英中英24_TheLittlePrince小王子_林_乐明无念

"And what do you do with five-hundred millions of stars?""Five-hundred-and-one million, six-hundred-twenty-two thousand,seven-hundred-thirty-one. I am concerned with matters of consequence: I amaccurate.""And what do you do with these stars?""What do I do with them?""Yes.""Nothing. I own them.""You own the stars?""Yes.""But I have already seen a king who--""Kings do not own, they reign over. It is a very differentmatter.""And what good does it do you to own the stars?""It does me the good of making me rich.""And what good does it do you to be rich?""It makes it possible for me to buy more stars, if any are ever discovered.""This man," the little prince said to himself, "reasons alittle like my poor tippler..."Nevertheless, he still had some more questions."How is it possible for one to own the stars?""To whom do they belong?" the businessman retorted, peevishly."I don't know. To nobody.""Then they belong to me, because I was the first person to think ofit.""Is that all that is necessary?""Certainly.When you find a diamond that belongs to nobody, it is yours. When you discoveran island that belongs to nobody, it is yours. When you get an idea before anyone else, you take out a patent on it: it is yours. So with me: I own thestars, because nobody else before me ever thought of owning them."