Lewis Carroll - Alice in Wonderland. Книга для чтения на английском языке

In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering| даже не думая | how in the world she was to get out again.

The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped| нырнула | suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well| a well – колодец, отверстие в земле |.

Eitherthe well was very deep, or| Или… или| she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about| вокруг | her and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out| разобраться | what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything; then she looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs|которые висели на крючках|. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed; it was labelled “ORANGE MARMALADE”, but to her great disappointment it was empty: she did not like to drop| ронять | the jar for fear of killing somebody underneath| внизу |, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as she fell past it.

“Well!” thought Alice to herself, “after such a fall as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling down stairs| скатиться со ступеней – сущая ерунда |! How brave they’ll all think me at home! Why, I wouldn’t say anything about it, even if I fell off the top of the house| даже если я свалюсь с крыши дома |!” (Which was very likely true.)

Down, down, down. Would the fall never come to an end? “I wonder how many miles I’ve fallen by this time?” she said aloud. “I must be getting somewhere| должно быть я приближаюсь | near the centre of the earth. Let me see: that would be four thousand miles down, I think —” (for, you see, Alice had learnt| уже выучила | several things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, and though this was not a very good opportunity for showing off| чтобы блеснуть | her knowledge, as there was no one to listen to her, still it was good practice to say it over| повторить |) “– yes, that’s about the right distance – but then I wonder what Latitude or Longitude| широта и долгота | I’ve got to?” (Alice had no idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but thought they were nice grand| внушительные | words to say.)

Presently she began again. “I wonder if I shall fall right through the earth! How funny it’ll seem to come out| это будет | among the people that walk with their heads downward| вверх ногами |! The Antipathies| антипатии . Алиса предполагает , как бы называись люди на той стороне Земли |, I think —” (she was rather| весьма , скорее | glad there was no one listening, this time, as it didn’t sound at all the right word) “– but I shall have to| буду должна спросить | ask them what the name of the country is, you know. Please, Ma’am| мэм |, is this New Zealand or Australia?” (and she tried to curtsey|сделать реверанс| as she spoke – fancy curtseying | представьте выполнение реверанса | as you’re falling through the air! Do you think you could manage it?) “And what an ignorant| невежественная | little girl she’ll think me for asking! No, it’ll never do| не будет пользы | to ask: perhaps I shall see it written up somewhere.”

Down, down, down. There was nothing else to do, so Alice soon began talking again. “Dinah’ll miss me very much to-night, I should think!” (Dinah was the cat.) “I hope they’ll remember her saucer| миску | of milk at tea-time. Dinah my dear! I wish you were down here with me! There are no mice| мышей | in the air, I’m afraid, but you might catch a bat, and that’s very like| очень похожа | a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder?” And here Alice began to get rather sleepy, and went on saying to herself, in a dreamy sort of way, “Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?” and sometimes, “Do bats eat cats?” for, you see, as she couldn’t answer either| любой из | question, it didn’t much matter which way she put it| как бы она это не произносила |. She felt that she was dozing off| засыпала |, and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with Dinah, and saying to her very earnestly| серьезно |, “Now, Dinah, tell me the truth: did you ever eat a bat?” when suddenly, thump! thump!| треск | down she came upon a heap of sticks| упала на кучу веток | and dry leaves, and the fall was over.

Alice was not a bit hurt| совсем не поранилась |, and she jumped up on to her feet in a moment: she looked up, but it was all dark overhead; before her was another long passage, and the White Rabbit was still in sight| в поле зрения |, hurrying down it. There was not a moment to be lost: away went Alice like the wind, and was just in time| вовремя | to hear it say, as it turned a corner, “Oh my ears and whiskers| усы |, how late it’s getting!” She was close behind| прямо позади | it when she turned the corner, but the Rabbit was no longer to be seen: she found herself in a long, low hall, which was lit up| подсвечивался | by a row of lamps hanging from the roof.

There were doors all round the hall, but they were all locked; and when Alice had been all the way down one side and up the other, trying| пробуя открыть | every door, she walked sadly down the middle, wondering how she was ever to get out again.

Suddenly she came upon a little three-legged table, all made of solid| прочного | glass; there was nothing on it except a tiny golden key, and Alice’s first thought was that it might belong to one of the doors of the hall; but, alas!| увы | either the locks were too large, or the key was too small, but at any rate| в любом случае | it would not open any of them. However, on the second time round| сделав второй круг |, she came upon a low curtain she had not noticed before, and behind it was a little door about fifteen inches| дюймов | high: she tried the little golden key in the lock, and to her great delight it fitted!