“你可以审判自己,”国王回答说,“这可是世上最难的事情。审判自己比审判别人要难得多啊!如果你能正确地审判自己,你就是一个真正智慧的人。”
“是的,”小王子说,“但是我可以在任何地方审判我自己,我没有必要留在这个星球上。”
国王又说:“嗯!嗯!我想,这个星球的某个地方有一只老鼠。夜里,我听见它的声音。你可以审判它,每隔一段时间你就判处它死刑。因此它的生命取决于你的判决。但是,你每次判刑后都要赦免它,我们必须有节制地对待这只老鼠,因为我们只有这一只老鼠。”
“可是我不愿判任何人死刑,我想我还是应该走。”小王子回答道。
“不行。”国王说。
小王子做好离开的准备之后,他不想让这位老国主难过。
“如果国王陛下想要迅速地得到服从,你可以给我下一个合理的命令。比如说,你可以命令我,一分钟之内必须离开。我认为这个条件是成熟的……”
国王没有回答。小王子有些犹疑不决,随后叹了口气,就离开了……“我委任你当我的大使。”国王匆忙地喊道。
国王显出非常有权威的样子。
小王子继续他的旅途,心里想:“这些大人真奇怪。”
Chapter10
Hefoundhimselfintheneighborhoodoftheasteroids325,326,327,328,329,and330.Hebegan,therefore,byvisitingthem,inordertoaddtohisknowledge.
Thefirstofthemwasinhabitedbyaking.Cladinroyalpurpleandermine,hewasseateduponathronewhichwasatthesametimebothsimpleandmajestic.
"Ah!Hereisasubject,"exclaimedtheking,whenhesawthelittleprincecoming.
Andthelittleprinceaskedhimself:"Howcouldherecognizemewhenhehadneverseenmebefore"Hedidnotknowhowtheworldissimplifiedforkings.Tothem,allmenaresubjects.
"Approach,sothatImayseeyoubetter,"saidtheking,whofeltconsuminglyproudofbeingatlastakingoversomebody.
Thelittleprincelookedeverywheretofindaplacetositdown;buttheentireplanetwascrammedandobstructedbythekingsmagnificenterminerobe.Soheremainedstandingupright,and,sincehewastired,heyawned.
"Itiscontrarytoetiquettetoyawninthepresenceofaking,"themonarchsaidtohi"Iforbidyoutodoso.""Icanthelpit.Icantstopmyself,"repliedthelittleprince,thoroughlyembarrassed."Ihavecomeonalongjourney,andIhavehadnosleep...""Ah,then,"thekingsaid."Iorderyoutoyawn.ItisyearssinceIhaveseenanyoneyawning.Yawns,tome,areobjectsofcuriosity.Come,now!Yawnagain!Itisanorder.""Thatfrightensme...Icannot,anymore..."murmuredthelittleprince,nowcompletelyabashed.
"Hum!Hum!"repliedtheking."ThenI—Iorderyousometimestoyawnandsometimesto—"Hesputteredalittle,andseemedvexed.
Forwhatthekingfundamentallyinsisteduponwasthathisauthorityshouldberespected.Hetoleratednodisobedience.Hewasanabsolutemonarch.But,becausehewasaverygoodman,hemadehisordersreasonable.
"IfIorderedageneral,"hewouldsay,bywayofexample,"ifIorderedageneraltochangehimselfintoaseabird,andifthegeneraldidnotobeyme,thatwouldnotbethefaultofthegeneral.Itwouldbemyfault.""MayIsitdown"camenowatimidinquiryfromthelittleprince.
"Iorderyoutodoso,"thekingansweredhim,andmajesticallygatheredinafoldofhiserminemantle.
Butthelittleprincewaswondering...Theplanetwastiny.Overwhatcouldthiskingreallyrule"Sire,"hesaidtohim,"Ibegthatyouwillexcusemyaskingyouaquestion—""Iorderyoutoaskmeaquestion,"thekinghastenedtoassurehi
"Sire—overwhatdoyourule""Overeverything,"saidtheking,withmagnificentsimplicity.
"Overeverything"
Thekingmadeagesture,whichtookinhisplanet,theotherplanets,andallthestars.
"Overallthat"askedthelittleprince.
"Overallthat,"thekinganswered.
Forhisrulewasnotonlyabsolute:itwasalsouniversal.
