小王子 第27期:爱慕虚荣

 The second planet was inhabited by a conceited¹ man.

第二个行星上住着一个爱虚荣的人。

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

喔唷！一个崇拜我的人来拜访了！

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

这个爱虚荣的人一见到小王子，老远就叫喊起来。

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

在那些爱虚荣的人眼里，别人都成了他们的崇拜者。

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

“你好！”小王子说道。“你的帽子很奇怪。”

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

“这是为了向人致意用的。”爱虚荣的人回答道，“当人们向我欢呼的时候，我就用帽子向他们致意。”

Unfortunately, nobody at all ever passes this way.

可惜，没有一个人经过这里。

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

小王子不解其意。说道：“啊？是吗？”

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

爱虚荣的人向小王子建议道：“你用一只手去拍另一只手。”

The little prince clapped his hands.

小王子就拍起巴掌来。

The conceited man raised his hat in a modest salute.

这位爱虚荣者就谦逊地举起帽子向小王子致意。

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

小王子心想：“这比访问那位国王有趣。”

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

于是他又拍起巴掌来。

The conceited man against raised his hat in salute.

爱虚荣者又举起帽子来向他致意。

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，之后对这种单调的把戏有点厌倦了，

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

说道：“要想叫你的帽子掉下来，该怎么做呢？”

But the conceited man did not hear him.

可这回爱虚荣者听不进他的话，

Conceited people never hear anything but praise.

因为凡是爱虚荣的人只听得进赞美的话。

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

他问小王子道：“你真的钦佩我吗？”

What does that mean– 'admire'?

“钦佩”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.

钦佩么，就是承认我是星球上最美的人，服饰最好的人，最富有的人，最聪明的人。

But you are the only man on your planet!

可您是您的星球上唯一的人呀！

Do me this kindness. Admire me just the same.

让我高兴吧，请你还是来钦佩我吧！

"I admire you," said the little prince, shrugging his shoulders slightly, "but what is there in that to interest you so much?"

小王子轻轻地耸了耸肩膀，说道：“我钦佩你，可是，这有什么能使你这样感兴趣的？”

And the little prince went away.

于是小王子就走开了。

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

小王子在路上自言自语地说了一句：“这些大人，肯定是十分古怪的。”

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。