For a minute or two she stood looking at the house, and wondering what to do next, when suddenly a footman in livery came running out of the wood—(she considered him to be a footman because he was in livery: otherwise, judging by his face only, she would have called him a fish)—and rapped loudly at the door with his knuckles. It was opened by another footman in livery, with a round face, and large eyes like a frog; and both footmen, Alice noticed, had powdered hair that curled all over their heads. She felt very curious to know what it was all about, and crept a little way out of the wood to listen.
她站在小房跟前看了一兩分鐘,想著下一步該干什么。突然間,一個(gè)穿著制服的仆人(她認(rèn)為仆人是由于穿著仆人的制服,如果只看他的臉,會(huì)把他看成一條魚的)從樹林跑來,用腳使勁兒地踢著門。另一個(gè)穿著制服,長(zhǎng)著圓臉龐和像青蛙一樣大眼睛的仆人開了門,愛麗絲注意到這兩個(gè)仆人,都戴著涂了脂的假發(fā)。她非常想知道這到底是怎么回事,于是就從樹林里探出頭來聽。
The Fish–Footman began by producing from under his arm a great letter, nearly as large as himself, and this he handed over to the other, saying, in a solemn tone, 'For the Duchess. An invitation from the Queen to play croquet.' The Frog–Footman repeated, in the same solemn tone, only changing the order of the words a little, 'From the Queen. An invitation for the Duchess to play croquet.'
魚仆人從胳膊下面拿出一封很大的信,這信幾乎有他身子那么大,然后把信遞給那一個(gè),同時(shí)還用嚴(yán)肅的聲調(diào)說:“致公爵夫人:王后邀請(qǐng)她去玩槌球。”那位青蛙仆人只不過把語(yǔ)序變了一下,用同樣嚴(yán)肅的聲調(diào)重復(fù)著說:“王后的邀請(qǐng):請(qǐng)公爵夫人去玩槌球。”
Then they both bowed low, and their curls got entangled together.
然后他們倆都深深地鞠了個(gè)躬,這使得他們的假發(fā)纏在一起了。
Alice laughed so much at this, that she had to run back into the wood for fear of their hearing her; and when she next peeped out the Fish–Footman was gone, and the other was sitting on the ground near the door, staring stupidly up into the sky.
這情景惹得愛麗絲要發(fā)笑了,她不得不遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)地跑進(jìn)樹林里,免得被他們聽到。她再出來偷看時(shí),魚仆人已經(jīng)走了,另一位坐在門口的地上,呆呆地望著天空愣神。
Alice went timidly up to the door, and knocked.
愛麗絲怯生生地走到門口,敲了門。
‘There's no sort of use in knocking,' said the Footman, 'and that for two reasons. First, because I'm on the same side of the door as you are; secondly, because they're making such a noise inside, no one could possibly hear you.' And certainly there was a most extraordinary noise going on within—a constant howling and sneezing, and every now and then a great crash, as if a dish or kettle had been broken to pieces.
“敲門沒用。”那位仆人說,“這有兩個(gè)原因:第一,因?yàn)槲彝阋粯?,都在門外,第二,他們?cè)诶锩娉吵橙氯?,根本不?huì)聽到敲門聲。”確實(shí),里面?zhèn)鱽砹撕芴貏e的吵鬧聲:有不斷的嚎叫聲,有打噴嚏聲,還不時(shí)有打碎東西的聲音,好像是打碎盤子或瓷壺的聲音。
‘Please, then,' said Alice, 'how am I to get in?'
“那么,請(qǐng)告訴我,”愛麗絲說,“我怎么進(jìn)去呢?”
‘There might be some sense in your knocking,' the Footman went on without attending to her, 'if we had the door between us. For instance, if you were INSIDE, you might knock, and I could let you out, you know.' He was looking up into the sky all the time he was speaking, and this Alice thought decidedly uncivil. 'But perhaps he can't help it,' she said to herself; 'his eyes are so VERY nearly at the top of his head. But at any rate he might answer questions.—How am I to get in?' she repeated, aloud.
“如果這扇門在我們之間,你敲門,可能還有意義,”那仆人并不注意愛麗絲,繼續(xù)說著,“假如,你在里面敲門,我就能讓你出來。”他說話時(shí),一直盯著天空,愛麗絲認(rèn)為這是很不禮貌的。“也許他沒有辦法,”她對(duì)自己說,“他的兩只眼睛幾乎長(zhǎng)到頭頂上了,但至少是可以回答問題的,我該怎樣進(jìn)去呢?”因此,她又大聲重復(fù)地說。
‘I shall sit here,' the Footman remarked, 'till tomorrow—'
“我坐在這里,”那仆人繼續(xù)說他的,“直到明天……”
At this moment the door of the house opened, and a large plate came skimming out, straight at the Footman's head: it just grazed his nose, and broke to pieces against one of the trees behind him.
就在這時(shí),這個(gè)房子的門開了,一只大盤子朝仆人的頭飛來,掠過他的鼻子,在他身后的一棵樹上撞碎了。
‘—or next day, maybe,' the Footman continued in the same tone, exactly as if nothing had happened.
“……或者再過一天。”仆人繼續(xù)用同樣的口吻說,就像什么也沒發(fā)生過。
‘How am I to get in?' asked Alice again, in a louder tone.
“我該怎么進(jìn)去呢?”愛麗絲更大聲地問,
‘ARE you to get in at all?' said the Footman. 'That's the first question, you know.'
“你到底要不要進(jìn)去呢?”仆人說,“要知道這是該首先決定的問題,”
It was, no doubt: only Alice did not like to be told so. 'It's really dreadful,' she muttered to herself, 'the way all the creatures argue. It's enough to drive one crazy!'
這當(dāng)然是對(duì)的,不過愛麗絲不愿意承認(rèn)這點(diǎn),“真討厭,”她對(duì)自己喃喃地說道,“這些生物討論問題的方法真能叫人發(fā)瘋。”
The Footman seemed to think this a good opportunity for repeating his remark, with variations. 'I shall sit here,' he said, 'on and off, for days and days.'
那仆人似乎認(rèn)為是重復(fù)自己的話的好機(jī)會(huì),不過稍微改變了一點(diǎn)兒說法:“我將從早到晚坐在這幾,一天又一天地坐下去。”
‘But what am I to do?' said Alice.
“可是我該干什么呢?”愛麗絲說,
‘Anything you like,' said the Footman, and began whistling.
“你想干什么就干什么?”仆人說服就吹起口哨來了。
‘Oh, there's no use in talking to him,' said Alice desperately: 'he's perfectly idiotic!' And she opened the door and went in.
