然而，他對自己說：「這個人也許荒謬，但至少不會比那個國王、自負的人、企業家或酒鬼更荒謬吧，至少他的工作還有點意義。他點亮街燈的時候，就好像為一顆星星或者一朵花帶來生命，而當他熄滅街燈時，也讓那朵花或那顆星球入睡，這是一個不錯的職業，這才是真正有用的工作，因為它很美妙。」
「這是預定好的事。」點燈的人回答：「早安！」
「什麼預定好的事？」小王子說。
「就是熄滅街燈。晚安！」點燈的人才說完，又重新點亮街燈。
「但是為什麼你剛才又重新把它點亮了呢？」小王子問。
「這是預定好的。」點燈的人回答。
「我不懂。」小王子說。
點燈的人說：「沒有什麼要懂的，預定好的就是預定好的。早安！」接著他又熄滅了街燈。
然後他拿了一條紅格紋的手帕擦抹額頭說：「我承襲了一樣可怕的志業，在過去這項工作是合理的，早上我熄滅街燈，然後晚上再點燃它。白天其他時間我可以休息，晚上其他時間我可以睡覺...」
「那麼這些日子以來預定好的事情改了嗎？」小王子問。
點燈的人說：「預定好的事情沒有改。問題就在這阿，這是個悲劇，星球一年轉得比一年還快，然而預定好的事情卻沒有改！」
「然後呢...」小王子問。
「現在這個星球每分鐘轉一次，而我連休息一秒的時間都沒，我每分鐘都得點一次燈再熄滅它！」
「這很有趣！你的一天就是一分鐘！」小王子說。
「這一點也不有趣，在我們談話這段時間，就已經過一個月了。」點燈的人說。
「一個月？」小王子問。
「是的，一個月，三十分鐘，三十天。晚安！」接著點燈的人又重新點亮街燈。
小王子看著他，他喜歡這個點燈的人，因為他是這麼忠於自己的工作。小王子想起挪動椅子追尋日落的往事，他想幫助他的朋友。小王子說：「你知道嗎？...我知道一個可以你想休息就可以休息的辦法...」
「我總想要休息。」點燈的人說。
「其實人可以既盡責，但又有點偷懶的。」小王子接著解釋說：「你的星球小到只要跨三步就可以走完一圈，只要你慢慢地走，就可以一直在太陽下，如果你想休息，就去散步，那這樣你想休息多久，白天就會持續多久。」
「這個對我沒多大用處，因為我最想做的事是睡覺。」點燈的人說。
「你運氣真差。」小王子說。
「我運氣不好。」點燈的人說。「早安！」然後又熄滅街燈。
當小王子繼續他的旅程時，他自言自語地說：「這個點燈的人或許會被那個國王、酒鬼、企業家看不起，但在這些人當中，他卻是唯一一個我不覺得可笑的，因為他的思維裡並不是只有自己而已。」
小王子惋惜地嘆了一口氣，並繼續對自己說：「他是這些人當中我唯一能夠跟他做朋友的人，可是他的星球實在太小了，容納不下兩個人。」
小王子沒有坦白說出來的其實是...離開這個一天有1440次落日的行星還挺可惜的！
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!
註：《小王子》是法國童話，法文原書名為Le Petit Prince，作者是聖艾修伯里，1943年在紐約出版，被譯成超過 180種語言，銷售量超過8千萬冊，還有拍成電影和動畫片、改編成話劇和音樂劇演出。
圖片出處：http://www.odaha.com
這個好棒喔!!!感謝你貼上來分享~~
回覆刪除16歲的時候讀小王子跟25歲的時候讀小王子~
真的有不同的感觸~
很高興你喜歡，這是我第一次讀小王子，一邊讀一邊翻譯下來，給自己留下紀錄，也希望分享給喜歡的人...^__^
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