The fourth planet belonged to a businessman.This man was so much occupied that he did not even raise his head at the little prince's arrival.
这颗第四行星属于一个商人。这个人非常忙碌，以至于小王子到来时他甚至没有抬头。
"Good morning," the little prince said to him. "Your cigarette has gone out."
“早上好，”小王子对他说。“你的烟灭了。”
"Three and two make five.Five and seven make twelve.
“三加二等于五。五加七等于十二。
Twelve and three make fifteen.Good morning.FIfteen and seven make twenty-two.Twenty-two and six make twenty- eight.I haven't time to light it again. Twenty-six and five make thirty-one. Phew! Then that makes five-hundred-and- one million, six-hundred-twenty-two-thousand, seven- hundred-thirty-one."
十二加三等于十五。早上好。十五加七等于二十二。二十二加六等于二十八。我没时间再点它了。二十六加五等于三十一。呸！然后，那就等于五亿一百万，六十二万二千，七百三十一。”
"Five hundred million what?" asked the little prince.
“五亿什么？”小王子问道。
"Eh? Are you still there? Five-hundred-and-one million--I can't stop . . . I have so much to do! I am concerned with matters of consequence. I don't amuse myself with balderdash. Two and five make seven . . ."
“嗯？你还在那儿吗？五亿一百万——我停不下来……我有很多事情要做！我关心重要的事情。我不拿废话消遣自己。二加五等于七……”
"Five-hundred-and-one million what?" repeated the little prince, who never in his life had let go of a question once he had asked it.
“五亿一百万什么？”小王子重复道，他一生中一旦问了一个问题，就从不放弃。
The businessman raised his head.
商人抬起了头。
"During the fifty-four years that I have inhabited this planet, I have been disturbed only three times.The first time was twenty-two years ago, when some giddy goose fell from goodness knows where.He made the most frightful noise that resounded all over the place, and I made four mistakes in my addition.The second time, eleven years ago,I was disturbed by an attack of rheumatism.I don't get enough exercise.I have no time for loafing.The third time-- well, this is it!I was saying, then, five-hundred-and-one millions--"
“在我居住在这个星球的五十四年里，我只被打扰过三次。第一次是二十二年前，当时一只轻浮的傻鹅不知道从哪里掉了下来。他发出了最可怕的噪音，响彻整个地方，我在加法中犯了四个错误。第二次是十一年以前，我被风湿病侵袭所扰。我没有得到足够的锻炼。我没有时间游荡。第三次——好吧，就是现在！我当时说的是，五亿零一百万——”
"Millions of what?"
“几百万什么？”
The businessman suddenly realized that there was no hope of being left in peace until he answered this question.
这位商人突然意识到，除非他回答这个问题，否则别想安宁。
"Millions of those little objects," he said, "which one sometimes sees in the sky."
“几百万个那些小东西，”他说，“人们有时在天空中看到的东西。”
"Flies?"
“苍蝇？”
"Oh, no. Little glittering objects."
“哦，不。闪闪发光的小东西。”
"Bees?"
“蜜蜂？”
"Oh, no. Little golden objects that set lazy men to idle dreaming. As for me, I am concerned with matters of consequence. There is no time for idle dreaming in my life."
“哦，不。那些让懒人做白日梦的小金色的东西。至于我，我关心的是重要的事情。我的生活中没有时间做白日梦。”
"Ah! You mean the stars?"
“啊！你是说星星？”
"Yes, that's it. The stars."
“是的，就是这样。星星。”
"And what do you do with five-hundred millions of stars?"
“那你用五亿颗星星做什么呢？”
"Five-hundred-and-one million, six-hundred-twenty-two thousand, seven-hundred-thirty-one. I am concerned with matters of consequence: I am accurate."
“五亿零一百万，六十二万两千，七百三十一颗。我关心的是重要的事情：我是精确的。”
"And what do you do with these stars?"
“那你用这些星星做什么呢？”
"What do I do with them?"
“我用它们做什么？”
"Yes."
“是的。”
"Nothing. I own them."
“什么也不做。我拥有它们。”
"You own the stars?"
“你拥有星星？”
"Yes."
“是的。”
"But I have already seen a king who--"
“但我已经见过一位国王——”
"Kings do not own, they reign over. It is a very different matter."
