小王子 第59期:优美的笑声

 And I knew that I could not bear the thought of never hearing¹ that laughter² any more.

我觉得我的心一下子就凉了。这时我才明白：一想到再也不能听到这笑声，我就不能忍受。

For me, it was like a spring of fresh water in the desert.

这笑声对我来说，就好象是沙漠中的甘泉一样。

"Little man," I said, "I want to hear you laugh again."

小家伙，我还想听你笑…

But he said to me: "Tonight, it will be a year...my star, then, can be found right above the place where I came to the Earth, a year ago... "

但他对我说：“到今天夜里，正好是一年了。我的星球将正好处于我去年降落的那个地方的上空…”

"Little man," I said, "tell me that it is only a bad dream, this affair³ of the snake, and the meeting-place, and the star... "

“小家伙，这蛇的事，约会的事，还有星星，这全是一场噩梦吧？”我说。

But he did not answer my plea⁴.

但他并不回答我的问题。

He said to me, instead: "The thing that is important is the thing that is not seen... "

他对我说：“重要的事，是看不见的…”

Yes, I know...

当然…

It is just as it is with the flower.

这就象花一样。

If you love a flower that lives on a star, it is sweet to look at the sky at night.

如果你爱上了一朵生长在一颗星星上的花，那么夜间，你看着天空就感到甜蜜愉快。

All the stars are a-bloom with flowers.

所有的星星上都好象开着花。

Yes, I know...

当然…

little prince⁵.jpg

It is just as it is with the water.

这也就象水一样，

Because of the pulley, and the rope, what you gave me to drink was like music.

由于那辘轳和绳子的缘故，你给我喝的井水好象音乐一样。

You remember how good it was.

你记得吗？这水非常好喝。

Yes, I know...

当然…

And at night you will look up at the stars. Where I live everything is so small that I cannot show you where my star is to be found.

夜晚，你抬头望着星星，我的那颗太小了，我无法给你指出我的那颗星星是在哪里。

It is better, like that.

这样倒更好。

My star will just be one of the stars, for you.

你可以认为我的那颗星星就在这些星星之中。

And so you will love to watch all the stars in the heavens⁶...they will all be your friends.

那么，所有的星星，你都会喜欢看的…这些星星都将成为你的朋友。

And, besides, I am going to make you a present...

而且，我还要给你一件礼物…

He laughed again.

他又笑了。

Ah, little prince, dear little prince! I love to hear that laughter!

啊！小家伙，小家伙，我喜欢听你这笑声！

That is my present. Just that. It will be as it was when we drank the water...

这正好是我给你的礼物，这就好象水那样。

1 hearing   

n.听，听见，听到，听说，听取；听力，听证会，诉讼，审讯

参考例句：

• I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.我盼望着不久收到你的信。
• The old man's hearing is poor.那位老人听力差。

2 laughter   

n.笑，笑声

参考例句：

• I don't know how my story caused so much laughter.我不知我的故事怎么引起如此大笑。
• The audience gave way to uncontrollable bursts of laughter.听众忍不住发出一阵阵笑声。

3 affair   

n.事情，事务；恋爱事件，外遇

参考例句：

• If you will undertake the affair,I shall be very grateful.要是你愿意承办这件事，我将不胜感激。
• He helped me in the recent affair.他在近期的事务中帮助过我。

4 plea   

n.恳求，申诉，请愿，抗辩，借口

参考例句：

• The naughty boy left the classroom on the plea of a headache.那淘气的男孩借口头疼，离开了教室。
• In making that plea he will breathe in vain.他做那种恳求是白费口舌的。

5 prince   

n.王子，太子，诸侯

参考例句：

• Prince Charles has again fallen from his horse.查尔斯王子又一次从马上摔了下来。
• The prince and the princess lived happily ever after.从此以后王子和公主就一直过着幸福的日子。

6 heavens   

n.天( heaven的名词复数 )；天堂；上帝；极乐

参考例句：

• The map of the heavens showed all the northern constellations. 这份天体图标明了北半部所有的星座。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Our sun is only one of many suns in the heavens. 我们的太阳只是天际中许多恒星之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》