Льюис Кэрролл - Алиса в Стране чудес / Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Алиса в Зазеркалье / Through the Looking-glass, and What Alice Found There

These words frightened the witness even more so that he bit a large piece out of his teacup instead of the bread-and-butter.

Just at this moment Alice had a very curious feeling, which puzzled her greatly until she understood what it was: she was beginning to grow larger again, and at first she wanted to get up and leave the court; but then she decided to stay where she was.

“Give your evidence,” the King repeated angrily, “or you’ll be executed, whether you’re nervous or not. [159] whether you’re nervous or not – нервничаешь ты или нет ”

“I’m a poor man, your Majesty,” the Hatter began, in a trembling voice, “ – and I hadn’t begun my tea [160] I hadn’t begun my tea… – я не начал еще пить свой чай… – about a week or so ago…”

“If that’s all you know about it, you may sit down,” the King said.

“ I’d rather finish my tea, [161] I’d rather finish my tea – Я лучше допью свой чай ” said the Hatter, with an anxious look at the Queen, who was reading the list of singers.

“You may go,” said the King, and the Hatter hurriedly left the court.

“ – and just take his head off outside,” the Queen added to one of the officers: but the Hatter was out of sight before the officer could get to the door.

“Call the next witness!” said the King.

The next witness was the Duchess’s cook. She carried the pepper-box in her hand and the people near the door began sneezing all at once.

“Give your evidence,” said the King.

“I can’t,” said the cook.

The King looked anxiously at the White Rabbit, who said in a low voice, “Your Majesty must cross-examine THIS witness.”

“Well,” the king said in a deep voice, “What are tarts made of?”

“Pepper, mostly,” said the cook.

“ Treacle, [162] Treacle – патока ( сладкий продукт, получаемый из крахмала и используемый при приготовлении пряников, кондитерских изделий и некоторых сортов хлеба ) ” said a sleepy voice behind her.

“Behead that Dormouse! Turn that Dormouse out of court! Off with his whiskers!” the Queen screamed.

For some minutes the whole court was in confusion and the cook disappeared.

“Never mind!” said the King, with great relief. “Call the next witness.” And he added to the Queen, “Really, my dear, YOU must cross-examine the next witness. I have a headache!”

Alice watched the White Rabbit as he looked into the list, feeling very curious to see the next witness, “ – they haven’t got much evidence YET,” she said to herself. Imagine her surprise, when the White Rabbit read out very loudly the name “Alice!”

“Here!” cried Alice, quite forgetting how large she had grown in the last few minutes, and she jumped up in such a hurry that the edge of her skirt upset all the jurymen on to the heads of the crowd below.

“Oh, I BEG your pardon!” she exclaimed in great worry, and began picking them up as quickly as she could.

“The trial cannot continue,” said the King in a very serious voice, “until all the jury-men are back in their places – ALL,” he repeated.

As soon as the jury had a little recovered from the shock, they started writing down the history of the accident.

“What do you know about this?” the King said to Alice.

“Nothing,” said Alice.

“Nothing AT ALL?” persisted the King.

“Nothing at all,” said Alice.

“That’s very important,” the King said, turning to the jury. They were just beginning to write this down, when the White Rabbit interrupted: “UNimportant, your Majesty means, of course,” he said in a very respectful tone.

“UNimportant, of course, I meant,” the King hastily said.

Some of the jury wrote it down “important,” and some “unimportant.” Alice could see this, as she was near enough; “but it doesn’t matter,” she thought to herself.

At this moment the King cried out “Silence!” and read out from his book, “Rule Forty-two. ALL PERSONS MORE THAN A MILE HIGH MUST LEAVE THE COURT.”

Everybody looked at Alice.

“I’M not a mile high,” said Alice.

“You are,” said the King.

“Nearly two miles high,” added the Queen.

“Well, I won’t go, at any rate,” said Alice: “besides, that’s not a usual rule: you invented it just now.”

“It’s the oldest rule in the book,” said the King.

“Then it must be Number One,” said Alice.

The King turned pale, and closed his note-book hastily. “Read your verdict,” he said to the jury, in a low, trembling voice.

“No, no!” said the Queen. “Sentence first – verdict after it.”

“Nonsense!” said Alice loudly. “The sentence can’t go first!”

“ Hold your tongue! [163] Hold your tongue! – Попридержи язык! ” said the Queen, turning dark red.

“I won’t!” said Alice.

“Off with her head!” the Queen shouted as loudly as she could. Nobody moved.

“Who is afraid of you?” said Alice, (she was her full size by this time.) “You’re just a pack of cards!”

At this moment the whole pack went up into the air, and came flying down on her: she screamed and woke up on the bank of the river. Her sister was sitting near her and gently brushing away some dry leaves that had fell down from the trees on Alice’s face.

“Wake up, Alice dear!” said her sister; “What a long sleep you’ve had!”

“Oh, I’ve had such a curious dream!” said Alice, and she told her sister all her strange Adventures as she could remember them. When she finished, her sister kissed her, and said,

“It WAS a curious dream, dear, certainly: but it’s getting late and it’s time for tea.” So they got up and went home. And all their way back Alice was thinking about her wonderful and unusual dream that she would never forget.

The old cat Dinah was washing the white kitten, called Snowdrop. [164] Snowdrop – Снежинка ( кличка котенка ) Dinah was rubbing its face all over beginning at the nose and it was lying quite still and trying to purr. Snowdrop felt that it was all for its own good. [165] for its own good – для своего же блага The black kitten, called Kitty, was already washed and clean.

Alice was sitting in the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep. And Kitty was playing with a ball of worsted rolling it up and down on the floor. The whole room was in a mess. [166] to be in a mess – быть в беспорядке

‘Oh, you wicked little thing!’ [167] Oh, you wicked little thing! – Ах ты маленькая негодница! cried Alice and caught up the kitten. She gave it a little kiss. ‘Where are your manners? Dinah has to teach you how to behave!’ she added and sat back into the arm-chair. She began winding up the ball again. Alice was talking all the time, sometimes to the kitten, and sometimes to herself. Kitty sat next to her and watched the process.

‘Oh, I was so angry, Kitty,’ Alice went on, ‘when I saw all the mischief you have done, I was nearly opening the window and putting you out into the snow! You deserve it, you little darling! What have you got to say for yourself? [168] to say for yourself – сказать в свое оправдание I’m going to tell you all your faults. Number one: you squeaked twice when Dinah was washing your face this morning. You can’t deny it, Kitty! Number two: you pulled Snowdrop away by the tail when I gave it some milk! Number three: you unwound the worsted while I wasn’t looking!’