【明報專訊】One of the most beloved tales ever written, The Little Prince (《小王子》) was penned by aviation pioneer (飛行員先驅) and author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and published in 1943. In the story, an aviator's plane is forced down in the Sahara Desert (撒哈拉沙漠). He encounters a little prince coming from a small planet called Asteroid B-612.
Olivier D'Agay, Saint-Exupéry's great-nephew, paid a visit to St. Edward's Catholic Primary School (聖愛德華天主教小學) and shared the wonderful story of The Little Prince with the students. In the art room, a class of primary six students attentively listened to Olivier's sharing and worked on their own paintings based on the lovely story. Through their works, the students tried to convey important messages of protecting the earth and the love of the planet.
The Little Prince is the most famous French novel. Translated into around 300 languages and dialects, it has become one of the best-selling books ever published. Olivier first read the novel when he was ten, but he did not find it very special. Not until he read it again at age 15 did he realize it is such a fantastic book. "The Little Prince is a book for both children and adults, and for everybody. You get something new each time when you read it. It's always a surprise." Olivier said.
Olivier said his great-uncle had written The Little Prince to express his philosophy of life. "The book talks about the importance of nature, love and friendship. My favourite part is the little prince with the fox. The fox is a beautiful animal and is very unique. It tells us the secret of life."
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■Quiz
Answer the following questions.
1. Olivier D'Agay is the author of The Little Prince. True / False
2. The Little Prince is suitable for readers of different ages. True/False
(Answers on next text)
■English highway﹕ Dialect
A dialect is a form of a language which is spoken only in one area, with words or grammar that are slightly different from other forms of the same language.
e.g. The tourist spoke a dialect of Spanish that I found hard to understand.
◆Carrie Cheung:''I am most impressed by the friendship between the little prince and the fox. Fresh air is important for a lovely planet, and we should not kill animals.''
Summer Chan:''I think the most unforgettable part of the story is when the little prince appreciates the sunset with his rose. To protect the environment, we should drive less and grow more plants.''
Alena Chan:''The rose is very important to the little prince. We should not damage plants.''
■Game 1
The little prince owns three volcanoes, two active and one extinct. Which route leads him to the extinct volcano?
■Game 2
(Answers on next text)
The little prince leaves his planet because he has an argument with his beloved flower. Connect the dots and find out how does the flower look like.
"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret:
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
- The Little Prince
■Event
PopWalk X
Le Petit Prince
"Walk in Love" Market
Date: 9 September - 31 October 2017
Time: 10am - 10pm
Venue: PopWalk 1 & 2
■Glossary
attentively (adv) 專心地
philosophy (n) 哲學
unique (adj) 獨一無二的
volcano (n) 火山
extinct (adj) 不再活躍的
argument (n) 爭吵
essential (adj) 必要的
invisible (adj) 看不見的
[Smarties' Power English 第192期]