3.LOOKING-GLASS INSECTS镜子里的昆虫-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《爱丽丝镜中奇遇记》

3 LOOKING-GLASS INSECTS OF course the first thing to do was to make a grand survey of the country she was going to travel through."It's something very like learning geography,"thought Alice,as she stood on tiptoe in hopes of being able to see a little further."Principal rivers-there are none. Principal mountains-I'm on the only one,but I don't think it's got any name.Principal towns-why,what are those creatures,making honey down there?They can't be bees-nobody ever saw bees a mile off,you know-"and for some time she stood silent,watching one of them that was bustling about among the flowers,poking its proboscis5 into them,"just as if it was a regular bee,thought Alice. However,this was anything but a regular bee:in fact,it was an elephant-as Alice soon found out,though the idea quite took her breath away at first."And what enormous flowers they must be!"was her next idea."Something like cottages with the roofs taken off,and stalks put into them-and what quantities of honey they must make!I think I'll go down and-no,I won't go just yet,"she went on,checking herself just as she was beginning to run down the hill,and trying to find some excuse for turning shy so suddenly."It'll never do to go down among them without a good long branch to brush them away-and what fun it'll ·056· 第三章 镜子里的昆虫 D survey /'s3rve/n.调查， 当然，要做的第一件事情、是把前方那一片 测勘 田野好好观察一番。“这有点像是在学地理课，” ②stand on tiptoe踮起脚 艾丽丝心里想，还踮起脚，希望能看得更远些： “主要河流…一条也没有。主要山脉…我脚下 这座山是唯一的山了，但是我想，这是无名小山。 主要城镇…哎哟！那是些什么生物？在采蜜吗？ 不可能是蜜蜂…要知道，谁也没办法在几里地 以外看见蜜蜂的…”她静悄悄站立片刻，注视 ③buse/bAs3/忙乱，喧 着那个怪东西在花丛中忙碌着，还把长鼻子刺进 ④poke /pauk/.登，捅 花里去，艾丽丝想：“这和普通蜜蜂一样嘛！” 5proboscis /pra'bosis/n. 但是这绝对不是普通的蜜蜂，事实上是一头 (昆虫等吸管 大象。艾丽丝很快就看清楚了，不过最初惊讶得 说不出话来。“那些花该有多么大呀！”她马上 又想到，“就跟掀开了屋顶的小房子一样，还插着 6stalk/st3:k/茎，梗 一根根花梗…它们分泌出来的蜜该有多么多 呀！我想我必须下去看看…不，我现在还不去 呢，”她刚迈步往山下跑就收住脚，不觉有点胆 怯，于是想方设法找借口替自己辩护，“没有一根 长长的树枝来驱赶它们就跑到跟前去是绝对不行 ·057· Throughthe Looking-Glass,and What Alice Found There be when they ask me how I liked my walk.I shall say,'Oh,I liked it well enough-'"(here came the favourite little toss of the head), “‘only it was so dusty and hot,.and the elephants did tease②so！" “I think I'll go down the other way,”she said after a pause;“and perhaps I may visit the elephants later on.Besides,I do so want to get into the Third Square!" So,with this excuse,she ran down the hill,and jumped over the first of the six little brooks. 米 “Tickets,please！”said the Guard,putting his head in at the window.In a moment everybody was holding out a ticket:they were about the same size as the people,and quite seemed to fill the carriage. “Now then！