"Andthestarsobeyyou"
"Certainlytheydo,"thekingsaid."Theyobeyinstantly.Idonotpermitinsubordination."Suchpowerwasathingforthelittleprincetomarvelat.Ifhehadbeenmasterofsuchcompleteauthority,hewouldhavebeenabletowatchthesunset,notforty-fourtimesinoneday,butseventy-two,orevenahundred,oreventwohundredtimes,withouteverhavingtomovehischair.Andbecausehefeltabitsadasherememberedhislittleplanetwhichhehadforsaken,hepluckeduphiscouragetoaskthekingafavor:"Ishouldliketoseeasunset...domethatkindness...Orderthesuntoset...""IfIorderedageneraltoflyfromoneflowertoanotherlikeabutterfly,ortowriteatragicdrama,ortochangehimselfintoaseabird,andifthegeneraldidnotcarryouttheorderthathehadreceived,whichoneofuswouldbeinthewrong"thekingdemanded."Thegeneral,ormyself""You,"saidthelittleprincefirmly.
"Exactly.Onemuchrequirefromeachonethedutywhicheachonecanperform,"thekingwenton."Acceptedauthorityrestsfirstofallonreason.Ifyouorderedyourpeopletogoandthrowthemselvesintothesea,theywouldriseupinrevolution.Ihavetherighttorequireobediencebecausemyordersarereasonable.""Thenmysunset"thelittleprinceremindedhim:forheneverforgotaquestiononcehehadaskedit.
"Youshallhaveyoursunset.Ishallcommandit.But,accordingtomyscienceofgovernment,Ishallwaituntilconditionsarefavorable.""Whenwillthatbe"inquiredthelittleprince.
"Hum!Hum!"repliedtheking;andbeforesayinganythingelseheconsultedabulkyalmanac."Hum!Hum!Thatwillbeabout—about—thatwillbethiseveningabouttwentyminutestoeight.AndyouwillseehowwellIamobeyed."Thelittleprinceyawned.Hewasregrettinghislostsunset.Andthen,too,hewasalreadybeginningtobealittlebored.
"Ihavenothingmoretodohere,"hesaidtotheking."SoIshallsetoutonmywayagain.""Donotgo,"saidtheking,whowasveryproudofhavingasubject."Donotgo.IwillmakeyouaMinister!""Ministerofwhat"
"Minsterof—ofJustice!"
"Butthereisnobodyheretojudge!""Wedonotknowthat,"thekingsaidtohi"IhavenotyetmadeacompletetourofmykingdoIamveryold.Thereisnoroomhereforacarriage.Andittiresmetowalk.""Oh,butIhavelookedalready!"saidthelittleprince,turningaroundtogiveonemoreglancetotheothersideoftheplanet.Onthatside,asonthis,therewasnobodyatall...
"Thenyoushalljudgeyourself,"thekinganswered."thatisthemostdifficultthingofall.Itismuchmoredifficulttojudgeoneselfthantojudgeothers.Ifyousucceedinjudgingyourselfrightly,thenyouareindeedamanoftruewisdo""Yes,"saidthelittleprince,"butIcanjudgemyselfanywhere.Idonotneedtoliveonthisplanet.
"Hum!Hum!"saidtheking."Ihavegoodreasontobelievethatsomewhereonmyplanetthereisanoldrat.Ihearhimatnight.Youcanjudgethisoldrat.Fromtimetotimeyouwillcondemnhimtodeath.Thushislifewilldependonyourjustice.Butyouwillpardonhimoneachoccasion;forhemustbetreatedthriftily.Heistheonlyonewehave.""I,"repliedthelittleprince,"donotliketocondemnanyonetodeath.AndnowIthinkIwillgoonmyway.""No,"saidtheking.
Butthelittleprince,havingnowcompletedhispreparationsfordeparture,hadnowishtogrievetheoldmonarch.
"IfYourMajestywishestobepromptlyobeyed,"hesaid,"heshouldbeabletogivemeareasonableorder.Heshouldbeable,forexample,toordermetobegonebytheendofoneminute.Itseemstomethatconditionsarefavorable..."Asthekingmadenoanswer,thelittleprincehesitatedamoment.Then,withasigh,hetookhisleave.
"ImadeyoumyAmbassador,"thekingcalledout,hastily.
Hehadamagnificentairofauthority.
"Thegrown-upsareverystrange,"thelittleprincesaidtohimself,ashecontinuedonhisjourney.
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