Алиса в Стране чудес / Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Алиса в Зазеркалье / Through the Looking-glass, and What Alice Found There

“The first thing I must do,” said Alice to herself, “is to grow to my right size again; and the second thing is to find my way into that lovely garden. I think that will be the best plan.”

It sounded an excellent plan, no doubt; the only difficulty was: she had not the smallest idea how to start. I suppose I must eat or drink something; but the great question is, what?” Alice looked all round her at the flowers and the grass, but she did not see anything that looked like the right thing to eat or drink under the circumstances. There was a large mushroom growing near her, about the same height as herself;[76 - about the same height as herself – примерно ее роста] so she looked under it, and on both sides of it, and behind it, and then she decided to see what was on the top of it.

When she looked over the edge of the mushroom, her eyes immediately met the eyes of a large caterpillar that was sitting on the top, quietly smoking a long hookah.

Chapter 5. Advice from a Caterpillar

The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and said in a sleepy voice: “Who are YOU?”

Alice answered shyly, “I am not sure now. At least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning but I have changed several times since then.[77 - I have changed several times since then – Но с тех пор я несколько раз менялась]

“What do you mean by that?” said the Caterpillar. “Explain yourself!”

“I can’t explain MYSELF, I’m afraid, sir” said Alice, “because I’m not myself, you see.”

“I don’t see,” said the Caterpillar.

“I’m afraid I can’t explain it more clearly,” Alice answered very politely, “because I can’t understand it myself.”

“You!” said the Caterpillar thoughtfully. “Who are YOU?”

And they were at the beginning of the conversation again. Alice drew herself up and said seriously: “I think, you must tell me who YOU are, first.”

“Why?” said the Caterpillar.

It was another difficult question; and as Alice could not think of any good reason,[78 - Alice could not think of any good reason – Алиса не могла придумать ни одной хорошей причины] she turned away.

“Come back!” the Caterpillar called her. “I’ve something important to say![79 - I’ve something important to say! – У меня есть что-то важное, что я хочу сказать!]”

Alice turned and came back again.

“Keep your temper,” said the Caterpillar.

“Is that all?” said Alice, hiding her anger as well as she could.

“No,” said the Caterpillar.

For some minutes it didn’t say anything, but at last it took the hookah out of its mouth and said, “So you think you’re changed, do you?”

“I’m afraid I am, sir,” said Alice; “I don’t keep the same size for ten minutes!”

“What size do you want to be?” it asked.

“Oh, it’s not actually the size,[80 - It’s not actually the size – Вообще-то дело не в размере]” Alice answered; “it’s just not very pleasant to change so often, you know.”

“I DON’T know,” said the Caterpillar.

Alice said nothing: she felt that she was losing her temper.

“Is it fine now?” said the Caterpillar.

“Well, I would like[81 - I would like – мне бы хотелось] to be a LITTLE larger, sir,” said Alice: “three inches is not the best height.”

“It is a very good height!” said the Caterpillar angrily (it was exactly three inches high).

“But it’s not usual for me!” answered poor Alice. And she thought to herself, “The creatures here are so easily offended![82 - are so easily offended – такие обидчивые]”

“You’ll get used to it in time,” said the Caterpillar; and it put the hookah into its mouth and began smoking again.

This time Alice waited patiently until it spoke again. In a minute or two the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth and yawned once or twice. Then it got down off the mushroom and crawled away in the grass, telling Alice, “One side will help you grow taller, and the other side will help you grow shorter.”

“One side of WHAT? The other side of WHAT?” thought Alice to herself.

“Of the mushroom,” said the Caterpillar, just as if she had asked it aloud;[83 - as if she had asked it aloud – как будто она спросила вслух] and in another moment it was out of sight.

Alice looked at the mushroom thoughtfully for a minute and at last she put her arms around it as far as she could and broke off a piece of the mushroom with each hand. Then she very carefully started nibbling first at one piece and then at the other, and growing sometimes taller and sometimes shorter, until she was her usual height again.[84 - until she was her usual height again – до тех пор, пока она снова не стала нормального роста]

“Now I’m back to my right size: the next thing is to get into that beautiful garden – how can I do that, I wonder?” As she said this, she suddenly came to a little house about four feet high. “It’s not a good idea to come to those who live here THIS size – they will be very frightened!” So she started nibbling at the piece of the mushroom in her right hand again and soon she was only nine inches high.

Chapter 6. Pig and Pepper

For a minute or two Alice stood looking at the house, and thinking what to do next, when suddenly a footman in livery ran out of the wood (actually it was a fish in livery) and knocked loudly at the door. The door was opened by another footman[85 - The door was opened by another footman – Дверь открыл другой лакей] in livery, with large eyes like a frog’s;[86 - like a frog’s – как у лягушки] and both footmen, Alice noticed, had curled powdered hair. She felt very curious, and walked a little out of the wood to listen.[87 - walked a little out of the wood to listen – вышла немного из леса, чтобы послушать]

The Fish-Footman took a great letter from under his arm and gave it to the other footman, 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, “From the Queen. An invitation for the Duchess to play croquet.”

Then they both bowed low, and their curls got entangled together.[88 - their curls got entangled together – их кудри запутались]

Alice laughed so much at this that she had to[89 - she had to – ей пришлось] run back into the wood because the creatures could hear her. When she looked out of the wood again she saw only the Frog-footman sitting on the ground near the door.

Alice went shyly up to the door and knocked.

“There’s no use in knocking,[90 - There’s no use in knocking – Нет смысла стучать]” said the Footman, “for two reasons. Firstly, 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 hear you.” And really there was a great noise in the house.

“Please,” said Alice, “how can I get in?”

“I shall sit here,” the Footman said, “till tomorrow – ”

At this moment the door of the house opened, and a large plate came flying out and broke to pieces against one of the trees behind the Footman.

“ – or next day, maybe,” the Footman continued in the same tone.

“But what am I to do?[91 - But what am I to do? – Но что мне делать?]” said Alice.

“Anything you like,[92 - Anything you like – Все, что тебе нравится]” replied the Footman, and began whistling.

“Oh, there’s no use in talking to him!” said Alice, opened the door and went in.

Behind the door was a large kitchen full of smoke. The Duchess was sitting on a stool in the middle, nursing a baby; the cook was cooking soup.