英中英31_flashed across the sand_林_乐明无念

[ Chapter 17 ] - the little prince makes theacquaintance of the snake   小王子认识了蛇When one wishes to play the wit, he sometimes wanders a little from thetruth. I have not been altogether honest in what I have told you about thelamplighters. And I realize that I run the risk of giving a false idea of ourplanet to those who do not k now it. Men occupy a very small place upon theEarth. If the two billion inhabitants who people its surface were all to standupright and somewhat crowded together, as they do for some big public assembly,they could easily be put into one public square twenty miles long and twentymiles wide. All humanity could be piled up on a small Pacific islet.The grown-ups, to be sure, will not believe you when you tell them that.They imagine that they fill a great deal of space. They fancy themselves asimportant as the baobabs. You should advise them, then, to make their owncalculations. They adore fig ures, and that will please them. But do not wasteyour time on this extra task. It is unnecessary. You have, I know, confidencein me.When the little prince arrived on the Earth, he was very much surprisednot to see any people. He was beginning to be afraid he had come to the wrongplanet, when a coil of gold, the color of the moonlight, flashed across thesand."Good evening," said the little prince courteously."Good evening," said the snake."What planet is this on which I have come down?" asked thelittle prince."This is the Earth; this is Africa," the snake answered."Ah! Then there are no people on the Earth?""This is the desert. There are no people in the desert. The Earth islarge," said the snake.