the little prince visits the lamplighter The fifth planet was very strange.
小王子造访了灯丘。 —

It was the smallest of all.
—

There was just enough room on it for a street lamp and a lamplighter.
这第五颗行星非常奇特。它是所有行星中最小的。 —

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.
上面仅有足够的空间容纳一盏路灯和一个点灯人。 —

But he said to himself, nevertheless:
小王子无法弄清一颗没有人类和任何房子的星球上，有一盏路灯和一个点灯人的用途，但他自言自语道： —

“It may well be that this man is absurd.
“这个人可能很荒谬， —

But he is not so absurd as the king, the conceited man, the businessman, and the tippler.
但他并不像国王、自大的人、商人和酒鬼那样荒谬。 —

For at least his work has some meaning.
至少他的工作有些意义。 —

When he lights his street lamp, it is as if he brought one more star to life, or one flower.
当他点亮他的路灯，就好像他给生命带来了一个更多的星星，或者一朵花。 —

When he puts out his lamp, he sends the flower, or the star, to sleep.
当他关闭他的灯时，他就让花朵或者星星进入了睡眠。那是一个美丽的职业。 —

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.
既然是美丽的，那就是真正有用的。” 当他到达这颗行星时，他恭敬地向点灯人致意。 —

“Good morning. Why have you just put out your lamp?” “Those are the orders,” replied the lamplighter.
“早上好。你为什么刚刚熄灭了你的灯？” “那就是命令，”路灯点火工回答道。 —

“Good morning.” “What are the orders?” “The orders are that I put out my lamp.
“早上好。”“什么命令？”“命令是我熄灭油灯。” —

Good evening.” And he lighted his lamp again.
“晚上好。”然后他又点亮了他的灯。 —

“But why have you just lighted it again?” “Those are the orders,” replied the lamplighter.
“但是为什么你刚刚又点亮了它呢？”“那就是命令，”路灯点火工回答道。 —

“I do not understand,” said the little prince.
“我不明白，”小王子说道。 —

“There is nothing to understand,” said the lamplighter.
“没什么可明白的，”路灯点火工说。 —

“Orders are orders. Good morning.” And he put out his lamp.
“命令就是命令。早上好。”他熄灭了他的灯。 —

Then he mopped his forehead with a handkerchief decorated with red squares.
然后他用一条印有红方格的手帕擦了擦额头。 —

“I follow a terrible profession.
“我从事的职业太可怕了。 —

In the old days it was reasonable.
在过去是合理的。 —

I put the lamp out in the morning, and in the evening I lighted it again.
早上我熄灭灯，晚上再点亮。 —

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.
我有剩下的白天放松，有剩下的夜晚睡觉。”“那个命令自那时以来改变了吗？”“命令没有改变，”路灯点火工说。 —

“That is the tragedy!
“这就是悲剧所在！ —

From year to year the planet has turned more rapidly and the orders have not been changed!” “Then what?” asked the little prince.
年复一年，行星转动得更快，命令却没有改变！”“那又怎样？”“那么——现在这颗星球每分钟都要转一圈， —

“Then– the planet now makes a complete turn every minute, and I no longer have a single second for repose.
我再没有一秒钟可以休息了。” 小王子问道。 —

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.
“每隔一分钟我就要点亮我的灯，然后再熄灭！”“这真有趣！你们这里的一天只有一分钟！” “一点也不好笑！”熄灯人说道。 —

“While we have been talking together a month has gone by.” “A month?” “Yes, a month.
“就在我们聊天的这段时间里，已经过去了一个月。” “一个月？” “是的，一个月。 —

Thirty minutes. Thirty days. Good evening.” And he lighted his lamp again.
三十分钟。三十天。晚安。” 于是他又点亮了灯。 —

As the little prince watched him, he felt that he loved this lamplighter who was so faithful to his orders.
当小王子看着他时，他感到自己喜欢上了这个对他的命令如此忠诚的熄灯人。 —

He remembered the sunsets which he himself had gone to seek, in other days, merely by pulling up his chair;
他想起了自己曾经去追寻的日落，只需要拉上椅子就行； —

and he wanted to help his friend.
他想要帮助他的朋友。 —

“You know,” he said, “I can tell you a way you can rest whenever you want to.
“你知道吗，”他说，“有一种方法可以让你随时休息。” —

..” “I always want to rest,” said the lamplighter.
“我总是想休息。”熄灯人说。 —

For it is possible for a man to be faithful and lazy at the same time.
因为一个人可以同时忠诚和懒惰。 —

The little prince went on with his explanation:
小王子继续解释说：” —

“Your planet is so small that three strides will take you all the way around it.
你的星球太小了，只需三步就可以绕一圈。 —

To be always in the sunshine, you need only walk along rather slowly.
要常年享受阳光，你只需慢慢地行走。 —

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.
当你想休息的时候，你就继续走——这样一天就可以持续你想要的时间。“对我来说没什么用，”路灯点亮者说道， —

“The one thing I love in life is to sleep.” “Then you’re unlucky,” said the little prince.
“我生活中唯一喜欢的就是睡觉。”“那你真倒霉，”小王子说。“我真倒霉， —

“I am unlucky,” said the lamplighter.
”路灯点亮者说。 —

“Good morning.” And he put out his lamp.
“早上好。”然后他把灯灭了。 —

“That man,” said the little prince to himself, as he continued farther on his journey, “that man would be scorned by all the others:
“这个人，”小王子自言自语地继续赶着旅程，“所有的其他人都会鄙视他： —

by the king, by the conceited man, by the tippler, by the businessman.
国王，自负的人，酒鬼，商人。 —

Nevertheless he is the only one of them all who does not seem to me ridiculous.
然而，他是他们当中唯一一个我觉得不可笑的。 —

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.
也许那是因为他心里想着别的东西。”他叹了口气，自言自语着：“那个人是他们中我唯一可以交朋友的人。” —

But his planet is indeed too small.
但他的星球实在太小了， —

There is no room on it for two people.
没有足够的空间容纳两个人。 —

..” 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!
然而小王子不敢承认的是，他最后悔离开的是这个星球，因为它每天都有1440个日落！