第十章 (第2/2页)

“噢！可是我已经看过了，”小王子探身朝星球的那一侧看了看，“那边也和这边一样，没有一个人……”

“你可以审判自己，”国王回答说，“这可是世上最难的事情。审判自己比审判别人要难得多啊！如果你能正确地审判自己，你就是一个真正智慧的人。”

“是的，”小王子说，“但是我可以在任何地方审判我自己，我没有必要留在这个星球上。”

国王又说：“嗯！嗯！我想，这个星球的某个地方有一只老鼠。夜里，我听见它的声音。你可以审判它，每隔一段时间你就判处它死刑。因此它的生命取决于你的判决。但是，你每次判刑后都要赦免它，我们必须有节制地对待这只老鼠，因为我们只有这一只老鼠。”

“可是我不愿判任何人死刑，我想我还是应该走。”小王子回答道。

“不行。”国王说。

小王子做好离开的准备之后，他不想让这位老国主难过。

“如果国王陛下想要迅速地得到服从，你可以给我下一个合理的命令。比如说，你可以命令我，一分钟之内必须离开。我认为这个条件是成熟的……”

国王没有回答。小王子有些犹疑不决，随后叹了口气，就离开了……“我委任你当我的大使。”国王匆忙地喊道。

国王显出非常有权威的样子。

小王子继续他的旅途，心里想：“这些大人真奇怪。”

Chaptr 10

H found hslf n th nghorhood of th astrods 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, and 330. H gan, thrfor, y vstng th, n ordr to add to hs knoldg.

Th frst of th as nhatd y a kng. Clad n royal purpl and rn, h as satd upon a thron hch as at th sa t oth spl and ajstc.

"Ah! Hr s a sujct," xclad th kng, hn h sa th lttl prnc cong.

And th lttl prnc askd hslf:"Ho could h rcognz hn h had nvr sn for"H dd not kno ho th orld s splfd for kngs. To th, all n ar sujcts.

"Approach, so that I ay s you ttr," sad th kng, ho flt consungly proud of ng at last a kng ovr soody.

Th lttl prnc lookd vryhr to fnd a plac to st don; ut th ntr plant as crad and ostructd y th kng's agnfcnt rn ro. So h rand standng uprght, and, snc h as trd, h yand.

"It s contrary to tqutt to yan n th prsnc of a kng," th onarch sad to h. "I ford you to do so.""I can't hlp t. I can't stop yslf," rpld th lttl prnc, thoroughly arrassd. "I hav co on a long journy, and I hav had no slp...""Ah, thn," th kng sad. "I ordr you to yan. It s yars snc I hav sn anyon yanng. Yans, to , ar ojcts of curosty. Co, no! Yan agan! It s an ordr.""That frghtns ... I cannot, any or..." ururd th lttl prnc, no copltly aashd.

"Hu! Hu!" rpld th kng. "Thn I— I ordr you sots to yan and sots to—"H sputtrd a lttl, and sd vxd.

For hat th kng fundantally nsstd upon as that hs authorty should rspctd. H tolratd no dsodnc. H as an asolut onarch. But, caus h as a vry good an, h ad hs ordrs rasonal.

"If I ordrd a gnral," h ould say, y ay of xapl, "f I ordrd a gnral to chang hslf nto a sa rd, and f th gnral dd not oy , that ould not th fault of th gnral. It ould y fault.""May I st don" ca no a td nqury fro th lttl prnc.

"I ordr you to do so," th kng ansrd h, and ajstcally gathrd n a fold of hs rn antl.

But th lttl prnc as ondrng... Th plant as tny. Ovr hat could ths kng rally rul "Sr," h sad to h, "I g that you ll xcus y askng you a quston—""I ordr you to ask a quston," th kng hastnd to assur h.

"Sr— ovr hat do you rul""Ovr vrythng," sad th kng, th agnfcnt splcty.

"Ovr vrythng"

Th kng ad a gstur, hch took n hs plant, th othr plants, and all th stars.

"Ovr all that" askd th lttl prnc.

