愛麗絲夢游仙境：第十二章 愛麗絲的證明

'Here!' cried Alice, quite forgetting in the flurry of the moment how large she had grown in the last few minutes, and she jumped up in such a hurry that she tipped over the jury–box with the edge of her skirt, upsetting all the jurymen on to the heads of the crowd below, and there they lay sprawling about, reminding her very much of a globe of goldfish she had accidentally upset the week before.

“在這兒!”愛麗絲喊道，她完全忘了在剛才的混亂時刻，她已經(jīng)長得很大了。她過于急促地站起來，竟弄得裙邊掀動了陪審員席，把陪審員們翻倒在下面聽眾的頭上，害得他們在人頭上爬來爬去，這情景使愛麗絲想起一星期前她偶然打翻金魚缸的事。

'Oh, I BEG your pardon!' she exclaimed in a tone of great dismay, and began picking them up again as quickly as she could, for the accident of the goldfish kept running in her head, and she had a vague sort of idea that they must be collected at once and put back into the jury–box, or they would die.

“啊，請大家原諒!”愛麗絲極其尷尬地說，一面盡快地把陪審員們扶回原位，因為對金魚缸的事情的回憶還在她頭腦回旋，使她隱約地意識到如果不立即把陪審員放回席位上，它們會死去的，

'The trial cannot proceed,' said the King in a very grave voice, 'until all the jurymen are back in their proper places—ALL,' he repeated with great emphasis, looking hard at Alice as he said do.

這時，國王莊重地宣稱：“審訊暫停，直至全體陪審員返回原位。”他說得那么使勁兒，眼睛嚴厲地盯著愛麗絲。

Alice looked at the jury–box, and saw that, in her haste, she had put the Lizard in head downwards, and the poor little thing was waving its tail about in a melancholy way, being quite unable to move. She soon got it out again, and put it right; 'not that it signifies much,' she said to herself; 'I should think it would be QUITE as much use in the trial one way up as the other.'

愛麗絲看著陪審員席，發(fā)現(xiàn)由于自己的疏忽，竟將壁虎頭朝下放上了。那個可憐的小東西無力動彈，只是滑稽地搖擺著尾巴。愛麗絲立即把它拾起來放正。愛麗絲想，“如果沒有重大變故，壁虎還會同其它陪審員一樣，發(fā)揮重大作用的。”

As soon as the jury had a little recovered from the shock of being upset, and their slates and pencils had been found and handed back to them, they set to work very diligently to write out a history of the accident, all except the Lizard, who seemed too much overcome to do anything but sit with its mouth open, gazing up into the roof of the court.

等到陪審員們鎮(zhèn)定下來，紙板和鉛筆也都找到了以后，它們立即勤奮地工作起來了。首先是記下剛才事故的歷史。只有壁虎除外，它已經(jīng)精疲力盡，不能干任何事情了，只是張著嘴坐著，兩眼無力地望著法庭的屋頂。

'What do you know about this business?' the King said to Alice.

國王開口了：“你對這個案子知道些什么?”

'Nothing,' said Alice.

“什么也不知道。”愛麗絲回答。

'Nothing WHATEVER?' persisted the King.

“任何事也不知道?”國王再問。

'Nothing whatever,' said Alice.

“任何事也不知道。”愛麗絲答。

'That's very important,' the King said, turning to the jury. They were just beginning to write this down on their slates, when the White Rabbit interrupted: 'UNimportant, your Majesty means, of course,' he said in a very respectful tone, but frowning and making faces at him as he spoke.

“這點很重要。”國王對陪審員們說。

'UNimportant, of course, I meant,' the King hastily said, and went on to himself in an undertone,

陪審員們正在把這些問答記在紙板上，白兔忽然插嘴說：“陛下的意思當然是不重要。”它用十分尊敬的口氣，同時對國王擠眉弄眼的。

'important—unimportant—unimportant—important—' as if he were trying which word sounded best.

國王趕快把話接過來：“當然，我的意思是不重要。”接著又低聲畝語，“重要……不重要……不重要……重要”——好像在反復推敲詞句。

Some of the jury wrote it down 'important,' and some 'unimportant.' Alice could see this, as she was near enough to look over their slates; 'but it doesn't matter a bit,' she thought to herself.

