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第五颗星球非常非常奇特。它在所有的星球中可算是最小的。它那儿的面积，只够立一盏路灯、站一个守灯人。小王子真难以理解，为什么在广阔的太空之中，在一颗既没有房屋又没有居民的星球之上，偏偏要有一盏路灯和一个守灯人。不过，他还是对自己做了一番解释："或许这个守灯人也是个荒唐的家伙，但他并不如那个爱虚荣的人、那个生意人、那个酒鬼荒唐得那么厉害。至少，他做的工作还是有意义的。当他点燃他的路灯时，他就像是使得一颗星星或者使得一朵花儿有了生命，而当他熄灭他的路灯时，就像是要花儿入睡。这个差事其实很美好。既然它美好，那就是有用有意义的。" 他到达这星球上时，立即毕恭毕敬向守灯人致敬，说："你好！你干吗把你的路灯熄掉？” "我是根据指令。"守灯人回答说，"早安。" "什么叫做指令呀？” "就是要我熄掉路灯。"那人又道了一声，"晚安。" 他说着，又把路灯点亮了。 "你干吗又把灯点亮呢？” "我也是按照指令呀。" 守灯人答道。 "我弄不懂。"小王子说。 "这里面没有什么需要你弄懂的，"守灯人说，"指令就是指令。早安。"说着，他又把路灯熄了。接着，他拿出一块红色方格手帕，揩揩自己的额头。他说："我这个职业太可怕了 。先前干这一行还说得过去，早晨熄灯，傍晚点灯，白天的剩余时间我休息，夜晚的剩余时间我睡觉……” "这么说来，自从那个时期以后，指令改变啦？” "指令并没有改变，"守灯人说，"麻烦恰恰就出在这里！星球一年比一年转动得快，而指令却没有相应的变化！” "那又怎么样呢？” "现在，星球一分钟自转一周，我连一秒钟休息的时间也没有了。每一分钟，我就得点一次灯，紧接着又熄一次灯！” "这真荒唐可笑！在你这个星球上，一天的时光，只有一分钟的长度！” "这一点也不奇怪，"守灯人说，"咱们俩刚才说话的这一会儿， 一个月就已经过去啦！” “整一个月？” "是呀。三十分钟，正好是三十天！晚安！”说着，他又点亮了那盏路灯。小王子定睛瞧了瞧守灯人，觉得自己喜欢上这个人了，他是那么忠于指令，一丝不苟。这时，他回想起自己从前拖着椅子去赶着看落日的情形。他已经把眼前的此人视为朋友，他想要帮帮他："你知道吗？我有一个办法让你在想要休息的时候，能够停歇下来……” "我呀，我想永远歇下去。" 守灯人说。 他这么说情有可原，一个人既可以做到忠于职守，也很可能本是懒惰成性的。 小王子接着说下去："你的星球这么小，跨上三步就可以绕上一周。你只要慢速步行，你就能老是面向着太阳。当你想休息的时候，你就往前走……这么一来，你想要一天有多长， 这天就会有多长。" "这对我并没有多大用处，"守灯人说，"在生活里， 我就是爱睡觉。" "你睡觉的机会可没有。"小王子说。 "那就谈不上有什么机会啦。"守灯人说，"早安。" 说着，他又灭了那盏路灯。 小王子又继续他的星际旅行，在途中他这样想： "以上我所碰见的那几个人，国王、爱虚荣者、酒鬼与生意人，他们一定都瞧不起这个守灯者。但是，我觉得他才是唯一一个不荒唐可笑的人。之所以如此，也许是因为他所关心的，并不是他自己，而是其他的事情。" 他遗憾地叹了一口气，又想："这个人是唯一可以成为我的朋友的人。可惜，他那个星球实在太小，待不下两个人……” 实际上，这个星球叫小王子感到可惜的真正原因是：这里每二十四小时，就碰上一千四百四十次日落。只不过，他不敢承认这一点罢了。 The fifth planet was very strange. It was the smallest of all. There was just enough room on it for a street lamp and a lamplighter. The little prince was not able to reach any explanation of the use of a street lamp and a lamplighter, somewhere in the heavens, on a planet which had no people, and not one house. But he said to himself, nevertheless: "It may well be that this man is absurd. But he is not so absurd as the king, the conceited man, the businessman, and the tippler. For at least his work has some meaning. When he lights his street lamp, it is as if he brought one more star to life, or one flower. When he puts out his lamp, he sends the flower, or the star, to sleep. That is a beautiful occupation. And since it is beautiful, it is truly useful." When he arrived on the planet, he respectfully saluted the lamplighter. "Good morning. Why have you just put out your lamp?" "Those are the orders," replied the lamplighter. "Good morning." "What are the orders?" "The orders are that I put out my lamp. Good evening." And he lighted his lamp again. "But why have you just lighted it again?" "Those are the orders," replied the lamplighter. "I do not understand," said the little prince. "There is nothing to understand," said the lamplighter. "Orders are orders. Good morning." And he put out his lamp. Then he mopped his forehead with a handkerchief decorated with red squares. "I follow a terrible profession. In the old days it was reasonable. I put the lamp out in the morning, and in the evening I lighted it again. I had the rest of the day for relaxation and the rest of the night for sleep." "And the orders have been changed since that time?" "The orders have not been changed," said the lamplighter. "That is the tragedy! From year to year the planet has turned more rapidly and the orders have not been changed!" "Then what?" asked the little prince. "Then—the planet now makes a complete turn every minute, and I no longer have a single second for repose. Once every minute I have to light my lamp and put it out!" "That is very funny! A day lasts only one minute, here where you live!" "It is not funny at all!" said the lamplighter. "While we have been talking together a month has gone by." "A month?" "Yes, a month. Thirty minutes. Thirty days. Good evening." And he lighted his lamp again. As the little prince watched him, he felt that he loved this lamplighter who was so faithful to his orders. He remembered the sunsets which he himself had gone to seek, in other days, merely by pulling up his chair; and he wanted to help his friend. "You know," he said, "I can tell you a way you can rest whenever you want to..." "I always want to rest," said the lamplighter. For it is possible for a man to be faithful and lazy at the same time. The little prince went on with his explanation: "Your planet is so small that three strides will take you all the way around it. To be always in the sunshine, you need only walk along rather slowly. When you want to rest, you will walk—and the day will last as long as you like." "That doesn't do me much good," said the lamplighter. "The one thing I love in life is to sleep." "Then you're unlucky," said the little prince. "I am unlucky," said the lamplighter. "Good morning." And he put out his lamp. "That man," said the little prince to himself, as he continued farther on his journey, "that man would be scorned by all the others: by the king, by the conceited man, by the tippler, by the businessman. Nevertheless he is the only one of them all who does not seem to me ridiculous. Perhaps that is because he is thinking of something else besides himself." He breathed a sigh of regret, and said to himself, again: "That man is the only one of them all whom I could have made my friend. But his planet is indeed too small. There is no room on it for two people..." What the little prince did not dare confess was that he was sorry most of all to leave this planet, because it was blest every day with 1440 sunsets! |