“唉,同他說話沒用!”愛麗絲失望地說,“他完全是個(gè)白癡!”然后她就推開門自己進(jìn)去了。
The door led right into a large kitchen, which was full of smoke from one end to the other: the Duchess was sitting on a three–legged stool in the middle, nursing a baby; the cook was leaning over the fire, stirring a large cauldron which seemed to be full of soup.
這門直通一間大廚房,廚房里充滿了煙霧,公爵夫人在房子中間,坐在—只三腿小凳上照料一個(gè)小孩。廚師俯身在爐子上的一只人鍋里攪拌著,鍋里好像盛滿了湯。
‘There's certainly too much pepper in that soup!' Alice said to herself, as well as she could for sneezing.
“湯里的胡椒確實(shí)太多了!”愛麗絲費(fèi)勁兒地對(duì)自己說,并不停地打著噴嚏。
There was certainly too much of it in the air. Even the Duchess sneezed occasionally; and as for the baby, it was sneezing and howling alternately without a moment's pause. The only things in the kitchen that did not sneeze, were the cook, and a large cat which was sitting on the hearth and grinning from ear to ear.
空氣里的胡椒味也確實(shí)太濃了,連公爵夫人也常常打噴嚏。至于那個(gè)嬰孩,不是打噴嚏就是嚎叫,一刻也不停。這間廚房里只有兩個(gè)生物不打噴嚏,就是女廚師和一只大貓,那只貓正趴在爐子旁,咧著嘴笑哩。
‘Please would you tell me,' said Alice, a little timidly, for she was not quite sure whether it was good manners for her to speak first, 'why your cat grins like that?'
“請(qǐng)告訴我,”愛麗絲有點(diǎn)膽怯地問,因?yàn)樗€不十分清楚自己先開口合不合規(guī)矩,“為什么你的貓能笑呢?”
‘It's a Cheshire cat,' said the Duchess, 'and that's why. Pig!'
“它是柴郡貓(郡:英國(guó)的行政區(qū)域單位,柴郡為一個(gè)郡的名稱,由于本書影響,現(xiàn)在西方人都把露齒傻笑的人稱為柴郡貓。),”公爵夫人說,“這就是為什么它會(huì)笑了。豬!”
She said the last word with such sudden violence that Alice quite jumped; but she saw in another moment that it was addressed to the baby, and not to her, so she took courage, and went on again:—
公爵夫人兇狠地說出的最后的—個(gè)字,把愛麗絲嚇了一大跳。但是,愛麗絲馬上發(fā)覺她正在同嬰孩說話,而不是對(duì)自己說,于是她又鼓起了勇氣,繼續(xù)說:
‘I didn't know that Cheshire cats always grinned; in fact, I didn't know that cats COULD grin.'
“我還不知道柴郡貓經(jīng)常笑,實(shí)際上,我壓根兒不知道貓會(huì)笑的。”
‘They all can,' said the Duchess; 'and most of 'em do.'
“它們都會(huì)的,”公爵夫人說,“起碼大多數(shù)都會(huì)笑的。”
‘I don't know of any that do,' Alice said very politely, feeling quite pleased to have got into a conversation.
“我連一只都沒見過。”愛麗絲非常有禮貌地說,并對(duì)這場(chǎng)開始了的談話感到高興。
‘You don't know much,' said the Duchess; 'and that's a fact.'
“你知道的太少了,”公爵夫人說,“這是個(gè)事實(shí)。”
Alice did not at all like the tone of this remark, and thought it would be as well to introduce some other subject of conversation. While she was trying to fix on one, the cook took the cauldron of soup off the fire, and at once set to work throwing everything within her reach at the Duchess and the baby—the fire–irons came first; then followed a shower of saucepans, plates, and dishes. The Duchess took no notice of them even when they hit her; and the baby was howling so much already, that it was quite impossible to say whether the blows hurt it or not.
愛麗絲不喜歡這種談話的口氣,想最好換個(gè)話題,她正在想話題的時(shí)候,女廚師把湯鍋從火上端開了,然后立即把她隨手能拿著的每件東西扔向公爵夫人和嬰孩?;疸^子第一個(gè)飛來,然后,平底鍋、盆子、盤子像暴風(fēng)雨似地飛來了。公爵夫人根本不理會(huì),甚至打到身上都沒反應(yīng)。而那嬰孩早已經(jīng)拼命地嚎叫了,也不知道這些東西打到了他身上沒有。
‘Oh, PLEASE mind what you're doing!' cried Alice, jumping up and down in an agony of terror. 'Oh, there goes his PRECIOUS nose'; as an unusually large saucepan flew close by it, and very nearly carried it off.
“喂,當(dāng)心點(diǎn)!”愛麗絲喊著,嚇得心頭不住地跳,“哎喲,他那小鼻子完了。”真的,一只特大平底鍋緊擦著鼻子飛過,差點(diǎn)就把鼻子削掉了。
‘If everybody minded their own business,' the Duchess said in a hoarse growl, 'the world would go round a deal faster than it does.'
“如果每個(gè)人都關(guān)心自己的事,”公爵夫人嘶啞著嗓子嘟噴著說,“地球就會(huì)比現(xiàn)在轉(zhuǎn)得快一些。”
‘Which would NOT be an advantage,' said Alice, who felt very glad to get an opportunity of showing off a little of her knowledge. 'Just think of what work it would make with the day and night! You see the earth takes twenty–four hours to turn round on its axis—'
“這沒好處,”愛麗絲說,她很高興有個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)顯示一下自己的知識(shí),“你想想這會(huì)給白天和黑夜帶來什么結(jié)果呢?要知道地球繞軸轉(zhuǎn)一回要用二十四個(gè)鐘頭。”
‘Talking of axes,' said the Duchess, 'chop off her head!'
“說什么?”公爵夫人說,“把她的頭砍掉!”
Alice glanced rather anxiously at the cook, to see if she meant to take the hint; but the cook was busily stirring the soup, and seemed not to be listening, so she went on again: 'Twenty–four hours, I THINK; or is it twelve? I—'
愛麗絲相當(dāng)不安地瞧了女廚師一眼,看她是不是準(zhǔn)備執(zhí)行這個(gè)命令,女廚師正忙著攪湯,好像根本沒聽到,于是愛麗絲又繼續(xù)說:“我想是二十四個(gè)小時(shí),或許是十二個(gè)小時(shí),我……”
‘Oh, don't bother ME,' said the Duchess; 'I never could abide figures!' And with that she began nursing her child again, singing a sort of lullaby to it as she did so, and giving it a violent shake at the end of every line:
“唉,別打擾我!”公爵夫人說,“我受不了數(shù)字!”她說著照料孩子去了,她哄孩子時(shí)唱著一種催睡曲,唱到每句的末尾,都要把孩子猛烈地?fù)u兒下。
‘Speak roughly to your little boy,And beat him when he sneezes:He only does it to annoy, Because he knows it teases.'CHORUS.(In which the cook and the baby joined):—'Wow! wow! wow!'
