小王子 第13期:警惕危險

And one day he said to me: You ought to make a beautiful drawing, so that the children where you live can see exactly how all this is.

有一天，他勸我用心地畫一副漂亮的圖畫，好叫我家鄉(xiāng)的孩子們對這件事有一個深刻的印象。

That would be very useful to them if they were to travel some day.

他還對我說：如果將來有一天他們出外旅行，這對他們是很有用的。

Sometimes," he added, "there is no harm in putting off a piece of work until another day.

有時候，人們把自己的工作推到以后去做，并沒有什么妨害，

But when it is a matter of baobabs, that always means a catastrophe.

但要遇到拔猴面包樹苗這種事，那就非造成大災難不可。

I knew a planet that was inhabited by a lazy man. He neglected three little bushes...

我遇到過一個星球，上面住著一個懶家伙，他放過了三棵小樹苗…

So, as the little prince described it to me, I have made a drawing of that planet.

于是，根據小王子的說明，我把這個星球畫了下來。

I do not much like to take the tone of a moralist.

我從來不大愿意以道學家的口吻來說話，

But the danger of the baobabs is so little understood, and such considerable risks would be run by anyone who might get lost on an asteroid,

可是猴面包樹的危險，大家都不大了解，對迷失在小行星上的人來說，危險性非常之大，

that for once I am breaking through my reserve.

因此這一回，我貿然打破了我的這種不喜歡教訓人的慣例。

"Children," I say plainly, "watch out for the baobabs!"

我說：“孩子們，要當心那些猴面包樹呀!”

My friends, like myself, have been skirting this danger for a long time, with-out ever knowing it;

為了叫我的朋友們警惕這種危險——他們同我一樣長期以來和這種危險接觸，卻沒有意識到它的危險性

and so it is for them that I have worked so hard over this drawing.

我花了很大的功夫畫了這副畫。

The lesson which I pass on by this means is worth all the trouble it has cost me.

我提出的這個教訓意義是很重大的，花點功夫是很值得的。

Perhaps you will ask me, "Why is there no other drawing in this book as magnificent and impressive as this drawing of the baobabs?"

你們也許要問，“為什么這本書中別的畫都沒有這副畫那么壯觀呢?”

The reply is simple.

回答很簡單。

I have tried. But with the others I have not been successful.

別的畫我也曾經試圖畫得好些，卻沒成功。

When I made the drawing of the baobabs I was carried beyond myself by the inspiring force of urgent necessity.

而當我畫猴面包樹時，有一種急切的心情在激勵著我。