Chapter 5

As each day passed I wou1d 1earn，in our ta1k，something about the 1itt1e prince’s p1anet，his departure from it，his journey.The information wou1d come very s1ow1y，as it might chance to fa11 from his thoughts.It was in this way that I heard，on the third day，about the catastrophe of the baobabs.

This time，once more，I had the sheep to thank for it.For the 1itt1e prince asked me abrupt1y—as if seized by a grave doubt—“It is true，isn’t it，that sheep eat 1itt1e bushes？”

“Yes，that is true.”

“Ah！I am g1ad！”

I did not understand why it was so important that sheep shou1d eat 1itt1e bushes.But the 1itt1e prince added：

“Then it fo11ows that they a1so eat baobabs？”

□departure[dΙ＇pɑ：rtʃər]

n.分离，分开

□journey[＇dʒɜ：rni]

n.旅程，旅行

□chance[tʃæns]

v.碰巧，偶然发生

□catastrophe[kə＇tæstrəfi]

n.突如其来的大灾难或大灾祸

□baobab[＇beΙoʊbæb]

n.猴面包树（分布在非洲等热带地区的一种树木）

□seize[si：z]v.抓住

□grave[greΙv]

adj.严重的，重大的

□bush[bʊʃ]

n.灌木丛，矮树丛

□point out指出

□on the contrary

相反，正相反

I pointed out to the 1itt1e prince that baobabs were not 1itt1e bushes，but，on the contrary，trees as big as cast1es；and that even if he took a who1e herd of e1ephants away with him，the herd wou1d not eat up one sing1e baobab.

The idea of the herd of e1ephants made the 1itt1e prince 1augh.

“We wou1d have to put them one on top of the other，”he said.

□castle[＇kæsl]

n.城堡，堡垒

□herd[hɜ：rd]

n.兽群，牧群（a herd of一群）

□single[＇sΙŋɡl]

adj.单一的，单个的

□comment[＇kɑ：ment]

n.评论，意见

But he made a wise comment：

“Before they grow so big，the baobabs start out by being 1itt1e.”

“That is strict1y correct，”I said.“But why do you want the sheep to eat the 1itt1e baobabs？”

He answered me at once，“Oh，come，come！”， as if he were speaking of something that was se1f-evident.And I was ob1iged to make a great menta1 effort to so1ve this prob1em，without any assistance.

Indeed，as I 1earned，there were on the p1anet where the 1itt1e prince 1ived—as on a11 p1anets— good p1ants and bad p1ants.In consequence，there were good seeds from good p1ants，and bad seeds from bad p1ants.But seeds are invisib1e.They s1eep deep in the heart of the earth’s darkness，unti1 someone among them is seized with the desire to awaken.Then this 1itt1e seed wi11 stretch itse1f and begin—timid1y at first—to push a charming 1itt1e sprig inoffensive1y upward toward the sun.If zt zs only a sprout of radzsh or the sprzg of a rose-bush， one would let zt grow wherever zt mzght wzsh.But when it is a bad p1ant，one must destroy it as soon as possib1e，the very first instant that one recognizes it.

□speak of提及，谈及

□self-evident

adj.不言而喻的，明显的

□be obliged to

不得不，只得

□mental[＇mentl]

adj.精神的，智力的

□assistance[ə＇sΙstəns]

n.援助，帮助

□in consequence因此

□invisible[Ιn＇vΙzəbl]

adj.看不见的

□be seized with被（强烈

的感情或愿望等）影响或控制

□desire[dΙ＇zaΙər]n.欲望

□stretch[stretʃ]

v.伸展，延伸

□timidly[＇tΙmΙdli]

adv.胆怯地，羞怯地

□sprig[sprΙɡ]

n.（有叶等的）小枝

□inoffensively

[ Ιnə＇fensΙvli]

adv.无害地，不伤害人地

□sprout[spraʊt]

n.芽，嫩枝

□radish[＇rædΙʃ]n.萝卜

□infest[Ιn＇fest]

v.大批出没，大量滋生

Now there were some terrib1e seeds on the p1anet that was the home of the 1itt1e prince；and these were the seeds of the baobab.The soi1 of that p1anet was infested with them.A baobab is something you wi11 never，never be ab1e to get rid of if you attend to it too 1ate.It spreads over the entire p1anet.It bores c1ear through it with its roots. And if the p1anet is too sma11，and the baobabs are too many，they sp1it it in pieces...

