中英對照讀新聞》Rare typescript of ’The Little Prince’ goes on sale for $1.25 million「小王子」珍稀打字稿以125萬美元拍賣

◎林家宇

A rare typescript of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s "The Little Prince", containing extensive handwritten corrections by the French author and described by book dealers as "literary treasure", will soon go on sale for $1.25 million.

內含大量手寫修正的安東尼．德．聖修伯里名著「小王子」珍稀打字稿，被書商譽為「文學瑰寶」，不久將以125萬美元的價格拍賣。

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A candidate for the world’s most translated book outside of religious texts, the novella about a child who travels from planet to planet gaining wisdom was published in 1943 at the height of World War Two.

除宗教典籍外全球譯本量數一數二的這部短篇小說，講述關於一名在行星間旅行並獲得智慧的孩子。該書於1943年第二次世界大戰高峰期間出版。

The other two of the three known copies in existence sit in France’s national library and the Harry Ransom Center in Texas.

目前已知的三本現存副本中，另外兩本分別存放於法國國家圖書館和美國德州的哈利．瑞森展覽館。

The typescript features what is thought to be the first written appearance of one of the book’s most famous lines: "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; the essential is invisible to the eye."

這段書中最著名的對白被認為是在這本打字稿中首次書寫：「唯有用心才能看清事物，真正重要的東西無法用眼睛看見」。

新聞辭典

treasure：名詞，寶藏、珍寶。例句：There’s no doubt that Monna Lisa is priceless treasure of Louvre Museum.（蒙娜麗莎無疑是羅浮宮的無價珍寶）

invisible：形容詞，隱形的、無形的。例句：The ability of being invisible is crucial in modern warfare.（隱形能力在現代戰爭中至關重要）