“Your planet is very beautiful,” he said. “Does it have any oceans?”
“I couldn’t say,” said the geographer.
“Oh!” The little prince was disappointed. “And mountains?”
“I couldn’t say,” said the geographer.
“And cities and rivers and deserts?”
“I couldn’t tell you that, either,” the geographer said.
“But you’re a geographer!”
“That’s right,” said the geographer, “but I’m not an explorer.”
[translation by Richard Howard]“Your planet is very beautiful,” he said. “Has it any oceans?”
“I couldn’t tell you,” said the geographer.
“Ah!” The little prince was disappointed. “Has it any mountains?”
“I couldn’t tell you,” said the geographer.
“And towns, and rivers, and deserts?”
“I couldn’t tell you that, either.”
“But you are a geographer!”
“Exactly,” the geographer said. “But I am not an explorer.[translation by Katherine Woods][– Elle est bien belle, votre planète. Est-ce qu’il y a des océans?
– Je ne puis pas le savoir-dit le géographe.
– Ah! – Le petit prince était déçu- Et des montagnes?
– Je ne puis pas le savoir – dit le géographe.
– Et des villes et des fleuves et des déserts?
– Je ne puis pas le savoir non plus – dit le géographe.
– Mais vous êtes géographe!
– C’est exact -dit le géographe -, mais je ne suis pas explorateur.]
