愛麗絲夢游仙境：第十章 龍蝦四組舞

The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and drew the back of one flapper across his eyes. He looked at Alice, and tried to speak, but for a minute or two sobs choked his voice. 'Same as if he had a bone in his throat,' said the Gryphon: and it set to work shaking him and punching him in the back. At last the Mock Turtle recovered his voice, and, with tears running down his cheeks, he went on again:—

素甲魚深深地嘆息著，用一只手背抹著眼淚，瞧著愛麗絲想說話，可是有好一陣子泣不成聲。“好像他嗓子里卡了根骨頭。”鷹頭獅說。于是就搖它和拍它的背。終于素甲魚能開口說話了，它一面流著眼淚，一面說：

'You may not have lived much under the sea—' ('I haven't,' said Alice)—'and perhaps you were never even introduced to a lobster—' (Alice began to say 'I once tasted—' but checked herself hastily, and said 'No, never') '—so you can have no idea what a delightful thing a Lobster Quadrille is!'

“你可能沒在海底下住過很久。”(“從來沒住過，”愛麗絲說)“你也許從來不認識龍蝦吧!”(愛麗絲剛想說“我吃過……”，但立即改口，說“從來沒有”)，“所以你一點也想不到龍蝦四組舞有多么好玩。”

'No, indeed,' said Alice. 'What sort of a dance is it?'

“是啊，”愛麗絲說，“那是一種什么舞呢?”

'Why,' said the Gryphon, 'you first form into a line along the sea–shore—'

鷹頭獅說：“先是在海岸邊站成一排……”

'Two lines!' cried the Mock Turtle. 'Seals, turtles, salmon, and so on; then, when you've cleared all the jelly–fish out of the way—'

“兩排!”素甲魚叫道，“海豹、烏龜和娃魚都排好隊。然后，把所有的水母都清掃掉……”

'THAT generally takes some time,' interrupted the Gryphon.

“這常常得費一陣工夫呢!”鷹頭獅插嘴說，

'—you advance twice—'

“然后，向前進兩步……”

'Each with a lobster as a partner!' cried the Gryphon.

“每個都有一只龍蝦作舞伴!”鷹頭獅叫道。

'Of course,' the Mock Turtle said: 'advance twice, set to partners—'

“當然啦，”素甲魚說道，“向前進兩步，組好舞伴……”

'—change lobsters, and retire in same order,' continued the Gryphon.

“再交換舞伴，向后退兩步。”鷹頭獅接著說。

'Then, you know,' the Mock Turtle went on, 'you throw the—''The lobsters!' shouted the Gryphon, with a bound into the air.

素甲魚說：“然后你就把龍蝦……”

'—as far out to sea as you can—'

“扔出去!”鷹頭獅蹦起來嚷道。

'Swim after them!' screamed the Gryphon.

“盡你的力把它遠遠地扔到海里去。”

'Turn a somersault in the sea!' cried the Mock Turtle, capering wildly about.

“再游著水去追它們。”鷹頭獅尖聲叫道。

'Change lobsters again!' yelled the Gryphon at the top of its voice.

“在海里翻一個筋斗!”素甲魚叫道，它發(fā)瘋似地跳來跳去。

'Back to land again, and that's all the first figure,' said the Mock Turtle, suddenly dropping his voice; and the two creatures, who had been jumping about like mad things all this time, sat down again very sadly and quietly, and looked at Alice.

“再交換龍蝦!”鷹頭獅用最高的嗓門嚷叫。“再回到陸地上，再……這就是舞的第一節(jié)。”素甲魚說。它的聲音突然低了下來。于是，這兩個剛才像瘋子似的跳來跳去的動物，又坐了下來，非常安靜而又悲傷地瞧著愛麗絲。

'It must be a very pretty dance,' said Alice timidly.

“那一定是挺好看的舞。”愛麗絲膽怯地說，

'Would you like to see a little of it?' said the Mock Turtle.

“你想看一看嗎?”素甲魚問。

'Very much indeed,' said Alice.

“很想看。”愛麗絲說。

'Come, let's try the first figure!' said the Mock Turtle to the Gryphon. 'We can do without lobsters, you know. Which shall sing?'

“咱們來跳跳第一節(jié)吧，”素甲魚對鷹頭獅說道，“你知道，咱們沒有龍蝦也行。不過誰來唱呢?”

'Oh, YOU sing,' said the Gryphon. 'I've forgotten the words.'