有些陪審員記下了“重要”，有些寫了“不重要”。愛麗絲離陪審員們很近，它們在紙板上記的字她都看得一清二楚。心想：“反正怎么寫都沒關系。”

At this moment the King, who had been for some time busily writing in his note–book, cackled out 'Silence!' and read out from his book, 'Rule Forty–two. ALL PERSONS MORE THAN A MILE HIGH TO LEAVE THE COURT.'

國王一直忙著在記事本上寫什么?這時他高聲喊道：“保持肅靜!”然后他看著本子宣讀：“第四十二條，所有身高一英里以上者退出法庭。”

Everybody looked at Alice.

大家都望著愛麗絲。

'I'M not a mile high,' said Alice.

“我不到一英里高。”愛麗絲說，

'You are,' said the King.

“將近兩英里了。”王后插話說。

'Nearly two miles high,' added the Queen.

“你夠了。”國王又說，

'Well, I shan't go, at any rate,' said Alice: 'besides, that's not a regular rule: you invented it just now.'

“不管怎么說，我反正不走，”愛麗絲說，“再說，那根本不是一條正式規(guī)定，是你在這兒臨時發(fā)明出來的。”

'It's the oldest rule in the book,' said the King.

“這是書里最老的一條規(guī)定。”國王說。

'Then it ought to be Number One,' said Alice.

“那么這應該是第一條呀。”愛麗絲說。

The King turned pale, and shut his note–book hastily. 'Consider your verdict,' he said to the jury, in a low, trembling voice.

國王臉色蒼白，急忙合上了本子，他以發(fā)抖的聲調(diào)低聲對陪審美說：“請考慮評審意見。”

'There's more evidence to come yet, please your Majesty,' said the White Rabbit, jumping up in a great hurry; 'this paper has just been picked up.'

“陛下，好了，又發(fā)現(xiàn)新的證據(jù)了。”白兔急忙跳起來說，“這是才拾到的一張紙。”

'What's in it?' said the Queen.

“里面說什么?”王后問。

'I haven't opened it yet,' said the White Rabbit, 'but it seems to be a letter, written by the prisoner to—to somebody.'

白兔回答：“我還沒打開來呢?但是看來是一封信，是那個罪犯寫給……給一個什么人的。”

'It must have been that,' said the King, 'unless it was written to nobody, which isn't usual, you know.'

“肯定是這樣，”國王說，“除非它不是寫給任何人的，而這不合情理。”

'Who is it directed to?' said one of the jurymen.

“信寫給誰的?”一個陪審員問。

'It isn't directed at all,' said the White Rabbit; 'in fact, there's nothing written on the OUTSIDE.' He unfolded the paper as he spoke, and added 'It isn't a letter, after all: it's a set of verses.'

“它不是寫給誰的，事實上，外面什么也沒寫，”白兔一面說，一面打開摺疊的紙，又說，“根本不是信，而是一首詩。”

'Are they in the prisoner's handwriting?' asked another of the jurymen.

“是那罪犯的筆跡嗎?”另一個陪審員問。

'No, they're not,' said the White Rabbit, 'and that's the queerest thing about it.' (The jury all looked puzzled.)

“不是的，這真是奇怪的事。”白兔說。這時陪審員全都感到莫名其妙。

'He must have imitated somebody else's hand,' said the King. (The jury all brightened up again.)

“一定是他模仿了別人的筆跡。”國王這么一說，陪審員全都醒悟過來了。

'Please your Majesty,' said the Knave, 'I didn't write it, and they can't prove I did: there's no name signed at the end.'

這時，武士開口了：“陛下，這不是我寫的，他們也不能證實是我寫的。末尾并沒有簽名。”

'If you didn't sign it,' said the King, 'that only makes the matter worse. You MUST have meant some mischief, or else you'd have signed your name like an honest man.'

“如果你沒有簽名，”國玉說，“只能說明情節(jié)更惡劣。這意味著你的狡猾，否則你就應該像一個誠實的人那樣，簽上你的名字。”

There was a general clapping of hands at this: it was the first really clever thing the King had said that day.

