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Chapter 3 Looking-Glass Insects
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Of course the first thing to do was to make a grand survey of thecountry she was going to travel through. `It's something very likelearning geography,' thought Alice, as she stood on tiptoe in hopes ofbeing able to see a little further. `Principal rivers--there ARE none.

  Principal mountains--I'm on the only one, but I don't think it's got anyname. Principal towns--why, what ARE those creatures, making honeydown there? They can't be bees--nobody ever saw bees a mile off, youknow--' and for some time she stood silent, watching one of them that wasbustling about among the flowers, poking1 its proboscis2 into them, `just asif it was a regular bee,' thought Alice.

  However, this was anything but a regular bee: in fact it was anelephant--as Alice soon found out, though the idea quite took her breathaway at first. `And what enormous flowers they must be!' was her nextidea. `Something like cottages with the roofs taken off, and stalks put tothem--and what quantities of honey they must make! I think I'll go downand--no, I won't JUST yet, ' she went on, checking herself just as she wasbeginning to run down the hill, and trying to find some excuse for turningshy so suddenly. `It'll never do to go down among them without a goodlong branch to brush them away--and what fun it'll be when they ask mehow I like my walk. I shall say-- "Oh, I like it well enough--"' (herecame the favourite little toss of the head), `"only it was so dusty and hot,and the elephants did tease so!"'

  `I think I'll go down the other way,' she said after a pause: `andperhaps I may visit the elephants later on. Besides, I do so want to getinto the Third Square!'

  So with this excuse she ran down the hill and jumped over the firstof the six little brooks3.

  * * * * * * ** * * ** ** * * * * * *`Tickets, please!' said the Guard, putting his head in at the window.

  In a moment everybody was holding out a ticket: they were about thesame size as the people, and quite seemed to fill the carriage.

  `Now then! Show your ticket, child!' the Guard went on, lookingangrily at Alice. And a great many voices all said together (`like thechorus of a song,' thought Alice), `Don't keep him waiting, child! Why,his time is worth a thousand pounds a minute!'

  `I'm afraid I haven't got one,' Alice said in a frightened tone: `therewasn't a ticket-office where I came from.' And again the chorus of voiceswent on. `There wasn't room for one where she came from. The landthere is worth a thousand pounds an inch!'

  `Don't make excuses,' said the Guard: `you should have boughtone from the engine-driver.' And once more the chorus of voices went onwith `The man that drives the engine. Why, the smoke alone is worth athousand pounds a puff5!'

  Alice thought to herself, `Then there's no use in speaking.' Thevoices didn't join in this time, as she hadn't spoken, but to her greatsurprise, they all THOUGHT in chorus (I hope you understand whatTHINKING IN CHORUS means--for I must confess that _I_ don't),`Better say nothing at all. Language is worth a thousand pounds a word!'

  `I shall dream about a thousand pounds tonight, I know I shall!'

  thought Alice.

  All this time the Guard was looking at her, first through a telescope,then through a microscope, and then through an opera- glass. At last hesaid, `You're travelling the wrong way,' and shut up the window and wentaway.

  `So young a child,' said the gentleman sitting opposite to her (hewas dressed in white paper), `ought to know which way she's going, evenif she doesn't know her own name!'

  A Goat, that was sitting next to the gentleman in white, shut his eyesand said in a loud voice, `She ought to know her way to the ticket-office,even if she doesn't know her alphabet!'

  There was a Beetle7 sitting next to the Goat (it was a very queercarriage-full of passengers altogether), and, as the rule seemed to be thatthey should all speak in turn, HE went on with `She'll have to go back from here as luggage!'

  Alice couldn't see who was sitting beyond the Beetle, but a hoarsevoice spoke6 next. `Change engines--' it said, and was obliged to leaveoff.

  `It sounds like a horse,' Alice thought to herself. And an extremelysmall voice, close to her ear, said, `You might make a joke on that-something about "horse" and "hoarse," you know.'

  Then a very gentle voice in the distance said, `She must be labelled"Lass, with care," you know--'

  And after that other voices went on (What a number of people thereare in the carriage!' thought Alice), saying, `She must go by post, as she'sgot a head on her--' `She must be sent as a message by the telegraph--'

  `She must draw the train herself the rest of the way--' and so on.

  But the gentleman dressed in white paper leaned forwards andwhispered in her ear, `Never mind what they all say, my dear, but take areturn-ticket every time the train stops.'

  `Indeed I shan't!' Alice said rather impatiently. `I don't belong tothis railway journey at all--I was in a wood just now --and I wish I couldget back there.'