“啊，你唱，”鷹頭獅說，“我忘了歌詞了。”

So they began solemnly dancing round and round Alice, every now and then treading on her toes when they passed too close, and waving their forepaws to mark the time, while the Mock Turtle sang this, very slowly and sadly:—

于是他們莊嚴地圍著愛麗絲跳起舞來，一面用前爪拍著拍子。當他們跳到跟前的時候，常常要踩著愛麗絲的腳。素甲魚緩慢而悲傷地唱道：

"Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail.

“鱈魚對蝸牛說：‘你不能走得快點嗎，

"There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.

一只海豚正跟在我們后面，它常常踩著我的尾巴。

See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!

你瞧龍蝦和烏龜多么匆忙，

They are waiting on the shingle—will you come and join the dance?

海灘舞會馬上開始啦!你愿意去跳舞嗎?

Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?

你愿去，你要去，你愿去，你要去，你愿去跳舞嗎，

Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?

你愿去，你要去，你愿去，你要去，你要去跳舞嗎?’

"You can really have no notion how delightful it will be

你真不知道那有多么好玩，

When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!"

我們和龍蝦一道被扔得老遠。’

But the snail replied "Too far, too far!" and gave a look askance—

‘太遠啦，太遠啦。’蝸牛斜了一眼回答。

Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.

它說謝謝鱈魚，但它不愿把舞會參加。

Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.

它不愿，它不能，它不愿，它不能，它不愿把舞會參加。

Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.

它不愿，它不能，它不愿，它不能，它不能把舞會參加。

'"What matters it how far we go?" his scaly friend replied.

它的有鱗的朋友回答：‘扔得遠又有什么相干?

"There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.

你要知道，在大海那邊，還有另一個海岸。

The further off from England the nearer is to France—

如果你更遠地離開英格蘭，就會更加接近法蘭西。

Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.

親愛的蝸牛，不要害怕，趕快去把舞會參加。

Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?

你不愿，你可要，你可愿，你可要，你可愿把舞會參加?

Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?"'

你不愿，你可要，你可愿，你可要，你可要把舞會參加?’”

'Thank you, it's a very interesting dance to watch,' said Alice, feeling very glad that it was over at last: 'and I do so like that curious song about the whiting!'

“謝謝你，我組舞真好玩，”愛麗絲說，她很高興它終于結(jié)束了，“我很喜歡這支奇怪的關于鱈魚的歌。”

'Oh, as to the whiting,' said the Mock Turtle, 'they—you've seen them, of course?'

素甲魚說：“哦，說到鱈魚，它們……你當然看見過它們啦?”

'Yes,' said Alice, 'I've often seen them at dinn—' she checked herself hastily.

“是的，”愛麗絲回答，“在飯……”，她想說在飯桌上，但是急忙停住了。

'I don't know where Dinn may be,' said the Mock Turtle, 'but if you've seen them so often, of course you know what they're like.'

“我不知道‘飯’是什么地方，”素甲魚說，“不過，如果你常?？匆娝鼈?，你當然知道它們的樣子了。”

'I believe so,' Alice replied thoughtfully. 'They have their tails in their mouths—and they're all over crumbs.'

“我想我知道，”愛麗絲思索著說，“它們把尾巴彎到嘴里，身上撒滿了面包屑(這是西菜中燒好的鱈魚的樣子。)。”

'You're wrong about the crumbs,' said the Mock Turtle: 'crumbs would all wash off in the sea. But they HAVE their tails in their mouths; and the reason is—' here the Mock Turtle yawned and shut his eyes.—'Tell her about the reason and all that,' he said to the Gryphon.

“面包屑?你可說錯了!”素甲魚說，“海水會把面包屑沖掉的。不過它們倒真是把尾巴彎到嘴里的。這個緣故是……”說到這里，素甲魚打個哈欠，合上了眼。“告訴她這是什么緣故。”它對鷹頭獅說。

'The reason is,' said the Gryphon, 'that they WOULD go with the lobsters to the dance. So they got thrown out to sea. So they had to fall a long way. So they got their tails fast in their mouths. So they couldn't get them out again. That's all.'

鷹頭獅說，“這是因為它們同龍蝦一道參加舞會，于是，它們就從海里被扔出去了，于是，它們落得老遠，于是，它們就把尾巴塞到嘴里去了，于是，它們沒法把尾巴弄出來了。就是這些。”

'Thank you,' said Alice, 'it's very interesting. I never knew so much about a whiting before.'

