愛麗絲夢游仙境：第九章 素甲魚的故事

'You can't think how glad I am to see you again, you dear old thing!' said the Duchess, as she tucked her arm affectionately into Alice's, and they walked off together.

“你不知道，能再見到你，我是多么高興啊!親愛的老朋友!”公爵夫人說著，很親切地挽著愛麗絲的胳膊一起走。

Alice was very glad to find her in such a pleasant temper, and thought to herself that perhaps it was only the pepper that had made her so savage when they met in the kitchen.

愛麗絲對公爵夫人有這樣好的脾氣非常高興，她想以前在廚房里見到時，公爵夫人那么兇狠，主要是胡椒的緣故。

'When I'M a Duchess,' she said to herself, (not in a very hopeful tone though), 'I won't have any pepper in my kitchen AT ALL. Soup does very well without—Maybe it's always pepper that makes people hot–tempered,' she went on, very much pleased at having found out a new kind of rule, 'and vinegar that makes them sour—and camomile that makes them bitter—and—and barley–sugar and such things that make children sweet–tempered. I only wish people knew that: then they wouldn't be so stingy about it, you know—'

愛麗絲對自己說(口氣上不很有把握)：“要是我當了公爵夫人，我的廚房里連一點兒胡椒都不要，沒有胡椒，湯也會做得非常好的。也許正是胡椒弄得人們脾氣暴躁。”她對自己這個新發(fā)現(xiàn)非常高興，就繼續(xù)說：“是醋弄得人們酸溜溜的，黃菊把人們弄得那么澀，以及麥芽糖這類東西把孩子的脾氣變得那么甜。我只希望人們懂得這些，那么他們就不會變得吝嗇了。你知道……”

She had quite forgotten the Duchess by this time, and was a little startled when she heard her voice close to her ear. 'You're thinking about something, my dear, and that makes you forget to talk. I can't tell you just now what the moral of that is, but I shall remember it in a bit.'

愛麗絲想得出神，完全忘記了公爵夫人，當公爵夫人在她耳邊說話時，她吃了一驚。“我親愛的，你在想什么?竟忘了談話!我現(xiàn)在沒法告訴你這會引出什么教訓，不過我馬上就會想出來的，”

'Perhaps it hasn't one,' Alice ventured to remark.

“或許根本沒什么教訓。”愛麗絲鼓足勇氣說，

'Tut, tut, child!' said the Duchess. 'Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it.' And she squeezed herself up closer to Alice's side as she spoke.

“得了，得了，小孩子，”公爵夫人說，“每件事者都會引出教訓的，只要你能夠找出來。”她一面說著，一面緊緊地靠著愛麗絲。

Alice did not much like keeping so close to her: first, because the Duchess was VERY ugly; and secondly, because she was exactly the right height to rest her chin upon Alice's shoulder, and it was an uncomfortably sharp chin. However, she did not like to be rude, so she bore it as well as she could.

愛麗絲很不喜歡她挨得那么緊，首先，公爵夫人十分難看;其次，她的高度正好把下巴頂在愛麗絲的肩膀上，而這是個叫人很不舒服的尖下巴。然而愛麗絲不愿意顯得粗野，只得盡量地忍受著。

'The game's going on rather better now,' she said, by way of keeping up the conversation a little.

“現(xiàn)在游戲進行得很好。”愛麗絲沒話找話地說。

''Tis so,' said the Duchess: 'and the moral of that is—"Oh, 'tis love, 'tis love, that makes the world go round!"'

“是的，”公爵夫人說，“這件事的教訓是……‘啊，愛，愛是推動世界的動力!’”

'Somebody said,' Alice whispered, 'that it's done by everybody minding their own business!'

愛麗絲小聲說：“有人說，這種動力是各人自掃門前雪。”

'Ah, well! It means much the same thing,' said the Duchess, digging her sharp little chin into Alice's shoulder as she added, 'and the moral of THAT is—"Take care of the sense, and the sounds will take care of themselves."'

