小王子 第63期:五亿个铃铛

 And now six years have already gone by...I have never yet told this story.

到现在，一点不错，已经有六年了…我还从未讲过这个故事。

The companions who met me on my return were well content to see me alive.

同伴们重新见到了我，都为能看见我活着回来而高兴。

I was sad, but I told them: "I am tired."

我却很悲伤。我告诉他们：“这是因为疲劳的缘故…”

Now my sorrow is comforted a little. That is to say not entirely¹.

现在，我稍微得到了些安慰。就是说还没有完全平静下来。

But I know that he did go back to his planet, because I did not find his body at daybreak.

可我知道他已经回到了他的星球上。因为那天黎明，我没有再见到他的身躯。

It was not such a heavy body... and at night I love to listen to the stars. It is like five hundred million little bells...

他的身躯并不那么重…从此，我就喜欢在夜间倾听着星星，好象是倾听着五亿个铃铛…

But there is one extraordinary thing.

可是，现在却又发生了不寻常的事。

when I drew the muzzle² for the little prince, I forgot to add the leather strap³ to it.

我给小王子画的羊嘴套上，忘了画皮带！

He will never have been able to fasten it on his sheep.

他再也不可能把它套在羊嘴上。

So now I keep wondering: what is happening on his planet?"

于是，我思忖着：“他的星球上发生了什么事呢？”

Perhaps the sheep has eaten the flower...

大概小羊把花吃掉了吧…

At one time I say to myself: "Surely not!"

有时我又对自己说，“绝对不会的！”

The little prince shuts his flower under her glass globe every night, and he watches over his sheep very carefully... "

小王子每天夜里都用玻璃罩子罩住他的花，而且他会把羊看管好的…”

Then I am happy. And there is sweetness in the laughter of all the stars.

想到这里，我就非常高兴。这时，所有的星星都在柔情地轻声笑着。

But at another time I say to myself: "At some moment or other one is absent-minded, and that is enough!"

忽而我又对自己说：“人们有时总免不了会疏忽的，那就够戗！”

On some one evening he forgot the glass globe, or the sheep got out, without making any noise, in the night...

某一天晚上他忘了玻璃罩子，或者小羊夜里不声不响地跑出来…

And then the little bells are changed to tears...

想到这里，小铃铛都变成泪珠了！

Here, then, is a great mystery.

这真是一个很大的奥秘。

1 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

2 muzzle   

n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默

参考例句：

• He placed the muzzle of the pistol between his teeth.他把手枪的枪口放在牙齿中间。
• The President wanted to muzzle the press.总统企图遏制新闻自由。

3 strap   

n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎

参考例句：

• She held onto a strap to steady herself.她抓住拉手吊带以便站稳。
• The nurse will strap up your wound.护士会绑扎你的伤口。