對此，出現(xiàn)了一片掌聲。這真是那天國王所講的第一句聰明話。

'That PROVES his guilt,' said the Queen.

“那就證明了他犯罪。”王后說。

'It proves nothing of the sort!' said Alice. 'Why, you don't even know what they're about!'

愛麗絲卻說：“這證明不了什么!啊，你們甚至不知道這首詩寫的是什么呀!”

'Read them,' said the King.

“快讀一讀!”國王命令道。

The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. 'Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?' he asked.

白兔戴上了眼鏡，問道，“我該從哪兒開始呢?陛下。”

'Begin at the beginning,' the King said gravely, 'and go on till you come to the end: then stop.'

“從開始的地方開始吧，一直讀到末尾，然后停止。”國王鄭重地說。

These were the verses the White Rabbit read:—

下面就是白兔所讀的詩句：

'They told me you had been to her,

“他們說你先是對她，

And mentioned me to him:

后又對他談到了我。

She gave me a good character,

她給我良好的贊譽，

But said I could not swim.

但卻說我不會游水。

He sent them word I had not gone

“他捎話說我沒有前往，

(We know it to be true):

我們知道這并非撒謊。

If she should push the matter on,

假如她竟然把事情推進，

What would become of you?

你又當處于何種景況?

I gave her one, they gave him two,

我給她一個，他們給他一雙，

You gave us three or more;

你給我們?nèi)齻€或者兩雙，

They all returned from him to you,

它們都從他那里歸于你方，

Though they were mine before. If I or she should chance to be

反正從前都是我的，一樣一樣。

Involved in this affair,

“假如我或她竟然會掉進這個是非漩渦，

He trusts to you to set them free,

他請你解除他的冤枉，

Exactly as we were.

就如我們早先的期望。

My notion was that you had been

“我的想法就是你的那樣，

(Before she had this fit)

也就是她有過的詩章，

An obstacle that came between

你在他和我們之間，

Him, and ourselves, and it.

早已成了難越的屏障。

Don't let him know she liked them best,

“切勿告訴他：她最喜歡他們，

For this must ever be

這必須永遠是個秘密。

A secret, kept from all the rest,

也切勿告訴其他人，

Between yourself and me.'

只在你我之間。”

'That's the most important piece of evidence we've heard yet,' said the King, rubbing his hands; 'so now let the jury—'

“這是我們聽到的最重要的證據(jù)了，”國王擦著手說，“現(xiàn)在請陪審員……”

'If any one of them can explain it,' said Alice, (she had grown so large in the last few minutes that she wasn't a bit afraid of interrupting him,) 'I'll give him sixpence. I don't believe there's an atom of meaning in it.'

“如果有誰能解釋這些詩，我愿意給他六十便士，我認為這些詩沒有任何意義。”愛麗絲這么說。(就在剛才的那一瞬間，她已經(jīng)長得十分巨大，所以她一點也不怕打斷國王的話。)

The jury all wrote down on their slates, 'SHE doesn't believe there's an atom of meaning in it,' but none of them attempted to explain the paper.

陪審員都在紙板上寫下：“她相信這些詩沒有任何意義。”但是他們中沒有一個試圖解釋一下這些詩。

'If there's no meaning in it,' said the King, 'that saves a world of trouble, you know, as we needn't try to find any. And yet I don't know,' he went on, spreading out the verses on his knee, and looking at them with one eye; 'I seem to see some meaning in them, after all. "—SAID I COULD NOT SWIM—" you can't swim, can you?' he added, turning to the Knave.

“如果詩里沒有任何意義，”國王說，“那就免除了許多麻煩。你知道，我們并不要找出什么意義，而且我也不懂什么意義。”國王說著，把這些詩攤開在膝上，用一只眼睛看著說，“我終于明白了其中的一些意義——‘說我不會游水’一—就是說你不會游水，是嗎，”國王對著武士說。

The Knave shook his head sadly. 'Do I look like it?' he said. (Which he certainly did NOT, being made entirely of cardboard.)

