chapter 11
The second planet was inhabited by a conceited man.
"Ah! Ah! I am about to receive a visit from an admirer!"
he exclaimed from afar,when he first saw the little prince coming.
For,to conceited men, all other men are admirers.
"Good morning," said the little prince." That is a queer hat you are wearing."
" It is a hat for salutes, " the conceited man replied." It is to raise in salute when people acclaim me. Unfortunately,nobody at all ever passes this way."
"Yes?" said the little prince,who did not understand what the conceited man was talking about.
"Clap your hands,one against the other," the conceited man now directed him.
The little prince clapped his hands.The conceited man raised his hat in a modest salute.
"This is more entertaining than the visit to the king," the little prince said to himself. And he began again to clap his hands,one against the other.The conceited man again raised his hat in salute.
After five minutes of this exercise the little prince grew tired of the game's monotony.
"And what should one do to make the hat come down?" he asked.
But the conceited man did not hear him.Conceited people never hear anything but praise.
"Do you really admire me very much?"he demanded of the little prince.
"What does that mean - 'admire' ?"
"To admire means that you regard me as the handsomest,the best-dressed,the richest,and the most intelligent man on this planet."
"But you are the only man on your planet!"
"Do me this kindness,Admire me just the same."
"I admire you," said the little prince,shrugging his shoulders slightly,"but what is there in that to interest you so much?"
And the little prince went away.
"The grown-ups are certainly very odd," he said to himself ,as he continued on his journey.
十一章
第二颗星球上住着一个爱慕虚荣的人。
“啊！啊！有个崇拜者来拜访我了！”一看见小王子，他就远远地嚷道。
因为在爱慕虚荣的人看来，人人都是他的崇拜者。
“早上好”，小王子说，”你的帽子可奇怪。”
“这顶帽子是用来行礼的，”爱慕虚荣的人回答，“这是当人们为我欢呼时用来行礼的。可惜从来没有人来过这里”
“是吗？”小王子问，完全没有听懂他的话。
你拍拍手吧，用一只手去拍另一只手。”爱慕虚荣的人指导着说。
小王子拍了拍手。爱慕虚荣的人举起帽子，谦逊地行礼致谢。
“这比拜访国王有趣多了。”小王子心想。他又拍了拍手。爱慕虚荣的人再次举起帽子，谦逊地行礼致谢。
就这样反复练习了五分钟，小王子厌倦了这个单调的游戏。
“我要怎么做才能让你把帽子摘下来呢?”小王子问。
但爱慕虚荣的人没有听见他的话。爱慕虚荣的人除了赞美，什么都听不见。
“你真的非常崇拜我吗？”他问小王子。
“‘崇拜’？那是什么意思？”
“‘崇拜’就是，你觉得我是整个星球上最英俊、穿着最讲究、最富有、最聪明的人。”
“但这整个星球上只有你一个人啊！”
“帮我个忙。快快崇拜我吧！”
“我崇拜你，”小王子轻轻地耸了耸肩说，“但这有什么好让你觉得好玩的呢？”
小王子离开了。
“大人真是非常奇怪，”小王子心里想，继续踏上了他的旅程。