“哦，它們的意思是一樣的，”公爵夫人說著，使勁兒把尖下巴往愛麗絲的肩上壓了壓，“這個教訓是‘只要當心思想，那么所說的話就會合平情理。’”

'How fond she is of finding morals in things!' Alice thought to herself.

“她多么喜歡在事情中尋找教訓啊!”愛麗絲想。

'I dare say you're wondering why I don't put my arm round your waist,' the Duchess said after a pause: 'the reason is, that I'm doubtful about the temper of your flamingo. Shall I try the experiment?'

“我敢說，你在奇怪我為什么不摟你的腰，”沉寂一會后公爵夫人說，“這個原因是我害怕你的紅鶴。我能試試看嗎?”

'HE might bite,' Alice cautiously replied, not feeling at all anxious to have the experiment tried.

“它會咬人的。”愛麗絲小心地回答，一點也不愿意讓她摟抱。

'Very true,' said the Duchess: 'flamingoes and mustard both bite. And the moral of that is—"Birds of a feather flock together."'

“是的，”公爵夫人說，“紅鶴和芥末都會咬人的，這個教訓是：‘羽毛相同的鳥在一起。’”

'Only mustard isn't a bird,' Alice remarked.

“可是芥末不是鳥。”愛麗絲說。

'Right, as usual,' said the Duchess: 'what a clear way you have of putting things!'

“你可說到點子上了。”公爵夫人說。

'It's a mineral, I THINK,' said Alice.

“我想它是礦物吧?”愛麗絲說。

'Of course it is,' said the Duchess, who seemed ready to agree to everything that Alice said; 'there's a large mustard–mine near here. And the moral of that is—"The more there is of mine, the less there is of yours."'

“當然是啦!”公爵夫人好像準備對愛麗絲說的每句話都表示同意，“這附近有個大芥末礦，這個教訓是：‘我的多了，你的就少。’”

'Oh, I know!' exclaimed Alice, who had not attended to this last remark, 'it's a vegetable. It doesn't look like one, but it is.'

“哦，我知道啦!”愛麗絲沒注意她后一句，大聲叫道，“它是一種植物，雖然看起來不像，不過就是植物。”

'I quite agree with you,' said the Duchess; 'and the moral of that is—"Be what you would seem to be"—or if you'd like it put more simply—"Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise."'

“我十分同意你所說的，”公爵夫人說，“這里面的教訓是：‘你看著像什么就是什么’;或者，你可以把這話說得簡單點：‘永遠不要把自己想象成和別人心目中的你不一樣，因為你曾經(jīng)或可能曾經(jīng)在人們心目中是另外一個樣子。’”

'I think I should understand that better,' Alice said very politely, 'if I had it written down: but I can't quite follow it as you say it.'

“要是我把您的話記下來，我想我也許會更明白一點，’愛麗絲很有禮貌地說，“現(xiàn)在我可跟不上趟。”

'That's nothing to what I could say if I chose,' the Duchess replied, in a pleased tone.

“我沒什么?要是我愿意，我還能說得更長呢!”公爵夫人愉快地說。

'Pray don't trouble yourself to say it any longer than that,' said Alice.

“哦，請不必麻煩您自己了。”愛麗絲說道。

'Oh, don't talk about trouble!' said the Duchess. 'I make you a present of everything I've said as yet.'

“說不上麻煩，”公爵夫人說，“我剛才說的每句話，都是送給你的一片禮物。”

'A cheap sort of present!' thought Alice. 'I'm glad they don't give birthday presents like that!' But she did not venture to say it out loud.

“這樣的禮物可真便宜，”愛麗絲想，“幸好人家不是這么送生日禮物的。”

'Thinking again?' the Duchess asked, with another dig of her sharp little chin.

“又在想什么了呢?”公爵夫人問道，她的小小的尖下巴頂?shù)酶o了。

'I've a right to think,' said Alice sharply, for she was beginning to feel a little worried.