“国王不拥有，他们统治。这是非常不同的事情。”
"And what good does it do you to own the stars?"
“拥有星星对你有什么好处呢？”
"It does me the good of making me rich."
“它使我变得富有。”
"And what good does it do you to be rich?"
“富有对你有什么好处呢？”
"It makes it possible for me to buy more stars, if any are discovered."
“它使我有可能购买更多的星星，如果有什么被发现的话。”
"This man," the little prince said to himself, "reasons a little like my poor tippler . . ."
“这个人，”小王子对自己说，“推理有点像我那可怜的酒鬼……”
Nevertheless, he still had some more questions.
尽管如此，他仍然有一些问题。
"How is it possible for one to own the stars?"
“一个人怎么可能拥有星星呢？”
"To whom do they belong?" the businessman retorted, peevishly.
“它们属于谁？”商人不高兴地反驳道。
"I don't know. To nobody."
“我不知道。不属于任何人。”
"Then they belong to me, because I was the first person to think of it."
“那么它们属于我，因为我是第一个想到它的人。”
"Is that all that is necessary?"
“这就是全部必要的吗？”
"Certainly. When you find a diamond that belongs to nobody, it is yours. When you discover an island that belongs to nobody, it is yours. When you get an idea before any one else, you take out a patent on it: it is yours. So with me: I own the stars, because nobody else before me ever thought of owning them."
“当然。当你找到一颗无人拥有的钻石时，它就是你的。当你发现一座无人拥有的岛屿时，它就是你的。当你在别人之前想到一个主意时，你就为它申请专利：它就是你的。对我来说也是如此：我拥有星星，因为在我之前没有人想到要拥有它们。”
"Yes, that is true," said the little prince. "And what do you do with them?"
“是的，那是真的，”小王子说，“你用它们做什么呢？”
"I administer them," replied the businessman. "I count them and recount them.It is difficult.But I am a man who is naturally interested in matters of consequence."
“我管理它们，”商人回答说，“我数它们，然后重新数它们。这很难。但我是一个天生对重要事情感兴趣的人。”
The little prince was still not satisfied.
小王子仍然不满意。
"If I owned a silk scarf," he said, "I could put it around my neck and take it away with me. If I owned a flower, I could pluck that flower and take it away with me. But you cannot pluck the stars from heaven . . ."
“如果我拥有一条丝绸围巾，”他说，“我可以把它围在我的脖子上，然后把它带走。如果我拥有一朵花，我可以摘下那朵花，然后把它带走。但是你不能从天上摘星星……”
"No. But I can put them in the bank."
“不。但我可以把它们存入银行。”
"Whatever does that mean?"
“那是什么意思呢？”
"That means that I write the number of my stars on a little paper. And then I put this paper in a drawer and lock it with a key."
“这意味着我把我的星星的数量写在一张小纸条上。然后我把这张纸条放在抽屉里，用钥匙锁上。”
"And that is all?"
“就这样吗？”
"That is enough," said the businessman.
“这就够了，”商人说。
"It is entertaining," thought the little prince. "It is rather poetic.But it is of no great consequence."
“这很有趣，”小王子想，“这相当有诗意。但这没什么大不了的。”
On matters of consequence, the little prince had ideas which were very different from those of the grown-ups.
关于重要的事情，小王子的想法与成年人截然不同。
"I myself own a flower," he continued his conversation with the businessman, "which I water every day. I own three volcanoes, which I clean out every week (for I also clean out the one that is extinct; one never knows). It is of some use to my volcanoes, and it is of some use to my flower, that I own them. But you are of no use to the stars . . ."
“我拥有一朵花，”他继续与商人交谈，“我每天给它浇水。我拥有三座火山，我每周清理一次（因为我也清理那座死火山；谁也不知道它会不会复活）。我拥有它们对我的火山有用，对我花也有用。但是你对星星没有任何用处……”
The businessman opened his mouth, but he found nothing to say in answer.And the little prince went away.
商人张开了嘴，但发现无话可说。小王子走开了。
"The grown-ups are certainly altogether extraordinary," he said simply, talking to himself as he continued on his journey.
