“I know a planet where there is a certain red-faced gentleman. He has never smelled a flower. He has never looked at a star. He has never loved any one. He has never done anything in his life but add up figures. And all day he says over and over, just like you, ‘I am busy with matters of consequence!’ And that makes him swell up with pride. But he is not a man—he is a mushroom!”
“A what?”
“A mushroom!”
The little prince was now white with rage.
〖精讀筆記〗
certain [?s??tn] adj.某（一）
gentleman[?d?entlm?n] n. 先生；紳士
but表示“例外”含義唆垃，與動(dòng)詞不定式連用解恰，但當(dāng)它前面有實(shí)義動(dòng)詞do時(shí)，動(dòng)詞不定式符號(hào)to常被省略，但并非強(qiáng)制性的距帅。do nothing but / do anything but 后接沒有to的動(dòng)詞不定式抖仅。
add up把…加起來
figure[?f?ɡ?(r)] n. 數(shù)字
over and over一再地，再三地
make sb. do sth. 使某人做某事（“強(qiáng)迫/命令某人做某事”咏窿，被動(dòng)句中強(qiáng)迫/命令的意味尤其明顯斟或，如主語是物，雖不能說有“強(qiáng)迫”含義集嵌，但它具有不顧人的意志而“使得”的含義）
swell up膨脹萝挤，凸出
pride[pra?d] n. 自豪；驕傲根欧；自尊心
mushroom[?m??ru?m] n. 蘑菇
rage[re?d?] n. 憤怒怜珍；盛怒
