英语听力：爱丽丝镜中世界奇遇记 02.The garden of live flowers（在线收听）

　　2 The garden of live flowers

　　There was a small hill not far away and Alice decided to walk to it．‘I shall be able to see the garden better from the top of the hill，’she said．

　　She tried very hard to reach the hill，but it seemed impossible to get to it．She went first this way，then that way，but every time she turned a corner，she found herself back at the house．

　　‘I'm not going in again yet，’she told the house crossly．‘I'll have to go back through the looking-glass into the old room and that's the end of all my adventures then！’

　　She tried once more，and this time passed a large flowerbed，with a tree growing in the middle．

　　‘Oh Tiger-lily，’Alice said to one of the flowers，‘I wish you could talk！’

　　‘We can talk，’said the Tiger-lily，‘if there is anybody interesting enough to talk to．’For a minute Alice was too sur-prised to speak．Then she said，almost in a whisper，‘And can all the flowers talk？’

　　‘As well as you can，’said the Tiger-lily．‘And a lot louder．’

　　‘It isn't polite for us to begin，you know，’said the Rose，‘and I was really wondering when you would speak．’

　　‘But why can you all talk？’Alice said，puzzled．‘I've been in many gardens before，and none of the flowers could talk．’

　　‘Put your hand down and feel the ground，’said the Tiger-lily．‘Then you'll know why．’

　　Alice did so．‘It's very hard，’she said，‘but how does that explain it？’

　　‘In most gardens，’the Tiger-lily said，‘they make the flowerbeds too soft-so the flowers are always asleep．’

　　This sounded a very good reason to Alice．‘I never thought of that before！’she said．

　　‘Do you ever think at all？’asked the Rose，unkindly．

　　‘I never saw anybody with a more stupid face，’said a Daisy suddenly．It was the first time it had spoken，and Alice jumped in surprise．

　　‘Oh，be quiet！’cried the Tiger-lily．‘What do you Daisies know about the world？’

　　‘Are there any other people in the garden？’Alice asked．

　　‘There's one other flower that can move around like you，’said the Rose．‘She's the same strange shape as you，but she's redder，with more leaves than you have．’

　　‘She's coming now！’cried another Daisy．‘I can hear her feet-bang，bang，bang，on the ground．’

　　Alice looked round quickly，and saw that it was the Red Queen．‘She's grown a lot，’Alice thought．When she had seen her by the fireplace，the Queen had been only eight cen-timetres high．Now she was taller than Alice herself！

　　‘I think I'll go and meet her，’Alice said．

　　‘You can't possibly do that，’ said the Rose．‘You must walk the other way if you want to meet her．’

　　This sounded nonsense to Alice，so she began to walk to-wards the Red Queen．To her surprise，she found herself a minute later walking in through the front door of the house.She turned round crossly，and saw the Queen again，on the other side of the garden．This time she tried walking the other way，away from the Queen.

　　It succeeded beautifully．A minute later she was standing opposite the Red Queen，and very near the hill that she had wanted to get to．

　　‘Where do you come from？’said the Red Queen．‘Where are you going？And why are you here at all？Look up，speak nicely，keep your hands still．And curtsy while you're think-ing what to say．It saves time．’

　　Alice tried to obey all these orders，feeling just a little frightened of the Queen．

　　‘I only wanted to look at the garden，your Majesty，from the top of that hill，’she began．

　　‘Hill！’cried the Queen．‘Some people would call that a valley．’

　　‘But a hill can't be a valley，’ said Alice.‘That would be nonsense．’

　　The Red Queen shook her head．‘You can call it nonsense if you like．Some people would say it was sensible！’

　　Alice curtsied again，and decided it would be safer not to ar- gue any more．Together，they walked on in silence up the hill．At the top Alice could see right across the country-and a very strange country it was．There were lots of little brooks running across from side to side，and there were long lines of hedges，going the other way．It was a country of squares．

　　‘It's just like a large chess-board！’Alice said at last．‘Oh， and I can see some chessmen down there！’Her heart began to beat fast with excitement．‘It's a great game of chess， as big as the world itself-if this is the world at all．Oh，what fun！ I wish I could be in it，even as a Pawn．Although I would love to be a Queen，of course．’

　　She looked a little worriedly at the real Queen as she said this．But the Red Queen smiled kindly， and said，‘You can be the White Queen's Pawn，if you like．Lily is too young to play．You're in the Second Square now，and when you get to the Eighth Square，you'll be a Queen-’

