wind sand and stars st.antoine de saint-exupery-第4章

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he　airport。　And　it　said：　〃Monsieur　de　Saint　Exupery；　I　am　obliged　to　remend　that　you　be　disciplined　at　Paris　for　having　flown　too　close　to　the　hangars　on　leaving　Casablanca。〃　
　　It　was　true　that　I　had　done　this。　It　was　also　true　that　this　man　was　performing　his　duty　with　irritability。　I　should　have　been　humiliated　if　this　reproach　had　been　addressed　to　me　in　an　airport。　But　it　reached　me　where　it　had　no　right　to　reach　me。　Among　these　too　rare　stars；　on　this　bed　of　fog；　in　this　menacing　savor　of　the　sea；　it　burst　like　a　detonation。　Here　we　were　with　our　fate　in　our　hands；　the　fate　of　the　mails　and　of　the　ship；　we　had　trouble　enough　to　try　to　keep　alive；　and　this　man　was　purging　his　petty　rancor　against　us。　
　　But　Neri　and　I　were　far　from　nettled。　What　we　felt　was　a　vast　and　sudden　jubilation。　Here　it　was　we　who　were　masters；　and　this　man　was　letting　us　know　it。　The　impudent　little　corporal！　not　to　have　looked　at　our　stripes　and　seen　that　we　had　been　promoted　captain！　To　intrude　into　our　musings　when　we　were　solemnly　taking　our　constitutional　between　Sagittarius　and　the　Great　Bear！　When　the　only　thing　we　could　be　concerned　with；　the　only　thing　of　our　order　of　magnitude；　was　this　appointment　we　were　missing　with　the　moon！　
　　The　immediate　duty；　the　only　duty　of　the　planet　whence　this　man's　message　came；　was　to　furnish　us　accurate　figures　for　our　putations　among　the　stars。　And　its　figures　had　been　false。　This　being　so；　the　planet　had　only　to　hold　its　tongue。　Neri　scribbled：　〃Instead　of　wasting　their　time　with　this　nonsense　they　would　'do　better　to　haul　us　back　to　Cisneros；　if　they　can。〃　By　〃they〃　he　meant　all　the　peoples　of　the　globe；　with　their　parliaments；　their　senates；　their　navies；　their　armies；　their　emperors。　We　re…read　the　message　from　that　man　mad　enough　to　imagine　that　he　had　business　with　us；　and　tacked　in　the　direction　of　Mercury。　
　　It　was　by　the　purest　chance　that　we　were　saved。　I　had　given　up　all　thought　of　making　Cisneros　and　had　set　my　course　at　right　angles　to　the　coast…line　in　the　hope　that　thus　we　might　avoid　ing　down　at　sea　when　our　fuel　ran　out。　Meanwhile　however　I　was　in　the　belly　of　a　dense　fog　so　that　even　with　land　below　it　was　not　going　to　be　easy　to　set　the　ship　down。　The　situation　was　so　clear　that　already　I　was　shrugging　my　shoulders　ruefully　when　Neri　passed　me　a　second　message　which；　an　hour　earlier；　would　have　been　our　salvation。　〃Cisneros；〃　it　said；　〃has　deigned　to　municate　with　us。　Cisneros　says；　'216　doubtful。〃'　Well；　that　helped。　Cisneros　was　no　longer　swallowed　up　in　space；　it　was　actually　out　there　on　our　left；　almost　within　reach。　But　how　far　away？　Neri　and　I　talked　it　over　briefly；　。　decided　it　was　too　late　to　try　for　it　（since　that　might　mean　missing　the　coast）；　and　Neri　replied：　〃Only　one　hour　fuel　left　continuing　on　93。〃　
