不思議の国のアリス
All in the golden afternoon Full leisurely we glide; For both our oars, with little skill, By little arms are plied, While little hands make vain pretence Our wanderings to guide.
ああ残酷な三人！こんな時間に こんな夢見る天気のもとで どんな小さな羽さえもそよがぬ 弱い息のお話をせがむとは！ でもこの哀れな声一つ 三つあわせた舌に逆らえましょうか？
Ah, cruel Three! In such an hour. Beneath such dreamy weather. To beg a tale of breath too weak To stir the tiniest feather! Yet what can one poor voice avail Against three tongues together?
居丈だかなプリマがまずは唱える その宣告は「おはじめなさい」 すこし優しげに二番手の希望 「でたらめをいれること」 そして三番手が語りをさえぎること 一分に一度以上ではないにせよ
Imperious Prima flashes forth Her edict "to begin it"— In gentler tone Secunda hopes "There will he nonsense in it!"— While Tertia interrupts the tale Not more than once a minute.
すぐに、とつぜんの沈黙が勝り 想像で彼女らが追いかける 夢の子が奔放で新しい謎の地を 動き回るのを追って 鳥や獣と親しく語る―― そしてそれを半ば真に受け
Anon, to sudden silence won, In fancy they pursue The dream-child moving through a land Of wonders wild and new, In friendly chat with bird or beast— And half believe it true.
そしてやがて、お話が渇えると 想像の井戸も枯れ そして疲れた語り手が 肩の荷をおろそうとすれば 「つづきはこんど――」「いまがこんどよ！」 と声たちがうれしそうにさけぶ。
And ever, as the story drained The wells of fancy dry, And faintly strove that weary one To put the subject by, "The rest next time—" "It is next time!" The happy voices cry.
かくして不思議の国のお話がそだち ゆっくり、そして一つ一つ その風変わりなできごとがうちだされ―― そして今やお話は終わり そしてみんなでおうちへと向かう 楽しい船乗りたちが夕日の下で
Thus grew the tale of Wonderland: Thus slowly, one by one, Its quaint events were hammered out— And now the tale is done, And home we steer, a merry crew, Beneath the setting' sun.
アリス！ 子どもじみたおとぎ話をとって やさしい手でもって子供時代の 夢のつどう地に横たえておくれ 記憶のなぞめいた輪の中 彼方の地でつみ取られた 巡礼たちのしおれた花輪のように
Alice! a childish story take, And with a gentle hand Lay it where Childhood's dreams are twined In Memory's mystic band, Like pilgrim's wither'd wreath of flowers Pluck'd in a far-off land.
1. CHAPTER I. うさぎの穴をまっさかさま Down the Rabbit-HoleAlice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, 'and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice 'without pictures or conversation?'
So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.
それだけなら、そんなにめずらしいことでもありませんでした。さらにアリスとしては、そのうさぎが「どうしよう！ どうしよう！ ちこくしちゃうぞ！」とつぶやくのを聞いたときも、それがそんなにへんてこだとは思いませんでした（あとから考えてみたら、これも不思議に思うべきだったのですけれど、でもこのときには、それがごく自然なことに思えたのです）。でもそのうさぎがほんとうに、チョッキのポケットから懐中時計（かいちゅうどけい）をとりだしてそれをながめ、そしてまたあわててかけだしたとき、アリスもとびあがりました。というのも、チョッキのポケットなんかがあるうさぎはこれまで見たことがないし、そこからとりだす時計をもっているうさぎなんかも見たことないぞ、というのに急に気がついたからです。そこで、興味（きょうみ）しんしんになったアリスは、うさぎのあとを追っかけて野原をよこぎって、それがしげみの下の、おっきなうさぎの穴にとびこむのを、ぎりぎりのところで見つけました。
There was nothing so VERY remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so VERY much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, 'Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!' (when she thought it over afterwards, it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but when the Rabbit actually TOOK A WATCH OUT OF ITS WAISTCOAT-POCKET, and looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.
In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.
The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well.
Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything; then she looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed; it was labelled 'ORANGE MARMALADE', but to her great disappointment it was empty: she did not like to drop the jar for fear of killing somebody, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as she fell past it.