　　Just at that moment，they began to run．Alice never did un-derstand how it happened，but she had no time to think about it because they were running so fast．

　　‘Faster！Faster！’cried the Queen，pulling Alice's hand． They ran like the wind，but the strange thing was that they never seemed to pass anything．The trees and other things round them never changed their places at all．

　　Alice was very puzzled by this， but still the Queen cried，‘Faster！Faster！’Now they were almost flying over the ground．Alice had never run so fast in her life．

　　When at last they stopped，she had to sit down because her legs were shaking．Then she looked around in surprise．

　　‘But we've been under this same tree all the time！ We're still in the same place！’

　　‘Of course we are，’said the Queen．‘Why shouldn't we be？’

　　‘Well，in our country，’said Alice，‘if you run very fast for a long time，you usually arrive at a different place．’

　　‘What a slow kind of country！’said the Queen．‘Here，you see，you have to run very fast，just to keep in the same place．If you want to go somewhere different，you must run twice as fast．Now，’she went on，‘I shall tell you what to do．While I'm speaking，I shall take five steps，and at the fifth step，I shall go．’

　　She took two steps away from the tree and turned round．‘A pawn goes two squares in its first move．So you'll go very quickly through the Third Square-by railway，probably．Then you'll be in the Fourth Square，which belongs to Twee-dledum and Tweedledee．The Fifth Square is mostly water，and the Sixth belongs to Humpty Dumpty．But why haven't you said anything？’

　　‘I didn't know I had to say anything，’said Alice．

　　‘It's polite，’said the Queen，‘to say thank you for all this information．But never mind．Let's pretend you said it．The Seventh Square is all forest-one of the Knights will show you the way-and in the Eighth Square we shall be Queens together，and it's all parties and fun！’

　　Alice got up and curtsied，and sat down again．

　　The Queen took another two steps and turned round again．‘Speak in French when you can't think of the English word-and always remember who you are！’

　　She took another step，and was gone．Alice did not know if she had disappeared into the air，or run into the wood．But she had certainly gone，and Alice began to remember that she was a Pawn，and that it would soon be time to move．

　　2．会说话的花园

　　不远处有座小山丘，爱丽丝决定步行到那边去，她说：“站在山顶上，我可以把花园看得清楚些。”

　　为了到那山去，她做了各种努力，但要到那儿，似乎是不可能的。她先走这条路，然后走那条路，但每次一拐弯，她发现自己又回到出发前的那所房子。

　　“我现在还不想进去，”她望着房子，生气地说，“我得再次穿过镜子，回到那老房间去。那么，我的探险可就全完结了。”

　　她又重试了一次。这次她经过了一个大花坛，中间长了一棵树。

　　爱丽丝对其中一株花说：“原来是株卷丹，你能讲话该多好！”

　　卷丹答道：“我们会讲话的，只要是同我们讲话的人要有趣味性。”爱丽丝顿时惊异得哑口无言。然后，她压低声音问：“这儿所有的花儿都会讲话吗？”

　　卷丹答道：“不会讲得比你差，而且声音还要洪亮得多。”

　　玫瑰说：“我们先开口就失礼了，我很想知道你什么时候愿意讲话。”

　　爱丽丝迷惑不解，问：“但你们怎么都会讲话的？我到过不少花园，花儿都不会讲话。”

　　卷丹答道：“把手放下来摸摸大地，你就会明白了。”

　　爱丽丝照办了，接着说：“地很坚硬，但这能说明什么问题呢？”

　　卷丹答道：“大多数花坛地太软，花儿总是昏昏欲睡。”

　　爱丽丝觉得这倒很有道理，她说：“我从未想到这一点。”

　　玫瑰不留情面地问了句：“你曾经用脑筋想过？”

　　雏菊也冲出了一句：“这脸蛋是我所看见过的最傻里傻气的。”爱丽丝诧异得跳了起来，这是雏菊第一次讲话。

　　卷丹叫了声：“别胡说！你雏菊对这世界了解多少？”

　　爱丽丝问：“园中还有其他人吗？”

　　玫瑰答道：“还有另外一种花，像你一样能自由走动。她的外形跟你一样奇特，但她更红，比你多些树叶。”

　　另一株雏菊喊了起来：“现在她来了！我听得见她呯呯的脚步声。”

　　爱丽丝马上看了看周围，原来是红方王后。她想：“她长大了不少。”那次在壁炉边看见王后时，她只有8厘米高，而今竟比爱丽丝还高些。

　　爱丽丝说：“我想我还是去见见她。”

