“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。很少会发生一座山变换位置,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。
Chapter15
Thesixthplanetwastentimeslargerthanthelastone.Itwasinhabitedbyanoldgentlemanwhowrotevoluminousbooks.
"Oh,look!Hereisanexplorer!"heexclaimedtohimselfwhenhesawthelittleprincecoming.
Thelittleprincesatdownonthetableandpantedalittle.Hehadalreadytraveledsomuchandsofar!
"Wheredoyoucomefrom"theoldgentlemansaidtohi
"Whatisthatbigbook"saidthelittleprince."Whatareyoudoing""Iamageographer,"theoldgentlemansaidtohi
"Whatisageographer"askedthelittleprince.
"Ageographerisascholarwhoknowsthelocationofalltheseas,rivers,towns,mountains,anddeserts.""Thatisveryinteresting,"saidthelittleprince."Hereatlastisamanwhohasarealprofession!"Andhecastalookaroundhimattheplanetofthegeographer.Itwasthemostmagnificentandstatelyplanetthathehadeverseen.
"Yourplanetisverybeautiful,"hesaid."Hasitanyoceans""Icouldnttellyou,"saidthegeographer.
"Ah!"Thelittleprincewasdisappointed."Hasitanymountains""Icouldnttellyou,"saidthegeographer.
"Andtowns,andrivers,anddeserts""Icouldnttellyouthat,either.""Butyouareageographer!"
"Exactly,"thegeographersaid."ButIamnotanexplorer.Ihaven’tasingleexploreronmyplanet.Itisnotthegeographerwhogoesouttocountthetowns,therivers,themountains,theseas,theoceans,andthedeserts.Thegeographerismuchtooimportanttogoloafingabout.Hedoesnotleavehisdesk.Buthereceivestheexplorersinhisstudy.Heasksthemquestions,andhenotesdownwhattheyrecalloftheirtravels.Andiftherecollectionsofanyoneamongthemseeminterestingtohim,thegeographerordersaninquiryintothatexplorer’smoralcharacter.""Whyisthat"
"Becauseanexplorerwhotoldlieswouldbringdisasteronthebooksofthegeographer.Sowouldanexplorerwhodranktoomuch.""Whyisthat"askedthelittleprince.
"Becauseintoxicatedmenseedouble.Thenthegeographerwouldnotedowntwomountainsinaplacewheretherewasonlyone.""Iknowsomeone,"saidthelittleprince,"whowouldmakeabadexplorer.""Thatispossible.Then,whenthemoralcharacteroftheexplorerisshowntobegood,aninquiryisorderedintohisdiscovery.""Onegoestoseeit"
"No.Thatwouldbetoocomplicated.Butonerequirestheexplorertofurnishproofs.Forexample,ifthediscoveryinquestionisthatofalargemountain,onerequiresthatlargestonesbebroughtbackfromit."Thegeographerwassuddenlystirredtoexcitement.
"Butyou—youcomefromfaraway!Youareanexplorer!Youshalldescribeyourplanettome!"And,havingopenedhisbigregister,thegeographersharpenedhispencil.Therecitalsofexplorersareputdownfirstinpencil.Onewaitsuntiltheexplorerhasfurnishedproofs,beforeputtingthemdowninink.
"Well"saidthegeographerexpectantly.
"Oh,whereIlive,"saidthelittleprince,"itisnotveryinteresting.Itisallsosmall.Ihavethreevolcanoes.Twovolcanoesareactiveandtheotherisextinct.Butoneneverknows.""Oneneverknows,"saidthegeographer.
"Ihavealsoaflower."
"Wedonotrecordflowers,"saidthegeographer.
"WhyisthatThefloweristhemostbeautifulthingonmyplanet!""Wedonotrecordthem,"saidthegeographer,"becausetheyareephemeral.""Whatdoesthatmean—‘ephemeral""Geographies,"saidthegeographer,"arethebookswhich,ofallbooks,aremostconcernedwithmattersofconsequence.Theyneverbecomeold-fashioned.Itisveryrarelythatamountainchangesitsposition.Itisveryrarelythatanoceanemptiesitselfofitswaters.Wewriteofeternalthings.""Butextinctvolcanoesmaycometolifeagain,"thelittleprinceinterrupted."Whatdoesthatmean—‘ephemeral""Whethervolcanoesareextinctoralive,itcomestothesamethingforus,"saidthegeographer."Thethingthatmatterstousisthemountain.Itdoesnotchange.""Butwhatdoesthatmean—‘ephemeral"repeatedthelittleprince,whoneverinhislifehadletgoofaquestion,oncehehadaskedit.
"Itmeans,‘whichisindangerofspeedydisappearance.""Ismyflowerindangerofspeedydisappearance""Certainlyitis."
"Myflowerisephemeral,"thelittleprincesaidtohimself,"andshehasonlyfourthornstodefendherselfagainsttheworld.AndIhaveleftheronmyplanet,allalone!"Thatwashisfirstmomentofregret.Buthetookcourageoncemore.
"Whatplacewouldyouadvisemetovisitnow"heasked.
"TheplanetEarth,"repliedthegeographer."Ithasagoodreputation."Andthelittleprincewentaway,thinkingofhisflower.
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