Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / 7. The Mad Tea-Party / 1
Алиса в Стране чудес / 7. Безумное чаепитие / 1
CHAPTER VII.CHAPTER VII.
A Mad Tea-PartyA Mad Tea-Party
There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house,There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house,
and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it:and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it:
a Dormouse was sitting between them, fast asleep,a Dormouse was sitting between them, fast asleep,
and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it, and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it,
and talking over its head.and talking over its head.
“Very uncomfortable for the Dormouse,”“Very uncomfortable for the Dormouse,”
thought Alice;thought Alice;
“only,“only,
as it’s asleep,as it’s asleep,
I suppose it doesn’t mind.”I suppose it doesn’t mind.”
The table was a large one,The table was a large one,
but the three were all crowded together at one corner of it:but the three were all crowded together at one corner of it:
“No room!“No room!
No room!”No room!”
they cried out when they saw Alice coming.they cried out when they saw Alice coming.
“There’s plenty of room!”“There’s plenty of room!”
said Alice indignantly,said Alice indignantly,
and she sat down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table.and she sat down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table.
“Have some wine,”“Have some wine,”
the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.
Alice looked all round the table,Alice looked all round the table,
but there was nothing on it but tea.but there was nothing on it but tea.
“I don’t see any wine,”“I don’t see any wine,”
she remarked.she remarked.
“There isn’t any,”“There isn’t any,”
said the March Hare.said the March Hare.
“Then it wasn’t very civil of you to offer it,”“Then it wasn’t very civil of you to offer it,”
said Alice angrily.said Alice angrily.
“It wasn’t very civil of you to sit down without being invited,”“It wasn’t very civil of you to sit down without being invited,”
said the March Hare.said the March Hare.
“I didn’t know it was your table,”“I didn’t know it was your table,”
said Alice;said Alice;
“it’s laid for a great many more than three.”“it’s laid for a great many more than three.”
“Your hair wants cutting,”“Your hair wants cutting,”
said the Hatter.said the Hatter.
He had been looking at Alice for some time with great curiosity,He had been looking at Alice for some time with great curiosity,
and this was his first speech.and this was his first speech.
“You should learn not to make personal remarks,”“You should learn not to make personal remarks,”
Alice said with some severity;Alice said with some severity;
“it’s very rude.”“it’s very rude.”
The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this;The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this;
but all he said was,but all he said was,
“Why is a raven like a writing-desk?”“Why is a raven like a writing-desk?”
“Come, we shall have some fun now!”“Come, we shall have some fun now!”
thought Alice.thought Alice.
“I’m glad they’ve begun asking riddles.—“I’m glad they’ve begun asking riddles.—
I believe I can guess that,”I believe I can guess that,”
she added aloud.she added aloud.
“Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?”“Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?”
said the March Hare.said the March Hare.
“Exactly so,”“Exactly so,”
said Alice.said Alice.
“Then you should say what you mean,”“Then you should say what you mean,”
the March Hare went on.the March Hare went on.
“I do,”“I do,”
Alice hastily replied;Alice hastily replied;
“at least—at least I mean what I say—that’s the same thing, you know.”“at least—at least I mean what I say—that’s the same thing, you know.”
“Not the same thing a bit!”“Not the same thing a bit!”
said the Hatter.said the Hatter.
“You might just as well say that ‘I see what I eat’“You might just as well say that ‘I see what I eat’
is the same thing as ‘I eat what I see’!”is the same thing as ‘I eat what I see’!”
“You might just as well say,”“You might just as well say,”
added the March Hare,added the March Hare,
“that ‘I like what I get’ is the same thing as ‘I get what I like’!”“that ‘I like what I get’ is the same thing as ‘I get what I like’!”
“You might just as well say,”“You might just as well say,”
added the Dormouse,added the Dormouse,
who seemed to be talking in his sleep,who seemed to be talking in his sleep,
“that ‘I breathe when I sleep’ is the same thing as ‘I sleep when I breathe’!”“that ‘I breathe when I sleep’ is the same thing as ‘I sleep when I breathe’!”