“我有想的權(quán)利，”愛麗絲尖銳地回答道，因為她有點不耐煩了。

'Just about as much right,' said the Duchess, 'as pigs have to fly; and the m—'

“是的，”公爵夫人說道，“正像小豬有飛的權(quán)利一樣。這里的教……”

But here, to Alice's great surprise, the Duchess's voice died away, even in the middle of her favourite word 'moral,' and the arm that was linked into hers began to tremble. Alice looked up, and there stood the Queen in front of them, with her arms folded, frowning like a thunderstorm.

愛麗絲十分詫異，公爵夫人的聲音突然消失了，甚至連她最愛說的“教訓”也沒說完。挽著愛麗絲的那只胳膊也顫抖起來了。愛麗絲抬起頭來，發(fā)現(xiàn)王后站在她們面前，交叉著胳膊，臉色陰沉得像大雷雨前的天色一樣。

'A fine day, your Majesty!' the Duchess began in a low, weak voice.

“天氣真好呵，陛下。”公爵夫人用低而微弱的聲音說。

'Now, I give you fair warning,' shouted the Queen, stamping on the ground as she spoke; 'either you or your head must be off, and that in about half no time! Take your choice!'

“現(xiàn)在我警告你!”王后跺著腳嚷道，“你要么滾開，要么把頭砍下來滾開，你得立刻選一樣，馬上就選。”

The Duchess took her choice, and was gone in a moment.

公爵夫人作出了她的選擇，馬上就走掉了。

'Let's go on with the game,' the Queen said to Alice; and Alice was too much frightened to say a word, but slowly followed her back to the croquet–ground.

“現(xiàn)在咱們再去玩槌球吧。”王后對愛麗絲說。愛麗絲嚇得不敢吭氣，只得慢慢地跟著她回到槌球場。

The other guests had taken advantage of the Queen's absence, and were resting in the shade: however, the moment they saw her, they hurried back to the game, the Queen merely remarking that a moment's delay would cost them their lives.

其他的客人趁王后不在，都跑到樹蔭下乘涼去了。他們一看到王后，立刻跳起來又玩槌球了。王后說，誰要是耽誤一秒鐘，就得付出生命的代價。

All the time they were playing the Queen never left off quarrelling with the other players, and shouting 'Off with his head!' or 'Off with her head!' Those whom she sentenced were taken into custody by the soldiers, who of course had to leave off being arches to do this, so that by the end of half an hour or so there were no arches left, and all the players, except the King, the Queen, and Alice, were in custody and under sentence of execution.

整個槌球游戲進行中，王后不斷地同別人吵嘴，嚷著“砍掉他的頭”或“砍掉她的頭”。被宣判的人，立刻就被士兵帶去監(jiān)禁起來。這樣，執(zhí)行命令的士兵就不能再回來做球門了。過了約莫半個小時，球場上已經(jīng)沒有一個球門了。除了國王王后和愛麗絲，所有參加槌球游戲的人，都被判了砍頭監(jiān)管起來了。

Then the Queen left off, quite out of breath, and said to Alice, 'Have you seen the Mock Turtle yet?'

于是，累得喘不過氣的王后停了下來，對愛麗絲說：“你還沒去看素甲魚吧，”

'No,' said Alice. 'I don't even know what a Mock Turtle is.'

“沒有，”愛麗絲說，“我還不知道素甲魚是什么東西呢!”

'It's the thing Mock Turtle Soup is made from,' said the Queen.

“不是有素甲魚湯(英國菜中有素甲魚湯，是用素有模制的甲負湯。如同中國的豆制品素雞，名為素雞，實則同雞不相干的。)嗎，”王后說，“那么當然有素甲魚了。”

'I never saw one, or heard of one,' said Alice.

“我從來沒見過，也從來沒聽說過。”愛麗絲說。

'Come on, then,' said the Queen, 'and he shall tell you his history,'

“那么咱們走吧，”王后說，“他會給你講他的故事的。”

As they walked off together, Alice heard the King say in a low voice, to the company generally, 'You are all pardoned.' 'Come, THAT'S a good thing!' she said to herself, for she had felt quite unhappy at the number of executions the Queen had ordered.

