小王子 第25期:日落

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这样的权力使小王子惊叹不已。

If he had been master of such complete authority, he would have been able to watch the sunset, not forty-four times in one day,

如果掌握了这样的权力，那么，他一天就不只是看到四十三次日落，

but seventy-two, or even a hundred, or even two hundred times, with out ever having to move his chair.

而可以看到七十二次，甚至一百次，或是二百次日落，也不必要去挪动椅子了！

And because he felt a bit sad as he remembered his little planet which he had for saken,

由于他想起了他那被遗弃的小星球，心里有点难过，

he plucked² up his courage to ask the king a favor: "I should like to see a sunset... do me that kindness...Order the sun to set..."

他大胆地向国王提出了一个请求：“我想看日落，请求您…命令太阳落山吧…”

If I ordered a general to fly from one flower to another like a butterfly, or to write a tragic³ drama, or to change himself into a sea bird,

如果我命令一个将军象一只蝴蝶那样从这朵花飞到那朵花，或者命令他写作一个悲剧剧本或者变一只海鸟，

and if the general31 did not carry out the order that he had received, which one of us would be in the wrong?

而如果这位将军接到命令不执行的话，那么，是他不对还是我不对呢？

The king demanded. "The general, or myself?"

国王问道。“将军，还是自己？”

"You," said the little prince firmly.

“那当然是您的不对。”小王子肯定地回答。

"Exactly. One much require from each one the duty which each one can perform," the king went on.

“一点也不错，”国王接着说，“向每个人提出的要求应该是他们所能做到的。

Accepted authority rests first of all on reason.

权威首先应该建立在理性的基础上。

If you ordered your people to go and throw themselves into the sea, they would rise up in revolution.

如果命令你的老百姓去投海，他们非起来革命不可。

I have the right to require obedience⁴ because my orders are reasonable.

我的命令是合理的，所以我有权要别人服从。

"Then my sunset?" the little prince reminded him: for he never forgot a question once he had asked it.

“那么我提出的日落呢？”小王子一旦提出一个问题，他是不会忘记这个问题的。

You shall have your sunset.

日落么，你会看到的。

I shall command it. But, according to my science of government, I shall wait until conditions are favorable.

我一定要太阳落山，不过按照我的统治科学，我得等到条件成熟的时候。

"When will that be?" inquired the little prince.

小王子问道：“这要等到什么时候呢？”

"Hum! Hum!" replied the king; and before saying anything else he consulted a bulky almanac.

国王在回答之前，首先翻阅了一本厚厚的日历，嘴里慢慢说道：“嗯！嗯！”

"Hum! Hum! That will be about–about–that will be this evening about twenty minutes to eight.

日落大约…大约…在今晚七时四十分的时候！

And you will see how well I am obeyed.

你将看到我的命令一定会被服从的。

The little prince yawned.

小王子又打起哈欠来了。

He was regretting his lost sunset.

他遗憾没有看到日落。

And then, too, he was already beginning to be a little bored.

他对国王说：“他有点厌烦了，”

I have nothing more to do here, he said to the king.

我没有必要再呆在这儿了。

So I shall set out on my way again.

我要走了。

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