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第四章（第3页）

IhaveseriousreasontobelievethattheplanetfromwhichthelittleprincecameistheasteroidknownasB-612.Thisasteroidhasonlyoncebeenseenthroughthetelescope.ThatwasbyaTurkishastronomer，in1909.

Onmakinghisdiscovery，theastronomerhadpresentedittotheInternationalAstronomicalCongress，inagreatdemonstration.ButhewasinTurkishcostume，andsonobodywouldbelievewhathesaid.

Grown-upsarelikethat...

Fortunately，however，forthereputationofAsteroidB-612，aTurkishdictatormadealawthathissubjects，underpainofdeath，shouldchangetoEuropeancostume.Soin1920theastronomergavehisdemonstrationalloveragain，dressedwithimpressivestyleandelegance.Andthistimeeverybodyacceptedhisreport.

IfIhavetoldyouthesedetailsabouttheasteroid，andmadeanoteofitsnumberforyou，itisonaccountofthegrown-upsandtheirways.Whenyoutellthemthatyouhavemadeanewfriend，theyneveraskyouanyquestionsaboutessentialmatters.

Theyneversaytoyou，"

WhatdoeshisvoicesoundlikeWhatgamesdoeshelovebestDoeshecollectbutterflies"

Instead，theydemand:"

HowoldisheHowmanybrothershasheHowmuchdoesheweighHowmuchmoneydoeshisfathermake"

Onlyfromthesefiguresdotheythinktheyhavelearnedanythingabouthim.

Ifyouweretosaytothegrown-ups:"

Isawabeautifulhousemadeofrosybrick，withgeraniumsinthewindowsanddovesontheroof，"

theywouldnotbeabletogetanyideaofthathouseatall.Youwouldhavetosaytothem:"

Isawahousethatcost$20，000."

Thentheywouldexclaim:"

Oh，whataprettyhousethatis!"

Justso，youmightsaytothem:"

Theproofthatthelittleprinceexistedisthathewascharming，thathelaughed，andthathewaslookingforasheep.Ifanybodywantsasheep，thatisaproofthatheexists."

AndwhatgoodwoulditdototellthemthatTheywouldshrugtheirshoulders，andtreatyoulikeachild.

Butifyousaidtothem:"

TheplanethecamefromisAsteroidB-612，"

thentheywouldbeconvinced，andleaveyouinpeacefromtheirquestions.

Theyarelikethat.Onemustnotholditagainstthem.Childrenshouldalwaysshowgreatforbearancetowardgrown-uppeople.

Butcertainly，foruswhounderstandlife，figuresareamatterofindifference.Ishouldhavelikedtobeginthisstoryinthefashionofthefairy-tales.Ishouldhaveliketosay:"

Onceuponatimetherewasalittleprincewholivedonaplanetthatwasscarcelyanybiggerthanhimself，andwhohadneedofasheep..."

Tothosewhounderstandlife，thatwouldhavegivenamuchgreaterairoftruthtomystory.

ForIdonotwantanyonetoreadmybookcarelessly.Ihavesufferedtoomuchgriefinsettingdownthesememories.Sixyearshavealreadypassedsincemyfriendwentawayfromme，withhissheep.IfItrytodescribehimhere，itistomakesurethatIshallnotforgethim.Toforgetafriendissad.Noteveryonehashadafriend.AndifIforgethim，Imaybecomelikethegrown-upswhoarenolongerinterestedinanythingbutfigures...

Itisforthatpurpose，again，thatIhaveboughtaboxofpaintsandsomepencils.Itishardtotakeupdrawingagainatmyage，whenIhavenevermadeanypicturesexceptthoseoftheboaconstrictorfromtheoutsideandtheboaconstrictorfromtheinside，sinceIwassix.Ishallcertainlytrytomakemyportraitsastruetolifeaspossible.ButIamnotatallsureofsuccess.Onedrawinggoesalongallright，andanotherhasnoresemblancetoitssubject.Imakesomeerrors，too，inthelittleprince’sheight:inoneplaceheistootallandinanothertooshort.AndIfeelsomedoubtsaboutthecolorofhiscostume.SoIfumblealongasbestIcan，nowgood，nowbad，andIhopegenerallyfair-to-middling.

IncertainmoreimportantdetailsIshallmakemistakes，also.Butthatissomethingthatwillnotbemyfault.Myfriendneverexplainedanythingtome.Hethought，perhaps，thatIwaslikehimself.ButI，alas，donotknowhowtoseesheepthroughthewallsofboxes.PerhapsIamalittlelikethegrown-ups.Ihavehadtogrowold.