小王子 第31期:獲取專利證

Nevertheless, he still had some more questions.

可是他又提了一些問題：

How is it possible for one to own the stars?

你怎么能占有星星呢?

"To whom do they belong?" the businessman retorted, peevishly.

“那么你說星星是誰的呀?”實業(yè)家不高興地頂了小王子一句。

I don't know. To nobody.

我不知道，不屬于任何人。

Then they belong to me, because I was the first person to think of it.

那么，它們就是我的，因為是我第一個想到了這件事情的。

Is that all that is necessary?

這就行了嗎?

Certainly. When you find a diamond that belongs to nobody, it is yours.

那當(dāng)然。如果你發(fā)現(xiàn)了一顆沒有主人的鉆石，那么這顆鉆石就是屬于你的。

When you discover an island that belongs to nobody, it is yours.

當(dāng)你發(fā)現(xiàn)一個島是沒有主的，那么這個島就是你的。

When you get an idea before any one else, you take out a patent on it: it is yours.

當(dāng)你首先想出了一個辦法，你就去領(lǐng)一個專利證，這個辦法就是屬于你的。

So with me:I own the stars, because nobody else before me ever thought of owning them."

既然在我之前不曾有任何人想到要占有這些星星，那我就占有這些星星。

"Yes, that is true," said the little prince. "And what do you do with them?"

“這倒也是。可是你用它們來干什么?”小王子說。

"I administer them," replied the businessman.

我經(jīng)營管理這些星星。

I count them and recount them. It is diffcult.

我一遍又一遍地計算它們的數(shù)目。這是一件困難的事。

But I am a man who is naturally interested in matters of consequence.

但我是一個嚴(yán)肅認(rèn)真的人!