“對(duì)你的小男孩要粗暴地說話,在他打噴嚏的時(shí)候就讀他,因?yàn)樗@樣只是為了搗亂,他只不過是在撒嬌和賣傻。”合唱(女廚師和小孩也參加):哇!哇!哇!
While the Duchess sang the second verse of the song, she kept tossing the baby violently up and down, and the poor little thing howled so, that Alice could hardly hear the words:—
公爵夫人唱第二段歌時(shí),把嬰孩猛烈地扔上扔下,可憐的小家伙沒命地嚎哭,所以愛麗絲幾乎都聽不清唱詞了:
‘I speak severely to my boy, I beat him when he sneezes; For he can thoroughly enjoy The pepper when he pleases!' CHORUS. 'Wow! wow! wow!'
“我對(duì)我的小孩說話嚴(yán)厲,他一打噴嚏我就讀他個(gè)夠味,因?yàn)樗灰吲d,隨時(shí)可以欣賞胡椒的味道。”合唱:哇!哇!哇!
‘Here! you may nurse it a bit, if you like!' the Duchess said to Alice, flinging the baby at her as she spoke. 'I must go and get ready to play croquet with the Queen,' and she hurried out of the room. The cook threw a frying–pan after her as she went out, but it just missed her.
“來!如果你愿意的話,抱他一會(huì)兒!”公爵夫人一邊對(duì)愛麗絲說,一邊就把小孩扔給她,“我要同王后玩鏈球去了,得準(zhǔn)備一下。”說著就急忙地走出了房間。她往外走時(shí),女廚師從后自向她扔了只炸油鍋,但是沒打著。
Alice caught the baby with some difficulty, as it was a queer–shaped little creature, and held out its arms and legs in all directions, 'just like a star–fish,' thought Alice. The poor little thing was snorting like a steam–engine when she caught it, and kept doubling itself up and straightening itself out again, so that altogether, for the first minute or two, it was as much as she could do to hold it.
愛麗絲費(fèi)勁兒地抓住那個(gè)小孩,因?yàn)樗莻€(gè)樣子奇特的小生物,他的胳膊和腿向各個(gè)方向伸展,“真像只海星,”愛麗絲想,她抓著他時(shí),這可憐的小家伙像蒸汽機(jī)樣地哼哼著,還把身子一會(huì)兒蜷曲起來,一會(huì)兒伸開,就這樣不停地折騰,搞得愛麗絲在最初的一兩分鐘里,只能勉強(qiáng)把他抓住。
As soon as she had made out the proper way of nursing it, (which was to twist it up into a sort of knot, and then keep tight hold of its right ear and left foot, so as to prevent its undoing itself,) she carried it out into the open air. 'IF I don't take this child away with me,' thought Alice, 'they're sure to kill it in a day or two: wouldn't it be murder to leave it behind?' She said the last words out loud, and the little thing grunted in reply (it had left off sneezing by this time). 'Don't grunt,' said Alice; 'that's not at all a proper way of expressing yourself.'
她剛找到—種拿住他的辦法(把他像打結(jié)一樣團(tuán)在一起,然后抓緊他的右耳朵和左腳,他就不能伸開了)時(shí),就把他帶到屋子外面的露天地方去了。“如果我不把嬰孩帶走,”愛麗絲想,“她們肯定在一兩天里就會(huì)把他打死的。把他扔在這里不就害了他嗎?”最后一句她說出聲來了,那小家伙咕嚕了一聲作為回答(這段時(shí)間他已經(jīng)不打噴嚏了)。別咕嚕,”愛麗絲說,“你這樣太不像樣子了。”
The baby grunted again, and Alice looked very anxiously into its face to see what was the matter with it. There could be no doubt that it had a VERY turn–up nose, much more like a snout than a real nose; also its eyes were getting extremely small for a baby: altogether Alice did not like the look of the thing at all. 'But perhaps it was only sobbing,' she thought, and looked into its eyes again, to see if there were any tears.
那嬰孩又咕嚕了一聲,愛麗絲很不安地看了看他的臉,想知道是怎么回事。只見他鼻子朝天,根本不像個(gè)常人樣,倒像個(gè)豬鼻子;他的眼睛也變得很小不像個(gè)嬰孩了。愛麗絲不喜歡這副模樣。“也許他在哭吧,”愛麗絲想。她就看看他的眼睛,有沒有眼淚。
No, there were no tears. 'If you're going to turn into a pig, my dear,' said Alice, seriously, 'I'll have nothing more to do with you. Mind now!' The poor little thing sobbed again (or grunted, it was impossible to say which), and they went on for some while in silence.
沒有,一點(diǎn)兒眼淚也沒有。“如果你變成了一只豬,”愛麗絲嚴(yán)肅地說,“聽著,我可再不理你了!”那可憐的小家伙又抽泣了一聲(或者說又咕嚕了—聲,很難說到底是哪種),然后他們就默默地走了一會(huì)兒。
Alice was just beginning to think to herself, 'Now, what am I to do with this creature when I get it home?' when it grunted again, so violently, that she looked down into its face in some alarm. This time there could be NO mistake about it: it was neither more nor less than a pig, and she felt that it would be quite absurd for her to carry it further.
愛麗絲正在想:“我回家可把這小生物怎么辦呢?,這時(shí),他又猛烈地咕嚕了一聲,愛麗絲馬上警覺地朝下看他的臉。這次一點(diǎn)兒都不會(huì)錯(cuò)了,它完全是只豬。她感到如果再帶著它就太可笑了。
So she set the little creature down, and felt quite relieved to see it trot away quietly into the wood. 'If it had grown up,' she said to herself, 'it would have made a dreadfully ugly child: but it makes rather a handsome pig, I think.' And she began thinking over other children she knew, who might do very well as pigs, and was just saying to herself, 'if one only knew the right way to change them—' when she was a little startled by seeing the Cheshire Cat sitting on a bough of a tree a few yards off.
于是她把這小生物放下,看著它很快地跑進(jìn)樹林,感到十分輕松。“如果它長(zhǎng)大的話,愛麗絲對(duì)自己說,“一定會(huì)成為可怕的丑孩子,要不就成為個(gè)漂亮的豬。”然后,她去一個(gè)個(gè)想她認(rèn)識(shí)的孩子,看看誰(shuí)如果變成豬更像樣些,她剛想對(duì)自己說:“只要有人告訴他們變化的辦法……”,這時(shí),那只柴郡貓把她嚇了一跳,它正坐在幾碼遠(yuǎn)的樹枝上。
The Cat only grinned when it saw Alice. It looked good–natured, she thought: still it had VERY long claws and a great many teeth, so she felt that it ought to be treated with respect.
