“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.
〖精读笔记〗
certain [ˈsɜːtn] adj.某（一）
gentleman[ˈdʒentlmən] n. 先生；绅士
but表示“例外”含义，与动词不定式连用，但当它前面有实义动词do时，动词不定式符号to常被省略，但并非强制性的。do nothing but / do anything but 后接没有to的动词不定式。
add up把…加起来
figure[ˈfɪɡə(r)] n. 数字
over and over一再地，再三地
make sb. do sth. 使某人做某事（“强迫/命令某人做某事”，被动句中强迫/命令的意味尤其明显，如主语是物，虽不能说有“强迫”含义，但它具有不顾人的意志而“使得”的含义）
swell up膨胀，凸出
pride[praɪd] n. 自豪；骄傲；自尊心
mushroom[ˈmʌʃruːm] n. 蘑菇
rage[reɪdʒ] n. 愤怒；盛怒
