Алиса в Стране чудес / Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Алиса в Зазеркалье / Through the Looking-glass, and What Alice Found There

“Come on, then,” said the Queen, “and he will tell you his history,”

As they walked off together, Alice heard the King say in a low voice, to the company, “You are all pardoned.[142 - You are all pardoned – Вы все помилованы]” “THAT’S a good thing!” she said to herself.

Very soon they came to a Gryphon.[143 - Gryphon – мифическое крылатое существо СЃ туловищем льва, головой орла или льва. Р?меет острые когти Рё белоснежные или золотые крылья.

] “Take this young lady to see the Mock Turtle, and to hear his history. I must go back,” the Queen said and Alice was left alone with the Gryphon. She did not quite like the look of the creature, so she waited.

The Gryphon watched the Queen and when she was out of sight it chuckled. “What fun!” said the Gryphon.

“What IS the fun?” said Alice.

“Well, SHE,” said the Gryphon. “they never execute anybody, you know.

Come on!”

When they saw the Mock Turtle in the distance, he was sitting sad and lonely and, as they came nearer, Alice heard that he was sighing as if his heart would break.[144 - as if his heart would break – как будто у него разрывалось сердце] She pitied him deeply. “What is his sorrow?” she asked the Gryphon, and the Gryphon answered, “Well, he hasn’t got any sorrow, you know. Come on!”

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

“This young lady,” said the Gryphon, “wants to know your history.”

“I’ll tell it to her,” said the Mock Turtle: “sit down, both of you, and don’t speak a word till I’ve finished.” 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.

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

”

“When we were little,” the Mock Turtle went on after a very long pause, “we went to school in the sea. We had the best teachers – in fact, we went to school every day – ”

“I’VE been to a day-school, too,” said Alice. “We learned French and music as extras.[145 - extras – дополнительные предметы]”

“And washing?” asked the Mock Turtle.

“Certainly not!” said Alice indignantly.