CHAPTER VI. Pig and Pepper
第6章 小猪和胡椒
For a minute or two she stood looking at the house, and wondering what to do next, when suddenly a footman in livery came running out of the wood -- (she considered him to be a footman because he was in livery: otherwise, judging by his face only, she would have called him a fish) -- and rapped loudly at the door with his knuckles.
她站在那儿看着那栋房子有那么一两分钟,正琢磨着下一步该怎么办,突然一个穿制服的仆人从树林里跑了出来(她认定他是个仆人是因为他穿着制服。不然的话,要是仅仅从他脸上看,她会称他为一条鱼。)——用指头节啪啪地大声敲着门。
It was opened by another footman in livery, with a round face, and large eyes like a frog; and both footmen, Alice noticed, had powdered hair that curled all over their heads.
另一个穿着制服的仆人开了门,他长着一张圆脸,一双青蛙似的大眼睛。爱丽丝注意到,两个仆人的脑袋上都是涂了粉的鬈发。
She felt very curious to know what it was all about, and crept a little way out of the wood to listen.
她感到非常好奇,想知道这到底是怎么回事,于是就往林子外偷偷爬了爬,好听个明白。
The Fish-Footman began by producing from under his arm a great letter, nearly as large as himself, and this he handed over to the other, saying, in a solemn tone, "For the Duchess. An invitation from the Queen to play croquet."
那个鱼仆人从胳膊底下抽出一个差不多和他自己一般大的信封,把它交给另一个仆人,声调庄严地说:“呈公爵夫人,一封王后邀请参加槌球比赛的请柬。”
The Frog-Footman repeated, in the same solemn tone, only changing the order of the words a little, "From the Queen. An invitation for the Duchess to play croquet."
那个青蛙仆人用同样庄严的声调重复了一遍,只是改变了一下语序,“王后御旨:一封邀公爵夫人参加槌球比赛的请柬。”
Then they both bowed low, and their curls got entangled together.
然后俩人都深深地鞠了一躬,于是他们的鬈发就缠在了一起。
Alice laughed so much at this, that she had to run back into the wood for fear of their hearing her; and when she next peeped out the Fish-Footman was gone, and the other was sitting on the ground near the door, staring stupidly up into the sky.
爱丽丝见状大笑不止,只好跑回树林里,唯恐他们听见。等她再回来偷看时,鱼仆人已经走了,另一个则坐在门旁的地上,傻乎乎地望着天空。
Alice went timidly up to the door, and knocked.
爱丽丝胆怯地走到门前,敲了敲门。
"There's no sort of use in knocking," said the Footman, "and that for two reasons. First, because I'm on the same side of the door as you are; secondly, because they're making such a noise inside, no one could possibly hear you."
“敲门没用,”仆人开口了,“原因有两个。第一,因为和你一样,我也在门的这边;第二,因为里面吵闹声太大了,不可能有人听见你敲门。”
And certainly there was a most extraordinary noise going on within -- a constant howling and sneezing, and every now and then a great crash, as if a dish or kettle had been broken to pieces.
确实门里面吵闹声音大极了——不停地嚎叫、连续地打喷嚏,而且时不时还夹杂着打碎东西的声音,好像是盘子或是茶壶什么的给摔成了碎片。
"Please, then," said Alice, "how am I to get in?"
“那请问,”爱丽丝说,“我怎么才能进去?”
"There might be some sense in your knocking," the Footman went on without attending to her, "if we had the door between us. For instance, if you were inside, you might knock, and I could let you out, you know."
“你敲门本该有点儿意义,”蛙仆人没理爱丽丝的茬儿继续自己说着,“要是这扇门在你我之间的话。譬如说,如果你在门里敲门的话,你瞧,我可以让你出来。”
He was looking up into the sky all the time he was speaking, and this Alice thought decidedly uncivil.
说话的当儿他一直两眼朝上望着天空,而爱丽丝认为这是绝对不礼貌的。
"But perhaps he can't help it," she said to herself; "his eyes are so very nearly at the top of his head. But at any rate he might answer questions. -- How am I to get in?" she repeated, aloud.
“不过可能他也没办法,”她自言自语道,“他两只眼睛简直就是长在他的头顶上。但好歹他可以回答些问题。——我怎么才能进去?”她又大声重复了一遍。
"I shall sit here," the Footman remarked, "till tomorrow -- "
“我就坐在这儿,”那蛙仆人声言道,“直到明天——”