— Či sú sopky vyhasnuté alebo činné, to je nám zemepiscom jedno. Nám záleží na vrchu. Ten sa nemení.

“Whether volcanoes are extinct or alive, it comes to the same thing for us,” said the geographer. “The thing that matters to us is the mountain. It does not change.”

— Ale čo znamená pominuteľné? — opakoval Malý princ, ktorý sa nikdy v živote nevzdal otázky, keď ju už raz položil.

“But what does that mean — ‘ephemeral’?” repeated the little prince, who never in his life had let go of a question, once he had asked it.

— To znamená čosi, čo je ohrozené blízkym zánikom.

“It means, ‘which is in danger of speedy disappearance.’”

— Moja kvetina je ohrozená blízkym zánikom?

“Is my flower in danger of speedy disappearance?”

— Pravdaže.

“Certainly it is.”

„Moja kvetina je pominuteľná,“ vravel si Malý princ, „a má iba štyri tŕne, aby sa mohla brániť proti svetu. A ja som ju nechal doma celkom samu.“

“My flower is ephemeral,” the little prince said to himself, “and she has only four thorns to defend herself against the world. And I have left her on my planet, all alone!”

Po prvý raz sa v ňom ozvala ľútosť. Ale znova si dodal odvahy.

That was his first moment of regret. But he took courage once more.

— A čo mi radíte, čo by som si mal ísť pozrieť? — spýtal sa.

“What place would you advise me to visit now?” he asked.

— Planétu Zem, — odpovedal zemepisec. — Má dobrú povesť.

“The planet Earth,” replied the geographer. “It has a good reputation.”

A Malý princ odišiel, mysliac na svoju kvetinu.

And the little prince went away, thinking of his flower.

XVI

XVI

Siedma planéta bola teda zem.

So then the seventh planet was the Earth.

Zem nie je hocijaká planéta. Je na nej stojedenásť kráľov (nezabúdajúc, prirodzene, na černošských kráľov), sedemtisíc zemepiscov, deväťstotisíc biznismenov, sedem a pol milióna pijanov, tristojedenásť miliónov márnivcov, to znamená asi dve miliardy dospelých.

The Earth is not just an ordinary planet! One can count, there, 111 kings (not forgetting, to be sure, the Negro kings among them), 7000 geographers, 900,000 businessmen, 7,500,000 tipplers, 311,000,000 conceited men — that is to say, about 2,000,000,000 grown-ups.

Aby ste mali správnu predstavu o veľkosti Zeme, poviem vám, že pred vynájdením elektriny bolo treba na všetkých šiestich kontinentoch vydržiavať ozajstnú armádu štyristošesťdesiatdvatisíc päťstojedenásť obsluhovačov pouličných lámp.

To give you an idea of the size of the Earth, I will tell you that before the invention of electricity it was necessary to maintain, over the whole of the six continents, a veritable army of 462,511 lamplighters for the street lamps.

Pri pohľade z väčšej výšky to pôsobilo nádherným dojmom. Pohyby tejto armády boli riadené ako pohyby baletu v opere.

Seen from a slight distance, that would make a splendid spectacle. The movements of this army would be regulated like those of the ballet in the opera.

Najprv prišli na rad zažíhači pouličných lámp na Novom Zélande a v Austrálii. Potom, keď pozažíhali svoje lampy, išli spať. Vtedy nastúpili do tohto tanca lampári v Číne a na Sibíri. Potom aj oni obratne zmizli za kulisami.

First would come the turn of the lamplighters of New Zealand and Australia. Having set their lamps alight, these would go off to sleep. Next, the lamplighters of China and Siberia would enter for their steps in the dance, and then they too would be waved back into the wings.

Tu prišli na rad ruskí a indickí lampári. Potom africkí a európski. Nato juhoamerickí. Trošku neskôr severoamerickí.

After that would come the turn of the lamplighters of Russia and the Indies; then those of Africa and Europe; then those of South America; then those of South America; then those of North America.

A nikdy si nepomýlili poradie, podľa ktorého mali nastúpiť na scénu. Bolo to veľkolepé.

And never would they make a mistake in the order of their entry upon the stage. It would be magnificent.

Iba obsluhovač jedinej pouličnej lampy na severnom póle a jeho druh, obsluhovač jedinej pouličnej lampy na južnom póle, viedli záhaľčivý a bezstarostný život: pracovali dva razy do roka.

