帶女兒逛書店，隨手拿起大名鼎鼎的《小王子》。以前沒讀過。讀完矗立良久。
這本書居然是兒童讀物。可是有多少兒童能看懂呢？
當然它講的是一個小孩子看世界，確切地說是兩個，一個總不被大人理解的小時候的作者，和理解不了大人的另一個星球來的小王子。這些大人就好像小王子在其它星球遇見的：熱愛權勢的國王，或者自戀的先生，或者自暴自棄的酒鬼，或者貪婪愛財的商人，或者無目標奔跑的火車上的人，或者也許小王子尚能理解的循規蹈矩的掌燈人。
可是，就像所有偉大作品一樣，這本書講的其實是個愛情故事。
小王子在他自己的星球擁有了一朵花，花說它是宇宙間獨一無二的。花有四根刺，它很確定它能保護自己，要個玻璃罩子隻是向小王子撒嬌，可是從此讓小王子失去了耐心和信任。小王子後來回憶說：
“In those days, I didn’t understand anything. I should have judged her according to her actions, not her words. She perfumed my planet and lit up my life. I should never have run away! I ought to have realized the tenderness underlying her silly pretensions. Flowers are so contradictory! But I was too young to know how to love her. “
小王子離開自己的星球前，花說：
“Of course I love you, ” the flower told him. “It was my fault you never knew. It doesn’t matter. But you were just as silly as I was. Try to be happy… Put that glass thing down. I don’t want it anymore.” … And she naively showed her four thorns. Then she added, “Don’t hang out like this; it’s irritating. You made up your mind to leave. Now go. ” For she didn’t want him to see her crying. She was such a proud flower…
後來小王子來到地球，他發現在一個花園就有五千朵這樣的花，名叫玫瑰，他的花並不是獨一無二的，失望而哭泣。一隻狐狸跑來給小王子講這個道理，要小王子tame它：
“The only things you learn are the things you tame. Please… tame me!” “What do I have to do?” asked the little prince. “You have to be very patient. First you’ll sit down a little ways away from me. Don’t say anything, language is the sources of misunderstanding. But day by day, you’ll be able to sit a little closer.” “For instance, if you come at four in the afternoon, I’ll begin to be happy by three. The closer it gets to four, the happier I will feel. By four I’ll be all excited and worried; I’ll discover what it costs to be happy!”
小王子再去看那五千多花，明白了他的花和這些花是不同的。”You are not at all like my rose. You are lovely, but you are empty.”” Since she is my rose.”
狐狸告訴小王子一個秘密: “It’s quite simple: One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.” “It's the time you spent on your rose that makes your rose so important.”
從地理學家那裏學到一個詞 ephemeral （flower is ephemeral）（轉瞬即逝）的小王子，終於明白四根刺不能保護花自己的小王子，心心念念地要回到自己的星球的小王子，上了蛇的當。當小王子終於明白要回去也想回去的時候，他是不是真的回去了？
And no grown-up will ever understand how such a thing could be so important.
