Алиса в Зазеркалье / Through the Looking-glass, and What Alice Found There

“Only think how nice it would be if you could go home without a name! For example, if the governess wanted to call you to your lessons, she would say “come here … ,” and there she would have to stop, because she didn’t know your name, and of course you wouldn’t have to go, you know.”

“That would never happen, I’m sure,” said Alice. “If she couldn’t remember my name, she’d call me ‘Miss!’.”

“Well, if she said ‘Miss,’ and didn’t say anything more,” the Gnat said, “of course you’d miss [22 - miss – слово-омоним: Мисс (как обращение), пропускать (зд. игра слов)]your lessons. That’s a joke.”

Alice looked up, but the Gnat wasn’t there! Alice got up and walked on.

Soon she came to an open field, with a wood on the other side: it looked much darker than the last wood, and Alice was a little afraid. However, she decided to go on. This was the only way to the Eighth Square.

“Maybe this is the wood,” she said to herself, “where things have no names. I wonder what’ll become of my name when I go in?”

She reached the wood. It was very cool there. Once in the wood, she suddenly realized that she forgot her name!

Just then a Fawn [23 - fawn – лань]came out. It looked at Alice with its large gentle eyes. It wasn’t frightened.

“What’s your name?” the Fawn said at last.

“I wish I knew!” thought poor Alice. She answered, rather sadly, “I don’t know.”

“Think again,” it said, “that won’t do[24 - that won’t do – так дело не пойдет].”

Alice thought, but nothing came of it. “Please, would you tell me what is your name?” she said. “I think it can help me.”

“I’ll tell you, but not here,” the Fawn said. “I can’t remember.”

So they walked on together through the wood. They came out into another field, and here the Fawn said, “I’m a Fawn! And you’re a human child!” and in another moment it ran away.

Alice stood looking after it. “I know my name now.” she said, “Alice … Alice … I won’t forget it again! And now, which way should I go?”

It was not very difficult, because there was only one road through the wood. She went on and on, but then she saw two finger-posts [25 - finger-posts – дорожные указатели]which were pointing the same way. One was marked “To Tweedledum’s house and the other “To the house of Tweedledee. “I think,” said Alice at last, “that they live in the same house!” So she went on, till she saw two fat little men. It was so sudden! But in another moment she understood that they were Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

Exercises

1. Choose the right statement:

1. Alice didn’t like the Fawn.

2. Alice lost her ticket to the train.

3. Alice forgot her name in the wood.

4. Alice loved the insects very much.

2. Why was the Guard so angry with Alice?

1. She didn’t have a ticket.

2. She was very noisy.

3. She had a lot of luggage.

4. She forgot her name.

3. Did Alice like insects?

1. Yes, she liked them, especially big insects.

2. Yes, she liked them, because they could talk.

3. No, she didn’t like them, because she was afraid of them.

4. No, she didn’t like them, because they could talk.

4. Why couldn’t Alice and the Fawn remember their names?

1. They had no names at all.

2. They had a vey bad memory.

3. Somebody stole their names.

4. They were in the wood, where all the things had no names.

5. Find the right statement:

1. Alice was happy when the Fawn ran away, because it was very ugly.

2. The Fawn was afraid of Alice and ran away.

3. The Fawn wasn’t afraid of Alice and it helped Alice to remember her name.

4. Alice was sad when the Fawn ran away, because she didn’t know her name.

6. Was it easy to find a way out of the wood?

1. Yes, it was. There was only one road in the wood.

2. Yes, it was. There were a lot of finger-points in the wood.

3. No, it wasn’t. There were a lot of twisting roads in the wood.

4. No, it wasn’t. Nobody wanted to help Alice.

7. Insert the right prepositions:

in, at, next to, to, for

1. Alice was silent …… a minute or two.