當?shù)貍円黄鹱唛_的時候，愛麗絲聽到國王小聲地對客人們說“你們都被赦免了。”愛麗絲想這倒是個好事。王后判了那么多人砍頭，使她很難過。

They very soon came upon a Gryphon, lying fast asleep in the sun. (IF you don't know what a Gryphon is, look at the picture.) 'Up, lazy thing!' said the Queen, 'and take this young lady to see the Mock Turtle, and to hear his history. I must go back and see after some executions I have ordered'; and she walked off, leaving Alice alone with the Gryphon. Alice did not quite like the look of the creature, but on the whole she thought it would be quite as safe to stay with it as to go after that savage Queen: so she waited.

她們很快就碰見了一只鷹頭獅，正曬著太陽睡覺呢(要是你不知道什么是鷹頭獅，你可以看看畫)。“快起來，懶家伙!”王后說道，“帶這位年輕小姐去看素甲魚，聽他的故事。我還得檢查我的命令執(zhí)行得怎樣了。”她說罷就走了，把愛麗絲留在鷹頭獅那兒。愛麗絲不大喜歡這個動物的模樣。但是她想，與其同那個野蠻的王后在一起，還不如跟它在一起來得安全，所以，她就留下來等候著。

The Gryphon sat up and rubbed its eyes: then it watched the Queen till she was out of sight: then it chuckled. 'What fun!' said the Gryphon, half to itself, half to Alice.

鷹頭獅坐起來揉揉眼睛，瞧著王后，直到她走得看不見了，才笑了起來，

'What IS the fun?' said Alice.

“你笑什么?”愛麗絲回，

'Why, SHE,' said the Gryphon. 'It's all her fancy, that: they never executes nobody, you know. Come on!'

“她呀，”鷹頭獅說，“這全是她的想象，你知道，他們從來沒有砍掉過別人的頭。咱們走吧。”愛麗絲跟在后面走，心中想道：

'Everybody says "come on!" here,' thought Alice, as she went slowly after it: 'I never was so ordered about in all my life, never!'

“這兒誰都對我說‘走吧’‘走吧’，我從來沒有叫人這么支使過來，支使過去的。從來沒有!”

They had not gone far before they saw the Mock Turtle in the distance, sitting sad and lonely on a little ledge of rock, and, as they came nearer, Alice could hear him sighing as if his heart would break. She pitied him deeply. 'What is his sorrow?' she asked the Gryphon, and the Gryphon answered, very nearly in the same words as before, 'It's all his fancy, that: he hasn't got no sorrow, you know. Come on!'

他們走了不遠，就遠遠望見了那只素甲魚，孤獨而悲傷地坐在一塊巖石的邊緣上，當再走近一點時，愛麗絲聽見它在嘆息著，好像它的心都要碎了，她打心眼兒里同情它。“它有什么傷心事呢?”她這樣間鷹頭獅。鷹頭獅還是用同剛才差不多的話回答：“這全是它的想象，你知道，它根本沒有什么傷心事。走吧。”

So they went up to the Mock Turtle, who looked at them with large eyes full of tears, but said nothing.

他們走近了素甲魚，它用飽含著眼淚的大眼睛望著他們，可是一句話也不講。

'This here young lady,' said the Gryphon, 'she wants for to know your history, she do.'

“這位年輕小姐希望聽聽你的經(jīng)歷。”鷹頭獅對票甲魚說，“她真的這么希望。”

'I'll tell it her,' said the Mock Turtle in a deep, hollow tone: 'sit down, both of you, and don't speak a word till I've finished.'

“我很愿意告訴她。”素甲魚用深沉的聲音說，“你們都坐下，在我講的時候別作聲。”

So they sat down, and nobody spoke for some minutes. Alice thought to herself, 'I don't see how he can EVEN finish, if he doesn't begin.' But she waited patiently.

于是他們都坐了下來。有一陣子誰都不說話。愛麗絲想：“要是它不開始，怎么能結(jié)束呢?”但是她仍然耐心地等待著。

'Once,' said the Mock Turtle at last, with a deep sigh, 'I was a real Turtle.'

