精美英文欣赏:小王子拜访爱慕虚荣的人

Lesson 11 Part 1 The Little Prince Visits the Conceited¹ Man

第十一课 第一部分 小王子拜访爱慕虚荣的人

The second planet was inhabited by a conceited man.

第二颗行星上住着一个爱慕虚荣的人。

"Ah! Ah! I am about to receive a visit from an admirer!"

"啊！啊！我马上要接待一位仰慕者的拜访了！ "

he exclaimed from afar, when he first saw the little prince coming.

这个自命不凡的人一看到小王子朝他走来，远远地就叫起来。

For, to conceited men, all other men are admirers.

在一个虚荣自负的人眼里，其他所有人都成了他的崇拜者。

"Good morning，" said the little prince. "That is a queer hat you are wearing."

"早上好！ "小王子说，"你戴的帽子很奇怪。"

"It is a hat for salutes，" the conceited man replied. "It is to raise in salute² when people acclaim³ me.

"这是为了向人们致意用的。"爱慕虚荣的人回答道，"当人们为我喝彩时，我就拿起帽子向他们致意。

Unfortunately, nobody at all ever passes this way."

不幸的是，从来没有一个人从这里经过。"

"Yes?" said the little prince, who did not understand what the conceited man was talking about.

"是吗？ "小王子说，他不太明白这个人在说些什么。

"Clap your hands, one against the other," the conceited man now directed him.

"拍拍你的手，用一只手去拍另一只。"爱慕虚荣的人开始指导他。

The little prince clapped his hands. T

小王子就拍起巴掌来，

he conceited man raised his hat in a modest salute.

那人便举起他的帽子，谦虚地行礼。

"This is more entertaining than the visit to the king，"the little prince said to himself.

"这比拜访国王有意思多了。"小王子自言自语地说。

And he began again to clap his hands, one against the other.

之后他又开始拍手，用一只手拍打另一只。

The conceited man again raised his hat in salute.

爱慕虚荣的人再次向他脱帽回礼。

After five minutes of this exercise the little prince grew tired of the game's monotony.

小王子这样做了五分钟'之后对这种单调乏味的把戏有点厌烦了。

"And what should one do to make the hat come down?" he asked.

"要让你的帽子掉下来，该怎么做呢？ "他问道。

But the conceited man did not hear him.

可这回那个虚荣自负的人听不进他的话。

Conceited people never hear anything but praise.

因为凡是爱慕虚荣的人只听得到赞美之辞。

"Do you really admire me very much?" he demanded of the little prince.

"你真的非常崇拜我吗？ "他问小王子。

"What does that mean-'admire'？"

"你说的'崇拜'是什么意思？ "

"To admire mean that you regard me as the handsomest, the best-dressed, the richest, and the most intelligent man on this planet."

"崇拜就是说你认为我是这个星球上最帅气、着装最美、最富有、最智慧的人。"

"But you are the only man on your planet!"

"但你是你的星球上唯一的人呀！ "

"Do me this kindness. Admire me just the same."

"行行好吧，请你还是一样地崇拜我吧！ "

"I admire you，" said the little prince, shrugging his shoulders slightly,

"我崇拜你。"小王子轻轻地耸耸肩，说道，

"but what is there in that to interest you so much?"

"但是为什么这让你如此感兴趣呢？ "

And the little prince went away.

于是小王子走开了。

"The grown-ups are certainly very odd，"he said to himself, as he continued on his journey.

"这些大人真的非常古怪。"他对自己说，又开始继续他的旅行。

1 conceited   

adj.自负的，骄傲自满的

参考例句：

• He could not bear that they should be so conceited.他们这样自高自大他受不了。
• I'm not as conceited as so many people seem to think.我不像很多人认为的那么自负。

2 salute   

vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮

参考例句：

• Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
• The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。

3 acclaim   

v.向…欢呼，公认；n.欢呼，喝彩，称赞

参考例句：

• He was welcomed with great acclaim.他受到十分热烈的欢迎。
• His achievements earned him the acclaim of the scientific community.他的成就赢得了科学界的赞誉。