“謝謝你，”愛麗絲說，“真有意思，我以前不知道這么多的關于鱈魚的故事。”

'I can tell you more than that, if you like,' said the Gryphon. 'Do you know why it's called a whiting?'

“如果你愿意，我還可以告訴你更多哩!”鷹頭獅說，“你知道為什么叫鱈魚嗎?”

'I never thought about it,' said Alice. 'Why?'

“我沒想過，”愛麗絲說，“為什么?”

'IT DOES THE BOOTS AND SHOES.' the Gryphon replied very solemnly.

“它是擦靴子和鞋子的。”鷹頭獅嚴肅地說。

Alice was thoroughly puzzled. 'Does the boots and shoes!' she repeated in a wondering tone.

愛麗絲感到迷惑不解。“擦靴子和鞋子?”她詫異地問。

'Why, what are YOUR shoes done with?' said the Gryphon. 'I mean, what makes them so shiny?'

“是的，你的鞋用什么擦的?”鷹頭獅說，“我的意思是，你用什么把鞋子擦得那么亮?”

Alice looked down at them, and considered a little before she gave her answer. 'They're done with blacking, I believe.'

愛麗絲看了下自己的鞋子，想了一下說：“我用的黑鞋油。”

'Boots and shoes under the sea,' the Gryphon went on in a deep voice, 'are done with a whiting. Now you know.'

“靴子和鞋子在海里，要白得發(fā)亮，”鷹頭獅說，“你知道，是用鱈魚的雪擦亮的。”

'And what are they made of?' Alice asked in a tone of great curiosity.

“鱈魚的雪是由什么做成的呢?”愛麗絲好奇地問。

'Soles and eels, of course,' the Gryphon replied rather impatiently: 'any shrimp could have told you that.'

“當然是鳊魚和鰻魚啦!”鷹頭獅很不耐煩地回答，“就是小蝦也會這樣告訴你的。”

'If I'd been the whiting,' said Alice, whose thoughts were still running on the song, 'I'd have said to the porpoise, "Keep back, please: we don't want YOU with us!"'

“如果我是鱈魚，”愛麗絲說，腦子里還想著那首歌，“我會對海豚說“遠一點，我們不要你同我們在一起!’”

'They were obliged to have him with them,' the Mock Turtle said: 'no wise fish would go anywhere without a porpoise.'

“它們不得不要海豚，”素甲魚說，“沒有一種聰明的魚外出旅行時，不要海豚的。”

'Wouldn't it really?' said Alice in a tone of great surprise.

“真的嗎?”愛麗絲驚奇地說。

'Of course not,' said the Mock Turtle: 'why, if a fish came to ME, and told me he was going a journey, I should say "With what porpoise?"'

“可不是，”素甲魚說，“如果有魚外出旅行，來告訴我，我就會說‘哪個海豚去’”

'Don't you mean "purpose"?' said Alice.

“你說什么‘孩童’?”愛麗絲說。

'I mean what I say,' the Mock Turtle replied in an offended tone. And the Gryphon added 'Come, let's hear some of YOUR adventures.'

“我知道我說的意思，”素甲魚生氣地回答。鷹頭獅接著說：“讓我們聽聽關于你的故事吧。”

'I could tell you my adventures—beginning from this morning,' said Alice a little timidly: 'but it's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.'

“我可以告訴你們我的故事——從今天早晨開始，”愛麗絲有點膽怯地說，“咱們不必從昨天開始，因為從那以后，我已經(jīng)變成另一個人啦。”

'Explain all that,' said the Mock Turtle.

“你解釋解釋。”素甲魚說。

'No, no! The adventures first,' said the Gryphon in an impatient tone: 'explanations take such a dreadful time.'

“不，不!先講故事，后解釋。”鷹頭獅不耐煩地說，“解釋太耽誤功夫了。”

So Alice began telling them her adventures from the time when she first saw the White Rabbit. She was a little nervous about it just at first, the two creatures got so close to her, one on each side, and opened their eyes and mouths so VERY wide, but she gained courage as she went on. Her listeners were perfectly quiet till she got to the part about her repeating 'YOU ARE OLD, FATHER WILLIAM,' to the Caterpillar, and the words all coming different, and then the Mock Turtle drew a long breath, and said 'That's very curious.'