貓對(duì)愛麗絲只是笑,看起來倒是好脾氣。愛麗絲想,不過它還是有很長(zhǎng)的爪子和許多牙齒,因此還應(yīng)該對(duì)它尊敬點(diǎn)。
‘Cheshire Puss,' she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider. 'Come, it's pleased so far,' thought Alice, and she went on. 'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
“柴郡貓,”她膽怯地說。還不知道它喜歡不喜歡這個(gè)名字,可是,它的嘴笑得咧開了。“哦,它很高興,”愛麗絲想,就繼續(xù)說了:“請(qǐng)你告訴我,離開這里應(yīng)該走哪條路?”
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
“這要看你想上哪兒去,”貓說。
‘I don't much care where—' said Alice.
“去哪里,我不大在乎。”愛麗絲說。
‘Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.
“那你走哪條路都沒關(guān)系。”貓說。
‘—so long as I get SOMEWHERE,' Alice added as an explanation.
“只要.能走到一個(gè)地方。”愛麗絲又補(bǔ)充說了一句。
‘Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, 'if you only walk long enough.'
“哦,那行,”貓說,“只要你走得很遠(yuǎn)的話。”
Alice felt that this could not be denied, so she tried another question. 'What sort of people live about here?'
愛麗絲感到這話是沒法反對(duì)的,所以她就試著提了另外的一個(gè)問題:“這周圍住些什么?”
‘In THAT direction,' the Cat said, waving its right paw round, 'lives a Hatter: and in THAT direction,' waving the other paw, 'lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad.'
“這個(gè)方向”貓說著,把右爪子揮了一圈,“住著個(gè)帽匠;那個(gè)方向,”貓又揮動(dòng)另一個(gè)爪子,“住著一只三月兔。你喜歡訪問誰(shuí)就訪問誰(shuí),他們倆都是瘋子。”
‘But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
“我可不想到瘋子中間去。”愛麗絲回答。
‘Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: 'we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
“啊,這可沒法,”貓說,“我們這兒全都是瘋的,我是瘋的,你也是瘋的。”
‘How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
“你怎么知道我是瘋的?”愛麗絲問。
‘You must be,' said the Cat, 'or you wouldn't have come here.'
“一定的,”貓說,“不然你就不會(huì)到這里來了。”
Alice didn't think that proved it at all; however, she went on 'And how do you know that you're mad?'
愛麗絲想這根本不能說明問題,不過她還是繼續(xù)問:“你又怎么知遏你是瘋子呢?”
‘To begin with,' said the Cat, 'a dog's not mad. You grant that?'
“咱們先打這里說起,”貓說,“狗是不瘋的,你同意嗎?”
‘I suppose so,' said Alice.
“也許是吧!愛麗絲說。
‘Well, then,' the Cat went on, 'you see, a dog growls when it's angry, and wags its tail when it's pleased. Now I growl when I'm pleased, and wag my tail when I'm angry. Therefore I'm mad.'
“好,那么,”貓接著說,“你知道,狗生氣時(shí)就叫,高興時(shí)就搖尾巴,可是我,卻是高興時(shí)就叫,生氣時(shí)就搖尾巴。所以,我是瘋子。”
‘I call it purring, not growling,' said Alice.
“我把這說成是打呼嚕,不是叫。”愛麗絲說。
‘Call it what you like,' said the Cat. 'Do you play croquet with the Queen to–day?'
“你怎么說都行,”貓說,“你今天同王后玩槌球嗎?”
‘I should like it very much,' said Alice, 'but I haven't been invited yet.'
“我很喜歡玩槌球,”愛麗絲說,“可是到現(xiàn)在還沒有邀請(qǐng)我嘛!”
‘You'll see me there,' said the Cat, and vanished.
“你,會(huì)在那兒看到我!”貓說著突然消失了。
Alice was not much surprised at this, she was getting so used to queer things happening. While she was looking at the place where it had been, it suddenly appeared again.
愛麗絲對(duì)這個(gè)并不太驚奇,她已經(jīng)習(xí)慣這些不斷發(fā)生的怪事了。她看著貓坐過的地方,這時(shí),貓又突然出現(xiàn)了。
‘By–the–bye, what became of the baby?' said the Cat. 'I'd nearly forgotten to ask.'
“順便問一聲,那個(gè)嬰孩變成什么了?”貓說,“我差一點(diǎn)忘了。”
‘It turned into a pig,' Alice quietly said, just as if it had come back in a natural way.
“已經(jīng)變成一只豬了。”愛麗絲平靜地回答說,就好像貓?jiān)俅纬霈F(xiàn)是正常的。
‘I thought it would,' said the Cat, and vanished again.
“我就想它會(huì)那樣的。”貓說著又消失了。
Alice waited a little, half expecting to see it again, but it did not appear, and after a minute or two she walked on in the direction in which the March Hare was said to live. 'I've seen hatters before,' she said to herself; 'the March Hare will be much the most interesting, and perhaps as this is May it won't be raving mad—at least not so mad as it was in March.' As she said this, she looked up, and there was the Cat again, sitting on a branch of a tree.
愛麗絲等了一會(huì),還希望能再看見它,可是它再?zèng)]出現(xiàn)。于是,她就朝著三月兔住的方向走去。“帽匠那兒,我也要去的。”她對(duì)自己說,“三月兔一定非常有趣,現(xiàn)在是五月,也許它不至于太瘋——至少不會(huì)比三月份瘋吧。”就在說這些話時(shí),一抬頭又看見那只貓,坐在一根樹枝上。
‘Did you say pig, or fig?' said the Cat.
“你剛才說的是豬,還是竹?”貓問。
‘I said pig,' replied Alice; 'and I wish you wouldn't keep appearing and vanishing so suddenly: you make one quite giddy.'
“我說的是豬,”愛麗絲回答,“我希望你的出現(xiàn)和消失不要太突然,這樣,把人搞得頭都暈了。”
‘All right,' said the Cat; and this time it vanished quite slowly, beginning with the end of the tail, and ending with the grin, which remained some time after the rest of it had gone.
“好,”貓答應(yīng)著。這次它消失得非常慢,從尾巴尖開始消失,一直到最后看不見它的笑臉,那個(gè)笑臉在身體消失后好久,還停留了好一會(huì)兒。
‘Well! I've often seen a cat without a grin,' thought Alice; 'but a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever saw in my life!'