  `You might make a joke on THAT,' said the little voice close to herear: `something about "you WOULD if you could," you know.'

  `Don't tease so,' said Alice, looking about in vain to see where thevoice came from; `if you're so anxious to have a joke made, why don't youmake one yourself?'

  The little voice sighed deeply: it was VERY unhappy, evidently,and Alice would have said something pitying to comfort it, `If it wouldonly sigh like other people!' she thought. But this was such awonderfully small sigh, that she wouldn't have heard it at all, if it hadn'tcome QUITE close to her ear. The consequence of this was that it tickledher ear very much, and quite took off her thoughts from the unhappinessof the poor little creature.

  `I know you are a friend, the little voice went on; `a dear friend, andan old friend. And you won't hurt me, though I AM an insect.'

  `What kind of insect?' Alice inquired a little anxiously. What she really wanted to know was, whether it could sting or not, but she thoughtthis wouldn't be quite a civil question to ask.

  `What, then you don't--' the little voice began, when it was drownedby a shrill8 scream from the engine, and everybody jumped up in alarm,Alice among the rest.

  The Horse, who had put his head out of the window, quietly drew itin and said, `It's only a brook4 we have to jump over.' Everybody seemedsatisfied with this, though Alice felt a little nervous at the idea of trainsjumping at all. `However, it'll take us into the Fourth Square, that's somecomfort!' she said to herself. In another moment she felt the carriage risestraight up into the air, and in her fright she caught at the thing nearest toher hand. which happened to be the Goat's beard.

  * * * * * * ** * * * * ** * * * * * *But the beard seemed to melt away as she touched it, and she foundherself sitting quietly under a tree--while the Gnat9 (for that was the insectshe had been talking to) was balancing itself on a twig10 just over her head,and fanning her with its wings.

  It certainly was a VERY large Gnat: `about the size of a chicken,'

  Alice thought. Still, she couldn't feel nervous with it, after they had beentalking together so long.

  `--then you don't like all insects?' the Gnat went on, as quietly as ifnothing had happened.

  `I like them when they can talk,' Alice said. `None of them evertalk, where _I_ come from.'

  `What sort of insects do you rejoice in, where YOU come from?' theGnat inquired.

  `I don't REJOICE in insects at all,' Alice explained, `because I'mrather afraid of them--at least the large kinds. But I can tell you thenames of some of them.'

  `Of course they answer to their names?' the Gnat remarkedcarelessly.

  `I never knew them do it.'

  `What's the use of their having names the Gnat said, `if they won'tanswer to them?'

  `No use to THEM,' said Alice; `but it's useful to the people whoname them, I suppose. If not, why do things have names at all?'

  `I can't say,' the Gnat replied. `Further on, in the wood down there,they've got no names--however, go on with your list of insects: you'rewasting time.'

  `Well, there's the Horse-fly,' Alice began, counting off the names onher fingers.

  `All right,' said the Gnat: `half way up that bush, you'll see aRocking-horse-fly, if you look. It's made entirely11 of wood, and getsabout by swinging itself from branch to branch.'

  `What does it live on?' Alice asked, with great curiosity.

  `Sap and sawdust,' said the Gnat. `Go on with the list.'

  Alice looked up at the Rocking-horse-fly with great interest, andmade up her mind that it must have been just repainted, it looked so brightand sticky; and then she went on.

  `And there's the Dragon-fly.'

  `Look on the branch above your head,' said the Gnat, `and thereyou'll find a snap-dragon-fly. Its body is made of plum-pudding, itswings of holly-leaves, and its head is a raisin12 burning in brandy.'

  `And what does it live on?'

  `Frumenty and mince13 pie,' the Gnat replied; `and it makes its nest ina Christmas box.'

  `And then there's the Butterfly,' Alice went on, after she had taken agood look at the insect with its head on fire, and had thought to herself, `Iwonder if that's the reason insects are so fond of flying into candles-because they want to turn into Snap-dragon-flies!'

  `Crawling at your feet,' said the Gnat (Alice drew her feet back insome alarm), `you may observe a Bread-and-Butterfly. Its wings are thinslices of Bread-and-butter, its body is a crust, and its head is a lump ofsugar.'

  `And what does IT live on?'

  `Weak tea with cream in it.'

  A new difficulty came into Alice's head. `Supposing it couldn'tfind any?' she suggested.

  `Then it would die, of course.'

  `But that must happen very often,' Alice remarked thoughtfully.

  `It always happens,' said the Gnat.

