第十二章 爱丽丝的证明

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Chapter Twelve – Alice's Evidence: Alice is then called up as a witness. She accidentally knocks over the jury box with the animals inside, and the King orders the animals to be placed back into their seats before the trial continues. The King and Queen order Alice to be gone, citing Rule 42 ("All persons more than a mile high to leave the court"), but Alice disputes their judgement and refuses to leave. She argues with the King and Queen of Hearts over the ridiculous proceedings, eventually refusing to hold her tongue. The Queen shouts her familiar "Off with her head!" but Alice is unafraid, calling them out as just a pack of cards, just as they start to swarm over her. Alice's sister wakes her up from a dream, brushing what turns out to be some leaves, and not a shower of playing cards, from Alice's face. Alice leaves her sister on the bank to imagine all the curious happenings for herself.

'I'M not a mile high,' said Alice.

“我不到一英里高。”爱丽丝说，

'You are,' said the King.

“将近两英里了。”王后插话说。

'Nearly two miles high,' added the Queen.

“你够了。”国王又说，

'Well, I shan't go, at any rate,' said Alice: 'besides, that's not a regular rule: you invented it just now.'

“不管怎么说，我反正不走，”爱丽丝说，“再说，那根本不是一条正式规定，是你在这儿临时发明出来的。”

'It's the oldest rule in the book,' said the King.

“这是书里最老的一条规定。”国王说。

'Then it ought to be Number One,' said Alice.

“那么这应该是第一条呀。”爱丽丝说。

The King turned pale, and shut his note–book hastily. 'Consider your verdict,' he said to the jury, in a low, trembling voice.

国王脸色苍白，急忙合上了本子，他以发抖的声调低声对陪审美说：“请考虑评审意见。”

'There's more evidence to come yet, please your Majesty,' said the White Rabbit, jumping up in a great hurry; 'this paper has just been picked up.'

“陛下，好了，又发现新的证据了。”白兔急忙跳起来说，“这是才拾到的一张纸。”

'What's in it?' said the Queen.

“里面说什么？”王后问。

'I haven't opened it yet,' said the White Rabbit, 'but it seems to be a letter, written by the prisoner to—to somebody.'

白兔回答：“我还没打开来呢？但是看来是一封信，是那个罪犯写给……给一个什么人的。”

'It must have been that,' said the King, 'unless it was written to nobody, which isn't usual, you know.'

“肯定是这样，”国王说，“除非它不是写给任何人的，而这不合情理。”

'Who is it directed to?' said one of the jurymen.

“信写给谁的？”一个陪审员问。

'It isn't directed at all,' said the White Rabbit; 'in fact, there's nothing written on the OUTSIDE.' He unfolded the paper as he spoke, and added 'It isn't a letter, after all: it's a set of verses.'

“它不是写给谁的，事实上，外面什么也没写，”白兔一面说，一面打开摺叠的纸，又说，“根本不是信，而是一首诗。”

'Are they in the prisoner's handwriting?' asked another of the jurymen.

“是那罪犯的笔迹吗？”另一个陪审员问。

'No, they're not,' said the White Rabbit, 'and that's the queerest thing about it.' (The jury all looked puzzled.)

“不是的，这真是奇怪的事。”白兔说。这时陪审员全都感到莫名其妙。

'He must have imitated somebody else's hand,' said the King. (The jury all brightened up again.)

“一定是他模仿了别人的笔迹。”国王这么一说，陪审员全都醒悟过来了。

'Please your Majesty,' said the Knave, 'I didn't write it, and they can't prove I did: there's no name signed at the end.'

这时，武士开口了：“陛下，这不是我写的，他们也不能证实是我写的。末尾并没有签名。”

'If you didn't sign it,' said the King, 'that only makes the matter worse. You MUST have meant some mischief, or else you'd have signed your name like an honest man.'

“如果你没有签名，”国玉说，“只能说明情节更恶劣。这意味着你的狡猾，否则你就应该像一个诚实的人那样，签上你的名字。”

There was a general clapping of hands at this: it was the first really clever thing the King had said that day.

对此，出现了一片掌声。这真是那天国王所讲的第一句聪明话。

'That PROVES his guilt,' said the Queen.

“那就证明了他犯罪。”王后说。

'It proves nothing of the sort!' said Alice. 'Why, you don't even know what they're about!'

爱丽丝却说：“这证明不了什么！啊，你们甚至不知道这首诗写的是什么呀！”

'Read them,' said the King.

“快读一读！”国王命令道。

The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. 'Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?' he asked.

白兔戴上了眼镜，问道，“我该从哪儿开始呢？陛下。”

'Begin at the beginning,' the King said gravely, 'and go on till you come to the end: then stop.'

“从开始的地方开始吧，一直读到末尾，然后停止。”国王郑重地说。

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