武士傷心地搖搖頭說：“我像會游水的嗎?”(他肯定不會游水的，因為他全部是由硬紙片做成的。)

'All right, so far,' said the King, and he went on muttering over the verses to himself: '"WE KNOW IT TO BE TRUE—" that's the jury, of course—"I GAVE HER ONE, THEY GAVE HIM TWO—" why, that must be what he did with the tarts, you know—'

“現(xiàn)在全對了，”國王說，一面又繼續(xù)嘟嚷著這些詩句：“我們知道這并非撒謊’——這當然是指陪審員的——‘我給她一個，他們給他一雙’——看，這肯定是指偷的餡餅了，是嗎?……”

'But, it goes on "THEY ALL RETURNED FROM HIM TO YOU,"' said Alice.

“但后面說‘它們都從他那里歸于你方。’”愛麗絲說。

'Why, there they are!' said the King triumphantly, pointing to the tarts on the table. 'Nothing can be clearer than THAT. Then again—"BEFORE SHE HAD THIS FIT—" you never had fits, my dear, I think?' he said to the Queen.

“是啊，它們都在，沒有比這更清楚的了。”國王手指著桌上的餡餅，得意地說，“那么再看：‘也就是她有過的詩章，’親愛的，我想你沒有過詩章吧?”他對王后說。

'Never!' said the Queen furiously, throwing an inkstand at the Lizard as she spoke. (The unfortunate little Bill had left off writing on his slate with one finger, as he found it made no mark; but he now hastily began again, using the ink, that was trickling down his face, as long as it lasted.)

“從來沒有!”王后狂怒著說，并把桌上的墨水缸扔到了壁虎比爾的身上。那個不幸的比爾已經(jīng)不再用手指在紙板上寫字了，因為他發(fā)現(xiàn)這樣是寫不出宇來的。但是現(xiàn)在他又急忙蘸著臉上的墨水寫了。

'Then the words don't FIT you,' said the King, looking round the court with a smile. There was a dead silence.

“這話沒有濕脹(‘詩章’的諧音一—譯者注)你吧!”國王帶著微笑環(huán)視著法庭說。但是法庭上一片寂靜。

'It's a pun!' the King added in an offended tone, and everybody laughed, 'Let the jury consider their verdict,' the King said, for about the twentieth time that day.

“這算一句俏皮話吧!”國王發(fā)怒了，而大家卻笑了起來。“讓陪審員考慮評審意見。”國王這天人約是第二十次說這話了。

'No, no!' said the Queen. 'Sentence first—verdict afterwards.'

“不，不，”王后說，“應該先判決，后評審。”

'Stuff and nonsense!' said Alice loudly. 'The idea of having the sentence first!'

“愚蠢的廢話，竟然先判決!”愛麗絲大聲說。

'Hold your tongue!' said the Queen, turning purple.

“住嘴!”王后氣得臉色都發(fā)紫了。

'I won't!' said Alice.

“我偏不!”艾麗絲毫不示弱地回答。

'Off with her head!' the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. Nobody moved.

“砍掉她的頭!”王后聲嘶力竭地喊道。但是沒有一個人動一動。

'Who cares for you?' said Alice, (she had grown to her full size by this time.) 'You're nothing but a pack of cards!'

“誰理你呢?”愛麗絲說，這時她已經(jīng)恢復到本來的身材了，“你們只不過是一副紙牌!”

At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her: she gave a little scream, half of fright and half of anger, and tried to beat them off, and found herself lying on the bank, with her head in the lap of her sister, who was gently brushing away some dead leaves that had fluttered down from the trees upon her face.

這時，整副紙牌上升到空中，然后又飛落在她身上，她發(fā)出一小聲尖叫，既驚又怒，她正在把這些紙牌揚去，卻發(fā)覺自己躺在河岸邊，頭還枕在姐姐的腿上，而姐姐正在輕輕地拿掉落在她臉上的枯葉。

'Wake up, Alice dear!' said her sister; 'Why, what a long sleep you've had!'

“醒醒吧，親愛的愛麗絲，”她姐姐說，“看，你睡了多久啦!”

'Oh, I've had such a curious dream!' said Alice, and she told her sister, as well as she could remember them, all these strange Adventures of hers that you have just been reading about; and when she had finished, her sister kissed her, and said, 'It WAS a curious dream, dear, certainly: but now run in to your tea; it's getting late.' So Alice got up and ran off, thinking while she ran, as well she might, what a wonderful dream it had been.

