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

“Of course not,” Alice replied readily: “but that’s because it stays the same year for a long time.”

“So does MINE,[113 - So does MINE – Мои (часы) тоже]” said the Hatter.

“I don’t quite understand you,” Alice said, as politely as she could.

“Well, you know, we quarreled with Time last March – just before HE went mad – ” (pointing at the March Hare,) “ – it was at the great concert given by the Queen of Hearts where I had to sing.[114 - where I had to sing – где мне пришлось петь] I hadn’t finished the first part of the song when the Queen shouted: “He’s murdering the time! Off with his head![115 - Off with his head! – Отрубить ему голову!]”

“Oh, how cruel!” exclaimed Alice.

“And since that,” the Hatter went on sadly, “it’s always six o’clock now.”

A bright idea came into Alice’s head. “Is that why so many tea-things are here?” she asked.

“Yes, that’s it,” said the Hatter with a sigh: “it’s always tea-time, and we’ve no time to wash the things.”

“Then you move round all the time, I suppose?” said Alice.

“Exactly so,” said the Hatter.

“But what happens when you come to the beginning again?” Alice decided to ask.

“Let’s change the subject,” the March Hare yawned. “I think the lady will tell us a story.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know any,” said Alice.

“Then take some more tea,” the March Hare told Alice very seriously.

“I’ve had no tea yet,[116 - I’ve had no tea yet – Я еще не пила чай]” Alice replied in an offended tone, “so I can’t take more.”

“You mean you can’t take LESS,” said the Hatter: “it’s very easy to take MORE than nothing.”

Alice helped herself to some tea and bread-and-butter.[117 - Alice helped herself to some tea and bread-and-butter – Алиса налила себе чаю и взяла бутерброд с маслом]

“I want a clean cup,” suddenly said the Hatter: “let’s all move one place on.[118 - let’s all move one place on – давайте все передвинемся на одно место]”

He moved on, and the Dormouse moved on too: the March Hare moved into the Dormouse’s place, and Alice unwillingly took the place of the March Hare. But only the Hatter had a clean cup. Alice got the plate and the cup after the March Hare.

She didn’t like it at all, so she stood up, and walked away; the Dormouse fell asleep, and nobody called her back. When she turned to look at them she saw that they were trying to put the Dormouse into the teapot.

“I’ll never go THERE again!” said Alice as she was walking through the wood. “It’s the stupidest tea-party I ever was at in all my life!”

Just as she said this, she noticed that one of the trees had a door in it. “That’s very curious!” she thought. “But everything’s curious today. I think I will go in at once.” And she went in.

Once more she was in the long hall, and near the little glass table. “I’ll do better this time,” she said to herself, and first took the little golden key and unlocked the door into the garden. Then she nibbled at the mushroom a few times (a piece of it was in her pocket) till she was about a foot high: then she walked down the little corridor behind the door: and THEN – at last she was in the beautiful garden, among the bright flower-beds and the cool fountains.

Chapter 8. The Queen’s Croquet-Ground

A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses were white, but there were three gardeners painting them red. Alice thought this was very curious, and she went nearer to watch them. They were quarrelling. Suddenly one of the gardeners noticed Alice who was standing and watching them. The others saw her too and all of them bowed low.

“Would you tell me,[119 - Would you tell me… – не скажете ли вы…]” said Alice, a little timidly, “why you are painting those roses?”

One of the gardeners whose name was Two[120 - Речь идет об игральных картах. Two – двойка, Five – пятерка. Карточные масти: clubs – трефы, diamonds – бубны, spades – пики, hearts – червы.] explained: “It must be a RED rose-tree but we planted a white rose-tree by mistake. If the Queen knows about it we will all have our heads cut off.[121 - we will all have our heads cut off – нам всем отрубят головы] So we are doing what we can before she comes…” At this moment the gardener whose name was Five cried: “The Queen! The Queen!” and the three gardeners fell down onto the ground. Alice heard the sound of many footsteps and looked round to see the Queen.

First came ten soldiers who looked like the three gardeners, with their hands and feet at the corners; next were the ten courtiers ornamented with diamonds. Then came ten royal children; they were all ornamented with hearts. Next came the guests, mostly Kings and Queens, and among them Alice recognised the White Rabbit: it didn’t notice her. Then followed the Knave of Hearts,[122 - the Knave of Hearts – валет червей] carrying the King’s crown on a cushion; and last came THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS.

Alice stood still and waited. When the procession came near her, they all stopped and looked at her.

“What’s your name, child?” the Queen asked turning to Alice.

“My name is Alice, your Majesty,” said Alice very politely. And she added to herself, “They’re only a pack of cards. It’s stupid to be afraid of them!”

“And who are THESE?” said the Queen, pointing at the three gardeners lying round the rose-tree.

“How can I know?” said Alice, surprised at her own courage. “It’s no business of MINE.[123 - It’s no business of MINE – Это не мое дело]”

The Queen became red with anger and screamed “Off with her head! Off – ”

“Nonsense!” said Alice, very loudly and decidedly, and the Queen was silent.

The King put his hand upon her arm, and timidly said “My dear, she is only a child!”

“Can you play croquet?[124 - croquet – спортивная игра, участники которой ударами специальных молотков (mallets) на длинной ручке проводят шары (balls) через воротца (arches), расставленные на площадке (croquet-ground) в определенном порядке.]” the Queen shouted her question after a pause.

The soldiers were silent, and looked at Alice, as the question was for her.

“Yes!” Alice shouted back.

“Come on, then!” shouted the Queen, and Alice joined the procession.

“It’s – it’s a very fine day!” said a timid voice near her. She was walking near the White Rabbit, who was looking anxiously into her face.

“Very,” said Alice: “ – where’s the Duchess?”

“Hush! Hush![125 - Hush! Hush! – Тсс! Тсс!]” said the Rabbit in a low tone. He looked anxiously around and whispered into Alice’s ear “She will be executed.[126 - She will be executed – Ее казнят]”

“What for?” said Alice.

“Did you say “What a pity!”?” the Rabbit asked.

“No, I didn’t,” said Alice: “I don’t think it’s a pity. I said “What for?””

“She boxed the Queen’s ears[127 - She boxed the Queen’s ears – Она дала Королеве по уху] – ” the Rabbit began. Alice laughed. “Oh, hush!” the Rabbit whispered in a frightened tone. “The Queen will hear you! You see, she came late, and the Queen said – ”

“Get to your places!” shouted the Queen very loudly and the game began. Alice had never seen such a curious croquet-ground in her life: the balls were live hedgehogs, the mallets live flamingoes and the arches were made of soldiers.

The main difficulty for Alice was to[128 - The main difficulty for Alice was to… – Самым трудным для Алисы было…] use her flamingo: when she was going to hit the hedgehog with its head, it looked up in her face with such a puzzled expression that she began laughing; when she was ready to begin again the hedgehog was crawling away. So Alice soon came to the conclusion that it was really a very difficult game.

The players all played at once without waiting for each other, quarrelling all the time, and fighting for the hedgehogs; very soon the Queen became furious and shouted “Off with his head!” or “Off with her head!” every minute.