“哎喲,我常??匆姏]有笑臉的貓,”愛麗絲想,“可是還從沒見過沒有貓的笑臉呢。這是我見過的最奇怪的事兒了。”
For a minute or two she stood looking at the house, and wondering what to do next, when suddenly a footman in livery came running out of the wood—(she considered him to be a footman because he was in livery: otherwise, judging by his face only, she would have called him a fish)—and rapped loudly at the door with his knuckles. It was opened by another footman in livery, with a round face, and large eyes like a frog; and both footmen, Alice noticed, had powdered hair that curled all over their heads. She felt very curious to know what it was all about, and crept a little way out of the wood to listen.
The Fish–Footman began by producing from under his arm a great letter, nearly as large as himself, and this he handed over to the other, saying, in a solemn tone, 'For the Duchess. An invitation from the Queen to play croquet.' The Frog–Footman repeated, in the same solemn tone, only changing the order of the words a little, 'From the Queen. An invitation for the Duchess to play croquet.'
Then they both bowed low, and their curls got entangled together.
Alice laughed so much at this, that she had to run back into the wood for fear of their hearing her; and when she next peeped out the Fish–Footman was gone, and the other was sitting on the ground near the door, staring stupidly up into the sky.
Alice went timidly up to the door, and knocked.
‘There's no sort of use in knocking,' said the Footman, 'and that for two reasons. First, because I'm on the same side of the door as you are; secondly, because they're making such a noise inside, no one could possibly hear you.' And certainly there was a most extraordinary noise going on within—a constant howling and sneezing, and every now and then a great crash, as if a dish or kettle had been broken to pieces.
‘Please, then,' said Alice, 'how am I to get in?'
‘There might be some sense in your knocking,' the Footman went on without attending to her, 'if we had the door between us. For instance, if you were INSIDE, you might knock, and I could let you out, you know.' He was looking up into the sky all the time he was speaking, and this Alice thought decidedly uncivil. 'But perhaps he can't help it,' she said to herself; 'his eyes are so VERY nearly at the top of his head. But at any rate he might answer questions.—How am I to get in?' she repeated, aloud.
‘I shall sit here,' the Footman remarked, 'till tomorrow—'
At this moment the door of the house opened, and a large plate came skimming out, straight at the Footman's head: it just grazed his nose, and broke to pieces against one of the trees behind him.
‘—or next day, maybe,' the Footman continued in the same tone, exactly as if nothing had happened.
‘How am I to get in?' asked Alice again, in a louder tone.
‘ARE you to get in at all?' said the Footman. 'That's the first question, you know.'
It was, no doubt: only Alice did not like to be told so. 'It's really dreadful,' she muttered to herself, 'the way all the creatures argue. It's enough to drive one crazy!'
The Footman seemed to think this a good opportunity for repeating his remark, with variations. 'I shall sit here,' he said, 'on and off, for days and days.'
‘But what am I to do?' said Alice.
‘Anything you like,' said the Footman, and began whistling.
‘Oh, there's no use in talking to him,' said Alice desperately: 'he's perfectly idiotic!' And she opened the door and went in.
The door led right into a large kitchen, which was full of smoke from one end to the other: the Duchess was sitting on a three–legged stool in the middle, nursing a baby; the cook was leaning over the fire, stirring a large cauldron which seemed to be full of soup.
‘There's certainly too much pepper in that soup!' Alice said to herself, as well as she could for sneezing.
There was certainly too much of it in the air. Even the Duchess sneezed occasionally; and as for the baby, it was sneezing and howling alternately without a moment's pause. The only things in the kitchen that did not sneeze, were the cook, and a large cat which was sitting on the hearth and grinning from ear to ear.
‘Please would you tell me,' said Alice, a little timidly, for she was not quite sure whether it was good manners for her to speak first, 'why your cat grins like that?'
‘It's a Cheshire cat,' said the Duchess, 'and that's why. Pig!'
She said the last word with such sudden violence that Alice quite jumped; but she saw in another moment that it was addressed to the baby, and not to her, so she took courage, and went on again:—
‘I didn't know that Cheshire cats always grinned; in fact, I didn't know that cats COULD grin.'
‘They all can,' said the Duchess; 'and most of 'em do.'
‘I don't know of any that do,' Alice said very politely, feeling quite pleased to have got into a conversation.
‘You don't know much,' said the Duchess; 'and that's a fact.'
Alice did not at all like the tone of this remark, and thought it would be as well to introduce some other subject of conversation. While she was trying to fix on one, the cook took the cauldron of soup off the fire, and at once set to work throwing everything within her reach at the Duchess and the baby—the fire–irons came first; then followed a shower of saucepans, plates, and dishes. The Duchess took no notice of them even when they hit her; and the baby was howling so much already, that it was quite impossible to say whether the blows hurt it or not.
‘Oh, PLEASE mind what you're doing!' cried Alice, jumping up and down in an agony of terror. 'Oh, there goes his PRECIOUS nose'; as an unusually large saucepan flew close by it, and very nearly carried it off.
‘If everybody minded their own business,' the Duchess said in a hoarse growl, 'the world would go round a deal faster than it does.'
‘Which would NOT be an advantage,' said Alice, who felt very glad to get an opportunity of showing off a little of her knowledge. 'Just think of what work it would make with the day and night! You see the earth takes twenty–four hours to turn round on its axis—'
‘Talking of axes,' said the Duchess, 'chop off her head!'
Alice glanced rather anxiously at the cook, to see if she meant to take the hint; but the cook was busily stirring the soup, and seemed not to be listening, so she went on again: 'Twenty–four hours, I THINK; or is it twelve? I—'
‘Oh, don't bother ME,' said the Duchess; 'I never could abide figures!' And with that she began nursing her child again, singing a sort of lullaby to it as she did so, and giving it a violent shake at the end of every line:
‘Speak roughly to your little boy,And beat him when he sneezes:He only does it to annoy, Because he knows it teases.'CHORUS.(In which the cook and the baby joined):—'Wow! wow! wow!'
While the Duchess sang the second verse of the song, she kept tossing the baby violently up and down, and the poor little thing howled so, that Alice could hardly hear the words:—
‘I speak severely to my boy, I beat him when he sneezes; For he can thoroughly enjoy The pepper when he pleases!' CHORUS. 'Wow! wow! wow!'
‘Here! you may nurse it a bit, if you like!' the Duchess said to Alice, flinging the baby at her as she spoke. 'I must go and get ready to play croquet with the Queen,' and she hurried out of the room. The cook threw a frying–pan after her as she went out, but it just missed her.
Alice caught the baby with some difficulty, as it was a queer–shaped little creature, and held out its arms and legs in all directions, 'just like a star–fish,' thought Alice. The poor little thing was snorting like a steam–engine when she caught it, and kept doubling itself up and straightening itself out again, so that altogether, for the first minute or two, it was as much as she could do to hold it.
