暖心小说《小王子》第5章_美文_双语阅读-查字典英语网

暖心小说《小王子》第5章

我对小王子说，猴面包树可不是小灌木，而是像教堂那么大的大树；即便是带回一群大象，也啃不了一棵猴面包树。

The idea of the herd of elephants made the little prince laugh.

一群大象这种想法使小王子发笑：

"We would have to put them one on top of the other," he said.

“那可得把这些大象一只叠一只地垒起来。”

But he made a wise comment:　

他很有见识地说：

"Before they grow so big, the baobabs start out by being little."

“猴面包树在长大之前，开始也是小小的。”

"That is strictly correct," I said. "But why do you want the sheep to eat the little baobabs?"

“不错。可是为什么你想叫你的羊去吃小猴面包树呢?”

He answered me at once, "Oh, come, come!", as if he were speaking of something that was self-evident. And I was obliged to make a great mental effort to solve this problem, without any assistance.

他回答我道：“唉!这还用说!”似乎这是不言而喻的。可是我自己要费很大的心劲才能弄懂这个问题。

Indeed, as I learned, there were on the planet where the little prince lived-- as on all planets-- good plants and bad plants. In consequence, there were good seeds from good plants, and bad seeds from bad plants. But seeds are invisible. They sleep deep in the heart of the earth's darkness, until some one among them is seized with the desire to awaken. Then this little seed will stretch itself and begin-- timidly at first-- to push a charming little sprig inoffensively upward toward the sun. If it is only a sprout of radish or the sprig of a rose-bush, one would let it grow wherever it might wish. But when it is a bad plant, one must destroy it as soon as possible, the very first instant that one recognizes it.