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地球可不是一颗一般的星球！在那颗星星上，有一百个国王，当然，包括那些黑人国王，七千个地理学家，九十万个生意人，七千五百万个酒鬼，三亿一千一百万自大狂，也就是说，有将近二十亿个成年人。 为了使你们对地球的大小有一个概念，我要告诉你们，在地球上发明电力以前，六大洲共需四十六万两千五百一十一名点路灯的人，这本身就是一支真正的大军。 如果从远处眺望，其效果是极其辉煌壮丽的。这支大军的动作，就像歌剧院里芭蕾舞演员的动作样协调一致，和谐有序。首先上场的是新西兰与澳大利亚的点灯人，他们点亮了路灯之后就去睡觉去了。 接着，轮到中国与西伯利亚的点灯人，他们跳着舞登场表演，然后隐没到幕后。下面，是轮到俄国与印度的点灯人登场；而后，是非洲的与欧洲的；再后，是南美洲的;最后则是北美洲的。一队一队，按顺序出场，有条不紊，真是蔚为壮观。 只有两个点灯人是闲得无聊的，一个是北极那唯一一盏路灯的点灯人，另一个则是南极的那一位，他们在一年里只需点两次灯就行了。 So then the seventh planet was the Earth. The Earth is not just an ordinary planet! One can count, there 111 kings (not forgetting, to be sure, the Negro kings among them), 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. To give you an idea of the size of the Earth, 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. Seen from a slight distance, that would make a splendid spectacle. The movements of this army would be regulated like those of the ballet in the opera. First would come the turn of the lamplighters of New Zealand and Australia. Having set their lamps alight, these would go off to sleep. 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. After that would come the turn of the lamplighters of Russia and the Indies; then those of Africa and Europe, then those of South America; then those of South America: then those of North America. And never would they make a mistake in the order of their entry upon the stage. It would be magnificent. Only the man who was in charge of the single lamp at the North Pole, and his colleague who was responsible for the single lamp at the South Pole—only these two would live free from toil and care: they would be busy twice a year. |