“这些成年人真是太奇怪了，”他简单地说，一边自言自语，一边继续他的旅程。
The fourth planet belonged to a businessman.This man was so much occupied that he did not even raise his head at the little prince's arrival.
这颗第四行星属于一个商人。这个人非常忙碌，以至于小王子到来时他甚至没有抬头。
"Good morning," the little prince said to him. "Your cigarette has gone out."
“早上好，”小王子对他说。“你的烟灭了。”
"Three and two make five.Five and seven make twelve.
“三加二等于五。五加七等于十二。
Twelve and three make fifteen.Good morning.FIfteen and seven make twenty-two.Twenty-two and six make twenty- eight.I haven't time to light it again. Twenty-six and five make thirty-one. Phew! Then that makes five-hundred-and- one million, six-hundred-twenty-two-thousand, seven- hundred-thirty-one."
十二加三等于十五。早上好。十五加七等于二十二。二十二加六等于二十八。我没时间再点它了。二十六加五等于三十一。呸！然后，那就等于五亿一百万，六十二万二千，七百三十一。”
"Five hundred million what?" asked the little prince.
“五亿什么？”小王子问道。
"Eh? Are you still there? Five-hundred-and-one million--I can't stop . . . I have so much to do! I am concerned with matters of consequence. I don't amuse myself with balderdash. Two and five make seven . . ."
“嗯？你还在那儿吗？五亿一百万——我停不下来……我有很多事情要做！我关心重要的事情。我不拿废话消遣自己。二加五等于七……”
"Five-hundred-and-one million what?" repeated the little prince, who never in his life had let go of a question once he had asked it.
“五亿一百万什么？”小王子重复道，他一生中一旦问了一个问题，就从不放弃。
The businessman raised his head.
商人抬起了头。
"During the fifty-four years that I have inhabited this planet, I have been disturbed only three times.The first time was twenty-two years ago, when some giddy goose fell from goodness knows where.He made the most frightful noise that resounded all over the place, and I made four mistakes in my addition.The second time, eleven years ago,I was disturbed by an attack of rheumatism.I don't get enough exercise.I have no time for loafing.The third time-- well, this is it!I was saying, then, five-hundred-and-one millions--"
“在我居住在这个星球的五十四年里，我只被打扰过三次。第一次是二十二年前，当时一只轻浮的傻鹅不知道从哪里掉了下来。他发出了最可怕的噪音，响彻整个地方，我在加法中犯了四个错误。第二次是十一年以前，我被风湿病侵袭所扰。我没有得到足够的锻炼。我没有时间游荡。第三次——好吧，就是现在！我当时说的是，五亿零一百万——”
"Millions of what?"
“几百万什么？”
The businessman suddenly realized that there was no hope of being left in peace until he answered this question.
这位商人突然意识到，除非他回答这个问题，否则别想安宁。
"Millions of those little objects," he said, "which one sometimes sees in the sky."
“几百万个那些小东西，”他说，“人们有时在天空中看到的东西。”
"Flies?"
“苍蝇？”
"Oh, no. Little glittering objects."
“哦，不。闪闪发光的小东西。”
"Bees?"
“蜜蜂？”
"Oh, no. Little golden objects that set lazy men to idle dreaming. As for me, I am concerned with matters of consequence. There is no time for idle dreaming in my life."
“哦，不。那些让懒人做白日梦的小金色的东西。至于我，我关心的是重要的事情。我的生活中没有时间做白日梦。”
"Ah! You mean the stars?"
“啊！你是说星星？”
"Yes, that's it. The stars."
“是的，就是这样。星星。”
"And what do you do with five-hundred millions of stars?"
“那你用五亿颗星星做什么呢？”
"Five-hundred-and-one million, six-hundred-twenty-two thousand, seven-hundred-thirty-one. I am concerned with matters of consequence: I am accurate."
“五亿零一百万，六十二万两千，七百三十一颗。我关心的是重要的事情：我是精确的。”
"And what do you do with these stars?"
“那你用这些星星做什么呢？”
"What do I do with them?"
“我用它们做什么？”
"Yes."
“是的。”
"Nothing. I own them."
“什么也不做。我拥有它们。”
"You own the stars?"
“你拥有星星？”
"Yes."
“是的。”
"But I have already seen a king who--"
“但我已经见过一位国王——”
"Kings do not own, they reign over. It is a very different matter."