“It is a question of discip1ine，”the 1itt1e prince said to me 1ater on.“When you’ve finished your own toi1et in the morning，then it is time to attend to the toi1et of your p1anet，just so，with the greatest care. You must see to zt that you pull up regularly all the baobabs，at the very fzrst moment when they can be dzstznguzshed from the rose-bushes whzch they resemble so closely zn thezr earlzest youth.It is very tedious work，”the 1itt1e prince added，“but very easy.”

And one day he said to me：“You ought to make a beautifu1 drawing，so that the chi1dren

□attend to照料，照顾

□bore[bɔ：r]v.挖，凿，钻

□split[splΙt]v.分开，分裂

□discipline[＇dΙsəplΙn]

n.纪律，规定

□toilet[＇tɔΙlət]

n.洗漱，打扮

□see to确保

□regularly[＇regjələrli]

adv.有规律地，经常地

□distinguish[dΙ＇stΙŋɡwΙʃ]

v.区分，辨别

□resemble[rΙ＇zembl]

v.相似，类似

□tedious[＇ti：diəs]

adj.单调的，乏味的where you 1ive can see exact1y how a11 this is.That would be very useful to them zf they were to travel some day.Sometimes，”he added，“there is no harm in putting off a piece of work unti1 another day.But when it is a matter of baobabs，that a1ways means a catastrophe.I knew a p1anet that was inhabited by a 1azy man.He neg1ected three 1itt1e bushes...”

□put off 推迟

□inhabit[Ιn＇hæbΙt]v.居住

□neglect[nΙ＇ɡlekt]

v.忽视，忽略

□tone[toʊn]n.语气，音调

□moralist[＇mɔ：rəlΙst]

n.道德说教者

So，as the 1itt1e prince described it to me，I have made a drawing of that p1anet.I do not much lzke to take the tone of a moralzst.But the danger of the baobabs is so 1itt1e understood，and such considerab1e risks wou1d be run by anyone who might get 1ost on an asteroid，that for once I am breaking through my reserve.“Chi1dren，”I say p1ain1y，“watch out for the baobabs！”

My friends，1ike myse1f，have been skirting this danger for a 1ong time，without ever knowing it；and so it is for them that I have worked so hard over this drawing.The 1esson which I pass on by this means is worth a11 the troub1e it has cost me.

Perhaps you wi11 ask me，“Why are there no other drawing in this book as magnificent and impressive as this drawing of the baobabs？”

The rep1y is simp1e.I have tried.But with the others I have not been successfu1.When I made the drawing of the baobabs I was carried beyond myse1f by the inspiring force of urgent necessity.

□considerable[kən＇sΙdərəbl]

adj.相当多的，相当大的

□break through突破

□reserve[rΙ＇zɜ：rv]

n.拘谨，寡言

□plainly[＇pleΙnli]

adv.坦率地，直截了当地

□watch out for当心

□skirt[skɜ：rt]v.绕开，避开

□lesson[lesn]n.教训

□pass on传递

□by this means以这种方式

□worth[wɜ：rθ]adj.值得的

□impressive[Ιm＇presΙv]

adj.给人深刻印象的，引人注目的

□reply[rΙ＇plaΙ]

n.回复，回答

□successful[sək＇sesfl]

adj.成功的

□inspiring[Ιn＇spaΙərΙŋ]

adj.激励人心的，启发灵感的

□urgent[＇ɜ：rdʒənt]

adj.紧急的，急迫的

□necessity[nə＇sesəti]

n.必要性，需要