英文小說連載《小王子》No.14點燈者

　　The fifth planet was very strange. It was the smallest of all. There was just enough room on it for a street lamp and a lamplighter. The little prince was not able to reach any explanation of the use of a street lamp and a lamplighter， somewhere in the heavens， on a planet which had no people， and not one house. But he said to himself， nevertheless：

　　"It may well be that this man is absurd. But he is not so absurd as the king， the conceited man， the businessman， and the tippler. For at least his work has some meaning. When he lights his street lamp， it is as if he brought one more star to life， or one flower. When he puts out his lamp， he sends the flower， or the star， to sleep. That is a beautiful occupation. And since it is beautiful， it is truly useful."

　　When he arrived on the planet he respectfully saluted the lamplighter.

　　"Good morning. Why have you just put out your lamp？"

　　"Those are the orders，" replied the lamplighter. "Good morning."

　　"What are the orders？"

　　"The orders are that I put out my lamp. Good evening."

　　And he lighted his lamp again.

　　"But why have you just lighted it again？"

　　"Those are the orders，" replied the lamplighter.

　　"I do not understand，" said the little prince.

　　"There is nothing to understand，" said the lamplighter. "Orders are orders. Good morning."

　　And he put out his lamp.

　　Then he mopped his forehead with a handkerchief decorated with red squares.

　　"I follow a terrible profession. In the old days it was reasonable. I put the lamp out in the morning， and in the evening I lighted it again. I had the rest of the day for relaxation and the rest of the night for sleep."

　　"And the orders have been changed since that time？"

　　"The orders have not been changed，" said the lamplighter. "That is the tragedy！ From year to year the planet has turned more rapidly and the orders have not been changed！"

　　"Then what？" asked the little prince.

　　"Then-- the planet now makes a complete turn every minute， and I no longer have a single second for repose. Once every minute I have to light my lamp and put it out！"

　　"That is very funny！ A day lasts only one minute， here where you live！"

　　"It is not funny at all！" said the lamplighter. "While we have been talking together a month has gone by."

　　"A month？"

　　"Yes， a month. Thirty minutes. Thirty days. Good evening."

　　And he lighted his lamp again.

　　As the little prince watched him， he felt that he loved this lamplighter who was so faithful to his orders. He remembered the sunsets which he himself had gone to seek， in other days， merely by pulling up his chair； and he wanted to help his friend.

　　"You know，" he said， "I can tell you a way you can rest whenever you want to..."

　　"I always want to rest，" said the lamplighter.

　　For it is possible for a man to be faithful and lazy at the same time.

　　The little prince went on with his explanation：

　　"Your planet is so small that three strides will take you all the way around it. To be always in the sunshine， you need only walk along rather slowly. When you want to rest， you will walk-- and the day will last as long as you like."

　　"That doesn't do me much good，" said the lamplighter. "The one thing I love in life is to sleep."

　　"Then you're unlucky，" said the little prince.

　　"I am unlucky，" said the lamplighter. "Good morning."

　　And he put out his lamp.

　　"That man，" said the little prince to himself， as he continued farther on his journey， "that man would be scorned by all the others： by the king， by the conceited man， by the tippler， by the businessman. Nevertheless he is the only one of them all who does not seem to me ridiculous. Perhaps that is because he is thinking of something else besides himself."

　　He breathed a sigh of regret， and said to himself， again：

　　"That man is the only one of them all whom I could have made my friend. But his planet is indeed too small. There is no room on it for two people..."

　　What the little prince did not dare confess was that he was sorry most of all to leave this planet， because it was blest every day with 1440 sunsets！

　　第五顆行星非常奇怪，是這些星星中最小的一顆。行星上剛好能容得下一盞路燈和一個點路燈的人。小王子怎么也解釋不通：這個坐落在天空某一角落，既沒有房屋又沒有居民的行星上，要一盞路燈和一個點燈的人做什么用。

　　但他自己猜想：“可能這個人思想不正常。但他比起國王，比起那個愛虛榮的人，那個實業家和酒鬼，卻要好些。至少他的工作還有點意義。當他點著了他的路燈時，就象他增添了一顆星星，或是一朵花。當他熄滅了路燈時，就象讓星星或花朵睡著了似的。這差事真美妙，就是真正有用的了。”

　　小王子一到了這個行星上，就很尊敬地向點路燈的人打招呼：

　　“早上好。——你剛才為什么把路燈滅了呢？”

　　“早上好。——這是命令。”點燈的回答道。

　　“命令是什么？”

　　“就是熄掉我的路燈。——晚上好。”

　　于是他又點燃了路燈。

　　“那么為什么你又把它點著了呢？”

　　“這是命令。”點燈的人回答道。

　　“我不明白。”小王子說。

　　“沒什么要明白的。命令就是命令。”點燈的回答說。“早上好。”

　　于是他又熄滅了路燈。

　　然后他拿一塊有紅方格子的手絹擦著額頭。

　　“我干的是一種可怕的職業。以前還說得過去，早上熄燈，晚上點燈，剩下時間，白天我就休息，夜晚我就睡覺…”

　　“那么，后來命令改變了，是嗎？”

　　點燈的人說：“命令沒有改，慘就慘在這里了！這顆行星一年比一年轉得更快，而命令卻沒有改。”

　　“結果呢？”小王子問。

　　“結果現在每分鐘轉一圈，我連一秒鐘的休息時間都沒有了。每分鐘我就要點一次燈，熄一次燈！”

　　“真有趣，你這里每天只有一分鐘長？”

　　“一點趣味也沒有，”點燈的說，“我們倆在一塊說話就已經有一個月的時間了。”

　　“一個月？”

　　“對。三十分鐘。三十天！——晚上好。”

　　于是他又點著了了他的路燈。

　　小王子瞅著他，他喜歡這個點燈人如此忠守命令。這時，他想起了他自己從前挪動椅子尋找日落的事。他很想幫助他的這位朋友。

　　“告訴你，我知道一種能使你休息的辦法，你要什么時候休息都可以。”

　　“我老是想休息。”點燈人說。

　　因為，一個人可以同時是忠實的，又是懶惰的。

　　小王子接著說：

　　“你的這顆行星這樣小，你三步就可以繞它一圈。你只要慢慢地走，就可以一直在太陽的照耀下，你想休息的時候，你就這樣走…那么，你要白天又多長它就有多長。”

　　“這辦法幫不了我多打忙，生活中我喜歡的就是睡覺。”點燈人說。

　　“真不走運。”小王子說。

　　“真不走運。”點燈人說。“早上好。”

　　于是他又熄滅了路燈。

　　小王子在他繼續往前旅行的途中，自言自語地說道：

　　“這個人一定會被其他那些人，國王呀，愛虛榮的呀，酒鬼呀，實業家呀，所瞧不起。可是唯有他不使我感到荒唐可笑。這可能是因為他所關心的是別的事，而不是他自己。”

　　他惋惜地嘆了口氣，并且又對自己說道：

　　“本來這是我唯一可以和他交成朋友的人。可是他的星球確實太小了，住不下兩個人…”

　　小王子沒有勇氣承認的是：他留戀這顆令人贊美的星星，特別是因為在那里每二十四小時就有一千四百四十次日落！