于是，愛麗絲講她的故事了，她從瞧見那只白兔講起，在剛開始的時候，她還有點不安——那兩個動物坐得離她那么近，一邊一個，眼睛和嘴又睜得那么大。但是她逐漸膽大起來了，她的兩個聽眾安靜地聽著。’”直到她講到給毛毛蟲背《你老了，威廉爸爸》，背出來的字眼全不對的時候，素甲魚深深地吸了一口氣，說道：“這非常奇怪。”

'It's all about as curious as it can be,' said the Gryphon.

“怪得沒法再怪啦。”鷹頭獅說。

'It all came different!' the Mock Turtle repeated thoughtfully. 'I should like to hear her try and repeat something now. Tell her to begin.' He looked at the Gryphon as if he thought it had some kind of authority over Alice.

“這首詩全背錯啦，”素甲魚沉思著重復說，“我想再聽聽她背誦點什么東西，讓她開始吧。”他看看鷹頭獅，好像鷹頭獅對愛麗絲有什么權(quán)威似的。

'Stand up and repeat "'TIS THE VOICE OF THE SLUGGARD,"' said the Gryphon.

“站起來背《那是懶蛋的聲音》。”鷹頭獅說。

'How the creatures order one about, and make one repeat lessons!' thought Alice; 'I might as well be at school at once.' However, she got up, and began to repeat it, but her head was so full of the Lobster Quadrille, that she hardly knew what she was saying, and the words came very queer indeed:—

“些動物老是那么喜歡命令人，老讓人背書，”愛麗絲想，“我還不如馬上回學校去呢。然而，她還是站起來背了?？墒撬X子里仍然充滿龍蝦四組舞的事，簡直不知道自己在說些什么。她背出來的東西確實非常奇怪：

'Tis the voice of the Lobster; I heard him declare,

“那是龍蝦的聲音，我聽見它在講——

"You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair."

‘你們把我烤得太黃，我頭發(fā)里還得加點糖。’

As a duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose

它用自己的鼻子，正像鴨子用自己的眼瞼一樣，

Trims his belt and his buttons, and turns out his toes.'

整理自己的腰帶和鈕扣，還把腳吐向外扭轉(zhuǎn)。

When the sands are all dry, he is gay as a lark,

當沙灘干燥的時候，它就像云雀一樣喜歡。

And will talk in contemptuous tones of the Shark,

它洋洋得意地同鯊魚攀談，

But, when the tide rises and sharks are around,

但是當潮水上漲，鯊魚把它包圍，

His voice has a timid and tremulous sound.

它的聲音就變得膽怯而又抖顫!”

'That's different from what I used to say when I was a child,' said the Gryphon.

“這同我小時候背的完全不一樣。”鷹頭獅說。

'Well, I never heard it before,' said the Mock Turtle; 'but it sounds uncommon nonsense.'

“我以前從來沒聽過，”素甲魚說，“可是聽起來盡是些傻話。”

Alice said nothing; she had sat down with her face in her hands, wondering if anything would EVER happen in a natural way again.

愛麗絲什么話也沒說，她又坐了下來，雙手掩住了臉，不知道什么時候才會恢復正常。

'I should like to have it explained,' said the Mock Turtle.

“我希望她解釋一下。”素甲魚說。

'She can't explain it,' said the Gryphon hastily. 'Go on with the next verse.'

“她解釋不了，”鷹頭獅急忙說，“背下一段吧。”

'But about his toes?' the Mock Turtle persisted. 'How COULD he turn them out with his nose, you know?'

“但是關于腳趾是怎么回事?”素甲魚堅持說，“它怎么能用自己的鼻子扭轉(zhuǎn)它們呢?”

'It's the first position in dancing.' Alice said; but was dreadfully puzzled by the whole thing, and longed to change the subject.

“那是跳舞的第一個姿勢，”愛麗絲說?？墒撬贿@一切弄得莫名其妙，所以非常希望換一個話題。

'Go on with the next verse,' the Gryphon repeated impatiently: 'it begins "I passed by his garden."'

“背第二節(jié)，”鷹頭獅不耐煩地說，“開頭是‘我經(jīng)過她的花園’。”

Alice did not dare to disobey, though she felt sure it would all come wrong, and she went on in a trembling voice:—

愛麗絲不敢違背，雖然她明知道一切都會弄錯的。她用發(fā)抖的聲音背道：

'I passed by his garden, and marked, with one eye,

“我經(jīng)過她的花園，并且用一只眼睛看見，

How the Owl and the Panther were sharing a pie—'

豹子和貓頭鷹，正在把餡餅分餐。

The Panther took pie–crust, and gravy, and meat,

豹子分到了外皮、肉汁和肉餡，

While the Owl had the dish as its share of the treat.

