions, and he notes down what they recall of their travels.And if the recollections of any one among them seem interesting to him, the geographer orders an inquiry into that explorer's moral character.""Why is that?"
“正是如此，”地理学家说。“但我不是一个探险家。我的星球上没有一个探险家。地理学家不会亲自去数城镇、河流、山脉、海洋和沙漠。地理学家太重要了，不能到处闲逛。他不会离开他的桌子。但他会在书房里接待探险家。他问他们问题，并记下他们回忆起的旅行见闻。如果他们中任何一个人的回忆对他来说似乎很有趣，地理学家就会下令调查那位探险家的道德品质。”“为什么呢？”
"Because an explorer who told lies would bring disaster on the books of the geographer. So would an explorer who drank too much."
“因为一个说谎的探险家会给地理学家的著作带来灾难。一个喝太多酒的探险家也会如此。
"Why is that?" asked the little prince.
“为什么呢？”小王子问道。
"Because intoxicated men see double.
“因为喝醉的人会看到重影。
Then the geographer would note down two mountains in a place where there was only one."
然后，地理学家会在只有一个地方记下两座山。
"I know some one," said the little prince, "who would make a bad explorer."
“我认识一个人，”小王子说，“他会成为一个糟糕的探险家。”
"That is possible. Then, when the moral character of the explorer is shown to be good, an inquiry is ordered into his discovery."
“那是有可能的。然后，当探险家的道德品质被证明是好的，就会对他发现的东西进行调查。”
"One goes to see it?"
“人们去看它吗？”
"No. That would be too complicated. But one requires the explorer to furnish proofs. For example, if the discovery in question is that of a large mountain, one requires that large stones be brought back from it."
“不。那太复杂了。但是人们要求探险家提供证据。例如，如果所发现的是一座大山，人们就要求从山上带回大石头。”
The geographer was suddenly stirred to excitement.
地理学家突然激动起来。
"But you--you come from far away!You are an explorer!
“但是你——你从远方来！你是一位探险家！
You shall describe your planet to me!"
你应该向我描述你的星球！”
And, having opened his big register, the geographer sharpened his pencil. The recitals of explorers are put down first in pencil. One waits until the explorer has furnished proofs, before putting them down in ink.
于是，地理学家打开了他的大登记簿，削尖了他的铅笔。探险家的叙述首先用铅笔记录下来。人们要等到探险家提供了证据，才用墨水记录下来。
"Well?" said the geographer expectantly.
“怎么样？”地理学家期待地问。
"Oh, where I live," said the little prince, "it is not very interesting. It is all so small. I have three volcanoes. Two volcanoes are active and the other is extinct. But one never knows."
“哦，我住的地方，”小王子说，“不是很吸引人。一切都很小。我有三座火山。两座火山是活火山，另一座是死火山。但谁也不知道。”
"One never knows," said the geographer.
“谁也不知道，”地理学家说。
"I have also a flower."
“我还有一朵花。”
"We do not record flowers," said the geographer.
“我们不记录花，”地理学家说。
"Why is that?The flower is the most beautiful thing on my planet!"
“为什么呢？”花是我星球上最美丽的东西！”
"We do not record them," said the geographer, "because they are ephemeral."
“我们不记录它们，”地理学家说，“因为它们是短暂的。”
"What does that mean--'ephemeral'?"
“那是什么意思——‘短暂的’？”
"Geographies," said the geographer, "are the books which, of all books, are most concerned with matters of consequence. They never become old-fashioned. It is very rarely that a mountain changes its position. It is very rarely that an ocean empties itself of its waters. We write of eternal things."
“地理学，”地理学家说，“是所有书籍中，最关心重要事情的书籍。它们永远不会过时。山脉很少改变位置。海洋很少将其中的水排空。我们书写永恒的事物。”
"But extinct volcanoes may come to life again," the little prince interrupted. "What does that mean-- 'ephemeral'?"
“但是死火山可能会复活，”小王子打断说。“那是什么意思——‘短暂的’？”
"Whether volcanoes are extinct or alive, it comes to the same thing for us," said the geographer. "The thing that matters to us is the mountain.It does not change."
“无论火山是死火山还是活火山，对我们来说都一样，”地理学家说。“对我们来说重要的是山。它不会改变。”
"But what does that mean--'ephemeral'?" repeated the little prince, who never in his life had let go of a question, once he had asked it.
