“Only a thimble |наперсток|,” said Alice sadly.
“Hand it over here,” |Передай сюда| said the Dodo.
Then they all crowded round her once more, while the Dodo solemnly |торжественно| presented the thimble, saying “We beg your acceptance |Мы просим принять| of this elegant thimble;” and, when it had finished this short speech, they all cheered.
Alice thought the whole thing very absurd, but they all looked so grave that she did not dare to laugh; and, as she could not think of anything to say, she simply bowed |поклонилась|, and took the thimble, looking as solemn as she could.
The next thing was to eat the comfits: this caused some noise and confusion, as the large birds complained that they could not taste theirs, and the small ones choked |поперхнулись| and had to be patted |надо было похлопать| on the back. However, it was over at last, and they sat down again in a ring, and begged the Mouse to tell them something more.
“You promised to tell me your history, you know,” said Alice, “and why it is you hate – C and D |Алиса имеет в виду кошек и собак|,” she added in a whisper, half afraid that it would be offended again.
“Mine is a long and a sad tale |история|!” said the Mouse, turning to Alice, and sighing.
“It is a long tail |хвост. Игра слов a tale и a tail|, certainly,” said Alice, looking down with wonder at the Mouse’s tail; “but why do you call it sad?” And she kept on puzzling |долго удивлялась| about it while the Mouse was speaking, so that her idea of the tale was something like this:
“Fury |здесь – пушистый| said to a
mouse, That he
met in the
house,
‘Let us
both go to
law |поступим по закону|: I will
prosecute |засужу|
you.– Come,
I’ll take no
Denial |Я не приму «нет» за ответ|; We
must have a
trial: For
really this
morning I’ve
nothing
to do.’
Said the
mouse to the
cur |дворняжке|, ‘Such
a trial,
dear sir,
With
no jury |присяжных|
or judge,
would be
wasting
our
breath.’
‘I’ll be
judge, I’ll
be jury,’
Said
cunning |хитрый|
old Fury:
‘I’ll
try the
whole
cause |Я проведу все дело сам|,
and
condemn |приговорю|
you
to
death.’”
“You are not attending |здесь – слушаешь|!” said the Mouse to Alice severely. “What are you thinking of?”
“I beg your pardon,” said Alice very humbly: “you had got to the fifth bend |вы уже дошли до пятого изгиба? Алиса имеет в виду изгибы хвоста, о которых якобы говорит Мышь|, I think?”
“I had not!” cried the Mouse, sharply and very angrily.
“A knot!” |Опять игра слов. I had not – я не дошла – кричит Мышь, а Алиса слышит: “I had a knot” – у меня был узел| said Alice, always ready to make herself useful, and looking anxiously about her. “Oh, do let me help to undo it |распутать его|!”
“I shall do nothing of the sort,” said the Mouse, getting up and walking away. “You insult me by talking such nonsense |оскорбляешь… чепухой|!”
“I didn’t mean it!” pleaded poor Alice. “But you’re so easily offended, you know!”
The Mouse only growled |заворчала| in reply.
“Please come back and finish your story!” Alice called after it; and the others all joined in chorus, “Yes, please do!” but the Mouse only shook its head impatiently, and walked a little quicker.
“What a pity it wouldn’t stay!” sighed the Lory, as soon as it was quite out of sight; and an old Crab took the opportunity of saying to her daughter “Ah, my dear! Let this be a lesson to you never to lose your temper |выходить из себя|!” “Hold your tongue |Придержи язык|, Ma!” said the young Crab, a little snappishly |раздраженно|. “You’re enough to try the patience |испытать терпение| of an oyster!”
“I wish I had our Dinah here, I know I do!” said Alice aloud, addressing nobody in particular. “She’d soon fetch |поймала и притащила| it back!”
“And who is Dinah, if I might venture |если я посмею| to ask the question?” said the Lory.
Alice replied eagerly |с готовностью|, for she was always ready to talk about her pet: “Dinah’s our cat. And she’s such a capital one for catching mice you can’t think! And oh, I wish you could see her after |как она ловит| the birds! Why, she’ll eat a little bird as soon as look at it!”
This speech caused a remarkable sensation among the party. Some of the birds hurried off at once: one old Magpie |сорока| began wrapping itself up |закутываться| very carefully, remarking, “I really must be getting home; the night-air doesn’t suit my throat!” and a Canary
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
