the little prince makes the acquaintance of the snake When one wishes to play the wit, he sometimes wanders a little from the truth.
小王子与蛇结识。当一个人想要表现聪明时，他有时会稍微偏离真相。 —

I have not been altogether honest in what I have told you about the lamplighters.
我在关于点灯人的事情上并没有完全诚实。 —

And I realize that I run the risk of giving a false idea of our planet to those who do not know it.
而我意识到我有可能给那些不了解我们星球的人带来错误的观念。 —

Men occupy a very small place upon the Earth. If the two billion inhabitants who people its surface were all to stand upright and somewhat crowded together, as they do for some big public assembly, they could easily be put into one public square twenty miles long and twenty miles wide.
人类在地球上所占据的空间非常小。如果那20亿居住在地球表面的人都直立站立，且稍微挤在一起，就像一些大的公共集会上那样，他们可以轻易地被安置在一个长20英里、宽20英里的公共广场上。 —

All humanity could be piled up on a small Pacific islet.
全人类可以被堆放在一个小小的太平洋岛屿上。 —

The grown-ups, to be sure, will not believe you when you tell them that.
不过，成年人肯定不会相信你告诉他们这个。 —

They imagine that they fill a great deal of space.
他们想象自己占据了很多空间。 —

They fancy themselves as important as the baobabs.
他们自诩和猴面包树一样重要。 —

You should advise them, then, to make their own calculations.
那么你应该建议他们自己计算一下。 —

They adore fig ures, and that will please them.
他们痴迷于数字，这会使他们高兴。 —

But do not waste your time on this extra task.
但不要浪费时间在这个额外任务上。 —

It is unnecessary. You have, I know, confidence in me.
这是不必要的。我知道你对我的信心。 —

When the little prince arrived on the Earth, he was very much surprised not to see any people.
当小王子到达地球时，他非常惊讶地发现没有人。 —

He was beginning to be afraid he had come to the wrong planet, when a coil of gold, the color of the moonlight, flashed across the sand.
他开始担心自己来错了星球，而一个金色的螺旋，象月光一样的颜色，闪过沙漠。 —

“Good evening,” said the little prince courteously.
小王子礼貌地说：“晚上好。 —

“Good evening,” said the snake.
” “晚上好，”蛇说。 —

“What planet is this on which I have come down?” asked the little prince.
小王子问道：“我降落在哪个星球上？” —

“This is the Earth; this is Africa,” the snake answered. “Ah!
蛇回答说：“这是地球，这是非洲。” “啊！ —

Then there are no people on the Earth?” “This is the desert. There are no people in the desert.
那地球上没有人吗？”蛇说：“这是沙漠。沙漠里没有人。 —

The Earth is large,” said the snake.
地球很大。” —

The little prince sat down on a stone, and raised his eyes toward the sky.
小王子坐在一块石头上，抬头望着天空。 —

“I wonder,” he said, “whether the stars are set alight in heaven so that one day each one of us may find his own again.
他说：“我想知道，是不是天上点亮了星星，让我们每个人都能有一天找到自己的。” —

.. Look at my planet. It is right there above us.
“看我的星球，它就在我们上方。 —

But how far away it is!” “It is beautiful,” the snake said. “What has brought you here?” “I have been having some trouble with a flower,” said the little prince. “Ah!” said the snake.
但它离我们有多远啊！”“它很美，” 蛇说。“你为什么来这里呢？” “我遇到了一朵花的问题，”小王子说。“啊！”蛇说。 —

And they were both silent.
然后他们都沉默了下来。 —

“Where are the men?” the little prince at last took up the conversation again.
“人类在哪里？” 小王子最后重新开始谈话。 —

“It is a little lonely in the desert.
“沙漠里有点孤独。” —

..” “It is also lonely among men,” the snake said.
“在人类中也很孤单，”蛇说。 —

The little prince gazed at him for a long time.
小王子长久地凝视着他。 —

“You are a funny animal,” he said at last.
“你是个有趣的动物，”他最终说道。 —

“You are no thicker than a finger.
“你比手指还细。 —

..” “But I am more powerful than the finger of a king,” said the snake. The little prince smiled.
”…但我比国王的手指更强大，” 蛇说。小王子微笑了。 —

“You are not very powerful.
“你并不是特别强大。 —

You haven’t even any feet.
你甚至没有脚， —

You cannot even travel.
无法旅行。 —

..” “I can carry you farther than any ship could take you,” said the snake.
”…但我能把你带到任何船无法去的地方，” 蛇说。 —

He twined himself around the little prince’s ankle, like a golden bracelet.
他缠绕着小王子的脚踝，像一个金色的手环。 —

“Whomever I touch, I send back to the earth from whence he came,” the snake spoke again.
“无论我触摸谁，我都会将他送回他来的土地，”蛇再次说道。 —

“But you are innocent and true, and you come from a star.
“但你是无辜而真实的，你来自一颗星星……”小王子没有回答。 —

..” The little prince made no reply.
—

“You move me to pity– you are so weak on this Earth made of granite,” the snake said.
“你让我动容 —— 你在这个由花岗岩构成的地球上是如此脆弱，”蛇说道。 —

“I can help you, some day, if you grow too homesick for your own planet.
“如果你对自己的星球太想家，我可以帮助你。我可以……” “哦！ —

I can–” “Oh!
—

I understand you very well,” said the little prince.
我非常理解你，”小王子说道。 —

“But why do you always speak in riddles?” “I solve them all,” said the snake.
“但为什么你总是说谜语呢？”“我解答它们全部，”蛇说道。于是， —

And they were both silent.
他们都保持了沉默。