Alice in Wonderland. Книга для чтения на английском языке

“Why, she, of course,” said the Dodo, pointing to Alice with one finger; and the whole party at once |сразу же| crowded round her, calling out in a confused way |наперебой|, “Prizes! Prizes!”

Alice had no idea what to do, and in despair |в отчаянии| she put her hand in her pocket, and pulled out a box of comfits |конфетами|, (luckily the salt water had not got into it), and handed them round as prizes. There was exactly one a-piece, all round.

“But she must have a prize herself, you know,” said the Mouse.

“Of course,” the Dodo replied very gravely |серьезно|. “What else have you got in your pocket?” he went on, turning to Alice.

“Only a thimble |наперсток|,” said Alice sadly.

“Hand it over here,” |Передай сюда| said the Dodo.

Then they all crowded round her once more, while the Dodo solemnly |торжественно| presented the thimble, saying “We beg your acceptance |Мы просим принять| of this elegant thimble;” and, when it had finished this short speech, they all cheered.

Alice thought the whole thing very absurd, but they all looked so grave that she did not dare to laugh; and, as she could not think of anything to say, she simply bowed |поклонилась|, and took the thimble, looking as solemn as she could.

The next thing was to eat the comfits: this caused some noise and confusion, as the large birds complained that they could not taste theirs, and the small ones choked |поперхнулись| and had to be patted |надо было похлопать| on the back.

However, it was over at last, and they sat down again in a ring, and begged the Mouse to tell them something more.

“You promised to tell me your history, you know,” said Alice, “and why it is you hate – C and D |Алиса имеет в видукошекисобак|,” she added in a whisper, half afraid that it would be offended again.

“Mine is a long and a sad tale |история|!” said the Mouse, turning to Alice, and sighing.

“It is a long tail |хвост.

Игра слов a tale и a tail|, certainly,” said Alice, looking down with wonder at the Mouse’s tail; “but why do you call it sad?” And she kept on puzzling |долго удивлялась| about it while the Mouse was speaking, so that her idea of the tale was something like this:

“Fury |здесь – пушистый| said to a

mouse, That he

met in the

house,

‘Let us

both go to

law |поступим по закону|: I will

prosecute |засужу|

you.