アリスは思いました。「でもこんなに落ちたあとなら、もう階段をころげ落ちるなんて、なんとも思わないわよ！ おうちじゃみんな、あたしがすごく勇敢（ゆうかん）だと思うでしょうね！ ええ、おうちのてっぺんから落っこちたって、もう一言も文句を言わないはずよ」（そりゃまあそのとおりでしょうけど）
'Well!' thought Alice to herself, 'after such a fall as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling down stairs! How brave they'll all think me at home! Why, I wouldn't say anything about it, even if I fell off the top of the house!' (Which was very likely true.)
Down, down, down. Would the fall NEVER come to an end! 'I wonder how many miles I've fallen by this time?' she said aloud. 'I must be getting somewhere near the centre of the earth. Let me see: that would be four thousand miles down, I think—' (for, you see, Alice had learnt several things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, and though this was not a VERY good opportunity for showing off her knowledge, as there was no one to listen to her, still it was good practice to say it over) '—yes, that's about the right distance—but then I wonder what Latitude or Longitude I've got to?' (Alice had no idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but thought they were nice grand words to say.)
しばらくして、アリスはまたはじめました。「このまま地球をドンッとつきぬけて落ちちゃうのかな！ 頭を下にして歩く人たちのなかに出てきたら、すっごくおかしく見えるでしょうね！ それってたとえば日本とかだとあるぜん人、だっけ――」（ここではだれも聞いてる人がいなくて、アリスはむしろホッとしたんだ。だってどう考えても正しいことばには聞こえなかったし）「――でも、国の名前はだれかにきかないと。あの、奥さま、ここってニュージーランドでしょうか、オーストラリアでしょうか？」（そしてアリスは、しゃべりながらおじぎをしようとした――宙を落っこちながら会釈をするなんて、考えてもごらんよ！ きみならそんなこと、できると思う？）「そしたらその方、そんなことを聞くなんて、あたしのことをすごくバカな女の子だと思っちゃうわ！ だめだめ、そんなこと聞いちゃ。どっかに書いてあるのが見つかるかもしれない」
Presently she began again. 'I wonder if I shall fall right THROUGH the earth! How funny it'll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downward! The Antipathies, I think—' (she was rather glad there WAS no one listening, this time, as it didn't sound at all the right word) '—but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know. Please, Ma'am, is this New Zealand or Australia?' (and she tried to curtsey as she spoke—fancy CURTSEYING as you're falling through the air! Do you think you could manage it?) 'And what an ignorant little girl she'll think me for asking! No, it'll never do to ask: perhaps I shall see it written up somewhere.'
下へ、下へ、もっと下へ。ほかにすることもなかったので、アリスはまたしゃべりだしました。「今夜、ダイナはあたしがいなくてさびしがるでしょうね！」（ダイナってのはねこ。）「お茶の時間に、みんなダイナのミルクのお皿を忘れないでくれるといいけど。かわいいダイナ！ おまえがいっしょにここへいてくれたらいいのに！ 空中にはネズミはいないみたいだけれど、コウモリがつかまるかもしれないわよ、コウモリってすごくネズミみたいなんだから。でもねこってコウモリ食べるのかな？」そしてここで、アリスはいささか眠くなってきて、ちょっと夢うつつっぽい感じで、こうつぶやきつづけました。「ねこってコウモリ食べる？ねこ、コウモリ食べる？」そしてだんだん「ねこうもりって食べる？」とも。だって、どの質問にも答えられないので、どれをきいてもあんまりちがわなかったのですね。うつらうつらしてきて、ダイナと手に手をとって歩いている夢を見はじめました。そしてその中で、とても真剣にこうきいています。「さあダイナ、正直におっしゃい。おまえ、コウモリ食べたことあるの？」とそのときいきなり、ズシン！ズシン！アリスは小枝と枯れ葉の山のてっぺんにぶつかって、落ちるのはもうそれっきり。
Down, down, down. There was nothing else to do, so Alice soon began talking again. 'Dinah'll miss me very much to-night, I should think!' (Dinah was the cat.) 'I hope they'll remember her saucer of milk at tea-time. Dinah my dear! I wish you were down here with me! There are no mice in the air, I'm afraid, but you might catch a bat, and that's very like a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder?' And here Alice began to get rather sleepy, and went on saying to herself, in a dreamy sort of way, 'Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?' and sometimes, 'Do bats eat cats?' for, you see, as she couldn't answer either question, it didn't much matter which way she put it. She felt that she was dozing off, and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with Dinah, and saying to her very earnestly, 'Now, Dinah, tell me the truth: did you ever eat a bat?' when suddenly, thump! thump! down she came upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves, and the fall was over.
