Just so, you might say to them: “The proof  that the little prince existed is that he was charming, that he laughed, and that he was  looking for a sheep. If anybody wants a sheep, that is a proof that he exists.”

因为如此，你可能对他们说：小王子存在的证据是他很有魅力、他喜欢大笑、他在寻找一只绵羊，如果任何人想想要一只羊，那就证明他是存在的。

And what good would it do to tell them that?

They would shrug their shoulders, and treat you like a child.

告诉他们这些有什么好处呢？他们只会耸耸肩把你当个孩子看。

But if you said to them: “The planet he  came from is Asteroid B-612,” then they would be convinced, and  leave you in peace from their questions.

但如果你告诉他们：小王子来自于B-612小行星。他们就会相信了，不再来用各种问题烦你。

They are like that. One must not hold it  against them. Children should always  show great forbearance toward grown-up people.

他们就那样，别人不能违反他们的想法，孩子们应该一直对大人显示出相当的耐心。

But certainly, for us who understand life,  figures are a matter of indifference.

但对于懂得生命的我们，大人物无关紧要。

I should have liked to begin this story in the fashion of the fairy-tales. I should have liked to say: “Once upon a time there was a little prince who lived on a planet that was scarcely any bigger than himself, and who had need of a friend . . .”

我可以用很流行的童话寓言的方法开始讲这个故事：从前有个小王子生活在一个比他大不了多少的星球上，他需要有一个朋友……

To those who understand life, that would  have given a much greater air of truth to  my story.

For I do not want anyone to listen to my  story carelessly.

I have suffered too much grief in setting

down these memories.

对那些懂得生命的人，愿意获得最大程度的真相。我不想那些不关心我的故事人听，这些回忆就已经让我很难过了。

Six years have already passed since my  friend went away from me, with his sheep.

If I try to describe him here, it is to make sure that I shall not forget him.

我的朋友带着他的绵羊离开我已经六年了，我想试着画他，确保我没有忘记他。

To forget a friend is sad. Not everyone has had a friend. And if I forget him, I may  become like the grown-ups  who are no longer interested in anything  but figures . . .

忘掉一个朋友是令人伤心的，不是每个人都有朋友。如果我忘记他，我可能就会变得像大人们那样，除了对大人物不再对任何事情感兴趣。

It is for that purpose, again, that I have  bought a box of paints and some pencils.

It is hard to take up drawing again at my age, when I have never made any pictures except those of the boa constrictor from the outside and the boa constrictor from the inside, since I was six.

因为这个原因，我再一次的买了一盒子颜料和画笔。在我这个年龄再一次拿起画笔并不容易，自从我六岁画过蟒蛇的内部和外部之后，我没再画过任何画。

I shall certainly try to make my portraits as  true to life as possible. But I am not at all  sure of success.

One drawing goes along all right, and  another has no resemblance to its subject.

当然我想试着让我得画像尽可能接近实际存在的那样，但是我不确定我能够做到。

一张画做到了，另一张画却和实际不像。

I make some errors, too, in the little prince's height: in one place he is too tall and in another too short.

And I feel some doubts about the color of  his costume.

我也经常犯错，在小王子的身高方面，一些地方他太高，一些地方他很矮。我也怀疑他服装的颜色。

So I fumble along as best I can, not good, not bad, and I hope generally fair-to-middling.

In certain more important details I shall make mistakes, also.

所以我摸索着，尽力能做到最好，不好也不坏，我希望能适中。

But that is something that will not be my  fault.

My friend never explained anything to me.

He thought, perhaps, that I was like himself.

But I, alas, do not know how to see sheep  through the walls of boxes.

Perhaps I am a little like the grown-ups. I have had to grow old.

也不都是我的错，我的朋友没向我做过任何解释，也许，他认为我和他是一样的。遗憾的是，我没有办法透过盒子，看到里面的绵羊。

可能我有点像成年人了，我已经不得不变老了。