3 Conversation with a caterpillar

　　'Now，'Alice said to herself．'First，I must get a little bigger，and second，I must find my way into that beautiful garden．I think that will be the best plan．But oh dear！How shall I get bigger？Perhaps I must eat or drink something，but the question is，what？'

　　Alice looked all around her at the flowers and the trees，but she could not see anything to eat．Then she saw a large mush- room near her．It was as tall as she was．She walked across to look at it，and there，on top of the mushroom，was a large caterpillar，smoking a pipe．After a while，the Caterpillar took the pipe out of its mouth and said to Alice in a slow，sleepy voice，'Who are you？'

　　'I don't really know，sir，'said Alice．'I know who I was when I got up this morning，but I have changed so often since then．I think I am a different person now．'

　　'What do you mean by that？'said the Caterpillar．'Explain yourself！'

　　'I can't explain myself，sir，'said Alice，'because I'm not myself，you know．'

　　'I don't know，'said the Caterpillar．

　　'It's difficult to describe，'Alice replied politely．'One minute I'm very small，the next minute I'm as tall as a house，then I'm small again．Usually，I stay the same all day，and changing so often feels very strange to me．'

　　'You！'said the Caterpillar，in a very unfriendly voice．'Who are you？'

　　They were now back at the beginning of their conversation， which was not very helpful．Alice felt a little cross and decided to walk away．

　　'Come back！'the Caterpillar called after her．'I've something important to say．'

　　This sounded better，so Alice turned back．

　　'Never get angry，'said the Caterpillar．

　　'Is that all？'said Alice，trying not to be angry．

　　'No，'said the Caterpillar．For some minutes it smoked its pipe and did not speak，but at last it took the pipe out of its mouth，and said，'So you've changed，have you？How tall do you want to be？'

　　'I would like to be a little larger，sir，please，'said Alice．'Eight centimetres is really very small．'

　　For a while the Caterpillar smoked its pipe．Then it shook itself，got down off the mushroom，and moved slowly away into the grass．It did not look back at Alice，but said，'One side will make you taller，and the other side will make you shorter．'

　　'One side of what？'thought Alice to herself．

　　She did not say this aloud，but the Caterpillar said， mushroom．'Then it moved away into the wood．

　　Alice looked at the mushroom carefully，but it was round， and did not have sides．At last she broke off a piece in each hand from opposite sides of the mushroom．She ate some of the piece in her left hand，and waited to see what would happen．

　　A minute later her head was as high as the tallest tree in the wood，and she was looking at a sea of green leaves．Then a bird appeared and began to fly around her head，screaming， 'Egg thief！Egg thief！Go away！'

　　'I'm not an egg thief，'said Alice．

　　'Oh no？'said the bird angrily．'But you eat eggs，don't you？'

　　'Well，yes，I do，but I don't steal them，'explained Alice quickly．'We have them for breakfast，you know．'

　　'Then how do you get them，if you don't steal them？' screamed the bird．

　　This was a difficult question to answer，so Alice brought up her right hand through the leaves and ate a little from the other piece of mushroom．She began to get smaller at once and， very carefully，she ate first from one hand，then from the other，until she was about twenty-five centimetres high．

　　'That's better，'she said to herself．'And now I must find that garden．'She began to walk through the wood，and after a while she came to a little house．

　　3 和毛虫的谈话

　　“现在，”爱丽丝想。“第一，我得变大一点，第二，我必须想办法进到那个美丽的花园里。我想，这是最好的计划。但天哪！我怎么才能变大呢？也许我得吃点什么或喝点什么，但问题是，什么呢？”

　　爱丽丝看看周围的花和树，但她看不见有什么东西可吃。这时，她看见附近有一个大蘑菇，和她一样高。她走过去看了看，在那儿，在蘑菇顶上有一只大毛虫，正在吸烟斗呢。过了一会儿，毛虫从嘴里取出烟斗，慢慢地、困倦地对爱丽丝开口了，“你是谁？”

　　“先生，我确实也不知道，”爱丽丝说。今天早上我起床的时候还知道自己是谁，但那之后我变了那么多次。我想现在自己是个不同的人了。”

　　“你这么说是什么意思？”毛虫问。“解释一下！”

　　“我没法解释自己，先生，”爱丽丝说，“因为你知道吗，我现在不是自己了。”

　　“我不懂，”毛虫说。

　　“这很难解释，”爱丽丝礼貌地回答。“这一分钟我还很小，下一分钟我就和房子一样高了，然后我又变小了。通常，我一整天都没什么变化，这样频繁地变来变去真让我觉得奇怪。”

　　“你！”毛虫很不友好地说。“你是谁？”

　　现在他们又回到谈话的开头了，这于事无补。爱丽丝有点生气了，决定走开。

　　“回来！”毛虫在她后面嚷嚷。“我有重要的事要说。”

　　这听起来还差不多，爱丽丝转回来。

　　“任何时候都别生气，”毛虫说。

　　“就这些吗？”爱丽丝说，努力让自己别发火。

　　“不，”毛虫说。它吸着烟斗，好一会儿都没开口，最后把烟斗从嘴里抽出来，说道，“你已经变过了，对吗？你想长多高？”

　　“我很想长高一点，”爱丽丝说。“80厘米实在太矮了。”

　　毛虫吸了一会儿烟斗。然后它晃晃身子，从蘑菇上下来，慢慢地爬到草丛里。它没有回头看看爱丽丝．只是说，“一边可以让你长高，另一边可以让你变矮。”

　　“什么的一边？”爱丽丝心里想。

　　她并没说出声来，可毛虫说，“蘑菇的。”然后它进了森林。

　　爱丽丝仔细看了看蘑菇，蘑菇是圆的，没有两边。最后，她从蘑菇正相对的两边一手掰下一片。她吃了点左手里的那片，然后等着看看会发生什么。

　　一分钟后，她的头和森林里最高的树一样高，她看着那一片绿叶的海洋。这时，有只小鸟出现了并绕着她的头飞，尖叫着：“偷蛋的贼，偷蛋的贼，滚开！”

　　“我不是偷蛋的贼，”爱丽丝说。

　　“不是？”小鸟生气地说。“但你吃蛋，对不对？”

　　“对，我吃蛋，但我不偷蛋，”爱丽丝赶忙解释。“你知道，我们早饭吃蛋。”

　　“那么，如果不是偷，你们怎么弄到蛋的？”

　　这个问题很难回答，爱丽丝把右手从树叶间抽出来，吃了点那片蘑菇。她马上开始变小了，然后，她小心翼翼地吃点这片，吃点那片，直到她有25厘米那么高。

　　“这还差不多，”她对自己说。“现在我得找到那个花园。”她走进树林，过了一会儿到了一所小房子面前。