【经典名著阅读】《爱丽丝梦游仙境》第八章
作者:Lewis Carroll
2011-05-09 10:00
A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red. Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, 'Look out now, Five! Don't go splashing paint over me like that!'
靠近花园门口有一棵大玫瑰树,花是白色的,三个园丁正忙着把白花染红。爱丽丝觉得很奇怪,走过去想看看。当她正朝他们走过去的时候,其中一个人说:“小心点,老五!别这样把颜料溅到我身上。”
'I couldn't help it,' said Five, in a sulky tone; 'Seven jogged my elbow.'
“不是我不小心,”老五生气地说,“是老七碰了我的胳膊。”
On which Seven looked up and said, 'That's right, Five! Always lay the blame on others!'
这时老七抬起头说:“得啦!老五,你老是把责任推给别人。”
'YOU'D better not talk!' said Five. 'I heard the Queen say only yesterday you deserved to be beheaded!'
“你最好别多说了,”老五说,“我昨天刚听王后说,你该受斩头的惩罚!”
'What for?' said the one who had spoken first.
“为什么?”第一个说话的人问。
'That's none of YOUR business, Two!' said Seven.
“这与你无关,老二!”老七说。
'Yes, it IS his business!' said Five, 'and I'll tell him--it was for bringing the cook tulip roots instead of onions.'
“不,与他有关!”老五说,“我要告诉他——这是由于你没给厨师拿去洋葱,而拿去了郁金香根!”
Seven flung down his brush, and had just begun 'Well, of all the unjust things--' when his eye chanced to fall upon Alice, as she stood watching them, and he checked himself suddenly: the others looked round also, and all of them bowed low.
老七扔掉了手上的刷子说,“哦,说起不公平的事……”他突然看到了爱丽丝,爱丽丝正站着注视他们呢。他随即不说了,那两个也回过头来看。然后三人都深深地鞠了一躬。
'Would you tell me,' said Alice, a little timidly, 'why you are painting those roses?'
“请你们告诉我,”爱丽丝胆怯地说,“为什么染玫瑰花呢?”
Five and Seven said nothing, but looked at Two. Two began in a low voice, 'Why the fact is, you see, Miss, this here ought to have been a RED rose-tree, and we put a white one in by mistake; and if the Queen was to find it out, we should all have our heads cut off, you know. So you see, Miss, we're doing our best, before she comes, to--' At this moment Five, who had been anxiously looking across the garden, called out 'The Queen! The Queen!' and the three gardeners instantly threw themselves flat upon their faces. There was a sound of many footsteps, and Alice looked round, eager to see the Queen.
老五和老七都望着老二,老二低声说:“哦,小姐,你知道,这里应该种红玫瑰的,我们弄错了,种了白玫瑰,如果王后发现,我们全都得被杀头。小姐,你看,我们正在尽最大努力,要在王后驾临前,把……”就在这时,一直在焦虑地张望的老五,突然喊道:“王后!王后!”这三个园丁立即脸朝下地趴下了。这时传来了许多脚步声,爱丽丝好奇地审视着,想看看王后。
First came ten soldiers carrying clubs; these were all shaped like the three gardeners, oblong and flat, with their hands and feet at the corners: next the ten courtiers; these were ornamented all over with diamonds, and walked two and two, as the soldiers did. After these came the royal children; there were ten of them, and the little dears came jumping merrily along hand in hand, in couples: they were all ornamented with hearts. Next came the guests, mostly Kings and Queens, and among them Alice recognised the White Rabbit: it was talking in a hurried nervous manner, smiling at everything that was said, and went by without noticing her. Then followed the Knave of Hearts, carrying the King's crown on a crimson velvet cushion; and, last of all this grand procession, came THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS.
首先,来了十个手拿狼牙棒的士兵,他们的样子全都和三个园丁一样,都是长方形的平板,手和脚长在板的四角上。接着来了十名侍臣,这些人全都用钻石装饰着,像那些士兵一样,两个两个并排着走。侍臣的后面是王室的孩子们,这些可爱的小家伙,一对对手拉着手愉快地跳着跑来了,他们全都用红心(红心和侍臣的钻石,士兵的狼牙棒,是纸牌中的三种花色。即:红桃、方块、草花,英文原意为红心、钻石、棒子。)装饰着。后面是宾客,大多数宾客也是国王和王后。在那些宾客中,爱丽丝认出了那只白兔,它正慌忙而神经质地说着话,对别人说的话都点头微笑,却没注意到爱丽丝。接着,是个红心武士,双手托着放在紫红色垫子上的王冠。这庞大的队伍之后,才是红心国王和王后。
Alice was rather doubtful whether she ought not to lie down on her face like the three gardeners, but she could not remember ever having heard of such a rule at processions; 'and besides, what would be the use of a procession,' thought she, 'if people had all to lie down upon their faces, so that they couldn't see it?' So she stood still where she was, and waited.
爱丽丝不知道该不该像那三个园丁那样,脸朝地的趴下,她根本不记得王室行列经过时,还有这么一个规矩。“人们都脸朝下趴着,谁来看呢?这样,这个行列有什么用呢?”也这样想着,仍站在那里,等着瞧。