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第八章（第3页）

Andthelittleprince，completelyabashed，wenttolookforasprinkling-canoffreshwater.So，hetendedtheflower.

So，too，shebeganveryquicklytotormenthimwithhervanity—whichwas，ifthetruthbeknown，alittledifficulttodealwith.Oneday，forinstance，whenshewasspeakingofherfourthorns，shesaidtothelittleprince:"

Letthetigerscomewiththeirclaws!"

"

Therearenotigersonmyplanet，"

thelittleprinceobjected."

And，anyway，tigersdonoteatweeds."

"

Iamnotaweed，"

theflowerreplied，sweetly.

"

Pleaseexcuseme..."

"

Iamnotatallafraidoftigers，"

shewenton，"

butIhaveahorrorofdrafts.Isupposeyouwouldn’thaveascreenforme"

"

Ahorrorofdrafts—thatisbadluck，foraplant，"

remarkedthelittleprince，andaddedtohimself，"

Thisflowerisaverycomplexcreature..."

"

AtnightIwantyoutoputmeunderaglassglobe.Itisverycoldwhereyoulive.IntheplaceIcamefrom—"

Butsheinterruptedherselfatthatpoint.Shehadcomeintheformofaseed.Shecouldnothaveknownanythingofanyotherworlds.Embarassedoverhavingletherselfbecaughtonthevergeofsuchanaiveuntruth，shecoughedtwoorthreetimes，inordertoputthelittleprinceinthewrong.

"

Thescreen"

"

Iwasjustgoingtolookforitwhenyouspoketome..."

Thensheforcedhercoughalittlemoresothatheshouldsufferfromremorsejustthesame.

Sothelittleprince，inspiteofallthegoodwillthatwasinseparablefromhislove，hadsooncometodoubther.Hehadtakenseriouslywordswhichwerewithoutimportance，anditmadehimveryunhappy.

"

Ioughtnottohavelistenedtoher，"

heconfidedtomeoneday."

Oneneveroughttolistentotheflowers.Oneshouldsimplylookatthemandbreathetheirfragrance.Mineperfumedallmyplanet.ButIdidnotknowhowtotakepleasureinallhergrace.Thistaleofclaws，whichdisturbedmesomuch，shouldonlyhavefilledmyheartwithtendernessandpity."

Andhecontinuedhisconfidences:"

ThefactisthatIdidnotknowhowtounderstandanything!Ioughttohavejudgedbydeedsandnotbywords.Shecastherfragranceandherradianceoverme.Ioughtnevertohaverunawayfromher...Ioughttohaveguessedalltheaffectionthatlaybehindherpoorlittlestrategems.Flowersaresoinconsistent!ButIwastooyoungtoknowhowtoloveher..."