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!
因此，我了解到的第二个非常重要的事实是：小王子来的那颗星球几乎和一个房子一样大！
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.
但这并没有真的让我感到非常惊讶。我非常清楚，除了我们已经命名的大行星——比如地球、木星、火星、金星——之外，还有成百上千颗其他行星，其中一些非常小，人们很难通过望远镜看到它们。
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."
当一位天文学家发现其中一颗时，他不会给它起名字，而只是给它一个数字。例如，他可能会称它为“小行星325”。
I have serious reason to believe that the planet from which the little prince came is the asteroid known as B-612.
我有充分的理由相信小王子来的那颗星球就是被称为B-612的小行星。
This asteroid has only once been seen through the telescope.That was by a Turkish astronomer, in 1909.
这颗小行星只通过望远镜被观测到过一次。那是1909年一位土耳其天文学家观测到的。
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.
在做出他的发现后，这位天文学家在一个盛大的演示中把它提交给了国际天文大会。但他穿着土耳其服装，所以没有人相信他所说的话。
Grown-ups are like that . . .
成年人就是这样的……
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.
幸运的是，为了小行星B-612的名声，一位土耳其独裁者颁布了一条法律，规定他的臣民必须改穿欧式服装，否则处以死刑。所以在1920年，这位天文学家再次进行了他的演示，穿着极具风格和优雅。这一次，所有人都接受了他的报告。
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?
如果我告诉了你关于这颗小行星的这些细节，并为你记下了它的编号，那是因为成年人以及他们的方式。当你告诉他们你交了一个新朋友时，他们从不问你任何关于重要事情的问题。他们从不对你说：“他的声音听起来怎么样？他最喜欢什么游戏？他收集蝴蝶吗？”相反，他们会问：“他多大了？他有几个兄弟？他有多重？
How much money does his father make?"Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.
他父亲挣多少钱？”他们只有从这些数字中才会认为自己了解了他。
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:
如果你对成年人说：“我看到一座漂亮的房子，是用玫瑰色的砖砌成的，窗户上有天竺葵，屋顶上有鸽子，”他们根本无法想象出那座房子。你必须对他们说：“我看到一座价值2万美元的房子。”然后他们会惊叹：
"Oh, what a pretty house that is!"
“哦，多么漂亮的房子啊！”
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.
同样地，你可能会对他们说：“小王子存在的证据是他很迷人，他笑了，而且他在寻找一只绵羊。如果有人想要一只绵羊，那就是他存在的证据。”告诉他们这些又有什么用呢？他们会耸耸肩，把你当成孩子看待。但是如果你对他们说：“他来的星球是B-612小行星，”那么他们就会相信，并且不再用问题来打扰你。
They are like that.One must not hold it against them.
他们就是那样的。人们不应该责怪他们。
Children should always show great forbearance toward grown-up people.
孩子们应该总是对成年人表现出极大的宽容。
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:
但当然，对于我们这些懂得生活的人来说，数字是无关紧要的。我本应该以童话故事故事的风格来开始这个故事。我本应该这样说：
"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.
“很久很久以前，有一位小王子住在一个几乎比他自己大不了多少的星球上，而且他需要一只绵羊……”对于那些了解生活的人来说，那会给我的故事带来更大的真实感。
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 become like the grown-ups who are no longer interested in anything but figures . . .
因为我不希望任何人粗心大意地读我的书。在记录这些回忆时，我承受了太多的悲伤。自从我的朋友带着他的绵羊离开我，已经过去六年了。如果我尝试在这里描述他，那是为了确保我不会忘记他。忘记朋友是令人难过的。不是每个人都有朋友。如果我忘记他，我可能会变得像那些只对数字感兴趣的成年人一样……
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 little prince's 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.
再次地，正是为了那个目的，我买了一盒颜料和一些铅笔。在我这个年纪，要重新开始画画很难，因为我从六岁起，除了从外面和里面画的蟒蛇，就没画过任何画了。我一定会尽力把我的肖像画得尽可能逼真。但我一点也不确定能否成功。一幅画还算顺利，另一幅画却与主题毫无相似之处。我也犯了一些错误，在小王子的身高上：在一个地方他太高了，在另一个地方他又太矮了。而且我对他的服装颜色有些怀疑。所以我尽我所能地摸索着前进，时好时坏，我希望总的来说还算过得去。
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 the walls of boxes.Perhaps I am a little like the grown-ups.I have had to grow old.
在某些更重要的细节上，我也会犯错误。但那不是我的错。我的朋友从来没有向我解释过任何事情。他可能认为我像他自己。但是，唉，我不知道如何透过箱子的墙壁看到绵羊。也许我有点像成年人。我已经不得不变老了。
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!
