译《小王子》：第十六章 神秘星球

So then the seventh planet was the Earth.

The Earth is not just an ordinary planet! One can count, there are 111 kings (not forgetting, to be sure, the Negro kings among them), 7000 geographers, 900,000 businessmen, 7,500,000 tipplers, 311,000,000 conceited men-- that is to say, about 2,000,000,000 grown-ups.

To give you an idea of the size of the Earth, I will tell you that before the invention of electricity it was necessary to maintain, over the whole of the six continents, a veritable army of 462,511 lamplighters for the street lamps.

于是，小王子到访的第七颗行星就是地球。

地球并不是一颗普通的行星！你可以数一数，地球上一共有一百一十位国王（当然这其中也包括黑人国王），七千名地理学家，九十万位生意人，七百五十万个酒鬼，三亿一千一百万个爱慕虚荣的人。换句话说，这里大约生活着二十亿的成年人。

至于地球的体积，我可以先通过一个例子来让你了解个大概，在电力发明之前，想要通过路灯照亮六大洲，需要四十六万两千五百一十一名点灯人，这可是一支名副其实的军队。

仰望星空

Seen from a slight distance, that would make a splendid spectacle. The movements of this army would be regulated like those of the ballet in the opera. First would come the turn of the lamplighters of New Zealand and Australia. Having set their lamps alight, these would go off to sleep. Next, the lamplighters of China and Siberia would enter for their steps in the dance, and then they also would be waved back into the wings. After that would come the turn of the lamplighters of Russia and the Indies; then those of Africa and Europe, then those of South America; then those of South America; then those of North America. And never would they make a mistake in the order of their entry upon the stage. It would be magnificent.

在稍远的地方鸟瞰地球，你会被那壮丽的景象折服。这支队伍的动静井然有序，犹如歌剧院里的芭蕾舞演员一般。首先登场的是新西兰和澳大利亚的点灯人，在他们完成工作之后就会直接回家睡大觉。舞会到此就轮到中国和西伯利亚的点灯人上台，然后他们也会挥手告别舞台。接着就轮到俄罗斯和印度的点灯人，而非洲和欧洲则紧随其后，再接下来就是南美洲，最后才是北美洲。在点亮路灯的过程中，他们从来不会搞错自己的上场顺序，这是在是太不可思议了！

Only the man who was in charge of the single lamp at the North Pole, and his colleague who was responsible for the single lamp at the South Pole-- only these two would live free from toil and care: they would be busy twice a year.

而南极和北极分处于地球的两端，唯独这两个地方的点灯人各自都只掌管着一盏路灯。他们的生活自在悠闲，远离尘世纷扰，每年也仅需工作两回。