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2 The garden of live flowers
2. 會說話的花園
There was a small hill not far away and Alice decided to walk to it.
不遠處有座小山丘，愛麗絲決定步行到那邊去。
'I shall be able to see the garden better from the top of the hill,'she said.
她說：“站在山頂上，我可以把花園看得清楚些。”
She tried very hard to reach the hill, but it seemed impossible to get to it.
為了到那山去，她做了各種努力，但要到那兒，似乎是不可能的。
She went first this way, then that way, but every time she turned a corner, she found herself back at the house.
她先走這條路，然后走那條路，但每次一拐彎，她發現自己又回到出發前的那所房子。
'I'm not going in again yet,' she told the house crossly.
“我現在還不想進去，”她望著房子，生氣地說。
'I'll have to go back through the looking-glass into the old room and that's the end of all my adventures then!'
“我得再次穿過鏡子，回到那老房間去。那么，我的探險可就全完結了。”
She tried once more, and this time passed a large flowerbed, with a tree growing in the middle.
她又重試了一次。這次她經過了一個大花壇，中間長了一棵樹。
'Oh Tiger-lily,' Alice said to one of the flowers, 'I wish you could talk!'
愛麗絲對其中一株花說：“原來是株卷丹，你能講話該多好！”
'We can talk,' said the Tiger-lily, 'if there is anybody interesting enough to talk to.'
卷丹答道：“我們會講話的，只要是同我們講話的人要有趣味性。”
For a minute Alice was too surprised to speak.
愛麗絲頓時驚異得啞口無言。
Then she said, almost in a whisper, 'And can all the flowers talk?'
然后，她壓低聲音問：“這兒所有的花兒都會講話嗎？”
'As well as you can,' said the Tiger-lily. 'And a lot louder.'
卷丹答道：“不會講得比你差，而且聲音還要洪亮得多。”
'It isn't polite for us to begin, you know,' said the Rose, 'and I was really wondering when you would speak.'
玫瑰說：“我們先開口就失禮了，我很想知道你什么時候愿意講話。”
'But why can you all talk?' Alice said, puzzled.
愛麗絲迷惑不解，問：“但你們怎么都會講話的？
'I've been in many gardens before, and none of the flowers could talk.'
我到過不少花園，花兒都不會講話。”
'Put your hand down and feel the ground,' said the Tiger-lily. 'Then you'll know why.'
卷丹答道：“把手放下來摸摸大地，你就會明白了。”
Alice did so. 'It's very hard,' she said, 'but how does that explain it?'
愛麗絲照辦了，接著說：“地很堅硬，但這能說明什么問題呢？”
'In most gardens,' the Tiger-lily said, 'they make the flowerbeds too soft-so the flowers are always asleep.'
卷丹答道：“大多數花壇地太軟，花兒總是昏昏欲睡。”
This sounded a very good reason to Alice. 'I never thought of that before!' she said.
愛麗絲覺得這倒很有道理，她說：“我從未想到這一點。”
'Do you ever think at all?' asked the Rose, unkindly.
玫瑰不留情面地問了句：“你曾經用腦筋想過？”
'I never saw anybody with a more stupid face,' said a Daisy suddenly.
雛菊也沖出了一句：“這臉蛋是我所看見過的最傻里傻氣的。”
It was the first time it had spoken, and Alice jumped in surprise.
愛麗絲詫異得跳了起來，這是雛菊第一次講話。
'Oh, be quiet!' cried the Tiger-lily. 'What do you Daisies know about the world?'
卷丹叫了聲：“別胡說！你這雛菊對這世界了解多少？”
'Are there any other people in the garden?' Alice asked.
愛麗絲問：“園中還有其他人嗎？”
'There's one other flower that can move around like you,' said the Rose.
玫瑰答道：“還有另外一種花，像你一樣能自由走動。
'She's the same strange shape as you, but she's redder, with more leaves than you have.'
她的外形跟你一樣奇特，但她更紅，比你多些樹葉。”
'She's coming now!' cried another Daisy. 'I can hear her feet-bang, bang, bang, on the ground.'
另一株雛菊喊了起來：“現在她來了！我聽得見她踩在地面上的呯呯的腳步聲。”
Alice looked round quickly, and saw that it was the Red Queen.
愛麗絲馬上看了看周圍，原來是紅方王后。
'She's grown a lot,' Alice thought.
她想：“她長大了不少。”