因此，我了解到的第二个非常重要的事实是：小王子来的那颗星球几乎和一个房子一样大！
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.
但这并没有真的让我感到非常惊讶。我非常清楚，除了我们已经命名的大行星——比如地球、木星、火星、金星——之外，还有成百上千颗其他行星，其中一些非常小，人们很难通过望远镜看到它们。
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."
当一位天文学家发现其中一颗时，他不会给它起名字，而只是给它一个数字。例如，他可能会称它为“小行星325”。
I have serious reason to believe that the planet from which the little prince came is the asteroid known as B-612.
我有充分的理由相信小王子来的那颗星球就是被称为B-612的小行星。
This asteroid has only once been seen through the telescope.That was by a Turkish astronomer, in 1909.
这颗小行星只通过望远镜被观测到过一次。那是1909年一位土耳其天文学家观测到的。
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.
在做出他的发现后，这位天文学家在一个盛大的演示中把它提交给了国际天文大会。但他穿着土耳其服装，所以没有人相信他所说的话。
Grown-ups are like that . . .
成年人就是这样的……
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.
幸运的是，为了小行星B-612的名声，一位土耳其独裁者颁布了一条法律，规定他的臣民必须改穿欧式服装，否则处以死刑。所以在1920年，这位天文学家再次进行了他的演示，穿着极具风格和优雅。这一次，所有人都接受了他的报告。
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?
如果我告诉了你关于这颗小行星的这些细节，并为你记下了它的编号，那是因为成年人以及他们的方式。当你告诉他们你交了一个新朋友时，他们从不问你任何关于重要事情的问题。他们从不对你说：“他的声音听起来怎么样？他最喜欢什么游戏？他收集蝴蝶吗？”相反，他们会问：“他多大了？他有几个兄弟？他有多重？
How much money does his father make?"Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.
他父亲挣多少钱？”他们只有从这些数字中才会认为自己了解了他。
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:
如果你对成年人说：“我看到一座漂亮的房子，是用玫瑰色的砖砌成的，窗户上有天竺葵，屋顶上有鸽子，”他们根本无法想象出那座房子。你必须对他们说：“我看到一座价值2万美元的房子。”然后他们会惊叹：
"Oh, what a pretty house that is!"
“哦，多么漂亮的房子啊！”
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.
同样地，你可能会对他们说：“小王子存在的证据是他很迷人，他笑了，而且他在寻找一只绵羊。如果有人想要一只绵羊，那就是他存在的证据。”告诉他们这些又有什么用呢？他们会耸耸肩，把你当成孩子看待。但是如果你对他们说：“他来的星球是B-612小行星，”那么他们就会相信，并且不再用问题来打扰你。
They are like that.One must not hold it against them.
他们就是那样的。人们不应该责怪他们。
Children should always show great forbearance toward grown-up people.
孩子们应该总是对成年人表现出极大的宽容。
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:
但当然，对于我们这些懂得生活的人来说，数字是无关紧要的。我本应该以童话故事故事的风格来开始这个故事。我本应该这样说：
"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.
“很久很久以前，有一位小王子住在一个几乎比他自己大不了多少的星球上，而且他需要一只绵羊……”对于那些了解生活的人来说，那会给我的故事带来更大的真实感。
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 become like the grown-ups who are no longer interested in anything but figures . . .
因为我不希望任何人粗心大意地读我的书。在记录这些回忆时，我承受了太多的悲伤。自从我的朋友带着他的绵羊离开我，已经过去六年了。如果我尝试在这里描述他，那是为了确保我不会忘记他。忘记朋友是令人难过的。不是每个人都有朋友。如果我忘记他，我可能会变得像那些只对数字感兴趣的成年人一样……
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 little prince's 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.
再次地，正是为了那个目的，我买了一盒颜料和一些铅笔。在我这个年纪，要重新开始画画很难，因为我从六岁起，除了从外面和里面画的蟒蛇，就没画过任何画了。我一定会尽力把我的肖像画得尽可能逼真。但我一点也不确定能否成功。一幅画还算顺利，另一幅画却与主题毫无相似之处。我也犯了一些错误，在小王子的身高上：在一个地方他太高了，在另一个地方他又太矮了。而且我对他的服装颜色有些怀疑。所以我尽我所能地摸索着前进，时好时坏，我希望总的来说还算过得去。
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 the walls of boxes.Perhaps I am a little like the grown-ups.I have had to grow old.
在某些更重要的细节上，我也会犯错误。但那不是我的错。我的朋友从来没有向我解释过任何事情。他可能认为我像他自己。但是，唉，我不知道如何透过箱子的墙壁看到绵羊。也许我有点像成年人。我已经不得不变老了。