　　But　the　airports　one　by　one　had　been　waking　each　other　up。　Into　our　dialogue　broke　the　voices　of　Agadir；　Casablanca；　Dakar。　The　radio　stations　at　each　of　these　towns　had　warned　the　airports　and　the　ports　had　flashed　the　news　to　our　rades。　Bit　by　bit　they　were　gathering　round　us　as　round　a　sick…bed。　Vain　warmth；　but　human　warmth　after　all。　Helpless　concern；　but　affectionate　at　any　rate。　
　　And　suddenly　into　this　conclave　burst　Toulouse；　the　headquarters　of　the　Line　three　thousand　miles　away；　worried　along　with　the　rest。　Toulouse　broke　in　without　a　word　of　greeting；　simply　to　say　sharply：　〃Your　reserve　tanks　bigger　than　standard。　You　have　two　hours　fuel　left。　Proceed　to　Cisneros。〃　
　　There　is　no　need　of　nights　like　the　one　just　described　to　make　the　airline　pilot　find　new　meanings　in　old　appearances。　The　scene　that　strikes　the　passenger　as　monplace　is　from　the　very　moment　of　taking　off　animated　with　a　powerful　magic　for　the　crew。　It　is　the　duty　of　the　ship's　captain　to　make　port；　cost　what　it　may。　The　sight　of　massing　clouds　is　no　mere　spectacle　to　him：　it　is　a　matter　of　concern　to　his　physical　being；　and　to　his　mind　it　means　a　set　of　problems。　Before　he　is　off　the　ground　he　has　taken　its　measure；　and　between　him　and　it　a　bond　is　formed　which　is　a　veritable　language。　
　　There　is　a　peak　ahead；　still　distant。　The　pilot　will　not　reach　it　before　another　hour　of　flight　in　the　night。　What　is　to　be　the　significance　of　that　peak？　On　a　night　of　full　moon　it　will　be　a　useful　landmark。　In　fainter　moonglow　it　will　be　a　bit　of　wreckage　strewn　in　shadow；　dangerous；　but　marked　clearly　enough　by　the　lights　of　villages。　But　if　the　pilot　flies　blind；　has　bad　luck　in　correcting　his　drift；　is　dubious　about　his　position；　that　peak　begins　to　stir　with　a　strange　life　and　its　threat　fills　the　breadth　of　the　night　sky　in　the　same　way　as　a　single　mine；　drifting　at　the　will　of　the　current；　can　render　the　whole　of　the　ocean　a　danger。　
　　The　face　of　the　sea　is　as　variable　as　that　of　the　earth。　To　passengers；　the　storm　is　invisible。　Seen　from　a　great　height；　the　waves　have　no　relief　and　the　packets　of　fog　have　no　movement。　The　surface　of　the　sea　appears　to　be　covered　with　great　white　motionless　palm…trees；　palms　marked　with　ribs　and　seams　stiff　in　a　sort　of　frost。　The　sea　is　like　a　splintered　mirror。　But　the　hydroplane　pilot　knows　there　is　no　landing　here。　
　　The　hours　during　which　a　man　flies　over　this　mirror　are　hours　in　which　there　is　no　assurance　of　the　possession　of　anything　in　the　world。　These　palms　beneath　the　plane　are　so　many　poisoned　flowers。　And　even　when　the　flight　is　an　easy　one；　made　under　a　shining　sun；　the　pilot　navigating　at　some　point　on　the　line　is　not　gazing　upon　a　scene。　These　colors　of　earth　and　sky；　these　traces　of　wind　over　the　face　of　the　sea；　these　clouds　golden　in　the　afterglow；　are　not　objects　of　the　pilot's　admiration；　but　of　his　cogitation。　He　looks　to　them　to　tell　him　the　direction　of　the　wind　or　the　progress　of　the　storm；　and　the　quality　of　the　night　to　e。　