As soon as she had made out the proper way of nursing it, (which was to twist it up into a sort of knot, and then keep tight hold of its right ear and left foot, so as to prevent its undoing itself,) she carried it out into the open air. 'IF I don't take this child away with me,' thought Alice, 'they're sure to kill it in a day or two: wouldn't it be murder to leave it behind?' She said the last words out loud, and the little thing grunted in reply (it had left off sneezing by this time). 'Don't grunt,' said Alice; 'that's not at all a proper way of expressing yourself.'
The baby grunted again, and Alice looked very anxiously into its face to see what was the matter with it. There could be no doubt that it had a VERY turn–up nose, much more like a snout than a real nose; also its eyes were getting extremely small for a baby: altogether Alice did not like the look of the thing at all. 'But perhaps it was only sobbing,' she thought, and looked into its eyes again, to see if there were any tears.
No, there were no tears. 'If you're going to turn into a pig, my dear,' said Alice, seriously, 'I'll have nothing more to do with you. Mind now!' The poor little thing sobbed again (or grunted, it was impossible to say which), and they went on for some while in silence.
Alice was just beginning to think to herself, 'Now, what am I to do with this creature when I get it home?' when it grunted again, so violently, that she looked down into its face in some alarm. This time there could be NO mistake about it: it was neither more nor less than a pig, and she felt that it would be quite absurd for her to carry it further.
So she set the little creature down, and felt quite relieved to see it trot away quietly into the wood. 'If it had grown up,' she said to herself, 'it would have made a dreadfully ugly child: but it makes rather a handsome pig, I think.' And she began thinking over other children she knew, who might do very well as pigs, and was just saying to herself, 'if one only knew the right way to change them—' when she was a little startled by seeing the Cheshire Cat sitting on a bough of a tree a few yards off.
The Cat only grinned when it saw Alice. It looked good–natured, she thought: still it had VERY long claws and a great many teeth, so she felt that it ought to be treated with respect.
‘Cheshire Puss,' she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider. 'Come, it's pleased so far,' thought Alice, and she went on. 'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
‘I don't much care where—' said Alice.
‘Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.
‘—so long as I get SOMEWHERE,' Alice added as an explanation.
‘Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, 'if you only walk long enough.'
Alice felt that this could not be denied, so she tried another question. 'What sort of people live about here?'
‘In THAT direction,' the Cat said, waving its right paw round, 'lives a Hatter: and in THAT direction,' waving the other paw, 'lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad.'
‘But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
‘Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: 'we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
‘How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
‘You must be,' said the Cat, 'or you wouldn't have come here.'
Alice didn't think that proved it at all; however, she went on 'And how do you know that you're mad?'
‘To begin with,' said the Cat, 'a dog's not mad. You grant that?'
‘I suppose so,' said Alice.
‘Well, then,' the Cat went on, 'you see, a dog growls when it's angry, and wags its tail when it's pleased. Now I growl when I'm pleased, and wag my tail when I'm angry. Therefore I'm mad.'
‘I call it purring, not growling,' said Alice.
‘Call it what you like,' said the Cat. 'Do you play croquet with the Queen to–day?'
‘I should like it very much,' said Alice, 'but I haven't been invited yet.'
‘You'll see me there,' said the Cat, and vanished.
Alice was not much surprised at this, she was getting so used to queer things happening. While she was looking at the place where it had been, it suddenly appeared again.
‘By–the–bye, what became of the baby?' said the Cat. 'I'd nearly forgotten to ask.'
‘It turned into a pig,' Alice quietly said, just as if it had come back in a natural way.
‘I thought it would,' said the Cat, and vanished again.
Alice waited a little, half expecting to see it again, but it did not appear, and after a minute or two she walked on in the direction in which the March Hare was said to live. 'I've seen hatters before,' she said to herself; 'the March Hare will be much the most interesting, and perhaps as this is May it won't be raving mad—at least not so mad as it was in March.' As she said this, she looked up, and there was the Cat again, sitting on a branch of a tree.
‘Did you say pig, or fig?' said the Cat.
‘I said pig,' replied Alice; 'and I wish you wouldn't keep appearing and vanishing so suddenly: you make one quite giddy.'
‘All right,' said the Cat; and this time it vanished quite slowly, beginning with the end of the tail, and ending with the grin, which remained some time after the rest of it had gone.
‘Well! I've often seen a cat without a grin,' thought Alice; 'but a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever saw in my life!'
?她站在小房跟前看了一兩分鐘,想著下一步該干什么。突然間,一個(gè)穿著制服的仆人(她認(rèn)為仆人是由于穿著仆人的制服,如果只看他的臉,會(huì)把他看成一條魚的)從樹林跑來,用腳使勁兒地踢著門。另一個(gè)穿著制服,長(zhǎng)著圓臉龐和像青蛙一樣大眼睛的仆人開了門,愛麗絲注意到這兩個(gè)仆人,都戴著涂了脂的假發(fā)。她非常想知道這到底是怎么回事,于是就從樹林里探出頭來聽。
魚仆人從胳膊下面拿出一封很大的信,這信幾乎有他身子那么大,然后把信遞給那一個(gè),同時(shí)還用嚴(yán)肅的聲調(diào)說:“致公爵夫人:王后邀請(qǐng)她去玩槌球。”那位青蛙仆人只不過把語(yǔ)序變了一下,用同樣嚴(yán)肅的聲調(diào)重復(fù)著說:“王后的邀請(qǐng):請(qǐng)公爵夫人去玩槌球。”
然后他們倆都深深地鞠了個(gè)躬,這使得他們的假發(fā)纏在一起了。
這情景惹得愛麗絲要發(fā)笑了,她不得不遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)地跑進(jìn)樹林里,免得被他們聽到。她再出來偷看時(shí),魚仆人已經(jīng)走了,另一位坐在門口的地上,呆呆地望著天空愣神。
愛麗絲怯生生地走到門口,敲了門。
“敲門沒用。”那位仆人說,“這有兩個(gè)原因:第一,因?yàn)槲彝阋粯樱荚陂T外,第二,他們?cè)诶锩娉吵橙氯?,根本不?huì)聽到敲門聲。”確實(shí),里面?zhèn)鱽砹撕芴貏e的吵鬧聲:有不斷的嚎叫聲,有打噴嚏聲,還不時(shí)有打碎東西的聲音,好像是打碎盤子或瓷壺的聲音。
“那么,請(qǐng)告訴我,”愛麗絲說,“我怎么進(jìn)去呢?”