  After this, Alice was silent for a minute or two, pondering. The Gnatamused itself meanwhile by humming round and round her head: at lastit settled again and remarked, `I suppose you don't want to lose yourname?'

  `No, indeed,' Alice said, a little anxiously.

  `And yet I don't know,' the Gnat went on in a careless tone: `onlythink how convenient it would be if you could manage to go home withoutit! For instance, if the governess wanted to call you to your lessons, shewould call out "come here--," and there she would have to leave off,because there wouldn't be any name for her to call, and of course youwouldn't have to go, you know.'

  `That would never do, I'm sure,' said Alice: `the governess wouldnever think of excusing me lessons for that. If she couldn't remember myname, she'd call me "Miss!" as the servants do.'

  `Well. if she said "Miss," and didn't say anything more,' the Gnatremarked, `of course you'd miss your lessons. That's a joke. I wishYOU had made it.'

  `Why do you wish _I_ had made it?' Alice asked. `It's a very badone.'

  But the Gnat only sighed deeply, while two large tears came rollingdown its cheeks.

  `You shouldn't make jokes,' Alice said, `if it makes you so unhappy.'

  Then came another of those melancholy14 little sighs, and this timethe poor Gnat really seemed to have sighed itself away, for, when Alicelooked up, there was nothing whatever to be seen on the twig, and, as shewas getting quite chilly15 with sitting still so long, she got up and walkedon.

  She very soon came to an open field, with a wood on the other sideof it: it looked much darker than the last wood, and Alice felt a LITTLE timid about going into it. However, on second thoughts, she made up hermind to go on: `for I certainly won't go BACK,' she thought to herself,and this was the only way to the Eighth Square.

  `This must be the wood, she said thoughtfully to herself, `wherethings have no names. I wonder what'll become of MY name when I goin? I shouldn't like to lose it at all--because they'd have to give meanother, and it would be almost certain to be an ugly one. But then thefun would be trying to find the creature that had got my old name! That'sjust like the advertisements, you know, when people lose dogs-"ANSWERS TO THE NAME OF `DASH:' HAD ON A BRASSCOLLAR"--just fancy calling everything you met "Alice," till one of themanswered! Only they wouldn't answer at all, if they were wise.'

  She was rambling16 on in this way when she reached the wood: itlooked very cool and shady. `Well, at any rate it's a great comfort,' shesaid as she stepped under the trees, `after being so hot, to get into the--intoWHAT?' she went on, rather surprised at not being able to think of theword. `I mean to get under the--under the--under THIS, you know!'

  putting her hand on the trunk of the tree. `What DOES it call itself, Iwonder? I do believe it's got no name--why, to be sure it hasn't!'

  She stood silent for a minute, thinking: then she suddenly beganagain. `Then it really HAS happened, after all! And now, who am I?

  I WILL remember, if I can! I'm determined17 to do it!' But beingdetermined didn't help much, and all she could say, after a great deal ofpuzzling, was, `L, I KNOW it begins with L!'

  Just then a Fawn18 came wandering by: it looked at Alice with itslarge gentle eyes, but didn't seem at all frightened. `Here then! Herethen!' Alice said, as she held out her hand and tried to stroke it; but it onlystarted back a little, and then stood looking at her again.

  `What do you call yourself?' the Fawn said at last. Such a softsweet voice it had!

  `I wish I knew!' thought poor Alice. She answered, rather sadly,`Nothing, just now.'

  `Think again,' it said: `that won't do.'

  Alice thought, but nothing came of it. `Please, would you tell me what YOU call yourself?' she said timidly. `I think that might help alittle.'

  `I'll tell you, if you'll move a little further on,' the Fawn said. `I can'tremember here.'

  So they walked on together though the wood, Alice with her armsclasped lovingly round the soft neck of the Fawn, till they came out intoanother open field, and here the Fawn gave a sudden bound into the air,and shook itself free from Alice's arms. `I'm a Fawn!' it cried out in a voiceof delight, `and, dear me! you're a human child!' A sudden look of alarmcame into its beautiful brown eyes, and in another moment it had dartedaway at full speed.

  Alice stood looking after it, almost ready to cry with vexation athaving lost her dear little fellow-traveller so suddenly. `However, I knowmy name now.' she said, `that's SOME comfort. Alice--Alice--I won'tforget it again. And now, which of these finger-posts ought I to follow, Iwonder?'

  It was not a very difficult question to answer, as there was only oneroad through the wood, and the two finger-posts both pointed19 along it.

  `I'll settle it,' Alice said to herself, `when the road divides and they pointdifferent ways.'