貓頭鷹只分到了一個空盤。

When the pie was all finished, the Owl, as a boon,

在餡餅吃完以后，豹子仁慈地答應貓頭鷹，

Was kindly permitted to pocket the spoon:

把湯匙放它衣袋里作為禮物。

While the Panther received knife and fork with a growl,

而豹子自己發(fā)出一聲怒吼，把刀子和叉子通通拿走。

And concluded the banquet—]

在宴會的最后，它還……”

'What IS the use of repeating all that stuff,' the Mock Turtle interrupted, 'if you don't explain it as you go on? It's by far the most confusing thing I ever heard!'

這時素甲魚插嘴說道：“要是你不能一邊背一邊解釋，那么背這些胡說八道的東西有什么用?這是我聽到過的最亂七八糟的東西了。

'Yes, I think you'd better leave off,' said the Gryphon: and Alice was only too glad to do so.

“你最好停下來吧!”鷹頭獅說。愛麗絲實在太愿意這么辦了。

'Shall we try another figure of the Lobster Quadrille?' the Gryphon went on. 'Or would you like the Mock Turtle to sing you a song?'

“我們再跳一節(jié)龍蝦四組舞好嗎?”鷹頭獅繼續(xù)說，“或者，你愿意聽素甲魚給你唱支歌嗎?”

'Oh, a song, please, if the Mock Turtle would be so kind,' Alice replied, so eagerly that the Gryphon said, in a rather offended tone, 'Hm! No accounting for tastes! Sing her "Turtle Soup," will you, old fellow?'

“啊，請來一支歌吧，要是素甲魚愿意的話。”愛麗絲說得那么熱情，使得鷹頭獅用不高興的口氣說：“趣味太低了。老伙計，那你就給她唱支‘甲魚湯’，好嗎?”

The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and began, in a voice sometimes choked with sobs, to sing this:—

素甲魚深深地嘆了一口氣，用一種經(jīng)常被抽泣打斷的聲音唱道：

'Beautiful Soup, so rich and green,

“美味的湯，綠色的濃湯，

Waiting in a hot tureen!

在熱氣騰騰的蓋碗里裝。

Who for such dainties would not stoop?

誰不愿意嘗一嘗，這樣的好湯。

Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!

晚餐用的湯，美味的湯，

Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!

晚餐用的湯，美味的湯，

Beau—ootiful Soo—oop!

美……味的湯……湯!

Beau—ootiful Soo—oop!

美……味的湯……湯!

Soo—oop of the e—e—evening,

晚……晚……晚餐用的……湯，

Beautiful, beautiful Soup!

美味的，美味的湯!

'Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,

“美味的湯!有了它，誰還會再把魚想，

Game, or any other dish?

再想把野味和別的菜來嘗?

Who would not give all else for two

誰不最想嘗一嘗，

Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?

兩便士(先令和便士是英國的貨幣單位，十二便士為一先令，二十先令為一英鎊。)一碗的好湯?

Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?

兩便士一碗的好湯?

Beau—ootiful Soo—oop!

美……味的湯……湯!

Beau—ootiful Soo—oop!

美……味的湯……湯!

Soo—oop of the e—e—evening,

晚……晚……晚餐用的湯……湯，

Beautiful, beauti—FUL SOUP!'

美味的，美……味的湯!”

'Chorus again!' cried the Gryphon, and the Mock Turtle had just begun to repeat it, when a cry of 'The trial's beginning!' was heard in the distance.

“再來一遍合唱!”鷹頭獅叫道。素甲魚剛要開口，就聽到遠處叫道“審訊開始啦!”

'Come on!' cried the Gryphon, and, taking Alice by the hand, it hurried off, without waiting for the end of the song.

“走吧!”鷹頭獅叫道，它拉住了愛麗絲的手，也不等那支歌唱完，急忙跑了。

'What trial is it?' Alice panted as she ran; but the Gryphon only answered 'Come on!' and ran the faster, while more and more faintly came, carried on the breeze that followed them, the melancholy words:—

“什么審訊呀?”愛麗絲一面跑一面喘著氣問，但是鷹頭獅只是說“走吧”。他跑得更快了。微風送來了越來越微弱的單調(diào)的歌詞：