第十五章 (第2/2页)

“地理学书籍是最严谨的书。”地理学家说道，“这类书是从不会过时。很少会生一座山变换位置，很少会出现一个海洋干涸的现象。我们记录永恒的东西。”

“但是熄灭的火山也可能会再复苏的。”小王子打断了地理学家，“什么叫短暂？”

“火山是熄灭了的也好，苏醒的也好，这对我们这些人来讲都是一回事。”地理学家说，“对我们来说，重要的是山。山是不会变换位置的。”

“但是，‘短暂’是什么意思？”小王子再三地问道。他一旦提出一个问题是从不放过的。

“意思就是有很快就会消失的危险。”

“我的花是很快就会消失的吗？”

“那当然。”

小王子自言自语地说：“我的花是短暂的，而且她只有四根刺来对抗这个世界！可我还把她独自留在我的星球上！”

这是他第一次产生了后悔，但他又重新振作起来：“您是否能建议我下一站去什么地方看看？”小王子问道。

“地球，”地理学家回答他说，“它很出名……”

于是小王子就走了，他一边走一边想着他的花。

Chaptr 15

Th sxth plant as tn ts largr than th last on. It as nhatd y an old gntlan ho rot volunous ooks.

"Oh, look! Hr s an xplorr!" h xclad to hslf hn h sa th lttl prnc cong.

Th lttl prnc sat don on th tal and pantd a lttl. H had alrady travld so uch and so far!

"Whr do you co fro" th old gntlan sad to h.

"What s that g ook" sad th lttl prnc. "What ar you dong""I a a gographr," th old gntlan sad to h.

"What s a gographr" askd th lttl prnc.

"A gographr s a scholar ho knos th locaton of all th sas, rvrs, tons, ountans, and dsrts.""That s vry ntrstng," sad th lttl prnc. "Hr at last s a an ho has a ral profsson!" And h cast a look around h at th plant of th gographr. It as th ost agnfcnt and statly plant that h had vr sn.

"Your plant s vry autful," h sad. "Has t any ocans""I couldn't tll you," sad th gographr.

"Ah!" Th lttl prnc as dsappontd. "Has t any ountans""I couldn't tll you," sad th gographr.

"And tons, and rvrs, and dsrts""I couldn't tll you that, thr.""But you ar a gographr!"

"Exactly," th gographr sad. "But I a not an xplorr. I havn’t a sngl xplorr on y plant. It s not th gographr ho gos out to count th tons, th rvrs, th ountans, th sas, th ocans, and th dsrts. Th gographr s uch too portant to go loafng aout. H dos not lav hs dsk. But h rcvs th xplorrs n hs study. H asks th qustons, and h nots don hat thy rcall of thr travls. And f th rcollctons of any on aong th s ntrstng to h, th gographr ordrs an nqury nto that xplorr’s oral charactr.""Why s that"

"Bcaus an xplorr ho told ls ould rng dsastr on th ooks of th gographr. So ould an xplorr ho drank too uch.""Why s that" askd th lttl prnc.

"Bcaus ntoxcatd n s doul. Thn th gographr ould not don to ountans n a plac hr thr as only on.""I kno so on," sad th lttl prnc, "ho ould ak a ad xplorr.""That s possl. Thn, hn th oral charactr of th xplorr s shon to good, an nqury s ordrd nto hs dscovry.""On gos to s t"

"No. That ould too coplcatd. But on rqurs th xplorr to furnsh proofs. For xapl, f th dscovry n quston s that of a larg ountan, on rqurs that larg stons rought ack fro t."Th gographr as suddnly strrd to xctnt.

"But you— you co fro far aay! You ar an xplorr! You shall dscr your plant to !"And, havng opnd hs g rgstr, th gographr sharpnd hs pncl. Th rctals of xplorrs ar put don frst n pncl. On ats untl th xplorr has furnshd proofs, for puttng th don n nk.

"Wll" sad th gographr xpctantly.

"Oh, hr I lv," sad th lttl prnc, "t s not vry ntrstng. It s all so sall. I hav thr volcanos. To volcanos ar actv and th othr s xtnct. But on nvr knos.""On nvr knos," sad th gographr.

"I hav also a flor."

"W do not rcord flors," sad th gographr.

"Why s that Th flor s th ost autful thng on y plant!""W do not rcord th," sad th gographr, "caus thy ar phral.""What dos that an— ‘phral'""Gographs," sad th gographr, "ar th ooks hch, of all ooks, ar ost concrnd th attrs of consqunc. Thy nvr co old-fashond. It s vry rarly that a ountan changs ts poston. It s vry rarly that an ocan pts tslf of ts atrs. W rt of trnal thngs.""But xtnct volcanos ay co to lf agan," th lttl prnc ntrruptd. "What dos that an— ‘phral'""Whthr volcanos ar xtnct or alv, t cos to th sa thng for us," sad th gographr. "Th thng that attrs to us s th ountan. It dos not chang.""But hat dos that an— ‘phral'" rpatd th lttl prnc, ho nvr n hs lf had lt go of a quston, onc h had askd t.

"It ans, ‘hch s n dangr of spdy dsapparanc.'""Is y flor n dangr of spdy dsapparanc""Crtanly t s."

"My flor s phral," th lttl prnc sad to hslf, "and sh has only four thorns to dfnd hrslf aganst th orld. And I hav lft hr on y plant, all alon!"That as hs frst ont of rgrt. But h took courag onc or.

"What plac ould you advs to vst no" h askd.

"Th plant Earth," rpld th gographr. "It has a good rputaton."And th lttl prnc nt aay, thnkng of hs flor.