“啊，我做了個多奇怪的夢啊!”愛麗絲盡她所記憶的，把那些奇怪的經(jīng)歷，告訴了姐姐。也就是你剛才讀過的那些。當她說完了，姐姐吻了她一下說：“這真是奇怪的夢，親愛的，但是現(xiàn)在快去喝茶吧，天已經(jīng)不早了。”于是愛麗絲站起來走了，一面走，一面還費勁地想，她做了個多奇妙的夢呀!

But her sister sat still just as she left her, leaning her head on her hand, watching the setting sun, and thinking of little Alice and all her wonderful Adventures, till she too began dreaming after a fashion, and this was her dream:—

愛麗絲走后，她姐姐仍靜坐在那里，頭向前支在一只手上，望著西下的夕陽，想著小愛麗絲和她夢中的奇幻經(jīng)歷，然后自己進人了夢鄉(xiāng)。下面就是她的夢。

First, she dreamed of little Alice herself, and once again the tiny hands were clasped upon her knee, and the bright eager eyes were looking up into hers—she could hear the very tones of her voice, and see that queer little toss of her head to keep back the wandering hair that WOULD always get into her eyes—and still as she listened, or seemed to listen, the whole place around her became alive the strange creatures of her little sister's dream.

開始，她夢見了小愛麗絲本人，又一次雙手抱住了膝蓋，用明亮而熱切的眼光仰視著她。她聽到小愛麗絲的聲音，看到了她的頭微微一擺，把蓬亂的頭發(fā)擺順了些，這是她常常見到的情景。當她聽著、聽著愛麗絲說的話時，周圍的環(huán)境隨著她小妹妹夢中的那些奇異動物的降臨而活躍起來了。

The long grass rustled at her feet as the White Rabbit hurried by—the frightened Mouse splashed his way through the neighbouring pool—she could hear the rattle of the teacups as the March Hare and his friends shared their never–ending meal, and the shrill voice of the Queen ordering off her unfortunate guests to execution—once more the pig–baby was sneezing on the Duchess's knee, while plates and dishes crashed around it—once more the shriek of the Gryphon, the squeaking of the Lizard's slate–pencil, and the choking of the suppressed guinea–pigs, filled the air, mixed up with the distant sobs of the miserable Mock Turtle.

白兔跳來蹦去，弄得她腳下的洞草沙沙作響，受驚的老鼠在鄰近的洞穴間穿來穿去，不時揚起一股塵土。她還聽到三月兔同它的朋友們共享著沒完沒了的美餐時碰擊茶杯的聲音，以及王后命令處決她的不幸客人的尖叫聲。同時也聽到豬孩子在公爵夫人腿上打噴嚏，以及盤碗的摔碎聲。甚至聽到鷹頭獅的尖叫，壁虎寫字時的沙沙聲，被制裁的豚鼠的掙扎聲等等。這種種聲音充滿了空間，還混雜著遠處傳來的素甲魚那悲哀的抽泣聲。

So she sat on, with closed eyes, and half believed herself in Wonderland, though she knew she had but to open them again, and all would change to dull reality—the grass would be only rustling in the wind, and the pool rippling to the waving of the reeds—the rattling teacups would change to tinkling sheep–bells, and the Queen's shrill cries to the voice of the shepherd boy—and the sneeze of the baby, the shriek of the Gryphon, and all the other queer noises, would change (she knew) to the confused clamour of the busy farm–yard—while the lowing of the cattle in the distance would take the place of the Mock Turtle's heavy sobs.

于是她將身子坐正，閉著眼睛，半信半疑自己真的到了奇境世界。盡管她知道只是重溫一個舊夢，而一切都仍會返回現(xiàn)實：蒿草只是迎風作響，池水的波紋擺動了蘆葦。茶杯的碰擊聲實際是羊頸上的鈴鐺聲，王后的尖叫起源于牧童的吃喝。豬孩子的噴嚏聲，鷹頭獅的尖叫聲和各種奇聲怪音，原來只是農(nóng)村中繁忙季節(jié)的各種喧鬧聲。而遠處耕牛的低吟，在夢中變成素甲魚的哀泣。