“国王不拥有，他们统治。这是非常不同的事情。”
"And what good does it do you to own the stars?"
“拥有星星对你有什么好处呢？”
"It does me the good of making me rich."
“它使我变得富有。”
"And what good does it do you to be rich?"
“富有对你有什么好处呢？”
"It makes it possible for me to buy more stars, if any are discovered."
“它使我有可能购买更多的星星，如果有什么被发现的话。”
"This man," the little prince said to himself, "reasons a little like my poor tippler . . ."
“这个人，”小王子对自己说，“推理有点像我那可怜的酒鬼……”
Nevertheless, he still had some more questions.
尽管如此，他仍然有一些问题。
"How is it possible for one to own the stars?"
“一个人怎么可能拥有星星呢？”
"To whom do they belong?" the businessman retorted, peevishly.
“它们属于谁？”商人不高兴地反驳道。
"I don't know. To nobody."
“我不知道。不属于任何人。”
"Then they belong to me, because I was the first person to think of it."
“那么它们属于我，因为我是第一个想到它的人。”
"Is that all that is necessary?"
“这就是全部必要的吗？”
"Certainly. When you find a diamond that belongs to nobody, it is yours. When you discover an island that belongs to nobody, it is yours. When you get an idea before any one else, you take out a patent on it: it is yours. So with me: I own the stars, because nobody else before me ever thought of owning them."
“当然。当你找到一颗无人拥有的钻石时，它就是你的。当你发现一座无人拥有的岛屿时，它就是你的。当你在别人之前想到一个主意时，你就为它申请专利：它就是你的。对我来说也是如此：我拥有星星，因为在我之前没有人想到要拥有它们。”
"Yes, that is true," said the little prince. "And what do you do with them?"
“是的，那是真的，”小王子说，“你用它们做什么呢？”
"I administer them," replied the businessman. "I count them and recount them.It is difficult.But I am a man who is naturally interested in matters of consequence."
“我管理它们，”商人回答说，“我数它们，然后重新数它们。这很难。但我是一个天生对重要事情感兴趣的人。”
The little prince was still not satisfied.
小王子仍然不满意。
"If I owned a silk scarf," he said, "I could put it around my neck and take it away with me. If I owned a flower, I could pluck that flower and take it away with me. But you cannot pluck the stars from heaven . . ."
“如果我拥有一条丝绸围巾，”他说，“我可以把它围在我的脖子上，然后把它带走。如果我拥有一朵花，我可以摘下那朵花，然后把它带走。但是你不能从天上摘星星……”
"No. But I can put them in the bank."
“不。但我可以把它们存入银行。”
"Whatever does that mean?"
“那是什么意思呢？”
"That means that I write the number of my stars on a little paper. And then I put this paper in a drawer and lock it with a key."
“这意味着我把我的星星的数量写在一张小纸条上。然后我把这张纸条放在抽屉里，用钥匙锁上。”
"And that is all?"
“就这样吗？”
"That is enough," said the businessman.
“这就够了，”商人说。
"It is entertaining," thought the little prince. "It is rather poetic.But it is of no great consequence."
“这很有趣，”小王子想，“这相当有诗意。但这没什么大不了的。”
On matters of consequence, the little prince had ideas which were very different from those of the grown-ups.
关于重要的事情，小王子的想法与成年人截然不同。
"I myself own a flower," he continued his conversation with the businessman, "which I water every day. I own three volcanoes, which I clean out every week (for I also clean out the one that is extinct; one never knows). It is of some use to my volcanoes, and it is of some use to my flower, that I own them. But you are of no use to the stars . . ."
“我拥有一朵花，”他继续与商人交谈，“我每天给它浇水。我拥有三座火山，我每周清理一次（因为我也清理那座死火山；谁也不知道它会不会复活）。我拥有它们对我的火山有用，对我花也有用。但是你对星星没有任何用处……”
The businessman opened his mouth, but he found nothing to say in answer.And the little prince went away.
商人张开了嘴，但发现无话可说。小王子走开了。
"The grown-ups are certainly altogether extraordinary," he said simply, talking to himself as he continued on his journey.
“这些成年人真是太奇怪了，”他简单地说，一边自言自语，一边继续他的旅程。