　　玫瑰说：“这你办不到。你要见她，就必须走另外一条路。”

　　在爱丽丝听来，这似乎是无稽之谈，于是她开始朝红方王后走过去。令她惊讶的是，一分钟后，她发现自己又踏进那幢房子的正门。她气恼地转过身来，又瞧见王后在花园的另一头。这次，她试着走另一条路，远离王后。

　　这次她终于完满地成功了。片刻之后，她站到了王后的对面，并且离她要去的那座小山丘已经很近了。

　　红方王后问：“你从哪里来？要到哪里去？你来这儿究竟干什么？讲话要抬头，要有礼貌，手要放好。在考虑下一句该讲什么时，要行屈膝礼。这样会节省时间。”

　　爱丽丝试图遵循这些命令，但内心还是有点儿害怕王后。

　　她开了言：“王后陛下，我只是想站在山顶看看底下的花园。”

　　“山！有人称那为峡谷。”王后高喊了一句。

　　爱丽丝应了声：“但山决不会是峡谷。这是无稽之谈。”

　　王后摇了摇头，“你可以把这种讲法称作无稽之谈，但有人却认为很有道理。”

　　爱丽丝又行了一个礼，拿定主意还是别争辩的好。他们双双一言不发地上了山。从山顶，爱丽丝可以俯瞰整个原野，这真是片奇特的原野。有条条小溪与排排的小树林，在其间纵横交错。整个原野被分割成一个个方块格子。

　　爱丽丝最后说：“多像一个大棋盘！啊，我还看见了那儿站着些棋子哪！”她激动得心蹦蹦直跳，“这是一场大型的象棋游戏。如果世界就在我们眼前，那么它就跟整个世界一样大。啊，多有趣！真希望我能在那里面，做一个小卒也行。当然，我更喜欢当一个王后。”

　　讲到这里，她有点不安地看了眼真正的王后。可是，红方王后好心地微笑着说：“如果你愿意，你可以做白方王后前面的卒子。百合太小，玩不了棋。现在你站在第二格，当你走到第八格时，就升变为王后了--”

　　话音刚落，两个就开始跑起来。爱丽丝还摸不着头脑这是怎么一回事。但是她们跑得太快了，没有时间去考虑这个问题。

　　王后拉着爱丽丝的手，叫喊着：“跑快点！快点！”她们像一阵风似地跑过，但奇怪的是，她们似乎从未把什么景物甩在后面。两边的树木及周围其他物体根本没有改变位置。

　　爱丽丝很纳闷，但王后还是喊叫着：“跑快点！快点！”这时她们几乎是足不着地向前飞着。爱丽丝从没有跑得这么快过。

　　她们终于停住，爱丽丝双腿颤抖得厉害，不得不坐下来。她惊奇地环顾四周。

　　“但我们一直是在同一棵树下！我们仍然在同一个地方。”

　　王后说：“那当然，这有什么不对？”

　　“但在我们那地方，假如你快速地跑了很久，一般会跑到另一个地方去。”爱丽丝说。

　　王后却说：“你那地方可真‘慢’！在我们这儿，要保持原地不动，你得跑得飞快。如果你要到别处去，至少得跑刚才两倍的速度。”她又接着说：“我这就告诉你怎么个走法。在我讲话的同时，我将迈出五步，到了第五步，我就走了。”

　　她从那棵树迈出两步，然后转过身来。“卒子第一步走两格。然后你可以飞快地通过第三格--可能乘火车。然后你就进入了第四格，这是特威丹、特威帝孪生兄弟的地方。第五格大部分是水，第六格则是矮胖子的地盘。你怎么一言不发？”

　　“我不清楚我还得讲话。”爱丽丝答道。

　　王后说：“告诉你这么多详情，道声感谢就显得礼貌。不过没关系。就当你讲过了吧。第七格全是森林--一枚马将做你的向导--到了第八格，我们就都是王后了，那时我们有享受不完的欢乐时光！”

　　爱丽丝起立行了个礼，又坐了下去。

　　王后又迈了两步，再次回过头来，说：“想不起英文词儿就用法文来表达--永远别忘了自己的身份！”

　　她又迈了一步，就不见了。爱丽丝不清楚王后是飞上了天还是跑进了树林。但她确实是不见了。爱丽丝开始想起她是一枚卒，不久，她就该走动了。