영원한 스테디셀러
<어린 왕자>
활자의 홍수 속에서 눈길을 끄는 글은 어떤 글일까.
글쓴이가 대상을 바라보는 각도가 새롭고, 그것을 표현한 결이 탁월하게 잘 정돈되어 있는 글.
막연하게 느낀 현상이나 불편한 느낌을 선명하고 쉽게 글로 정리해서, 마음을 후련하게 해주는 글.
개인적으로 이런 글들이 좋다.
그래서 <어린 왕자>가 좋다.
철학자 하이데거가 “이 책은 금세기 가장 중요한 프랑스 책이다.”라고 극찬한 책.
1943년에 처음 출간 되었으니, 올해 80주년이 된다.
80년 전, 어린 왕자의 눈으로 바라본 지질학자. 여전히 그와 비슷한 삶을 살고 있는 사람들도 어딘가에 있을 듯. 세상은 많이 바뀐 듯하면서도 또 한 편으론 참 바뀌지 않는... 그런 곳이다. 원문을 조금 옮겨본다. 오며 가며, 한 번이라도 더 보려고 적어 놓는다.
The sixth Planet was ten times bigger than the last. It was inhabited by an old gentleman who wrote enormous books.
"Ah, here comes an explorer, " he exclaimed when he caught sight of the little prince who was feeling a little winded and sat down on the desk. He had already traveleled so much and so far!
"Where do you come from?" the old gentleman asked him.
"What's that big book?" asked the little prince. "What do you do with it?"
"I'm a geographer, " the old gentleman answered.
"And What's a geographer?"
"A scholar who knows where the seas are, and the rivers, the citieis, the mountains, and the deserts."
"That is very interesting, " the little prince said. "Here at last is someone who has a real profession!" And he gazed around him at the geographer's planet. He had nver seen a planet so majestic.
"Your planet is very beautiful, " he said. "Does it have any oceans?"
"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. There's not one explorer on my planet. A geographer doesn't go out describe cities, rivers, mountians, seas, oceans, and deserts. A geographer is too important to go wandering about. He never leaves his study...."
<중략>
"I also have a flower."
"We don't record flowers, " the geographer said.
"Why not? It's the prettiest thing!"
"Because flowers are ephemeral."
"What does ephemeral mean?"
"Geogrphies, " said the geogrpher, "are the finest books of all. They never go out of fashion. It is extremely rare for a mountain to change position. It is extremely rare for an ocean to be drained of its water. We write eternal things"
...
"What does ephemeral mean?" repeated the little prince, who had never in all his life let go of a question once he had asked it.
"It means, 'which is threatened by imminent disappearance.'"
"Is my flower threatened by imminent disappearance?"
"Of course."
My flower is ephemeral, the little prince said to himself, and she has only four thorns with which to defend herself against the world! And I've left her all alone where I live!
That was his first impulse of regret. But he plucked up his courage again. "Where would you advise me to visit?" he asked.
"The planet Earth, " the geographer answered. "It has a good reputation."
And the little prince went on his way, thinking about his flower.
<A Harvest Book, p44-p47>
