Алиса в стране чудес / Alice in Wonderland

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“It’s really dreadful,” Alice muttered to herself, “they like to argue, these animals!”

The Frog said, “I shall sit here, for days and days.”

“But what am I to do?” said Alice.

“Anything you like,” said the Servant, and began to whistle.

“Oh, he’s idiotic!” said Alice desperately. And she opened the door and went in.

The door led right into a large kitchen, which was full of smoke from one end to the other. The Duchess was sitting on a three-legged stool in the middle, she was nursing a baby.

“There’s certainly too much pepper in that soup!” Alice said to herself, and began to sneeze.

Even the Duchess sneezed occasionally; and the baby was sneezing and howling all the time. Only the cook and a large cat did not sneeze. The cat was sitting on the hearth and grinning from ear to ear[40 - [was] grinning from ear to ear – улыбался до ушей].

“Please can you tell me,” said Alice timidly, “why does your cat grin?”

“It’s a Cheshire cat[41 - Cheshire cat – Чеширский кот (обыгрывается выражениеto grin like a Cheshire cat – улыбаться во весь рот (~как чеширский кот). В графстве Чешир головкам сыра придавали форму головы улыбающегося кота).],” said the Duchess, “and that’s why.

She said the last word with such sudden violence that Alice jumped. But she saw in another moment that it was addressed to the baby, and not to her. So she took courage, and went on again:

“I didn’t know that Cheshire cats always grinned; in fact, I didn’t know that cats could grin.”

“They all can,” said the Duchess, “and most of them do.”

“I don’t know anything about it,” Alice said very politely.

“You don’t know much,” said the Duchess; “and that’s a fact.

Alice did not like the tone of this remark. Meanwhile the cook took the cauldron of soup off the fire, and began to throw everything at the Duchess and the baby—saucepans, plates, and dishes.

“Oh, please, don’t do it!” cried Alice in terror. “Oh, his precious nose!”

“Mind your own business[42 - Mind your own business. – Не лезь в чужие дела.],” the Duchess said in a hoarse growl.