Only the man who was in charge of the single lamp at the North Pole, and his colleague who was responsible for the single lamp at the South Pole — only these two would live free from toil and care: they would be busy twice a year.

XVII

ХVII

Keď chce byť človek vtipný, stáva sa mu, že trošku klame. Nebol som veľmi čestný, keď som vám rozprával o lampároch. Riskujem, že vyvolám falošnú predstavu o našej planéte u všetkých, čo ju nepoznajú. Ľudia zaberajú na Zemi veľmi málo miesta.

When one wishes to play the wit, he sometimes wanders a little from the truth. I have not been altogether honest in what I have told you about the lamplighters. And I realize that I run the risk of giving a false idea of our planet to those who do not know it. Men occupy a very small place upon the Earth.

Keby tie dve miliardy obyvateľov, ktorí zaľudňujú Zem, stáli trochu natlačení ako na tábore ľudu, ľahko by sa vošli na námestie dvadsať míľ dlhé a dvadsať míľ široké. Ľudstvo by sa mohlo vtlačiť na najmenší ostrovček Tichého oceána.

If the two billion inhabitants who people its surface were all to stand upright 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 twenty miles wide. All humanity could be piled up on a small Pacific islet.

Dospelí vám určite nebudú veriť. Predstavujú si, že zaberajú veľa miesta. Pripadajú si obrovskí ako baobaby. Poraďte im teda, aby si to vypočítali. Zbožňujú číslice: bude sa im to páčiť. Ale vy nestrácajte čas takouto nudnou prácou. Je to zbytočné. Veď mi dôverujete.

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 as important as the baobabs. You should advise them, then, to make their own calculations. They adore figures, and that will please them. But do not waste your time on this extra task. It is unnecessary. You have, I know, confidence in me.

Len čo Malý princ pristál na Zemi, bol veľmi prekvapený, že nikoho nevidí. Už sa obával, že si zmýlil planétu, keď sa vtom v piesku pohol akýsi prstenec farby mesiaca.

When the little prince arrived on the Earth, he was very much surprised not to see any people. He was beginning to be afraid he had come to the wrong planet, when a coil of gold, the color of the moonlight, flashed across the sand.

— Dobrú noc, — povedal Malý princ pre každý prípad.

“Good evening,” said the little prince courteously.

— Dobrú noc, — odpovedal had.

“Good evening,” said the snake.

V piesku sa pohol akýsi prstenec..
— Na ktorú planétu som spadol? — spýtal sa Malý princ.

“What planet is this on which I have come down?” asked the little prince.

— Na Zem, do Afriky, — odpovedal had.

“This is the Earth; this is Africa,” the snake answered.

— Ach!… Na Zemi teda nikto nie je?

“Ah! Then there are no people on the Earth?”

— Tu je púšť. Na púšťach nikto nie je. Zem je veľká, — povedal had.

“This is the desert. There are no people in the desert. The Earth is large,” said the snake.

Malý princ si sadol na kameň a zahľadel sa na oblohu.

The little prince sat down on a stone, and raised his eyes toward the sky.

— Rád by som vedel, — ozval sa, — či hviezdy nežiaria pre to, aby si každý mohol jedného dňa vyhľadať tú svoju. Pozri sa na moju planétu. Je práve nad nami… Ale ako je ďaleko!

“I wonder,” he said, “whether the stars are set alight in heaven so that one day each one of us may find his own again… Look at my planet. It is right there above us. But how far away it is!”

— Je krásna, — povedal had. — Prečo si sem prišiel?

“It is beautiful,” the snake said. “What has brought you here?”

— Mám starosti s jednou kvetinou.

“I have been having some trouble with a flower,” said the little prince.

— Ach! — vzdychol had.

“Ah!” said the snake.

A zmĺkli.

And they were both silent.

— Kde sú ľudia? — ozval sa napokon Malý princ. — Človek sa na púšti cíti trochu osamelý…

“Where are the men?” the little prince at last took up the conversation again. “It is a little lonely in the desert…”

— Človek je osamelý aj medzi ľuďmi, — povedal had.

“It is also lonely among men,” the snake said.

Malý princ sa naňho nadlho zahľadel.

The little prince gazed at him for a long time.

