當(dāng)人們想賣(mài)弄他的機(jī)智時(shí)，通常會(huì)偏離一點(diǎn)真相。在給你們講點(diǎn)燈人的時(shí)候，我就不那么忠實(shí)，很可能給不了解我們這個(gè)星球的人們?cè)斐梢粋€(gè)錯(cuò)誤的概念。其實(shí)在地球上，人們所占的空間非常小。如果住在地球上的二十億居民全部站著，就像參加聚會(huì)一樣靠得緊些，那么一個(gè)二十海里見(jiàn)方的廣場(chǎng)上就可以寬松地容納。也就是說(shuō)可以把整個(gè)人類(lèi)集中在太平洋中一個(gè)最小的島嶼上。
當(dāng)然，大人們是不會(huì)相信你們的。他們自以為占據(jù)了很大地方，他們把自己看得像猴面包樹(shù)那樣了不起。你們可以建議他們計(jì)算一下。這樣會(huì)使他們很高興，因?yàn)樗麄兂绨輸?shù)字。但是你無(wú)須浪費(fèi)時(shí)間去做這種無(wú)聊的連篇累牘的演算。這沒(méi)有必要。你們可以完全相信我。
小王子到達(dá)地球時(shí)一個(gè)人都看不到，他感到非常奇怪，當(dāng)一圈金黃色的月亮的光芒，閃耀在沙地上時(shí)，他開(kāi)始害怕他來(lái)到了一個(gè)錯(cuò)誤的星球。
小王子很有禮貌地說(shuō)：“晚上好。”
“晚上好。”蛇說(shuō)道。
“我落在什么星球上了？”小王子問(wèn)道。
“在地球上，這里是非洲?！鄙呋卮鸬馈?br/>
“噢……難道說(shuō)地球上沒(méi)有人嗎？”
“這里是沙漠，沙漠中沒(méi)有人。地球是很大的?！鄙哒f(shuō)。
小王子坐在一塊石頭上，抬眼望著天空。
“我有些疑惑，”他說(shuō)，“是否這些在天空點(diǎn)亮的星星是為了有一天，讓我們每個(gè)人都可以重新找到自己原來(lái)的星球……看，我那顆行星。它恰好在我們頭頂上……可是，它離我們好遠(yuǎn)喲！”
“它很美?！鄙哒f(shuō)，“你到這里來(lái)干什么呢？”
“我和一朵花鬧了別扭?！毙⊥踝诱f(shuō)。
“?。 鄙哒f(shuō)道。
于是他們都沉默下來(lái)。
“人在什么地方？”小王子終于又開(kāi)口，“在沙漠上，真有點(diǎn)孤獨(dú)……”
“在人群里也一樣孤獨(dú)的?！鄙哒f(shuō)。
小王子久久地看著蛇。
“你是個(gè)奇怪的動(dòng)物，和手指頭一般大……”小王子終于說(shuō)道。
“但我比一個(gè)國(guó)王的手指更有威力?！鄙哒f(shuō)道。
小王子微笑著說(shuō)：
“你并不那么有威力……你連腳都沒(méi)有……你甚至都不能旅行……”
“我可以把你帶到很遠(yuǎn)的地方去，比任何一只船能去的地方還要遠(yuǎn)?！鄙哒f(shuō)道。
蛇就盤(pán)結(jié)在小王子的腳腕子上，像一只金鐲子。
“任何人被我碰觸，我就把他送回他來(lái)的地方?！鄙哌€說(shuō)，“可是你是純潔的、真實(shí)的，而且是從另一個(gè)星球上來(lái)的……”
小王子什么也沒(méi)有回答。
“在這個(gè)冷酷無(wú)情的地球上，你這么弱小，我很可憐你。如果你非常懷念你的星球，那時(shí)我可以幫助你。我可以……”
“啊！我很明白你的意思。”小王子說(shuō)，“但是你為什么說(shuō)話(huà)總是像讓人猜謎語(yǔ)似的？”
“這些謎語(yǔ)我都能解開(kāi)的。”蛇說(shuō)。
于是他們又都沉默起來(lái)。
chapter 17
when one wishes to play the wit, he sometimes wanders a little from the truth. i have not been altogether honest in what i have told you about the lamplighters. and i realize that i run the risk of giving a false idea of our planet to those who do not k now it. men occupy a very small place upon the earth. if the two billion inhabitants who people its surface were all to stand upright and somewhat crowded together, as they do for some big public assembly, they could easily be put into one public square twenty miles long and twenty miles wide. all humanity could be piled up on a small pacific islet.
the grown-ups, to be sure, will not believe you when you tell them that. they imagine that they fill a great deal of space. they fancy themselves as important as the baobabs. you should advise them, then, to make their own calculations. they adore fig ures, and that will please them. but do not waste your time on this extra task. it is unnecessary. you have, i know, confidence in me.
when the little prince arrived on the earth, he was very much surprised not to see any people. he was beginning to be afraid he had come to the wrong planet, when a coil of gold, the color of the moonlight, flashed across the sand.
"good evening," said the little prince courteously.
"good evening," said the snake.
"what planet is this on which i have come down" asked the little prince.
"this is the earth; this is africa," the snake answered.
"ah! then there are no people on the earth""this is the desert. there are no people in the desert. the earth is large," said the snake.
the little prince sat down on a stone, and raised his eyes toward the sky.
"i wonder," he said, "whether the stars are set alight in heaven so that one day each one of us may find his own again... look at my planet. it is right there above us. but how far away it is!""it is beautiful," the snake said. "what has brought you here""i have been having some trouble with a flower," said the little prince.
"ah!" said the snake.
and they were both silent.
"where are the men" the little prince at last took up the conversation again. "it is a little lonely in the desert...""it is also lonely among men," the snake said.
the little prince gazed at him for a long time.
"you are a funny animal," he said at last. "you are no thicker than a finger...""but i am more powerful than the finger of a king," said the snake.
the little prince smiled.
"you are not very powerful. you haven't even any feet. you cannot even travel...""i can carry you farther than any ship could take you," said the snake.
he twined himself around the little prince's ankle, like a golden bracelet.
"whomever i touch, i send back to the earth from whence he came," the snake spoke again. "but you are innocent and true, and you come from a star..."the little prince made no reply.
"you move me to pity— you are so weak on this earth made of granite," the snake said. "i can help you, some day, if you grow too homesick for your own planet. i can—""oh! i understand you very well," said the little prince. "but why do you always speak in riddles""i solve them all," said the snake.
and they were both silent.