“是这样的。可是你用星星来干什么?”小王子说。
“我经营管理它们。我一遍又一遍地计算它们的数目。这很困难。但我是一个正经的人!”
小王子仍然还不满足,他说:
“如果我有一条围巾,我可以围在脖子上带走它。如果我有一朵花,我可以摘下花朵带走它。可你却不能从天上摘下这些星星呀!”
“是的,我不能摘下来,但我可以把它们存在银行里。”
“存银行是什么意思?”
“这是说,我把星星的数目写在纸上,然后把这张重要的纸锁在一个抽屉里。”
“这样就行了吗?”
“这样就行了。”
“这倒很有诗意,也很好玩,可是,这并不算是了不起的正经事啊。”小王子想。
关于什么是正经事,小王子的看法与大人们的看法非常不同:“我有一朵花,我每天都给她浇水。我还有三座火山,我每星期清理它们,连死火山也清理。谁知道它会不会再复活呢!我拥有火山和花,这对我的火山有益处,对我的花也有益处。但是你对星星并没有用处……”
这个商人张口结舌、无言以对。于是小王子离开了。
再次开始自己的旅程,小王子心想:“这些大人们真是很特别,全部都奇怪极了。”
Chapter13
Thefourthplanetbelongedtoabusinessman.Thismanwassomuchoccupiedthathedidnotevenraisehisheadatthelittleprincesarrival.
"Goodmorning,"thelittleprincesaidtohi"Yourcigarettehasgoneout.""Threeandtwomakefive.Fiveandsevenmaketwelve.Twelveandthreemakefifteen.Goodmorning.Fifteenandsevenmaketwenty-two.Twenty-twoandsixmaketwenty-eight.Ihaventtimetolightitagain.Twenty-sixandfivemakethirty-one.Phew!Thenthatmakesfive-hundred-and-one-million,six-hundred-twenty-two-thousand,seven-hundred-thirty-one.""Fivehundredmillionwhat"askedthelittleprince.
"EhAreyoustillthereFive-hundred-and-onemillion—Icantstop...Ihavesomuchtodo!Iamconcernedwithmattersofconsequence.Idontamusemyselfwithbalderdash.Twoandfivemakeseven...""Five-hundred-and-onemillionwhat"repeatedthelittleprince,whoneverinhislifehadletgoofaquestiononcehehadaskedit.
Thebusinessmanraisedhishead.
"Duringthefifty-fouryearsthatIhaveinhabitedthisplanet,Ihavebeendisturbedonlythreetimes.Thefirsttimewastwenty-twoyearsago,whensomegiddygoosefellfromgoodnessknowswhere.Hemadethemostfrightfulnoisethatresoundedallovertheplace,andImadefourmistakesinmyaddition.Thesecondtime,elevenyearsago,IwasdisturbedbyanattackofrheumatisIdontgetenoughexercise.Ihavenotimeforloafing.Thethirdtime—well,thisisit!Iwassaying,then,five-hundred-and-onemillions—""Millionsofwhat"
Thebusinessmansuddenlyrealizedthattherewasnohopeofbeingleftinpeaceuntilheansweredthisquestion.
"Millionsofthoselittleobjects,"hesaid,"whichonesometimesseesinthesky.""Flies"
"Oh,no.Littleglitteringobjects.""Bees"
"Oh,no.Littlegoldenobjectsthatsetlazymentoidledreaming.Asforme,Iamconcernedwithmattersofconsequence.Thereisnotimeforidledreaminginmylife.""Ah!Youmeanthestars"
"Yes,thatsit.Thestars."
"Andwhatdoyoudowithfive-hundredmillionsofstars""Five-hundred-and-onemillion,six-hundred-twenty-twothousand,seven-hundred-thirty-one.Iamconcernedwithmattersofconsequence:Iamaccurate.""Andwhatdoyoudowiththesestars""WhatdoIdowiththem"
"Yes."
"Nothing.Iownthe"
"Youownthestars"
"Yes."
"ButIhavealreadyseenakingwho—""Kingsdonotown,theyreignover.Itisaverydifferentmatter.""Andwhatgooddoesitdoyoutoownthestars""Itdoesmethegoodofmakingmerich.""Andwhatgooddoesitdoyoutoberich""Itmakesitpossibleformetobuymorestars,ifanyareeverdiscovered.""Thisman,"thelittleprincesaidtohimself,"reasonsalittlelikemypoortippler..."Nevertheless,hestillhadsomemorequestions.
"Howisitpossibleforonetoownthestars""Towhomdotheybelong"thebusinessmanretorted,peevishly.
"Idontknow.Tonobody."
"Thentheybelongtome,becauseIwasthefirstpersontothinkofit.""Isthatallthatisnecessary""Certainly.Whenyoufindadiamondthatbelongstonobody,itisyours.Whenyoudiscoveranislandthatbelongstonobody,itisyours.Whenyougetanideabeforeanyoneelse,youtakeoutapatentonit:itisyours.Sowithme:Iownthestars,becausenobodyelsebeforemeeverthoughtofowningthe""Yes,thatistrue,"saidthelittleprince."Andwhatdoyoudowiththem""Iadministerthem,"repliedthebusinessman."IcountthemandrecounttheItisdifficult.ButIamamanwhoisnaturallyinterestedinmattersofconsequence."Thelittleprincewasstillnotsatisfied.
"IfIownedasilkscarf,"hesaid,"Icouldputitaroundmyneckandtakeitawaywithme.IfIownedaflower,Icouldpluckthatflowerandtakeitawaywithme.Butyoucannotpluckthestarsfromheaven...""No.ButIcanputtheminthebank.""Whateverdoesthatmean"
"ThatmeansthatIwritethenumberofmystarsonalittlepaper.AndthenIputthispaperinadrawerandlockitwithakey.""Andthatisall"
"Thatisenough,"saidthebusinessman.
"Itisentertaining,"thoughtthelittleprince."Itisratherpoetic.Butitisofnogreatconsequence."Onmattersofconsequence,thelittleprincehadideaswhichwereverydifferentfromthoseofthegrown-ups.
"Imyselfownaflower,"hecontinuedhisconversationwiththebusinessman,"whichIwatereveryday.Iownthreevolcanoes,whichIcleanouteveryweek(forIalsocleanouttheonethatisextinct;oneneverknows).Itisofsomeusetomyvolcanoes,anditisofsomeusetomyflower,thatIowntheButyouareofnousetothestars..."Thebusinessmanopenedhismouth,buthefoundnothingtosayinanswer.Andthelittleprincewentaway.
"Thegrown-upsarecertainlyaltogetherextraordinary,"hesaidsimply,talkingtohimselfashecontinuedonhisjourney.
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