“如果這扇門在我們之間,你敲門,可能還有意義,”那仆人并不注意愛麗絲,繼續(xù)說著,“假如,你在里面敲門,我就能讓你出來。”他說話時(shí),一直盯著天空,愛麗絲認(rèn)為這是很不禮貌的。“也許他沒有辦法,”她對(duì)自己說,“他的兩只眼睛幾乎長(zhǎng)到頭頂上了,但至少是可以回答問題的,我該怎樣進(jìn)去呢?”因此,她又大聲重復(fù)地說。
“我坐在這里,”那仆人繼續(xù)說他的,“直到明天……”
就在這時(shí),這個(gè)房子的門開了,一只大盤子朝仆人的頭飛來,掠過他的鼻子,在他身后的一棵樹上撞碎了。
“……或者再過一天。”仆人繼續(xù)用同樣的口吻說,就像什么也沒發(fā)生過。
“我該怎么進(jìn)去呢?”愛麗絲更大聲地問,
“你到底要不要進(jìn)去呢?”仆人說,“要知道這是該首先決定的問題,”
這當(dāng)然是對(duì)的,不過愛麗絲不愿意承認(rèn)這點(diǎn),“真討厭,”她對(duì)自己喃喃地說道,“這些生物討論問題的方法真能叫人發(fā)瘋。”
那仆人似乎認(rèn)為是重復(fù)自己的話的好機(jī)會(huì),不過稍微改變了一點(diǎn)兒說法:“我將從早到晚坐在這幾,一天又一天地坐下去。”
“可是我該干什么呢?”愛麗絲說,
“你想干什么就干什么?”仆人說服就吹起口哨來了。
“唉,同他說話沒用!”愛麗絲失望地說,“他完全是個(gè)白癡!”然后她就推開門自己進(jìn)去了。
這門直通一間大廚房,廚房里充滿了煙霧,公爵夫人在房子中間,坐在—只三腿小凳上照料一個(gè)小孩。廚師俯身在爐子上的一只人鍋里攪拌著,鍋里好像盛滿了湯。
“湯里的胡椒確實(shí)太多了!”愛麗絲費(fèi)勁兒地對(duì)自己說,并不停地打著噴嚏。
空氣里的胡椒味也確實(shí)太濃了,連公爵夫人也常常打噴嚏。至于那個(gè)嬰孩,不是打噴嚏就是嚎叫,一刻也不停。這間廚房里只有兩個(gè)生物不打噴嚏,就是女廚師和一只大貓,那只貓正趴在爐子旁,咧著嘴笑哩。
“請(qǐng)告訴我,”愛麗絲有點(diǎn)膽怯地問,因?yàn)樗€不十分清楚自己先開口合不合規(guī)矩,“為什么你的貓能笑呢?”
“它是柴郡貓(郡:英國(guó)的行政區(qū)域單位,柴郡為一個(gè)郡的名稱,由于本書影響,現(xiàn)在西方人都把露齒傻笑的人稱為柴郡貓。),”公爵夫人說,“這就是為什么它會(huì)笑了。豬!”
公爵夫人兇狠地說出的最后的—個(gè)字,把愛麗絲嚇了一大跳。但是,愛麗絲馬上發(fā)覺她正在同嬰孩說話,而不是對(duì)自己說,于是她又鼓起了勇氣,繼續(xù)說:
“我還不知道柴郡貓經(jīng)常笑,實(shí)際上,我壓根兒不知道貓會(huì)笑的。”
“它們都會(huì)的,”公爵夫人說,“起碼大多數(shù)都會(huì)笑的。”
“我連一只都沒見過。”愛麗絲非常有禮貌地說,并對(duì)這場(chǎng)開始了的談話感到高興。
“你知道的太少了,”公爵夫人說,“這是個(gè)事實(shí)。”
愛麗絲不喜歡這種談話的口氣,想最好換個(gè)話題,她正在想話題的時(shí)候,女廚師把湯鍋從火上端開了,然后立即把她隨手能拿著的每件東西扔向公爵夫人和嬰孩。火鉤子第一個(gè)飛來,然后,平底鍋、盆子、盤子像暴風(fēng)雨似地飛來了。公爵夫人根本不理會(huì),甚至打到身上都沒反應(yīng)。而那嬰孩早已經(jīng)拼命地嚎叫了,也不知道這些東西打到了他身上沒有。
“喂,當(dāng)心點(diǎn)!”愛麗絲喊著,嚇得心頭不住地跳,“哎喲,他那小鼻子完了。”真的,一只特大平底鍋緊擦著鼻子飛過,差點(diǎn)就把鼻子削掉了。
“如果每個(gè)人都關(guān)心自己的事,”公爵夫人嘶啞著嗓子嘟噴著說,“地球就會(huì)比現(xiàn)在轉(zhuǎn)得快一些。”
“這沒好處,”愛麗絲說,她很高興有個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)顯示一下自己的知識(shí),“你想想這會(huì)給白天和黑夜帶來什么結(jié)果呢?要知道地球繞軸轉(zhuǎn)一回要用二十四個(gè)鐘頭。”
“說什么?”公爵夫人說,“把她的頭砍掉!”
愛麗絲相當(dāng)不安地瞧了女廚師一眼,看她是不是準(zhǔn)備執(zhí)行這個(gè)命令,女廚師正忙著攪湯,好像根本沒聽到,于是愛麗絲又繼續(xù)說:“我想是二十四個(gè)小時(shí),或許是十二個(gè)小時(shí),我……”
“唉,別打擾我!”公爵夫人說,“我受不了數(shù)字!”她說著照料孩子去了,她哄孩子時(shí)唱著一種催睡曲,唱到每句的末尾,都要把孩子猛烈地?fù)u兒下。
“對(duì)你的小男孩要粗暴地說話,在他打噴嚏的時(shí)候就讀他,因?yàn)樗@樣只是為了搗亂,他只不過是在撒嬌和賣傻。”合唱(女廚師和小孩也參加):哇!哇!哇!
公爵夫人唱第二段歌時(shí),把嬰孩猛烈地扔上扔下,可憐的小家伙沒命地嚎哭,所以愛麗絲幾乎都聽不清唱詞了:
“我對(duì)我的小孩說話嚴(yán)厲,他一打噴嚏我就讀他個(gè)夠味,因?yàn)樗灰吲d,隨時(shí)可以欣賞胡椒的味道。”合唱:哇!哇!哇!