"Ovr all that," th kng ansrd.

For hs rul as not only asolut: t as also unvrsal.

"And th stars oy you"

"Crtanly thy do," th kng sad. "Thy oy nstantly. I do not prt nsuordnaton."Such por as a thng for th lttl prnc to arvl at. If h had n astr of such coplt authorty, h ould hav n al to atch th sunst, not forty-four ts n on day, ut svnty-to, or vn a hundrd, or vn to hundrd ts, th out vr havng to ov hs char. And caus h flt a t sad as h rrd hs lttl plant hch h had forsakn, h pluckd up hs courag to ask th kng a favor:"I should lk to s a sunst... do that kndnss... Ordr th sun to st...""If I ordrd a gnral to fly fro on flor to anothr lk a uttrfly, or to rt a tragc draa, or to chang hslf nto a sa rd, and f th gnral dd not carry out th ordr that h had rcvd, hch on of us ould n th rong" th kng dandd. "Th gnral, or yslf""You," sad th lttl prnc frly.

"Exactly. On uch rqur fro ach on th duty hch ach on can prfor," th kng nt on. "Accptd authorty rsts frst of all on rason. If you ordrd your popl to go and thro thslvs nto th sa, thy ould rs up n rvoluton. I hav th rght to rqur odnc caus y ordrs ar rasonal.""Thn y sunst" th lttl prnc rndd h: for h nvr forgot a quston onc h had askd t.

"You shall hav your sunst. I shall coand t. But, accordng to y scnc of govrnnt, I shall at untl condtons ar favoral.""Whn ll that " nqurd th lttl prnc.

"Hu! Hu!" rpld th kng; and for sayng anythng ls h consultd a ulky alanac. "Hu! Hu! That ll aout— aout— that ll ths vnng aout tnty nuts to ght. And you ll s ho ll I a oyd."Th lttl prnc yand. H as rgrttng hs lost sunst. And thn, too, h as alrady gnnng to a lttl ord.

"I hav nothng or to do hr," h sad to th kng. "So I shall st out on y ay agan.""Do not go," sad th kng, ho as vry proud of havng a sujct. "Do not go. I ll ak you a Mnstr!""Mnstr of hat"

"Mnstr of— of Justc!"

"But thr s noody hr to judg!""W do not kno that," th kng sad to h. "I hav not yt ad a coplt tour of y kngdo. I a vry old. Thr s no roo hr for a carrag. And t trs to alk.""Oh, ut I hav lookd alrady!" sad th lttl prnc, turnng around to gv on or glanc to th othr sd of th plant. On that sd, as on ths, thr as noody at all...

"Thn you shall judg yourslf," th kng ansrd. "that s th ost dffcult thng of all. It s uch or dffcult to judg onslf than to judg othrs. If you succd n judgng yourslf rghtly, thn you ar ndd a an of tru sdo.""Ys," sad th lttl prnc, "ut I can judg yslf anyhr. I do not nd to lv on ths plant.

"Hu! Hu!" sad th kng. "I hav good rason to lv that sohr on y plant thr s an old rat. I har h at nght. You can judg ths old rat. Fro t to t you ll condn h to dath. Thus hs lf ll dpnd on your justc. But you ll pardon h on ach occason; for h ust tratd thrftly. H s th only on hav.""I," rpld th lttl prnc, "do not lk to condn anyon to dath. And no I thnk I ll go on y ay.""No," sad th kng.

But th lttl prnc, havng no copltd hs prparatons for dpartur, had no sh to grv th old onarch.

"If Your Majsty shs to proptly oyd," h sad, "h should al to gv a rasonal ordr. H should al, for xapl, to ordr to gon y th nd of on nut. It ss to that condtons ar favoral..."As th kng ad no ansr, th lttl prnc hstatd a ont. Thn, th a sgh, h took hs lav.

"I ad you y Aassador," th kng calld out, hastly.

H had a agnfcnt ar of authorty.

"Th gron-ups ar vry strang," th lttl prnc sad to hslf, as h contnud on hs journy.