后來，素甲魚終于開口了，它深深地嘆息了一聲，說：“從前，我曾經(jīng)是一只真正的甲魚。”在這句話之后，又是一陣很長的沉默，只有鷹頭獅偶爾叫一聲：“啊，哈!”以及素甲魚不斷地沉重的抽泣。愛麗絲幾乎要站起來說“謝謝你，先生，謝謝你的有趣的故事。”但是，她覺得還應該有下文，所以她仍然靜靜地坐著，什么話也不說。

These words were followed by a very long silence, broken only by an occasional exclamation of 'Hjckrrh!' from the Gryphon, and the constant heavy sobbing of the Mock Turtle. Alice was very nearly getting up and saying, 'Thank you, sir, for your interesting story,' but she could not help thinking there MUST be more to come, so she sat still and said nothing.

后來，素甲魚又開口了。它已經(jīng)平靜多了，只不過仍然不時地抽泣一聲。它說，“當我們小時候，我們都到海里的學校去上學。我們的老師是一只老甲魚，我們都叫他膠魚。”

'When we were little,' the Mock Turtle went on at last, more calmly, though still sobbing a little now and then, 'we went to school in the sea. The master was an old Turtle—we used to call him Tortoise—'

“既然他不是膠魚，為什么要那么叫呢?”愛麗絲間。

'Why did you call him Tortoise, if he wasn't one?' Alice asked.

“我們叫他膠魚，因為他教我們呀。”

'We called him Tortoise because he taught us,' said the Mock Turtle angrily: 'really you are very dull!'

素甲魚生氣地說，“你真笨!”

'You ought to be ashamed of yourself for asking such a simple question,' added the Gryphon; and then they both sat silent and looked at poor Alice, who felt ready to sink into the earth. At last the Gryphon said to the Mock Turtle, 'Drive on, old fellow! Don't be all day about it!' and he went on in these words:

“這么簡單的問題都要問，你真好意思，”鷹頭獅說。于是他們倆就靜靜地坐在那里看著可憐的愛麗絲，使得她真想鉆到地下去。最后，鷹頭獅對素甲魚說：“別介意了，老伙計，繼續(xù)講下去吧。”

'Yes, we went to school in the sea, though you mayn't believe it—'

“是的，我們到海里的學校去，雖然說來你不相信……”

'I never said I didn't!' interrupted Alice.

“我沒說過我不相信。”愛麗絲插嘴說。

'You did,' said the Mock Turtle.

“你說了!”素甲魚說。

'Hold your tongue!' added the Gryphon, before Alice could speak again. The Mock Turtle went on.

愛麗絲還沒來得及答話，鷹頭獅就喝了聲“住口!”然后素甲魚又講了下去：

'We had the best of educations—in fact, we went to school every day—'

“我們受的是最好的教育，事實上，我們每天都到學校去。”

'I'VE been to a day–school, too,' said Alice; 'you needn't be so proud as all that.'

“我也是每天都上學，”愛麗絲說，“你沒什么可得意的。”

'With extras?' asked the Mock Turtle a little anxiously.

“你們也有副課嗎?”素甲魚有點不安地問道，

'Yes,' said Alice, 'we learned French and music.'

“當然啦，”愛麗絲說，“我們學法文和音樂。”

'And washing?' said the Mock Turtle.

“有洗衣課嗎?”素甲魚問。

'Certainly not!' said Alice indignantly.

“當然沒有。”愛麗絲生氣地說。

'Ah! then yours wasn't a really good school,' said the Mock Turtle in a tone of great relief. 'Now at OURS they had at the end of the bill, "French, music, AND WASHING—extra."'

“啊，那就算不上真正的好學校，”素甲魚自信地說，并大為放心了，我們學校課程表的最后一項就是副課：法文、音樂、洗衣。”

'You couldn't have wanted it much,' said Alice; 'living at the bottom of the sea.'

“既然你們住在海底，就不會太需要洗衣裳的。”愛麗絲說。

'I couldn't afford to learn it.' said the Mock Turtle with a sigh. 'I only took the regular course.'

“我不能學它，”素甲魚嘆了一聲說，“我只學正課。”

'What was that?' inquired Alice.

