we are warned as to the dangers of the baobabs As each day passed I would learn, in our talk, something about the little prince’s planet, his departure from it, his journey.
我们被警告关于猴面包树的危险。每天的交谈中我能从小王子那里学到有关他的星球、他离开的原因和他的旅程的一些信息。 —

The information would come very slowly, as it might chance to fall from his thoughts.
这些信息会很慢地流露出来，就像它们从他的思绪中无意间滑落出来一样。 —

It was in this way that I heard, on the third day, about the catastrophe of the baobabs.
就是这样，第三天的时候我才听说了猴面包树导致的灾难。 —

This time, once more, I had the sheep to thank for it.
这一次我还是要感谢小羊。因为小王子突然问我， —

For the little prince asked me abruptly– as if seized by a grave doubt– “It is true, isn’t it, that sheep eat little bushes?” “Yes, that is true.” “Ah! I am glad!” I did not understand why it was so important that sheep should eat little bushes.
仿佛陷入了严重的疑虑：“羊有吃小灌木的习惯，对吗？”“是的，那是真的。”“啊，太好了！”我不明白为什么羊吃小灌木有这么重要。 —

But the little prince added:
但小王子接着说： —

“Then it follows that they also eat baobabs?” I pointed out to the little prince that baobabs were not little bushes, but, on the contrary, trees as big as castles;
“那么它们也吃猴面包树，是不是？”我指出猴面包树并不是小灌木，相反，它们是像城堡一样大的树； —

and that even if he took a whole herd of elephants away with him, the herd would not eat up one single baobab.
即使他带着一群大象走了，也不会吃光一个猴面包树。 —

The idea of the herd of elephants made the little prince laugh.
大象的群栩栩如生的形象让小王子笑了起来。 —

“We would have to put them one on top of the other,” he said.
“我们得把它们一个一个地叠起来。”他说。 —

But he made a wise comment:
但他却做出了明智的评论： —

“Before they grow so big, the baobabs start out by being little.” “That is strictly correct,” I said.
“巴奥巴开始时是小小的，直到长大。”“你说得很对”，我回答说。 —

“But why do you want the sheep to eat the little baobabs?” He answered me at once, “Oh, come, come!”, as if he were speaking of something that was self-evident.
“但是你为什么要让绵羊吃掉小小的巴奥巴呢？”他立刻回答我，“噢，来吧，来吧！”好像他在谈论一件不言自明的事情。 —

And I was obliged to make a great mental effort to solve this problem, without any assistance.
我被迫做出巨大的心理努力来解决这个问题，没有任何帮助。 —

Indeed, as I learned, there were on the planet where the little prince lived– as on all planets– good plants and bad plants.
事实上，据我所了解，小王子生活的星球上，就像所有的星球一样，既有好的植物也有坏的植物。 —

In consequence, there were good seeds from good plants, and bad seeds from bad plants.
因此，好的植物有好的种子，坏的植物有坏的种子。 —

But seeds are invisible.
但是种子是看不见的。 —

They sleep deep in the heart of the earth’s darkness, until some one among them is seized with the desire to awaken.
它们沉睡在地球黑暗的深处，直到其中某个种子被渴望唤醒。 —

Then this little seed will stretch itself and begin– timidly at first– to push a charming little sprig inoffensively upward toward the sun.
然后这颗小种子将会伸展自己，并且开始——起初是羞怯地——无害地向阳光生长出一个迷人的小嫩芽。 —

If it is only a sprout of radish or the sprig of a rose-bush, one would let it grow wherever it might wish.
如果它只是一颗萝卜的嫩芽或者一枝玫瑰的小枝，无论它想生长在哪里，我们都会让它自由地成长。 —

But when it is a bad plant, one must destroy it as soon as possible, the very first instant that one recognizes it.
但是当它是一颗坏种子时，我们必须尽快摧毁它，就在我们识别出它的那一瞬间。 —

