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第十七章（第2页）

“在这个冷酷无情的地球上，你这么弱小，我很可怜你。如果你非常怀念你的星球，那时我可以帮助你。我可以……”

“啊！我很明白你的意思。”小王子说，“但是你为什么说话总是像让人猜谜语似的？”

“这些谜语我都能解开的。”蛇说。

于是他们又都沉默起来。

Chapter17

Whenonewishestoplaythewit，hesometimeswandersalittlefromthetruth。IhavenotbeenaltogetherhonestinwhatIhavetoldyouaboutthelamplighters。AndIrealizethatIruntheriskofgivingafalseideaofourplanettothosewhodonotknowit。MenoccupyaverysmallplaceupontheEarth。Ifthetwobillioninhabitantswhopeopleitssurfacewerealltostanduprightandsomewhatcrowdedtogether，astheydoforsomebigpublicassembly，theycouldeasilybeputintoonepublicsquaretwentymileslongandtwentymileswide。AllhumanitycouldbepileduponasmallPacificislet。

Thegrown-ups，tobesure，willnotbelieveyouwhenyoutellthemthat。Theyimaginethattheyfillagreatdealofspace。Theyfancythemselvesasimportantasthebaobabs。Youshouldadvisethem，then，tomaketheirowncalculations。Theyadorefigures，andthatwillpleasethem。Butdonotwasteyourtimeonthisextratask。Itisunnecessary。Youhave，Iknow，confidenceinme。

WhenthelittleprincearrivedontheEarth，hewasverymuchsurprisednottoseeanypeople。Hewasbeginningtobeafraidhehadcometothewrongplanet，whenacoilofgold，thecolorofthemoonlight，flashedacrossthesand。

"Goodevening，"saidthelittleprincecourteously。

"Goodevening，"saidthesnake。

"WhatplanetisthisonwhichIhavecomedown"askedthelittleprince。

"ThisistheEarth;thisisAfrica，"thesnakeanswered。

"Ah!ThentherearenopeopleontheEarth""Thisisthedesert。Therearenopeopleinthedesert。TheEarthislarge，"saidthesnake。

Thelittleprincesatdownonastone，andraisedhiseyestowardthesky。

"Iwonder，"hesaid，"whetherthestarsaresetalightinheavensothatonedayeachoneofusmayfindhisownagain。。。Lookatmyplanet。Itisrightthereaboveus。Buthowfarawayitis!""Itisbeautiful，"thesnakesaid。"Whathasbroughtyouhere""Ihavebeenhavingsometroublewithaflower，"saidthelittleprince。

"Ah!"saidthesnake。

Andtheywerebothsilent。

"Wherearethemen"thelittleprinceatlasttookuptheconversationagain。"Itisalittlelonelyinthedesert。。。""Itisalsolonelyamongmen，"thesnakesaid。

Thelittleprincegazedathimforalongtime。

"Youareafunnyanimal，"hesaidatlast。"Youarenothickerthanafinger。。。""ButIammorepowerfulthanthefingerofaking，"saidthesnake。

Thelittleprincesmiled。

"Youarenotverypowerful。Youhaventevenanyfeet。Youcannoteventravel。。。""Icancarryyoufartherthananyshipcouldtakeyou，"saidthesnake。

Hetwinedhimselfaroundthelittleprincesankle，likeagoldenbracelet。

"WhomeverItouch，Isendbacktotheearthfromwhencehecame，"thesnakespokeagain。"Butyouareinnocentandtrue，andyoucomefromastar。。。"Thelittleprincemadenoreply。

"Youmovemetopity—youaresoweakonthisEarthmadeofgranite，"thesnakesaid。"Icanhelpyou，someday，ifyougrowtoohomesickforyourownplanet。Ican—""Oh!Iunderstandyouverywell，"saidthelittleprince。"Butwhydoyoualwaysspeakinriddles""Isolvethemall，"saidthesnake。

Andtheywerebothsilent。