“正課是什么呢?”愛麗絲問道。

'Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with,' the Mock Turtle replied; 'and then the different branches of Arithmetic—Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.'

“開始當然先學‘毒’和‘瀉’，”素甲魚回答說，“然后我們就學各門算術：假發(fā)、剪發(fā)、丑法、廚法。”

'I never heard of "Uglification,"' Alice ventured to say. 'What is it?'

“我從來沒聽說過什么‘丑法’，”愛麗絲大著膽子說，“這是什么?”

The Gryphon lifted up both its paws in surprise. 'What! Never heard of uglifying!' it exclaimed. 'You know what to beautify is, I suppose?'

鷹頭獅驚奇地舉起了爪子說：“你沒聽說過丑法!我想，你知道什么叫美法吧!”

'Yes,' said Alice doubtfully: 'it means—to—make—anything—prettier.'

愛麗絲拿不準地說：“是的，那是……讓什么……東西……變得好看些。”

'Well, then,' the Gryphon went on, 'if you don't know what to uglify is, you ARE a simpleton.'

“那么，”鷹頭獅繼續(xù)說，“你不知道什么是丑法，真算得上是個傻瓜了。”

Alice did not feel encouraged to ask any more questions about it, so she turned to the Mock Turtle, and said 'What else had you to learn?'

愛麗絲不敢再談論這個題目了，她轉(zhuǎn)向素甲魚問道：“你們還學些什么呢?”

'Well, there was Mystery,' the Mock Turtle replied, counting off the subjects on his flappers, '—Mystery, ancient and modern, with Seaography: then Drawling—the Drawling–master was an old conger–eel, that used to come once a week: HE taught us Drawling, Stretching, and Fainting in Coils.'

“我們還學栗柿，”素甲魚麗著手指頭說，“栗柿有古代栗柿和現(xiàn)代栗柿，還學地梨，還學灰花。我們的灰花老師是一條老鰻魚，一星期來一次，教我們水菜花和素苗花。”

'What was THAT like?' said Alice.

“它們是什么樣子的呢?”愛麗絲問道。

'Well, I can't show it you myself,' the Mock Turtle said: 'I'm too stiff. And the Gryphon never learnt it.'

“我沒法做給你看，我太遲鈍了。而鷹頭獅又沒學過。”素甲魚說。

'Hadn't time,' said the Gryphon: 'I went to the Classics master, though. He was an old crab, HE was.'

“我沒時間啊!”鷹頭獅說，“不過我聽過外語老師的課，它是一只老鎊蟹，真的。”

'I never went to him,' the Mock Turtle said with a sigh: 'he taught Laughing and Grief, they used to say.'

“我從來沒聽過它的課，”素甲魚嘆息著說，“他們說它教的是拉釘子和洗臘子。”

'So he did, so he did,' said the Gryphon, sighing in his turn; and both creatures hid their faces in their paws.

“正是這樣，正是這樣，”鷹頭獅也嘆息了，于是他們兩個都用爪子掩住了臉。

'And how many hours a day did you do lessons?' said Alice, in a hurry to change the subject.

“你們每天上多少課呢?”愛麗絲想換個話題，急忙地問。

'Ten hours the first day,' said the Mock Turtle: 'nine the next, and so on.'

素甲魚回答道：“第一天十小時，第二天九小時，這樣下去。”

'What a curious plan!' exclaimed Alice.

“真奇怪啊。”愛麗絲叫道。

'That's the reason they're called lessons,' the Gryphon remarked: 'because they lessen from day to day.'

“人們都說上‘多少課’，”素甲魚解釋說，“‘多少課’就是先多后少的意思。”

This was quite a new idea to Alice, and she thought it over a little before she made her next remark. 'Then the eleventh day must have been a holiday?'

這對愛麗絲可真是個新鮮事，她想了一會兒才接著說道：‘那么第十一天一定該休息了?”

'Of course it was,' said the Mock Turtle.

“當然啦!”素甲魚說。

'And how did you manage on the twelfth?' Alice went on eagerly.

“那么第十二天怎么辦呢?”愛麗絲很關心地問。