Now there were some terrible seeds on the planet that was the home of the little prince;
而在小王子的星球上却存在一些可怕的种子； —

and these were the seeds of the baobab.
那些就是猴面包树的种子。 —

The soil of that planet was infested with them.
那颗星球的土壤里充满了这些种子。 —

A baobab is something you will never, never be able to get rid of if you attend to it too late.
如果你太迟才注意到它，你将永远、永远无法摆脱猴面包树。它会遍布整个星球，并用它的根穿透它。 —

It spreads over the entire planet.
如果星球太小，而猴面包树又太多， —

It bores clear through it with its roots.
它们会将星球撕成碎片。 —

And if the planet is too small, and the baobabs are too many, they split it in pieces.
“这是一个纪律的问题，” 小王子后来对我说。 —

.. “It is a question of discipline,” the little prince said to me later on.
因此，如果你发现一颗猴面包树的种子，最好立刻将它拔掉。 —

“When you’ve finished your own toilet in the morning, then it is time to attend to the toilet of your planet, just so, with the greatest care.
当你早上完成了自己的厕所之后，就是时候开始照顾你的星球的厕所了，要用最大的关怀。 —

You must see to it that you pull up regularly all the baobabs, at the very first moment when they can be distinguished from the rosebushes which they resemble so closely in their earliest youth.
你必须确保在它们刚刚长出来的时候，就能分辨出它们与玫瑰丛非常相似的猴面包树，并将它们定期拔掉。 —

It is very tedious work,” the little prince added, “but very easy.” And one day he said to me:
这是一项非常乏味的工作，”小王子补充说道，” 但却非常容易。”有一天，他对我说： —

“You ought to make a beautiful drawing, so that the children where you live can see exactly how all this is.
“你应该画一幅漂亮的图，这样你所在的地方的孩子们就可以清楚地看到这一切。 —

That would be very useful to them if they were to travel some day.
如果他们将来有一天要旅行，这对他们来说会非常有用。 —

Sometimes,” he added, “there is no harm in putting off a piece of work until another day.
有时候，”他补充道，” 拖延一项工作到另一天是没有关系的。 —

But when it is a matter of baobabs, that always means a catastrophe.
但如果是猴面包树的问题，那就意味着一场灾难。 —

I knew a planet that was inhabited by a lazy man.
我曾经知道一个星球，有一个懒惰的人。 —

He neglected three little bushes…” So, as the little prince described it to me, I have made a drawing of that planet.
他忽视了三棵小灌木……”所以，正如小王子向我描述的那样，我画了那个星球的图。 —

I do not much like to take the tone of a moralist.
我并不太喜欢摆出一个道德家的姿态。 —

But the danger of the baobabs is so little understood, and such considerable risks would be run by anyone who might get lost on an asteroid, that for once I am breaking through my reserve.
但巴奥巴树的危险是如此的被忽视，任何一个在小行星上迷失的人都将面临很大的风险，所以这一次我要打破我的保留态度。 —

“Children,” I say plainly, “watch out for the baobabs!” My friends, like myself, have been skirting this danger for a long time, without ever knowing it;
“孩子们，”我明确地说，“小心巴奥巴树！”像我这样的朋友，长期以来一直绕着这个危险而行，却从未意识到它的存在； —

and so it is for them that I have worked so hard over this drawing.
对于他们，我为了这份素描付出了很多努力。 —

The lesson which I pass on by this means is worth all the trouble it has cost me.
我通过这种方式传递的教训举足轻重，这也是我付出努力的全部价值所在。 —

Perhaps you will ask me, “Why are there no other drawing in this book as magnificent and impressive as this drawing of the baobabs?” The reply is simple. I have tried.
也许你会问我，“为什么这本书里没有其他像这幅巴奥巴树素描一样壮丽而令人印象深刻的素描？”答案很简单，我尽力过， —

But with the others I have not been successful.
但是我没有成功。 —

When I made the drawing of the baobabs I was carried beyond myself by the inspiring force of urgent necessity.
当我画巴奥巴树时，我被迫紧迫的需要所激发，超越了我自己。