— Ty si čudné zviera, — povedal mu nakoniec, — tenké ako prst…

“You are a funny animal,” he said at last. “You are no thicker than a finger…”

— Ale som mocnejší ako prst hocijakého kráľa, — odpo— vedal had.

“But I am more powerful than the finger of a king,” said the snake.

Malý princ sa usmial:

The little prince smiled.

— Nie si veľmi mocný… nemáš ani nožičky… ani cestovať nemôžeš…

“You are not very powerful. You haven’t even any feet. You cannot even travel…”

— Môžem ťa uniesť ďalej ako loď, — povedal had.

“I can carry you farther than any ship could take you,” said the snake.

Okrútil sa Malému princovi okolo členka ako zlatý náramok.

He twined himself around the little prince’s ankle, like a golden bracelet.

— Keď sa niekoho dotknem, vrátim ho zemi, z ktorej vyšiel, — dodal ešte. — Ale ty si čistý a prichádzaš z hviezdy…

“Whomever I touch, I send back to the earth from whence he came,” the snake spoke again. “But you are innocent and true, and you come from a star…”

Malý princ neodpovedal.

The little prince made no reply.

— Je mi ťa ľúto, si taký slabý na tejto Zemi zo žuly. Môžem ti jedného dňa pomôcť, ak sa ti bude priveľmi čnieť za tvojou planétou. Ja môžem…

“You move me to pity — you are so weak on this Earth made of granite,” the snake said. “I can help you, some day, if you grow too homesick for your own planet. I can — ”

— Och! Veľmi dobre som ti rozumel, — povedal Malý princ. — Ale prečo hovoríš ustavične v hádankách?

“Oh! I understand you very well,” said the little prince. “But why do you always speak in riddles?”

— Ja ich všetky rozlúštim, — povedal had.

“I solve them all,” said the snake.

A zmĺkli.

And they were both silent.

XVIII

XVIII

Malý princ šiel cez púšť a nikoho nestretol, zazrel iba jednu kvetinu. Bola to kvetina s tromi korunnými lupienkami, také nič.

The little prince crossed the desert and met with only one flower. It was a flower with three petals, a flower of no account at all.

— Dobrý deň, — povedal Malý princ.

“Good morning,” said the little prince.

— Dobrý deň, — odpovedala kvetina.

“Good morning,” said the flower.

— Kde sú ľudia? — spýtal sa zdvorilo Malý princ.

“Where are the men?” the little prince asked, politely.

Kvetina videla jedného dňa prechádzať okolo karavánu.

The flower had once seen a caravan passing.

— Ľudia? Myslím, že ich je šesť alebo sedem. Sú to už roky, čo som ich zazrela. Ale nikdy sa nevie, kde ich stretneme. Vietor ich unáša. Nemajú korene, to im veľmi prekáža.

“Men?” she echoed. “I think there are six or seven of them in existence. I saw them, several years ago. But one never knows where to find them. The wind blows them away. They have no roots, and that makes their life very difficult.”

— Zbohom, — povedal Malý princ.

“Goodbye,” said the little prince.

— Zbohom, — odpovedala kvetina.

“Goodbye,” said the flower.

XIX

XIX

Malý princ vystúpil na vysoký vrch. Jediné vrchy, čo kedy poznal, boli tri sopky, ktoré mu siahali po kolená. A vyhasnutú sopku používal ako sedačku. „Z takého vysokého vrchu, ako je tento,“ povedal si potom, „uvidím celú planétu a všetkých ľudí…“ Ale zazrel iba ostré vrcholky skál.

After that, the little prince climbed a high mountain. The only mountains he had ever known were the three volcanoes, which came up to his knees. And he used the extinct volcano as a footstool. “From a mountain as high as this one,” he said to himself, “I shall be able to see the whole planet at one glance, and all the people…” But he saw nothing, save peaks of rock that were sharpened like needles.

— Dobrý deň, — zvolal pre každý prípad.

“Good morning,” he said courteously.

— Dobrý deň… dobrý deň… dobrý deň… — odpovedala ozvena.

“Good morning — Good morning — Good morning,” answered the echo.

— Kto ste? — spýtal sa Malý princ.

“Who are you?” said the little prince.

— Kto ste… kto ste… kto ste… — odpovedala ozvena.