“但是那是什么意思——‘朝生暮死’？”小王子重复道，他一生中一旦问了一个问题，就绝不会放过。
"It means, 'which is in danger of speedy disappearance.'"
“它的意思是，‘有迅速消失的危险’。”
"Is my flower in danger of speedy disappearance?"
“我的花有迅速消失的危险吗？”
"Certainly it is."
“当然是。”
"My flower is ephemeral," the little prince said to himself,"and she has only four thorns to defend herself against the world. And I have left her on my planet, all alone!"
“我的花是朝生暮死的，”小王子对自己说，“而且她只有四根刺来保护自己免受世界的侵害。而且我把她独自留在了我的星球上！”
That was his first moment of regret.But he took courage once more.
那是他第一次感到后悔。但他再次鼓起勇气。
"What place would you advise me to visit now?" he asked.
“你建议我现在去拜访什么地方？”他问。
"The planet Earth," replied the geographer. "It has a good reputation."
“地球，”地理学家回答。“它有很好的声誉。”
And the little prince went away, thinking of his flower.
小王子走了，想着他的花。
The sixth planet was ten times larger than the last one.It was inhabited by an old gentleman who wrote voluminous books.
第六颗行星比上一颗大十倍。它居住着一位写了大量书的老绅士。
"Oh, look! Here is an explorer!" he exclaimed to himself when he saw the little prince coming.
“哦，看！这儿有个探险家！”当他看到小王子走来时，他对自己惊呼道。
The little prince sat down on the table and panted a little.
小王子在桌子旁坐下，微微喘着气。
He had already traveled so much and so far!
他已经旅行了这么多，这么远！
"Where do you come from?" the old gentleman said to him.
“你从哪里来？”老绅士问他。
"What is that big book?" said the little prince."What are you doing?"
“那本大书是什么？”小王子说。“你在做什么？”
"I am a geographer," said the old gentleman.
“我是地理学家，”老绅士说。
"What is a geographer?" asked the little prince.
“地理学家是什么？”小王子问道。
"A geographer is a scholar who knows the location of all the seas, rivers, towns, mountains, and deserts."
“地理学家是一位学者，他知道所有海洋、河流、城镇、山脉和沙漠的位置。”
"That is very interesting," said the little prince. "Here at last is a man who has a real profession!"And he cast a look around him at the planet of the geographer. It was the most magnificent and stately planet that he had ever seen.
“这非常有趣，”小王子说。“这里终于有一个有真正职业的人了！”他环顾四周，看着地理学家的星球。那颗行星是他见过的最壮丽、最庄严的星球。
"Your planet is very beautiful," he said. "Has it any oceans?"
“你的星球非常美丽，”他说。“它有海洋吗？”
"I couldn't tell you," said the geographer.
“我不能告诉你，”地理学家说。
"Ah!"The little prince was disappointed."Has it any mountains?""I couldn't tell you," said the geographer.
“啊！”小王子感到失望。“它有山吗？”“我无法告诉你，”地理学家说。
"And towns, and rivers, and deserts?"
“还有城镇、河流和沙漠吗？”
"I couldn't tell you that, either."
“我也无法告诉你那些。”
"But you are a geographer!"
“但你是一位地理学家！”
"Exactly," the geographer said. "But I am not an explorer.I haven't a single explorer on my planet.It is not the geographer who goes out to count the towns, the rivers, the mountains, the seas, the oceans, and the deserts.The geographer is much too important to go loafing about.He does not leave his desk.But he receives the explorers in his study.He asks them questions, and he notes down what they recall of their travels.And if the recollections of any one among them seem interesting to him, the geographer orders an inquiry into that explorer's moral character.""Why is that?"
“正是如此，”地理学家说。“但我不是一个探险家。我的星球上没有一个探险家。地理学家不会亲自去数城镇、河流、山脉、海洋和沙漠。地理学家太重要了，不能到处闲逛。他不会离开他的桌子。但他会在书房里接待探险家。他问他们问题，并记下他们回忆起的旅行见闻。如果他们中任何一个人的回忆对他来说似乎很有趣，地理学家就会下令调查那位探险家的道德品质。”“为什么呢？”
"Because an explorer who told lies would bring disaster on the books of the geographer. So would an explorer who drank too much."
“因为一个说谎的探险家会给地理学家的著作带来灾难。一个喝太多酒的探险家也会如此。
"Why is that?" asked the little prince.
“为什么呢？”小王子问道。
"Because intoxicated men see double.