  But this did not seem likely to happen. She went on and on, a longway, but wherever the road divided there were sure to be two finger-postspointing the same way, one marked `TO TWEEDLEDUM'S HOUSE' andthe other `TO THE HOUSE OF TWEEDLEDEE.'

  `I do believe,' said Alice at last, `that they live in the same house! Iwonder I never thought of that before--But I can't stay there long. I'll justcall and say "how d'you do?" and ask them the way out of the wood. If Icould only get to the Eighth Square before it gets dark!' So she wanderedon, talking to herself as she went, till, on turning a sharp corner, she cameupon two fat little men, so suddenly that she could not help starting back,but in another moment she recovered herself, feeling sure that they must be.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 poking poking     
n. 刺,戳,袋 vt. 拨开,刺,戳 vi. 戳,刺,捅,搜索,伸出,行动散慢
参考例句:
  • He was poking at the rubbish with his stick. 他正用手杖拨动垃圾。
  • He spent his weekends poking around dusty old bookshops. 他周末都泡在布满尘埃的旧书店里。
2 proboscis x1QzN     
n.(象的)长鼻
参考例句:
  • Its proboscis has got stuck to a lot of pollen.它的喙上粘了很多花粉。
  • It hovers in front of the flower,using its proboscis to look for nectar. 它在兰花前面飞来飞去, 用喙寻找花蜜.
3 brooks cdbd33f49d2a6cef435e9a42e9c6670f     
n.小溪( brook的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Brooks gave the business when Haas caught him with his watch. 哈斯抓到偷他的手表的布鲁克斯时,狠狠地揍了他一顿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Ade and Brooks exchanged blows yesterday and they were severely punished today. 艾德和布鲁克斯昨天打起来了,今天他们受到严厉的惩罚。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 brook PSIyg     
n.小河,溪;v.忍受,容让
参考例句:
  • In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
  • The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。
5 puff y0cz8     
n.一口(气);一阵(风);v.喷气,喘气
参考例句:
  • He took a puff at his cigarette.他吸了一口香烟。
  • They tried their best to puff the book they published.他们尽力吹捧他们出版的书。
6 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
7 beetle QudzV     
n.甲虫,近视眼的人
参考例句:
  • A firefly is a type of beetle.萤火虫是一种甲虫。
  • He saw a shiny green beetle on a leaf.我看见树叶上有一只闪闪发光的绿色甲虫。
8 shrill EEize     
adj.尖声的;刺耳的;v尖叫
参考例句:
  • Whistles began to shrill outside the barn.哨声开始在谷仓外面尖叫。
  • The shrill ringing of a bell broke up the card game on the cutter.刺耳的铃声打散了小汽艇的牌局。
9 gnat gekzi     
v.对小事斤斤计较,琐事
参考例句:
  • Strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.小事拘谨,大事糊涂。
  • He's always straining at a gnat.他总是对小事很拘谨。
10 twig VK1zg     
n.小树枝,嫩枝;v.理解
参考例句:
  • He heard the sharp crack of a twig.他听到树枝清脆的断裂声。
  • The sharp sound of a twig snapping scared the badger away.细枝突然折断的刺耳声把獾惊跑了。
11 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
12 raisin EC8y7     
n.葡萄干
参考例句:
  • They baked us raisin bread.他们给我们烤葡萄干面包。
  • You can also make raisin scones.你也可以做葡萄干烤饼。
13 mince E1lyp     
n.切碎物;v.切碎,矫揉做作地说
参考例句:
  • Would you like me to mince the meat for you?你要我替你把肉切碎吗?
  • Don't mince matters,but speak plainly.不要含糊其词,有话就直说吧。
14 melancholy t7rz8     
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的
参考例句:
  • All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
  • He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过,他感到很郁闷。
15 chilly pOfzl     
adj.凉快的,寒冷的
参考例句:
  • I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
  • I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后,寒气逼人。
16 rambling MTfxg     
adj.[建]凌乱的,杂乱的
参考例句:
  • We spent the summer rambling in Ireland. 我们花了一个夏天漫游爱尔兰。
  • It was easy to get lost in the rambling house. 在布局凌乱的大房子里容易迷路。
17 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
18 fawn NhpzW     
n.未满周岁的小鹿;v.巴结,奉承
参考例句:
  • A fawn behind the tree looked at us curiously.树后面一只小鹿好奇地看着我们。
  • He said you fawn on the manager in order to get a promotion.他说你为了获得提拔,拍经理的马屁。
19 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。


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