Show your ticket,child!”the Guard went on,looking angrily at Alice.And a great many voices all said together ("like the chorus3 of a song,"thought Alice)"Don't keep him waiting,child! Why,his time is worth a thousand pounds a minute!" "I'm afraid I haven't got one,Alice said in a frightened tone: 送 ·058· 艾丽丝境中奇遇记 的…而且，以后问起我这一路怎么样，我能说 出什么有趣的事情呢？我只好说，‘哦，蛮有意 ①toss/tDs/n.猛抬（头】 变tease/ti:zd戏弄，取笑 思的…（说到这里，她把头微微往后一仰，这 是她得意时的习惯动作)只不过灰尘太大，天太 热，还有一些爱戏弄人的大象。’” “我想还是从另一条路下山吧，”她停了一会 儿又说，“也许以后再去看大象。还有，我迫切想 去第三格看看。” 想好了这一条借口，她就跑下山去了，而且 跳过了六条小溪中的第一条。 “请出示车票！”检票员从窗口探进头来。大 家立刻拿出一张张几乎跟人那么大的车票，车厢 里顿时显得拥挤起来。 “该你了，小孩，拿出票来看看！”检票员生 多chorus /k5:r3s/L合唱 气地看着艾丽丝，一群人跟着嚷嚷：(“这些人就 跟在合唱一样，”艾丽丝心里想)“小孩，别让 他等着！嗨，他的时间一分钟值一千英镑呢！” 艾丽丝战战兢兢地说道：“对不起，我没有 (图略) ·059· Throughthe Looking-Glass,and What Alice Found There "there wasn't a ticket-office where I came from."And again the chorus of voices went on. "There wasn't room for one where she came from.The land there is worth a thousand pounds an inch!" “Don't make excuses,”said the Guard:“you should have bought one from the engine-driver."And once more the chorus of voices went on with "The man that drives the engine.Why,the smoke alone is worth a thousand pounds a puff!" Alice thought to herself "Then there's no use in speaking."The voices didn't join in,this time,as she hadn't spoken;but,to her great surprise,they,all thought in chorus (I hope you understand what thinking in chorus means-for I must confess that don't),"Better say nothing at all.Language is worth a thousand pounds a word!" "I shall dream about a thousand pounds tonight,I know I shall!" thought Alice. All this time the Guard was looking at her,first through a telescope, then through a microscope2,and then through an opera glass.At last he said "You're traveling the wrong way,"and shut up the window, and went away. "So young a child,"said the gentleman sitting opposite to her,(he was dressed in white paper,)"ought to know which way she's going, even if she doesn't know her own name!" A Goat,that was sitting next to the gentleman in white,shut his eyes and said in a loud voice,"She ought to know her way to the ticket- office,even if she doesn't know her alphabet!" There was a Beetle5 sitting next to the goat (it was a very queer carriage-full of passengers altogether),and,as the rule seemed to be that they should all speak in turn,he went on with "She'll have to go back from here as luggage!" Alice couldn't see who was sitting beyond the Beetle,but a hoarse voice spoke next."Change engines-"it said,and there it choked and ·060· 艾丽丝镜中奇遇记 车票，我上车的地方没有售票处。”那一群人又 嗡嗡地叫喊：“她上车的地方没法盖售票处。那 里一英寸地皮值一千英镑！”" 检票员说：“别找借口，你本来应该向火车司 机买票的。”那一群人又七嘴八舌地说：“就是驾驶 火车的那个人。嗨！火车头冒一次烟就值一千英 镑！” 艾丽丝想：“跟他们费口舌没有什么用。”因 为她没有说话，那一群人也就没有插嘴，但是使 她大吃一惊的是，他们竞然是集体思维的，他们 的脑子里想着：“最好什么也别说，语言这玩意 儿一字值一千英镑！”（我希望你懂什么叫集体 思维，我承认，我是不懂) “我今天夜里做梦准会梦见一千英镑，我知 telescope /teliskaup/n. 