“因为喝醉的人会看到重影。
Then the geographer would note down two mountains in a place where there was only one."
然后，地理学家会在只有一个地方记下两座山。
"I know some one," said the little prince, "who would make a bad explorer."
“我认识一个人，”小王子说，“他会成为一个糟糕的探险家。”
"That is possible. Then, when the moral character of the explorer is shown to be good, an inquiry is ordered into his discovery."
“那是有可能的。然后，当探险家的道德品质被证明是好的，就会对他发现的东西进行调查。”
"One goes to see it?"
“人们去看它吗？”
"No. That would be too complicated. But one requires the explorer to furnish proofs. For example, if the discovery in question is that of a large mountain, one requires that large stones be brought back from it."
“不。那太复杂了。但是人们要求探险家提供证据。例如，如果所发现的是一座大山，人们就要求从山上带回大石头。”
The geographer was suddenly stirred to excitement.
地理学家突然激动起来。
"But you--you come from far away!You are an explorer!
“但是你——你从远方来！你是一位探险家！
You shall describe your planet to me!"
你应该向我描述你的星球！”
And, having opened his big register, the geographer sharpened his pencil. The recitals of explorers are put down first in pencil. One waits until the explorer has furnished proofs, before putting them down in ink.
于是，地理学家打开了他的大登记簿，削尖了他的铅笔。探险家的叙述首先用铅笔记录下来。人们要等到探险家提供了证据，才用墨水记录下来。
"Well?" said the geographer expectantly.
“怎么样？”地理学家期待地问。
"Oh, where I live," said the little prince, "it is not very interesting. It is all so small. I have three volcanoes. Two volcanoes are active and the other is extinct. But one never knows."
“哦，我住的地方，”小王子说，“不是很吸引人。一切都很小。我有三座火山。两座火山是活火山，另一座是死火山。但谁也不知道。”
"One never knows," said the geographer.
“谁也不知道，”地理学家说。
"I have also a flower."
“我还有一朵花。”
"We do not record flowers," said the geographer.
“我们不记录花，”地理学家说。
"Why is that?The flower is the most beautiful thing on my planet!"
“为什么呢？”花是我星球上最美丽的东西！”
"We do not record them," said the geographer, "because they are ephemeral."
“我们不记录它们，”地理学家说，“因为它们是短暂的。”
"What does that mean--'ephemeral'?"
“那是什么意思——‘短暂的’？”
"Geographies," said the geographer, "are the books which, of all books, are most concerned with matters of consequence. They never become old-fashioned. It is very rarely that a mountain changes its position. It is very rarely that an ocean empties itself of its waters. We write of eternal things."
“地理学，”地理学家说，“是所有书籍中，最关心重要事情的书籍。它们永远不会过时。山脉很少改变位置。海洋很少将其中的水排空。我们书写永恒的事物。”
"But extinct volcanoes may come to life again," the little prince interrupted. "What does that mean-- 'ephemeral'?"
“但是死火山可能会复活，”小王子打断说。“那是什么意思——‘短暂的’？”
"Whether volcanoes are extinct or alive, it comes to the same thing for us," said the geographer. "The thing that matters to us is the mountain.It does not change."
“无论火山是死火山还是活火山，对我们来说都一样，”地理学家说。“对我们来说重要的是山。它不会改变。”
"But what does that mean--'ephemeral'?" repeated the little prince, who never in his life had let go of a question, once he had asked it.
“但是那是什么意思——‘朝生暮死’？”小王子重复道，他一生中一旦问了一个问题，就绝不会放过。
"It means, 'which is in danger of speedy disappearance.'"
“它的意思是，‘有迅速消失的危险’。”
"Is my flower in danger of speedy disappearance?"
“我的花有迅速消失的危险吗？”
"Certainly it is."
“当然是。”
"My flower is ephemeral," the little prince said to himself,"and she has only four thorns to defend herself against the world. And I have left her on my planet, all alone!"
“我的花是朝生暮死的，”小王子对自己说，“而且她只有四根刺来保护自己免受世界的侵害。而且我把她独自留在了我的星球上！”
That was his first moment of regret.But he took courage once more.
那是他第一次感到后悔。但他再次鼓起勇气。
"What place would you advise me to visit now?" he asked.
“你建议我现在去拜访什么地方？”他问。
"The planet Earth," replied the geographer. "It has a good reputation."
“地球，”地理学家回答。“它有很好的声誉。”
And the little prince went away, thinking of his flower.
小王子走了，想着他的花。