“Who are you — Who are you — Who are you?” answered the echo.

— Buďte mojimi priateľmi, som sám, — povedal.

“Be my friends. I am all alone,” he said.

— Som sám… som sám… som sám… — odpovedala ozvena.

“I am all alone — all alone — all alone,” answered the echo.

„Aká čudná planéta!“ pomyslel si . „Je celá vyprahnutá a celá zašpicatená a celá slaná.

“What a queer planet!” he thought. “It is altogether dry, and altogether pointed, and altogether harsh and forbidding.

A ľudia nemajú predstavivosť. Opakujú, čo sa im povie… U mňa doma som mal kvetinu: ona hovorila vždy prvá…

And the people have no imagination. They repeat whatever one says to them… On my planet I had a flower; she always was the first to speak…”

XX

ХX

Ale stalo sa, že Malý princ po dlhej chôdzi po piesku, po skalách a po snehu našiel konečne cestu. A všetky cesty vedú k ľuďom.

ce at last came upon a road. And all roads lead to the abodes of men.

— Dobrý deň, — povedal.

“Good morning,” he said.

Bola to záhrada plná rozkvitnutých ruží.

He was standing before a garden, all a-bloom with roses.

— Dobrý deň, — odpovedali ruže.

“Good morning,” said the roses.

Malý princ sa na ne zahľadel. Všetky sa podobali jeho kvetine.

The little prince gazed at them. They all looked like his flower.

— Kto ste? — spýtal sa ich celý ohromený.

“Who are you?” he demanded, thunderstruck.

— My sme ruže, — odpovedali ruže.

“We are roses,” the roses said.

— Ach! — vzdychol Malý princ…

A cítil sa veľmi nešťastný. Jeho kvetina mu vravela, že je jediná svojho druhu vo vesmíre. A tu ich bolo päťtisíc, všetky rovnaké, v jedinej záhrade!

And he was overcome with sadness. His flower had told him that she was the only one of her kind in all the universe. And here were five thousand of them, all alike, in one single garden!

Veľmi by ju to urazilo,“ povedal si, „keby to videla… Strašne by kašlala a predstierala by, že umiera, len aby nebola smiešna. A ja by som sa musel tváriť, že ju ošetrujem, lebo inak by si naozaj spôsobila smrť, len aby aj mňa ponížila.“

“She would be very much annoyed,” he said to himself, “if she should see that… She would cough most dreadfully, and she would pretend that she was dying, to avoid being laughed at. And I should be obliged to pretend that I was nursing her back to life — for if I did not do that, to humble myself also, she would really allow herself to die…”

Potom si ešte povedal: „Myslel som, že som bohatý, že mám jedinečnú kvetinu, a mám len obyčajnú ružu. Ona a moje tri sopky, čo mi siahajú po kolená, a jedna je možno navždy vyhasnutá, nerobia veru zo mňa veľmi významného princa…“

Then he went on with his reflections: “I thought that I was rich, with a flower that was unique in all the world; and all I had was a common rose. A common rose, and three volcanoes that come up to my knees — and one of them perhaps extinct forever… That doesn’t make me a very great prince…”

A ľahol si do trávy a plakal.

And he lay down in the grass and cried.

XXI

XXI

Vtom sa zjavila líška.

It was then that the fox appeared.

— Dobrý deň, — povedala líška.

“Good morning,” said the fox.

— Dobrý deň, — zdvorilo odpovedal Malý princ, obrátil sa, ale nič nevidel.

“Good morning,” the little prince responded politely, although when he turned around he saw nothing.

— Som tu, — ozval sa ten hlas, — pod jabloňou…

“I am right here,” the voice said, “under the apple tree.”

— Kto si? — spýtal sa Malý princ. — Si veľmi pekná…

“Who are you?” asked the little prince, and added, “You are very pretty to look at.”

— Ja som líška, — povedala líška.

“I am a fox,” the fox said.

— Poď sa so mnou hrať, — navrhol jej Malý princ. — Som taký smutný…

“Come and play with me,” proposed the little prince. “I am so unhappy.”

— Nemôžem sa s tebou hrať, — povedala líška. — Nie som skrotená.

“I cannot play with you,” the fox said. “I am not tamed.”

— Ach, prepáč! — povedal Malý princ.

“Ah! Please excuse me,” said the little prince.