Alice was not a bit hurt, and she jumped up on to her feet in a moment: she looked up, but it was all dark overhead; before her was another long passage, and the White Rabbit was still in sight, hurrying down it. There was not a moment to be lost: away went Alice like the wind, and was just in time to hear it say, as it turned a corner, 'Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting!' She was close behind it when she turned the corner, but the Rabbit was no longer to be seen: she found herself in a long, low hall, which was lit up by a row of lamps hanging from the roof.
There were doors all round the hall, but they were all locked; and when Alice had been all the way down one side and up the other, trying every door, she walked sadly down the middle, wondering how she was ever to get out again.
Suddenly she came upon a little three-legged table, all made of solid glass; there was nothing on it except a tiny golden key, and Alice's first thought was that it might belong to one of the doors of the hall; but, alas! either the locks were too large, or the key was too small, but at any rate it would not open any of them. However, on the second time round, she came upon a low curtain she had not noticed before, and behind it was a little door about fifteen inches high: she tried the little golden key in the lock, and to her great delight it fitted!
Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How she longed to get out of that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and those cool fountains, but she could not even get her head through the doorway; 'and even if my head would go through,' thought poor Alice, 'it would be of very little use without my shoulders. Oh, how I wish I could shut up like a telescope! I think I could, if I only know how to begin.' For, you see, so many out-of-the-way things had happened lately, that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.
There seemed to be no use in waiting by the little door, so she went back to the table, half hoping she might find another key on it, or at any rate a book of rules for shutting people up like telescopes: this time she found a little bottle on it, ('which certainly was not here before,' said Alice,) and round the neck of the bottle was a paper label, with the words 'DRINK ME' beautifully printed on it in large letters.
It was all very well to say 'Drink me,' but the wise little Alice was not going to do THAT in a hurry. 'No, I'll look first,' she said, 'and see whether it's marked "poison" or not'; for she had read several nice little histories about children who had got burnt, and eaten up by wild beasts and other unpleasant things, all because they WOULD not remember the simple rules their friends had taught them: such as, that a red-hot poker will burn you if you hold it too long; and that if you cut your finger VERY deeply with a knife, it usually bleeds; and she had never forgotten that, if you drink much from a bottle marked 'poison,' it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.
However, this bottle was NOT marked 'poison,' so Alice ventured to taste it, and finding it very nice, (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour of cherry-tart, custard, pine-apple, roast turkey, toffee, and hot buttered toast,) she very soon finished it off.
'What a curious feeling!' said Alice; 'I must be shutting up like a telescope.'
And so it was indeed: she was now only ten inches high, and her face brightened up at the thought that she was now the right size for going through the little door into that lovely garden. First, however, she waited for a few minutes to see if she was going to shrink any further: she felt a little nervous about this; 'for it might end, you know,' said Alice to herself, 'in my going out altogether, like a candle. I wonder what I should be like then?' And she tried to fancy what the flame of a candle is like after the candle is blown out, for she could not remember ever having seen such a thing.
After a while, finding that nothing more happened, she decided on going into the garden at once; but, alas for poor Alice! when she got to the door, she found she had forgotten the little golden key, and when she went back to the table for it, she found she could not possibly reach it: she could see it quite plainly through the glass, and she tried her best to climb up one of the legs of the table, but it was too slippery; and when she had tired herself out with trying, the poor little thing sat down and cried.
'Come, there's no use in crying like that!' said Alice to herself, rather sharply; 'I advise you to leave off this minute!' She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it), and sometimes she scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into her eyes; and once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people. 'But it's no use now,' thought poor Alice, 'to pretend to be two people! Why, there's hardly enough of me left to make ONE respectable person!'
Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table: she opened it, and found in it a very small cake, on which the words 'EAT ME' were beautifully marked in currants. 'Well, I'll eat it,' said Alice, 'and if it makes me grow larger, I can reach the key; and if it makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door; so either way I'll get into the garden, and I don't care which happens!'
She ate a little bit, and said anxiously to herself, 'Which way? Which way?', holding her hand on the top of her head to feel which way it was growing, and she was quite surprised to find that she remained the same size: to be sure, this generally happens when one eats cake, but Alice had got so much into the way of expecting nothing but out-of-the-way things to happen, that it seemed quite dull and stupid for life to go on in the common way.
So she set to work, and very soon finished off the cake.