【经典名著阅读】《爱丽丝梦游仙境》第五章

英语自学网

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        The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice. 毛毛虫和爱丽丝彼此沉默地注视了好一会。最后，毛毛虫从嘴里拿出了水烟管，用慢吞吞的、瞌睡似的声调同她说起了话。
        'Who are YOU?'said the Caterpillar. This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, 'I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.'“你是谁？”毛毛虫问，这可不是鼓励人谈话的开场白，爱丽丝挺不好意思地回答说：“我……眼下很难说，先生……至少今天起床时，我还知道我是谁的，从那时起，可是我就变了好几回了。”
        'What do you mean by that?' said the Caterpillar sternly. 'Explain yourself!'“你这话是什么意思？”毛毛虫严厉地说，“你自己解释一下！”
        'I can't explain MYSELF, I'm afraid, sir' said Alice, 'because I'm not myself, you see.'“我没法解释，先生，”爱丽丝说，“因为我已经不是我自己了，你瞧。”
        'I don't see,' said the Caterpillar.“我瞧不出。”毛毛虫说。
        'I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly,' Alice replied very politely, 'for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.'“我不能解释得更清楚了，”爱丽丝非常有礼貌地回答，“因为我压根儿不懂是怎么开始的，一天里改变好几次大小是非常不舒服的。”
        'It isn't,' said the Caterpillar. 'Well, perhaps you haven't found it so yet,' said Alice; 'but when you have to turn into a chrysalis--you will some day, you know--and then after that into a butterfly, I should think you'll feel it a little queer, won't you?'“唉，也许你还没有体会，”爱丽丝说，“可是当你必须变成一只蝶蛹的时候——你知道自己总有一天会这样的——然后再变成一只蝴蝶、我想你会感到有点奇怪的，是不是，”
        'Not a bit,' said the Caterpillar.“一点也不。”毛毛虫说。
        'Well, perhaps your feelings may be different,' said Alice; 'all I know is, it would feel very queer to ME.'“哦！可能你的感觉同我不一样，”爱丽丝说，“可是这些事使我觉得非常奇怪。”
        'You!' said the Caterpillar contemptuously. 'Who are YOU?'“你！”毛毛虫轻蔑地说，“你是谁？”
        Which brought them back again to the beginning of the conversation. Alice felt a little irritated at the Caterpillar's making such VERY short remarks, and she drew herself up and said, very gravely, 'I think, you ought to tell me who YOU are, first.'这句话又把他们带回了谈话的开头，对于毛毛虫的那些非常简短的回答，爱丽丝颇有点不高兴了，她挺直了身子一本正经地说：“我想还是你先告诉我，你是谁？”
        'Why?' said the Caterpillar.“为什么？”毛毛虫说。
        Here was another puzzling question; and as Alice could not think of any good reason, and as the Caterpillar seemed to be in a VERY unpleasant state of mind, she turned away.这又成了一个难题：爱丽丝想不出任何比较好的理由来回答它，看来，毛毛虫挺不高兴的，因此爱丽丝转身就走了。
        'Come back!' the Caterpillar called after her. 'I've something important to say!' This sounded promising, certainly: Alice turned and came back again.“回来！”毛毛虫在她身后叫道，“我有几句重要的话讲！”这话听起来倒是鼓舞人的，于是爱丽丝回来了。

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        'Keep your temper,' said the Caterpillar.“别发脾气嘛！”毛毛虫说。
        'Is that all?' said Alice, swallowing down her anger as well as she could.“就这个话吗？”爱丽丝忍住了怒气问。
        'No,' said the Caterpillar.“不。”毛毛虫说。
        Alice thought she might as well wait, as she had nothing else to do, and perhaps after all it might tell her something worth hearing. For some minutes it puffed away without speaking, but at last it unfolded its arms, took the hookah out of its mouth again, and said, 'So you think you're changed, do you?' 爱丽丝想反正没什么事，不如在这儿等一等，也许最后它会说一点儿值得听的话的。有好几分钟，他只是喷着烟雾不说话。最后它松开胳膊，把水烟管从嘴里拿出来，说：“你认为你已经变了，是吗？”
        'I'm afraid I am, sir,' said Alice; 'I can't remember things as I used--and I don't keep the same size for ten minutes together!' “我想是的，先生。”爱丽丝说。“我平时知道的事，现在都忘了，而且连把同样的身材保持十分钟都做不到，”
        'Can't remember WHAT things?' said the Caterpillar.“你忘了些什么？”毛毛虫问。
        'Well, I've tried to say "HOW DOTH THE LITTLE BUSY BEE," but it all came different!' Alice replied in a very melancholy voice.“我试着背《小蜜蜂怎么干活》，可是背出来的完全变了样！”爱丽丝忧郁地回答。
        'Repeat, "YOU ARE OLD, FATHER WILLIAM,"' said the Caterpillar.“那么背诵《你老了，威廉爸爸》吧！”毛毛虫说。
        Alice folded her hands, and began:--爱丽丝把双手交叉放好，开始背了：
        'You are old, Father William,' the young man said, 'And your hair has become very white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head-- Do you think, at your age, it is right?'“年轻人说道：‘你已经老啦，威廉爸爸，你头上长满了白发。可你老是头朝下倒立着，像你这把年纪，这合适吗？’
        'In my youth,' Father William replied to his son, 'I feared it might injure the brain; But, now that I'm perfectly sure I have none, Why, I do it again and again.'‘当我年轻的时候，’威廉爸爸回答儿子，‘我怕这样会损坏脑子；现在我脑袋已经空啦，所以就这样玩个不止。’
        'You are old,' said the youth, 'as I mentioned before, And have grown most uncommonly fat; Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door-- Pray, what is the reason of that?'‘你已经老啦，’年轻人说：‘像我刚才说的一样，你已经变得非常肥胖；可是你一个前空翻翻进门来，这是怎么搞的？请你讲讲。’
        'In my youth,' said the sage, as he shook his grey locks, 'I kept all my limbs very supple By the use of this ointment--one shilling the box-- Allow me to sell you a couple?'‘当我年轻的时候，’老哲人摇晃着灰白的卷发说道，‘我总是让关节保持柔软灵巧，我用的是这种一先令一盒的油膏，你想要两盒吗，请允许我向你推销，’
        'You are old,' said the youth, 'and your jaws are too weak For anything tougher than suet; Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak-- Pray how did you manage to do it?'‘你已经老啦，’年轻人说，‘你的下巴应该是衰弱得只能喝些稀汤，可是你把一只整鹅，连骨带嘴全都吃光，请问你怎能这样？’
        'In my youth,' said his father, 'I took to the law, And argued each case with my wife; And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw, Has lasted the rest of my life.'‘当我年轻的时候，’爸爸说，研究的是法律条文。对于每个案子，都拿来同妻子辩论，因此我练得下巴肌肉发达，这使我受用终身。’
        'You are old,' said the youth, 'one would hardly suppose That your eye was as steady as ever; Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose-- What made you so awfully clever?'‘你已经老啦，’年轻人说，很难想象，你的眼睛会像从前，一样闪光。可是你居然能把一条鳗鱼，竖在鼻子尖上。请问，你怎会这么棒？’
        'I have answered three questions, and that is enough,' Said his father; 'don't give yourself airs! Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff? Be off, or I'll kick you down stairs!'‘够啦，’他的爸爸说，‘我已经回答了三个问题。你不要太放肆啦，我不会整天听你胡言乱语。快滚吧，不然我就要，一脚把你踢下楼梯。’”
        'That is not said right,' said the Caterpillar.“背错了。”毛毛虫说。