小王子 第39期:地球上的國王

So then the seventh planet was the Earth.

第七個行星，于是就是地球了。

The Earth is not just an ordinary planet!

地球可不是一顆普通的行星!

One can count, there 111 kings(not forgetting, to be sure, the Negro kings among them),

它上面有一百一十一個國王(當然，沒有漏掉黑人國王)，

7000 geographers,900,000 businessmen, 7,500,000 tipplers, 311,000,000 conceited men– that is to say, about 2,000,000,000 grown-ups.

七千個地理學家，九十萬個實業(yè)家，七百五十萬個酒鬼，三億一千一百萬個愛虛榮的人，也就是說，大約有二十億的大人。

To give you an idea of the size of the Earth,

為了使你們對地球的大小有一個概念，

I will tell you that before the invention of electricity it was necessary to maintain, over the whole of the six continents, a veritable army of 462,511 lamplighters for the street lamps.

我想要告訴你們：在發(fā)明電之前，在六的大洲上，為了點路燈，需要維持一支為數(shù)四十六萬二千五百一十一人的真正大軍。

Seen from a slight distance, that would make a splendid spectacle.

從稍遠的地方看過去，它給人以一種壯麗輝煌的印象。

The movements of this army would be regulated like those of the ballet in the opera.

這支軍隊的行動就象歌劇院的芭蕾舞動作一樣，那么有條不紊。

First would come the turn of the lamplighters of New Zealand and Australia.

首先出現(xiàn)的是新西蘭和澳大利亞的點燈人。

Having set their lamps alight, these would go off to sleep.

點著了燈，隨后他們就去睡覺了。

Next, the lamplighters of China and Siberia would enter for their steps in the dance, and then they too would be waved back into the wings.

于是就輪到中國和西伯利亞的點燈人走上舞臺。隨后，他們也藏到幕布后面去了。

After that would come the turn of the lamplighters of Russia and the Indies;

于是就又輪到俄羅斯和印度的點燈人了。

then those of Africa and Europe,then those of South America; then those of South America; then those of North America.

然后就是非洲和歐洲的。接著是南美的，再就是北美的。

And never would they make a mistake in the order of their entry upon the stage.

再就是北美的。他們從來也不會搞錯他們上場的次序。

It would be magnificent.

真了不起。

Only the man who was in charge of the single lamp at the North Pole,

北極僅有一盞路燈，南極也只有一盞;

and his colleague who was responsible for the single lamp at the South Pole, only these two would live free from toil and care:

唯獨北極的點燈人和他南極的同行，過著閑逸、懶散的生活：

they would be busy twice a year.

他們每年只工作兩次。