“It is the same thing with you,”“It is the same thing with you,”
said the Hatter,said the Hatter,
and here the conversation dropped,and here the conversation dropped,
and the party sat silent for a minute,and the party sat silent for a minute,
while Alice thought over all she could remember about ravens and writing-desks,while Alice thought over all she could remember about ravens and writing-desks,
which wasn’t much.which wasn’t much.
The Hatter was the first to break the silence.The Hatter was the first to break the silence.
“What day of the month is it?”“What day of the month is it?”
he said, turning to Alice:he said, turning to Alice:
he had taken his watch out of his pocket,he had taken his watch out of his pocket,
and was looking at it uneasily,and was looking at it uneasily,
shaking it every now and then, and holding it to his ear.shaking it every now and then, and holding it to his ear.
Alice considered a little, and then said Alice considered a little, and then said
“The fourth.”“The fourth.”
“Two days wrong!”“Two days wrong!”
sighed the Hatter.sighed the Hatter.
“I told you butter wouldn’t suit the works!”“I told you butter wouldn’t suit the works!”
he added looking angrily at the March Hare.he added looking angrily at the March Hare.
“It was the best butter,”“It was the best butter,”
the March Hare meekly replied.the March Hare meekly replied.
“Yes, but some crumbs must have got in as well,”“Yes, but some crumbs must have got in as well,”
the Hatter grumbled:the Hatter grumbled:
“you shouldn’t have put it in with the bread-knife.”“you shouldn’t have put it in with the bread-knife.”
The March Hare took the watch and looked at it gloomily:The March Hare took the watch and looked at it gloomily:
then he dipped it into his cup of tea, and looked at it again:then he dipped it into his cup of tea, and looked at it again:
but he could think of nothing better to say than his first remark,but he could think of nothing better to say than his first remark,
“It was the best butter, you know.”“It was the best butter, you know.”
Alice had been looking over his shoulder with some curiosity.Alice had been looking over his shoulder with some curiosity.
“What a funny watch!”“What a funny watch!”
she remarked.she remarked.
“It tells the day of the month,“It tells the day of the month,
and doesn’t tell what o’clock it is!”and doesn’t tell what o’clock it is!”
“Why should it?”“Why should it?”
muttered the Hatter.muttered the Hatter.
“Does your watch tell you what year it is?”“Does your watch tell you what year it is?”
“Of course not,”“Of course not,”
Alice replied very readily:Alice replied very readily:
“but that’s because it stays the same year for such a long time together.”“but that’s because it stays the same year for such a long time together.”
“Which is just the case with mine,”“Which is just the case with mine,”
said the Hatter.said the Hatter.
Alice felt dreadfully puzzled.Alice felt dreadfully puzzled.
The Hatter’s remark seemed to have no sort of meaning in it,The Hatter’s remark seemed to have no sort of meaning in it,
and yet it was certainly English.and yet it was certainly English.
“I don’t quite understand you,”“I don’t quite understand you,”
she said,she said,
as politely as she could.as politely as she could.
“The Dormouse is asleep again,”“The Dormouse is asleep again,”
said the Hatter,said the Hatter,
and he poured a little hot tea upon its nose.and he poured a little hot tea upon its nose.
The Dormouse shook its head impatiently, and said,The Dormouse shook its head impatiently, and said,
without opening its eyes,without opening its eyes,
“Of course, of course;“Of course, of course;
just what I was going to remark myself.”just what I was going to remark myself.”
“Have you guessed the riddle yet?”“Have you guessed the riddle yet?”
the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.
“No, I give it up,”“No, I give it up,”
Alice replied:Alice replied:
“what’s the answer?”“what’s the answer?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea,”“I haven’t the slightest idea,”
said the Hatter.said the Hatter.
“Nor I,”“Nor I,”
said the March Hare.said the March Hare.