　　Even　as　the　peasant　strolling　about　his　domain　is　able　to　foresee　in　a　thousand　signs　the　ing　of　the　spring；　the　threat　of　frost；　a　promise　of　rain；　so　all　that　happens　in　the　sky　signals　to　the　pilot　the　oning　snow；　the　expectancy　of　fog；　or　the　peace　of　a　blessed　night。　The　machine　which　at　first　blush　seems　a　means　of　isolating　man　from　the　great　problems　of　nature；　actually　plunges　him　more　deeply　into　them。　As　for　the　peasant　so　for　the　pilot；　dawn　and　twilight　bee　events　of　consequence。　His　essential　problems　are　set　him　by　the　mountain；　the　sea；　the　wind。　Alone　before　the　vast　tribunal　of　the　tempestuous　sky；　the　pilot　defends　his　mails　and　debates　on　terms　of　equality　with　those　three　elemental　divinities。　
　　The　mail　pouches　for　which　he　is　responsible　are　stowed　away　in　the　after　hold。　They　constitute　the　dogma　of　the　religion　of　his　craft；　the　torch　which；　in　this　aerial　race；　is　passed　from　runner　to　runner。　What　matter　though　they　hold　but　the　scribblings　of　tradesmen　and　nondescript　lovers。　The　interests　which　dictated　them　may　very　well　not　be　worth　the　embrace　of　man　and　storm；　but　I　know　what　they　bee　once　they　have　been　entrusted　to　the　crew；　taken　over；　as　the　phrase　is。　The　crew　care　not　a　rap　for　banker　or　tradesman。　If；　some　day；　the　crew　are　hooked　by　a　cliff　it　will　not　have　been　in　the　interest　of　tradespeople　that　they　will　have　died；　but　in　obedience　to　orders　which　ennoble　the　sacks　of　mail　once　they　are　on　board　ship。　
　　What　concerns　us　is　not　even　the　orders　…　it　is　the　men　they　cast　in　their　mould。　
　　Wind；　Sand　and　Stars　by　Antoine　de　Saint…Exupery　
　　Chapter　1　…　The　CraftTitle：　Wind；　Sand；　and　Stars　
　　Author：　Antoine　de　Saint…Exupery　
　　Translator：　Lewis　Galantiere　
　　Publisher：　Harcourt　Brace　Javanovich；　New　York；　1967　
　　Date　first　posted：　February　2000　
　　Date　most　recently　updated：　January　2006　
　　XML　markup　by　Wesman　02/23/2000。　
　　Wind　Sand　and　Stars
　　Antoine　de　Saint…Exupery
　　2
　　The　Men
　　Mermoz　is　one　airline　pilot；　and　Guillaumet　another；　of　whom　I　shall　write　briefly　in　order　that　you　may　see　clearly　what　I　mean　when　I　say　that　in　the　mould　of　this　new　profession　a　new　breed　of　men　has　been　cast。　
　　I　
　　A　handful　of　pilots；　of　whom　Mermoz　was　one；　surveyed　the　CasabIanca…Dakar　line　across　the　territory　inhabited　by　the　refractory　tribes　of　the　Sahara。　Motors　in　those　days　being　what　they　were；　Mermoz　was　taken　prisoner　one　day　by　the　Moors。　The　tribesmen　were　unable　to　make　up　their　minds　to　kill　him；　kept　him　a　captive　a　fortnight；　and　he　was　eventually　ransomed。　Whereupon　he　continued　to　fly　over　the　same　territory。　
　　When　the　South　American　line　was　opened　up　Mermoz；　ever　the　pioneer；　was　given　the　job　of　surveying　the　division　between　Buenos　Aires　and　Santiago　de　Chile。　He　who　had　flung　a　bridge　over　the　Sahara　was　now　to　do　the　same　over　the　Andes。　They　had　given　him　a　plane　whose　absolute　ceiling　was　sixteen　thousand　feet　and　had　asked　him　to　fly　it　over　a　mountain　range　that　rose　more　than　twenty　thousand　feet　into　the　air。　His　job　was　to　search　for　gaps　in　the　Cordilleras。　He　who　had　studied　the　face　of　the　sands　was　now　to　learn　the　contours　of　the　peaks；　those　crags　whose　scarfs　of　snow　flutter　restlessly　in　the　winds；　whose　surfaces　are　bleached　white　in　the　storms；　whose　blustering　gusts　sweep　through　the　narrow　walls　of　their　rocky　corridors　and　force　the　pilot　to　a　sort　of　han