道会梦见的！”艾丽丝想。 望远镜 2 microscope 检票员一直目不转睛地看着她，先用望远镜， maikr3skup/i.显微镜 后用显微镜，然后又用看戏用的小望远镜看着她， ③opera/'pp3ra/n.歌剧，歌 最后才说：“你乘错车了。”说完关上窗户，走开了。 剧院 坐在她对面的一位绅士（穿着白纸做的衣 服)说：“这孩子太小了，即使不知道自己叫什 么名字，也应该知道到哪儿去。” 坐在穿白衣服绅士旁边的山羊闭起眼睛大声 4 goat /g3Ut/u.山羊 地说：“她即使连字母都不认得，也应该知道到 售票处怎么走！” 5 beetle/bi:tl/n.甲虫 山羊旁边坐着一只甲壳虫（这一节车厢怪得 6 queer /kwta/a奇怪的， 异常的 出奇，什么样的旅客都有)，它们的规矩好像是 都得说话，一个一个轮着来，甲壳虫说：“她回 去的时候只能当行李托运了。” 艾丽丝看不见坐在甲壳虫那边的是谁，只听 ⑦hoarse /h3s/a.(声音)斯 哑的，粗哑的 见一个嘶哑的嗓子在说：“换火车头…”它说 了半截就噎住了，不得不停下来。 ·061· Throughthe Looking-Glass,and What Alice Found There was obliged to leave off. "It sounds like a horse,"Alice thought to herself.And an extremely small voice,close to her ear,said "You might make a joke on that-something about 'horse'and hoarse',you know." Then a very gentle voice in the distance said,"She must be labeled 'Lass,with care',you know-" And after that other voices went on ("What a number of people there are in the carriage！”thought Alice),saying“She must go by post,as she's got a head on her-""She must be sent as a message by the telegraph-""She must draw the train herself the rest of the way-" and so on. But the gentleman dressed in white paper leaned forwards and whispered in her ear,"Never mind what they all say,my dear,but take a return-ticket every time the train stops." “Indeed I shan't!”Alice said rather impatiently.“Idon't belong to this railway journey at all-I was in a wood just now-and I wish I could get back there!” "You might make a joke on that,"said the little voice close to her ear: “something about‘you would if you could',you know.” "Don't tease so,"said Alice,looking about in vain to see where the voice came from."If you're so anxious to have a joke made,why don't you make one yourself?" The little voice sighed deeply.It was very unhappy,evidently, and Alice would have said something pitying to comfort it,"if it would only sigh like other people!"she thought.But this was such a wonderfully small sigh,that she wouldn't have heard it at all,if it hadn't come quite close to her ear.The consequence's of this was that it tickled her ear very much,and quite took off her thoughts from the unhappiness of the poor little creature. “I know you are a friend,”the little voice went on:“a dear friend,and ·062· 艾丽丝镜中奇遇记 “那像是马的声音。”艾丽丝心想。这时有一个 非常轻微的声音在她耳朵旁说：“你可以拿这个开玩 笑，就是拿‘嘶哑’和‘马’①开玩笑，对不对？” 这时远处传来一个和蔼可亲的声音：“在她身 上要贴一条‘小姑娘，小心轻放’的标签，对吧 ” 在这之后，又有其他的声音在说话(“这个 车厢里有这么多的人啊！”艾丽丝想)，有的说： “她长着一颗头，应该交邮局邮寄…”有的说： “把她当一份电报那样发出去…”还有的说： “后面这一段路由她拉着火车走…” 但是那位穿着一身白纸衣服的绅士却探着身 子在她耳旁低声说：“别管他们说些什么，亲爱 的，不过每次火车一停，你就去买一张往返票。” “我就不！”艾丽丝很不耐烦地说，“我根本就 不是来坐火车旅行的。我刚才还在树林子里，要 Dimpatiently /im'peifantl/ ad不耐烦地，急躁地 是能回去，我真希望回去！” “你可以拿这个开玩笑，”在她耳边那个微弱 的声音又在说，“就是拿‘你要是能如何如何，你 就如何如何四’开开玩笑，对吧。” “别取笑人，”艾丽丝说，并四处张望，想看 看到底是谁在说话，但是什么也看不见。