"Good morning," said the little prince.
“早上好，”小王子说。
"Good morning," said the railway switchman.
“早上好，”铁路扳道工说。
"What do you do here?" the little prince asked.
“你在这里做什么？”小王子问道。
"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."
“我把旅客分类，分成一千人一捆，”扳道工说。“我把运载他们的火车送走：现在向右，现在向左。”
And a brilliantly lighted express train shook the switchman's cabin as it rushed by with a roar like thunder.
一列灯火通明的快车驶过，像雷鸣般轰响，震动了扳道工的小屋。
"They are in a great hurry," said the little prince. "What are they looking for?"
“他们非常匆忙，”小王子说。“他们在寻找什么？”
"Not even the locomotive engineer knows that," said the switchman.
“就连火车司机也不知道，”扳道工说。
And a second brilliantly lighted express thundered by, in the opposite direction.
又一列灯火通明的快车轰隆隆地驶过，方向相反。
"Are they coming back already?" demanded the little prince.
“他们已经回来了吗？”小王子问道。
"These are not the same ones," said the switchman. "It is an exchange."
“这些不是同一批人，”扳道工说。“这是一种交换。”
"Were they not satisfied where they were?" asked the little prince.
“他们对他们所在的地方不满意吗？”小王子问道。
"No one is ever satisfied where he is," said the switchman.
“没有人对自己所在的地方感到满意，”扳道工说。
And they heard the roaring thunder of a third brilliantly lighted express.
他们听到了第三列灯火通明的快车轰鸣般的雷声。
"Are they pursuing the first travelers?" demanded the little prince.
“他们是在追逐第一批旅行者吗？”小王子问道。
"They are pursuing nothing at all," said the switchman.
“他们什么也没有追逐，”扳道工说。
"They are asleep in there, or if they are not asleep they are yawning.Only the children are flattening their noses against the windowpanes."
“他们在那里睡着了，或者如果他们没有睡着，他们就在打哈欠。只有孩子们把鼻子紧贴在窗玻璃上。”
"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 . . ."
“只有孩子们知道他们在寻找什么，”小王子说。“他们把时间浪费在一个布娃娃上，而这个布娃娃对他们来说变得非常重要；如果有人把它从他们身边拿走，他们就会哭泣……”
"They are lucky," the switchman said.
“他们是幸运的，”扳道工说。
"Good morning," said the little prince.
“早上好，”小王子说。
"Good morning," said the railway switchman.
“早上好，”铁路扳道工说。
"What do you do here?" the little prince asked.
“你在这里做什么？”小王子问道。
"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."
“我把旅客分类，分成一千人一捆，”扳道工说。“我把运载他们的火车送走：现在向右，现在向左。”
And a brilliantly lighted express train shook the switchman's cabin as it rushed by with a roar like thunder.
一列灯火通明的快车驶过，像雷鸣般轰响，震动了扳道工的小屋。
"They are in a great hurry," said the little prince. "What are they looking for?"
“他们非常匆忙，”小王子说。“他们在寻找什么？”
"Not even the locomotive engineer knows that," said the switchman.
“就连火车司机也不知道，”扳道工说。
And a second brilliantly lighted express thundered by, in the opposite direction.
又一列灯火通明的快车轰隆隆地驶过，方向相反。
"Are they coming back already?" demanded the little prince.
“他们已经回来了吗？”小王子问道。
"These are not the same ones," said the switchman. "It is an exchange."
“这些不是同一批人，”扳道工说。“这是一种交换。”
"Were they not satisfied where they were?" asked the little prince.
“他们对他们所在的地方不满意吗？”小王子问道。
"No one is ever satisfied where he is," said the switchman.
“没有人对自己所在的地方感到满意，”扳道工说。
And they heard the roaring thunder of a third brilliantly lighted express.
他们听到了第三列灯火通明的快车轰鸣般的雷声。
"Are they pursuing the first travelers?" demanded the little prince.
“他们是在追逐第一批旅行者吗？”小王子问道。
"They are pursuing nothing at all," said the switchman.
“他们什么也没有追逐，”扳道工说。
"They are asleep in there, or if they are not asleep they are yawning.Only the children are flattening their noses against the windowpanes."
“他们在那里睡着了，或者如果他们没有睡着，他们就在打哈欠。只有孩子们把鼻子紧贴在窗玻璃上。”
"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 . . ."
“只有孩子们知道他们在寻找什么，”小王子说。“他们把时间浪费在一个布娃娃上，而这个布娃娃对他们来说变得非常重要；如果有人把它从他们身边拿走，他们就会哭泣……”
"They are lucky," the switchman said.
“他们是幸运的，”扳道工说。