Льюис Кэрролл - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Аня в стране чудес

'Come, we shall have some fun now!’ thought Alice. 'I'm glad they've begun asking riddles. -I believe I can guess that, she added aloud.

'Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?’ said the March Hare.

'Exactly so, said Alice.

'Then you should say what you mean, the March Hare went on.

'I do, Alice hastily replied;’at least-at least I mean what I say-that's the same thing, you know.

'Not the same thing a bit!’ said the Hatter. 'You might just as well say that «I see what I eat» is the same thing as «I eat what I see»!’ [64] «Why, you might just as well say that ‘I see what I eat is the same thing as ‘I eat what I see’!» — в этом абзаце Кэрролл продолжает игру в логические перевертыши.

'You might just as well say, added the March Hare, 'that «I like what I get» is the same thing as «I get what I like»!’

'You might just as well say, added the Dormouse, who seemed to be talking in his sleep, 'that «I breathe when I sleep» is the same thing as «I sleep when I breathe»!’

'It is the same thing with you, said the Hatter, and here the conversation dropped, and the party sat silent for a minute, while Alice thought over all she could remember about ravens and writing-desks, which wasn't much.

The Hatter was the first to break the silence. 'What day of the month is it?’ he said, turning to Alice: he had taken his watch out of his pocket, and was looking at it uneasily, shaking it every now and then, and holding it to his ear.

Alice considered a little, and then said 'The fourth'. [65] «What day of the'month is it?»… Alice considered a little, and then said, «The fourth.» — по наблюдению М. Гарднера, ответ Алисы позволяет определить точную дату приключений Алисы в Стране чудес. В конце прошлой главы мы узнаем, что дело происходит в мае (Р. 92), — следовательно, это 4 мая. Это был день рождения Алисы (она родилась в 1852 г.). Когда Кэрролл впервые рассказал свою сказку, Алисе было десять лет, однако, судя по всему, героине сказки — около семи. Об этом свидетельствует, в частности, фотография Алисы, приклеенная автором в конце подаренной им Алисе рукописи, — на этой фотографии, снятой Кэрроллом в 1859 г., Алисе семь лет.

'Two days wrong!’ [66] «Two days wrong!» — A. JI. Тейлор (Taylor) отмечает, что 4 мая 1862 г. разница между лунным и солнечным месяцами была ровно два дня. Это позволяет, по его мнению, предположить, что часы Шляпника показывают лунное время, и объясняет его слова: «отстали на два дня». Трудно, однако, сказать, насколько Кэрролл имел все это в виду при написании сказки. sighed the Hatter. 'I told you butter wouldn't suit the works!’ he added looking angrily at the March Hare.

'It was the best butter', the March Hare meekly replied.

'Yes, but some crumbs must have got in as well', the Hatter grumbled: 'you shouldn't have put it in with the bread-knife'.

The March Hare took the watch and looked at it gloomily: then he dipped it into his cup of tea, and looked at it again: but he could think of nothing better to say than his first remark, 'It was the best butter, you know.

Alice had been looking over his shoulder with some curiosity. 'What a funny watch!’ she remarked. 'It tells the day of the month, and doesn't tell what o'clock it is!’ [67] «What a funny watch!.. It tells the day of the month, and doesn’t tell what o’clock it is!» — проблема времени с юных лет волновала Кэрролла. Среди его логических задач находим рассуждение о том, что остановившиеся часы вернее, чем те, которые отстают на минуту в день. Первые показывают точное время дважды в сутки, в то время как вторые — лишь раз в два года. «Возможно, — продолжает Кэрролл, — ты спросишь: „Как же мне все-таки узнать, что сейчас — восемь часов? Ведь по моим часам я этого не узнаю“. Терпение! Ты знаешь: когда наступит восемь часов, твои часы будут верны. Прекрасно! Значит, ты должен держаться следующего правила: гляди, не отрываясь, на свои часы, как только они покажут правильное время, настанет восемь» (см. «Трудность вторую» в кн.: Л. Кэрролл. История с узелками. Пер. Ю. А. Данилова. М., 1973).

'Why should it?’ muttered the Hatter. 'Does your watch tell you what year it is?’

'Of course not', Alice replied very readily: 'but that's because it stays the same year for such a long time together.

'Which is just the case with mine , said the Hatter.

Alice felt dreadfully puzzled. The Hatter's remark seemed to have no sort of meaning in it, and yet it was certainly English. 'I don't quite understand you, she said, as politely as she could.

'The Dormouse is asleep again, said the Hatter, and he poured a little hot tea upon its nose.

The Dormouse shook its head impatiently, and said, without opening its eyes, 'Of course, of course; just what I was going to remark myself.

'Have you guessed the riddle yet?’ the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.

'No, I give it up, Alice replied: 'what's the answer?’

'I haven't the slightest idea, said the Hatter.

'Nor I, said the March Hare.

Alice sighed wearily. 'I think you might do something better with the time, she said, 'than waste it in asking riddles that have no answers.

'If you knew Time as well as I do, said the Hatter, 'you wouldn't talk about wasting it . It's him' . [68] «If you knew Time as well as I do… you wouldn’t talk about wasting it. It’s him» — по традиции абстрактные понятия (Время, Смерть, Любовь и пр.) персонифицируются в английском языке как существа мужского рода. В последующем абзаце Кэрролл «реализует» выражение «to beat time» («отбивать такт»): Алиса употребляет его именно в этом смысле, в то время как Шляпник разлагает идиому на составные части и трактует их буквально.

'I don't know what you mean, said Alice.

'Of course you don't!’ the Hatter said, tossing his head contemptuously. 'I dare say you never even spoke to Time!’

'Perhaps not, Alice cautiously replied: 'but I know I have to beat time when I learn music.

'Ah! that accounts for it, said the Hatter. 'He won't stand beating. Now, if you only kept on good terms with him, he'd do almost anything you liked with the clock. For instance, suppose it were nine o'clock in the morning, just time to begin lessons: you'd only have to whisper a hint to Time, and round goes the clock in a twinkling! Half-past one, time for dinner!’