“要是 你这么急切要听笑话，你自己开一个不就得了？” 那微弱的声音深深地叹了一口气。显然它很 2sigh/sa/叹息，叹气 不高兴。艾丽丝想，“要是它能跟别人那样叹气，” evidently /evidantl/ad. 她也许会说几句同情的话来安慰安慰它。但是它 明显地，显然 ④pitying /pitno/a.怜惜 的叹息微弱得很，要不是离她的耳朵很近，她会 的，同情的 点儿也听不见的。轻微的叹息声使她的耳朵痒 5 consequence konsikw3ns/n.结果，后 得出奇，使她几乎忘了这小可怜虫的不快 果 “我知道，你是朋友，”那个微弱的声音继续 6 tickle"ukal/g使发痒 说，“是可亲可爱的朋友，是老朋友。而且，虽然 ①英语的“嘶哑”和“马”同音。—译注 ②即用一种假设的非现实的语气开玩笑。—译注 ·063· Throughthe Looking-Glass,and What Alice Found There an old friend.And you won't hurt me though I am an insect." "What kind of insect?"Alice inquired,a little anxiously.What she really wanted to know was,whether it could sting or not,but she thought this wouldn't be quite a civil question to ask. "What,then you don't-"the little voice began,when it was drowned by a shrill scream from the engine,and everybody jumped up in alarm, Alice among the rest，③. The Horse,who had put his head out of the window,quietly drew it in and said "It's only a brook we have to jump over."Everybody seemed satisfied with this,though Alice felt a little nervous at the idea of trains jumping at all."However,it'll take us into the Fourth Square, that's some comfort!"she said to herself.In another moment she felt the carriage rise straight up into the air,and in her fright,she caught at the thing nearest to her hand,which happened to be the Goat's beard. * But the beard seemed to melt away as she touched it,and she found herself sitting quietly under a tree-while the Gnat(for that was the insect she had been talking to)was balancing itself on a twigs just over her head,and fanning her with its wings. It certainly was a very large Gnat:"about the size of a chicken, Alice thought.Still,she couldn't feel nervous with it,after they had been talking together so long. "-then you don't like all insects?"the Gnat went on,as quietly as if nothing had happened. “I like them when they can talk,”Alice said.“None of them ever talk,where I come from." "What sort of insects do you rejoice in,where you come from?" the Gnat inquired. ·064· 艾丽丝境中奇通记 我是一只昆虫，你也不会伤害我。” D inquire /in'kwaa/v.打 “什么种类的昆虫？”艾丽丝有点焦急。她真 听，询问 正想弄清楚的是，这种昆虫会不会螫人，但是她 想，这样问不太礼貌。 2 civil /srv/a.有礼貌的 “什么？那么你是不…”那微弱的声音正要 开始说，正好火车头鸣笛，把它的声音全淹没了。 每个人都惊恐地跳了起来，艾丽丝也不例外。 3 among the rest在其中 那匹马早就把头伸出车窗，这时不声不响缩 回脖子说，“火车要跳过一条小溪流，没什么大 事。”听了这一番说明，大家似乎很满意，只有艾 丽丝想到火车竟要离开地面，不免有点紧张。 “不管怎么样，火车要把我们带到第四格去，这总 是一件令人高兴的事。”艾丽丝对自己说。过一会 儿，她感觉到火车厢腾空而起，她一惊慌，就伸 手抓住离她最近的东西，这一次碰巧抓住山羊的 胡子。 她一碰到山羊的胡子，那胡子就好像溶化 了，结果她发现自己安安静静地坐在一棵树下， ④gnat/naet/n.蚊子 而那只蚊子（就是那只和艾丽丝谈话的小昆虫） 5 twig/tw1gn小枝，嫩枝 正停在她头上面一根小嫩树枝上，一边保持平 衡，一边用翅膀给她搧风。 “这只蚊子无疑是很大的，”艾丽丝想，“大约 有一只鸡那么大。”不过艾丽丝不感到害怕，他 们毕竟在一起交谈了好长时间。 “那么你是不喜欢一切昆虫喽？”蚊子接着说， 它口气那么平静，仿佛什么事情也没有发生过。 “我喜欢能说话的昆虫，”艾丽丝说，“我原来 ⑥rejoice/r'd3DIs/.高兴， 住的那个地方，没有一只昆虫会说话。” 庆祝 “你在老家喜欢什么昆虫，你从哪儿来？”蚊 子问。 ·065·