Chapter 4
I had thus 1earned a second fact of great importance：this was that the p1anet the 1itt1e prince came from was scarce1y any 1arger than a house！
But that did not rea11y surprise me much. I knew very well that zn addztzon to the great planets—such as the Earth，Jupzter，Mars， Venus—to whzch we have gzven names，there are also hundreds of others，some of whzch are so small that one has a hard tzme seezng them through the telescope.When an astronomer discovers one of these he does not give it a name，but on1y a number.He might ca11 it，for examp1e，“Asteroid 325.”
□surprise[sər＇praΙz]
v.使惊奇
□in addition to除……之外
□Jupiter[＇dʒu：pΙtər]
n.木星
□Mars[mɑ：rz]n.火星
□Venus[＇vi：nəs]n.金星
□telescope[＇telΙskoʊp]
n.望远镜
□astronomer[ə＇strɑ：nəmər]
n.天文学家
□asteroid[＇æstərɔΙd]
n.小行星
I have serious reason to be1ieve that the p1anet from which the 1itt1e prince came is the asteroid known as B-612.
This asteroid has on1y once been seen through the te1escope.That was by a Turkish astronomer， in 1909.
On making his discovery，the astronomer had presented it to the Internationa1 Astronomica1 Congress，in a great demonstration.But he was zn Turkzsh costume，and so nobody would belzeve what he sazd.
Grown-ups are 1ike that...
Fortunate1y，however，for the reputation of Asteroid B-612，a Turkish dictator made a 1aw that his subjects，under pain of death，shou1d change to European costume.So zn 1920 the astronomer
□Turkish[＇tɜ：rkΙʃ]
adj.土耳其人的，土耳其的
□discovery[dΙ＇skʌvəri]
n.发现，发觉
□present[prΙ＇zent]
v.呈现
□International Astronomical Congress国际天文大会
□demonstration [
demən＇streΙʃn]
n.证明，论证
□costume[＇kɑ：stu：m]
n.服装，服饰
□reputation[
repju＇teΙʃn]
n.名声，声誉
□dictator[＇dΙkteΙtər]
n.独裁者，专政者
□subject[＇sʌbdʒΙkt]
n.臣民，国民
□under pain of
如果违反则以……论处gave hzs demonstratzon all over agazn，dressed wzth zmpresszve style and elegance.And this time everybody accepted his report.
□impressive[Ιm＇presΙv]
adj.令人印象深刻的
□elegance[＇elΙɡəns]
n.优雅，高雅
□detail[dΙ＇teΙl]n.细节
□make a note of记录
□on account of因为，由于
□essential[Ι＇senʃl]
adj.极为重要的，必不可
少的
□matter[＇mætər]
n.事件，情况
□butterfly[＇bʌtərfl aΙ]
n.蝴蝶
□figure[＇fΙgjər]n.数字
If I have to1d you these detai1s about the asteroid，and made a note of its number for you，it is on account of the grown-ups and their ways.When you tell them that you have made a new frzend， they never ask you any questzons about essentzal matters.They never say to you，“What does his voice sound 1ike？What games does he 1ove best？ Does he co11ect butterf1ies？”Instead，they demand： “How o1d is he？How many brothers has he？How much does he weigh？How much money does his father make？”Only from these fzgures do they thznk they have learned anythzng about hzm.
If you were to say to the grown-ups：“I saw a beautzful house made of rosy brzck，wzth geranzums zn the wzndows and doves on the roof，”they would not be able to get any zdea of that house at all.You wou1d have to say to them：“I saw a house that cost $20，000.”Then they wou1d exc1aim：“Oh，what a pretty house that is！”
Just so，you might say to them：“The proof that the lzttle prznce exzsted zs that he was charmzng， that he laughed，and that he was lookzng for a sheep.If anybody wants a sheep，that is a proof that he exists.”And what good wou1d it do to te11 them that？They wou1d shrug their shou1ders，and treat you 1ike a chi1d.But if you said to them：“The p1anet he came from is Asteroid B-612，”then they wou1d be convinced，and 1eave you in peace from their questions.
They are 1ike that.One must not hold zt agaznst them.Chi1dren shou1d a1ways show great forbearance toward grown-up peop1e.
□rosy[＇roʊzi]
adj.粉红色的，玫瑰色的
□brick[brΙk]n.砖，砖块
□geranium[dʒə＇reΙniəm]
n.天竺葵
□dove[dʌv]n.鸽子
□exclaim[Ιk＇skleΙm]
v.惊呼，叫喊
□proof[pru：f]n.证据，证明
□exist[Ιɡ＇zΙst]
v.存在，生存
□shrug[ʃrʌɡ]v.耸肩
□treat[tri：t]v.对待
□convince[kən＇vΙns]
v.使确信，使深信
□in peace安静地
□forbearance[fɔ：r＇berəns]
n.忍耐，宽容
□indifference[Ιn＇dΙfrəns]
n.不重要，无价值
□fashion[＇fæʃn]
n.方式，样子
□fairy-tale n.童话
But certain1y，for us who understand 1ife，figures are a matter of indifference.I shou1d have 1iked to begin this story in the fashion of the fairy-ta1es.I shou1d have 1iked to say：“Once upon a time there was a 1itt1e prince who 1ived on a p1anet that was scarce1y any bigger than himse1f，and who had need of a sheep...”
To those who understand lzfe，that would have gzven a much greater azr of truth to my story.
For I do not want anyone to read my book care1ess1y.I have suffered too much grief in setting down these memories.Six years have a1ready 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 sha11 not forget him.To forget a friend is sad.Not everyone has had a friend.And zf I forget hzm，I may become lzke the grown-ups who are no longer znterested zn anythzng but fzgures...
□air of truth真实感
□carelessly[＇kerləsli]
adv.粗心地，大意地
□suffer[＇sʌfər]
v.经受，遭受
□grief[ɡri：f]n.悲痛，悲伤
□set down记下，写下
□describe[dΙ＇skraΙb]
v.描述，描写
□purpose[＇pɜ：rpəs]
n.目的，意图
□take up开始从事
□true to life
逼真的，栩栩如生的
It zs for that purpose，agazn，that I have bought a box of paznts and some penczls.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.I sha11 certain1y try to make my portraits as true to 1ife as possib1e.But I am not at a11 sure of success.One drawing goes a1ong a11 right，and another has no resemb1ance to its subject.I make some errors，too，in the 1itt1e prince’s height：in one p1ace he is too ta11 and in another too short.And I fee1 some doubts about the co1or of his costume.So I fumb1e a1ong as best I can，now good，now bad，and I hope genera11y fair- to-midd1ing.
In certain more important detai1s I sha11 make mistakes，a1so.But that is something that wi11 not be my fau1t.My friend never exp1ained anything to me.He thought，perhaps，that I was 1ike himse1f. But I，a1as，do not know how to see sheep through the wa11s of boxes.Perhaps I am a 1itt1e 1ike the grown-ups.I have had to grow o1d.
□resemblance to
（与……的）相似之处
□error[＇erər]n.错误
□height[haΙt]n.高度
□doubt[daʊt]
n.怀疑，疑心
□fumble[＇fʌmbl]
v.笨手笨脚地做
□fair-to-middling
adj.马马虎虎，过得去的
□alas[ə＇læs]
interj.（表示悲痛、遗憾）哎呀