|
第二颗星球上，住着一个虚荣心强、喜欢自吹自擂的人。 "啥！啥！ 一位崇拜我的人来访啦！”那位虚荣心强的主人，一见小王子，老远就这么喊道。在那些爱虚荣者的眼里，其他所有的人都是他们的崇拜者。 "您好哇，"小王子致以问候，"您的帽子真逗呀！” "这是为了打招呼敬礼时方便，"虚荣心强的那人答道，"这是为了在有人向我欢呼的时候，便于还礼。遗憾的是我这个星球从来就没有来客。” "是吗？”小王子说，他不明白这是怎么回事。 "请用你这个巴掌拍那个巴掌。"对方建议道。小王子照他的话做，双手鼓掌。虛荣心强的主人就脱帽答礼，以表示谦虚。 小王子心想，这么来拜访一个星球的君王，倒还有点意思。于是，他又开始双手鼓掌，而那位虚荣心强的主人，则又脱帽致答礼。 如此演练了五分钟之后，小王子对这机械重复、单调乏味的游戏不再感兴趣了。 "你说，要是帽子掉下来了，那该怎么办呀？”小王子问道。 但是，那个虚荣心强的主人充耳不闻。天下所有的爱虚荣者，除了奉承话以外，什么话都听不进去。 "你是不是真的非常崇拜我呀？”他问小王子。 "崇拜是什么意思昵？” "崇拜，就是承认我是这个星球上最俊美、最衣冠楚楚、最富有、最有智慧的人。" "可是，在你这个星球上，只有你一个人，并没有其他人呀？” "让我高兴高兴吧！不论怎么说，还是崇拜崇拜我吧！” "好吧，我就崇拜你吧，"小王子耸耸肩膀，不大情愿地这么说，"可是，要别人勉为其难地说崇拜你，对你有什么意义呢？” 说完，小王子就离开了这个星球。 "成年人的确是很古怪。"小王子在向另一个星球进发的途中这样想。 The second planet was inhabited by a conceited man. "Ah! Ah! I am about to receive a visit from an admirer!" he exclaimed from afar, when he first saw the little prince coming. For, to conceited men, all other men are admirers. "Good morning," said the little prince. "That is a queer hat you are wearing." "It is a hat for salutes," the conceited man replied. "It is to raise in salute when people acclaim me. Unfortunately, nobody at all ever passes this way." "Yes?" said the little prince, who did not understand what the conceited man was talking about. "Clap your hands, one against the other," the conceited man now directed him. The little prince clapped his hands. The conceited man raised his hat in a modest salute. "This is more entertaining than the visit to the king," the little prince said to himself. And he began again to clap his hands, one against the other. The conceited man again raised his hat in salute. After five minutes of this exercise the little prince grew tired of the game's monotony. "And what should one do to make the hat come down?" he asked. But the conceited man did not hear him. Conceited people never hear anything but praise. "Do you really admire me very much?" he demanded of the little prince. "What does that mean—'admire'?" "To admire mean that you regard me as the handsomest, the best-dressed, the richest, and the most intelligent man on this planet." "But you are the only man on your planet!" "Do me this kindness. Admire me just the same." "I admire you," said the little prince, shrugging his shoulders slightly, "but what is there in that to interest you so much?" And the little prince went away. "The grown-ups are certainly very odd," he said to himself, as he continued on his journey. |
