day 8:
原著情节
故事讲述的是一个叫爱丽丝的小女孩和姐姐在河边看书时睡着了,梦中她追逐一只穿着背心的兔子而掉进了兔子洞,从而来到一个奇妙的世界。在这个世界里她时而变大时而变小,以至于有一次竟掉进了由自己的眼泪汇成的池塘里;她还遇到了爱说教的公爵夫人、神秘莫测的柴郡猫、神话中的格里芬和假海龟、总是叫喊着要砍别人头的扑克牌女王和一群扑克士兵,参加了一个疯狂茶会、一场古怪的槌球赛和一场审判,直到最后与女王发生冲突时才醒来,发现自己依然躺在河边,姐姐正温柔地拂去落在她脸上的几片树叶——在梦里她把那几片树叶当成了扑克牌。
书中充满了有趣的文字游戏、双关语、谜语和巧智、因此有时是难以翻译的,比如第二章章名里的“Tale(故事)”因为被爱丽丝听成同音的“Tail(尾巴)”而闹出了笑话。由于开始时是一部给朋友的孩子讲的自娱之作,故事里的很多角色名都影射了作者身边的人,如第三章里的渡渡鸟(dodo)是作者自己(因为他有口吃的毛病,听起来像dodo这个词)、鸭子(duck)是朋友Duckworth、鹦鹉(Lory)是爱丽丝的姐姐Lorina,小鹰(Eaglet)是爱丽丝的妹妹Edith
第八章 王后的槌球场
When the procession came opposite to Alice, they all stopped and looked at her, and the Queen said severely 'Who is this?' She said it to the Knave of Hearts, who only bowed and smiled in reply.
队伍走到爱丽丝面前时,全都停下来注视着她。王后严厉地问红心武上:“这是谁呀!”红心武士只是用鞠躬和微笑作为回答。
'Idiot!' said the Queen, tossing her head impatiently; and, turning to Alice, she went on, 'What's your name, child?'
“傻瓜!”王后不耐烦地摇摇头说,然后向爱丽丝问道:“你叫什么名字?小孩?”
'My name is Alice, so please your Majesty,' said Alice very politely; but she added, to herself, 'Why, they're only a pack of cards, after all. I needn't be afraid of them!'
“我叫爱丽丝,陛下。”爱丽丝很有礼貌地说,可她又自己嘀咕了句:“哼!说来说去,他们只不过是一副纸牌,用不着怕他们!”
'And who are THESE?' said the Queen, pointing to the three gardeners who were lying round the rosetree; for, you see, as they were lying on their faces, and the pattern on their backs was the same as the rest of the pack, she could not tell whether they were gardeners, or soldiers, or courtiers, or three of her own children.
“他们是谁呢?”皇后指着三个园丁问。那三个园丁围着一株玫瑰趴着,背上的图案同这副纸牌的其他成员一样,看不出这三个是园丁呢?还是士兵、侍臣,或者是她自己的三个孩子了。
'How should I know?' said Alice, surprised at her own courage. 'It's no business of MINE.'
“我怎么知道呢?这不干我的事!”爱丽丝回答,连她自己都对自己的勇气感到惊奇。
The Queen turned crimson with fury, and, after glaring at her for a moment like a wild beast, screamed 'Off with her head! Off—'
王后的脸气红了,两眼像野兽样瞪了爱丽丝一会儿,然后尖声叫道:“砍掉她的头!砍掉……”
'Nonsense!' said Alice, very loudly and decidedly, and the Queen was silent.
“废话!”爱丽丝干脆大声说。而王后却不说话了。
The King laid his hand upon her arm, and timidly said 'Consider, my dear: she is only a child!'
国王用手拉了下王后的胳膊,小声地说:“冷静点,我亲爱的,她还只是个孩子啊!”
The Queen turned angrily away from him, and said to the Knave 'Turn them over!'
王后生气地从国王身边转身走开了,并对武士说:“把他们翻过来。”
The Knave did so, very carefully, with one foot.
武士用脚小心地把他们三个翻了过来。
'Get up!' said the Queen, in a shrill, loud voice, and the three gardeners instantly jumped up, and began bowing to the King, the Queen, the royal children, and everybody else.
“起来!”王后尖声叫道。那三个园丁赶紧爬起来,开始向国王、王后、王室的孩子们以及每个人一一鞠躬。
'Leave off that!' screamed the Queen. 'You make me giddy.' And then, turning to the rose–tree, she went on, 'What HAVE you been doing here?'
“停下来!”王后尖叫着,“把我的头都弄晕了!”她转身向着那株玫瑰继续问:“你们在于什么?”
'May it please your Majesty,' said Two, in a very humble tone, going down on one knee as he spoke, 'we were trying—'
“陛下,愿你开恩,”老二低声下气地跪下一条腿说,“我们正想……”
'I see!' said the Queen, who had meanwhile been examining the roses. 'Off with their heads!' and the procession moved on, three of the soldiers remaining behind to execute the unfortunate gardeners, who ran to Alice for protection.
“我明白了!砍掉他们的头!,王后察看了一阵玫瑰花后说。队伍又继续前进了,留下三个士兵来处死这三个不幸的园丁。三个园丁急忙跑向爱韶丝,想得到她的保护。
'You shan't be beheaded!' said Alice, and she put them into a large flower–pot that stood near. The three soldiers wandered about for a minute or two, looking for them, and then quietly marched off after the others.
“你们不会被砍头的!”爱丽丝说着就把他们藏进旁边的一个大花盆里。那三个士兵到处找,几分钟后还没找到,只得悄悄地去追赶自己的队伍了。
'Are their heads off?' shouted the Queen.
“把他们的头砍掉没有?”王后怒吼道。
'Their heads are gone, if it please your Majesty!' the soldiers shouted in reply.
“他们的头已经掉了,陛下!”士兵大声回答,