“來!如果你愿意的話,抱他一會(huì)兒!”公爵夫人一邊對(duì)愛麗絲說,一邊就把小孩扔給她,“我要同王后玩鏈球去了,得準(zhǔn)備一下。”說著就急忙地走出了房間。她往外走時(shí),女廚師從后自向她扔了只炸油鍋,但是沒打著。
愛麗絲費(fèi)勁兒地抓住那個(gè)小孩,因?yàn)樗莻€(gè)樣子奇特的小生物,他的胳膊和腿向各個(gè)方向伸展,“真像只海星,”愛麗絲想,她抓著他時(shí),這可憐的小家伙像蒸汽機(jī)樣地哼哼著,還把身子一會(huì)兒蜷曲起來,一會(huì)兒伸開,就這樣不停地折騰,搞得愛麗絲在最初的一兩分鐘里,只能勉強(qiáng)把他抓住。
她剛找到—種拿住他的辦法(把他像打結(jié)一樣團(tuán)在一起,然后抓緊他的右耳朵和左腳,他就不能伸開了)時(shí),就把他帶到屋子外面的露天地方去了。“如果我不把嬰孩帶走,”愛麗絲想,“她們肯定在一兩天里就會(huì)把他打死的。把他扔在這里不就害了他嗎?”最后一句她說出聲來了,那小家伙咕嚕了一聲作為回答(這段時(shí)間他已經(jīng)不打噴嚏了)。別咕嚕,”愛麗絲說,“你這樣太不像樣子了。”
那嬰孩又咕嚕了一聲,愛麗絲很不安地看了看他的臉,想知道是怎么回事。只見他鼻子朝天,根本不像個(gè)常人樣,倒像個(gè)豬鼻子;他的眼睛也變得很小不像個(gè)嬰孩了。愛麗絲不喜歡這副模樣。“也許他在哭吧,”愛麗絲想。她就看看他的眼睛,有沒有眼淚。
沒有,一點(diǎn)兒眼淚也沒有。“如果你變成了一只豬,”愛麗絲嚴(yán)肅地說,“聽著,我可再不理你了!”那可憐的小家伙又抽泣了一聲(或者說又咕嚕了—聲,很難說到底是哪種),然后他們就默默地走了一會(huì)兒。
愛麗絲正在想:“我回家可把這小生物怎么辦呢?,這時(shí),他又猛烈地咕嚕了一聲,愛麗絲馬上警覺地朝下看他的臉。這次一點(diǎn)兒都不會(huì)錯(cuò)了,它完全是只豬。她感到如果再帶著它就太可笑了。
于是她把這小生物放下,看著它很快地跑進(jìn)樹林,感到十分輕松。“如果它長(zhǎng)大的話,愛麗絲對(duì)自己說,“一定會(huì)成為可怕的丑孩子,要不就成為個(gè)漂亮的豬。”然后,她去一個(gè)個(gè)想她認(rèn)識(shí)的孩子,看看誰(shuí)如果變成豬更像樣些,她剛想對(duì)自己說:“只要有人告訴他們變化的辦法……”,這時(shí),那只柴郡貓把她嚇了一跳,它正坐在幾碼遠(yuǎn)的樹枝上。
貓對(duì)愛麗絲只是笑,看起來倒是好脾氣。愛麗絲想,不過它還是有很長(zhǎng)的爪子和許多牙齒,因此還應(yīng)該對(duì)它尊敬點(diǎn)。
“柴郡貓,”她膽怯地說。還不知道它喜歡不喜歡這個(gè)名字,可是,它的嘴笑得咧開了。“哦,它很高興,”愛麗絲想,就繼續(xù)說了:“請(qǐng)你告訴我,離開這里應(yīng)該走哪條路?”
“這要看你想上哪兒去,”貓說。
“去哪里,我不大在乎。”愛麗絲說。
“那你走哪條路都沒關(guān)系。”貓說。
“只要.能走到一個(gè)地方。”愛麗絲又補(bǔ)充說了一句。
“哦,那行,”貓說,“只要你走得很遠(yuǎn)的話。”
愛麗絲感到這話是沒法反對(duì)的,所以她就試著提了另外的一個(gè)問題:“這周圍住些什么?”
“這個(gè)方向”貓說著,把右爪子揮了一圈,“住著個(gè)帽匠;那個(gè)方向,”貓又揮動(dòng)另一個(gè)爪子,“住著一只三月兔。你喜歡訪問誰(shuí)就訪問誰(shuí),他們倆都是瘋子。”
“我可不想到瘋子中間去。”愛麗絲回答。
“啊,這可沒法,”貓說,“我們這兒全都是瘋的,我是瘋的,你也是瘋的。”
“你怎么知道我是瘋的?”愛麗絲問。
“一定的,”貓說,“不然你就不會(huì)到這里來了。”
愛麗絲想這根本不能說明問題,不過她還是繼續(xù)問:“你又怎么知遏你是瘋子呢?”
“咱們先打這里說起,”貓說,“狗是不瘋的,你同意嗎?”
“也許是吧!愛麗絲說。
“好,那么,”貓接著說,“你知道,狗生氣時(shí)就叫,高興時(shí)就搖尾巴,可是我,卻是高興時(shí)就叫,生氣時(shí)就搖尾巴。所以,我是瘋子。”
“我把這說成是打呼嚕,不是叫。”愛麗絲說。
“你怎么說都行,”貓說,“你今天同王后玩槌球嗎?”
“我很喜歡玩槌球,”愛麗絲說,“可是到現(xiàn)在還沒有邀請(qǐng)我嘛!”
“你,會(huì)在那兒看到我!”貓說著突然消失了。
愛麗絲對(duì)這個(gè)并不太驚奇,她已經(jīng)習(xí)慣這些不斷發(fā)生的怪事了。她看著貓坐過的地方,這時(shí),貓又突然出現(xiàn)了。
“順便問一聲,那個(gè)嬰孩變成什么了?”貓說,“我差一點(diǎn)忘了。”
“已經(jīng)變成一只豬了。”愛麗絲平靜地回答說,就好像貓?jiān)俅纬霈F(xiàn)是正常的。
“我就想它會(huì)那樣的。”貓說著又消失了。
愛麗絲等了一會(huì),還希望能再看見它,可是它再?zèng)]出現(xiàn)。于是,她就朝著三月兔住的方向走去。“帽匠那兒,我也要去的。”她對(duì)自己說,“三月兔一定非常有趣,現(xiàn)在是五月,也許它不至于太瘋——至少不會(huì)比三月份瘋吧。”就在說這些話時(shí),一抬頭又看見那只貓,坐在一根樹枝上。
“你剛才說的是豬,還是竹?”貓問。
“我說的是豬,”愛麗絲回答,“我希望你的出現(xiàn)和消失不要太突然,這樣,把人搞得頭都暈了。”
“好,”貓答應(yīng)著。這次它消失得非常慢,從尾巴尖開始消失,一直到最后看不見它的笑臉,那個(gè)笑臉在身體消失后好久,還停留了好一會(huì)兒。
“哎喲,我常??匆姏]有笑臉的貓,”愛麗絲想,“可是還從沒見過沒有貓的笑臉呢。這是我見過的最奇怪的事兒了。”