The hedgehog was engaged in a fight with another hedgehog (/ее/ еж дрался с другим ежом; to engage — зд. заниматься /чем-либо/, быть занятым чем-либо; fight — бой, битва; драка, схватка), which seemed to Alice an excellent opportunity for croqueting one of them with the other (что показалось Алисе отличной возможностью, чтобы ударить одного из них другим): the only difficulty was, that her flamingo was gone across to the other side of the garden (единственной трудностью было то, что ее фламинго ушел через весь сад на другую его сторону), where Alice could see it trying in a helpless sort of way to fly up into a tree (где, как Алиса смогла увидеть, он неловко пытался взлететь на дерево; helpless — беспомощный; неумелый, неловкий).
engaged [In'geIdZd], fight [faIt], excellent ['eksqlqnt], helpless ['helplIs]
The hedgehog was engaged in a fight with another hedgehog, which seemed to Alice an excellent opportunity for croqueting one of them with the other: the only difficulty was, that her flamingo was gone across to the other side of the garden, where Alice could see it trying in a helpless sort of way to fly up into a tree.
By the time she had caught the flamingo and brought it back, the fight was over (к тому моменту, когда она схватила фламинго и принесла его назад, драка уже закончилась), and both the hedgehogs were out of sight (и обоих ежей нигде не было видно): 'but it doesn't matter much (но это не так уж важно),' thought Alice, 'as all the arches are gone from the side of the ground (раз уж все воротца ушли с этого края площадки; side — стенка; часть, половина, сторона).' So she tucked it away under her arm, that it might not escape again (так что она засунула его под мышку, чтобы он снова не смог сбежать), and went back for a little more conversation with her friend (и вернулась /к Коту/, чтобы еще немного поговорить со своим другом: «для /продолжения/ разговора со своим другом»).
caught [kO:t], brought [brO:t], friend [frend]
By the time she had caught the flamingo and brought it back, the fight was over, and both the hedgehogs were out of sight: 'but it doesn't matter much,' thought Alice, 'as all the arches are gone from the side of the ground.' So she tucked it away under her arm, that it might not escape again, and went back for a little more conversation with her friend.
When she got back to the Cheshire Cat (когда она вернулась к Чеширскому Коту), she was surprised to find quite a large crowd collected round it (она была удивлена, обнаружив довольно большую толпу, собравшуюся вокруг него): there was a dispute going on between the executioner, the King, and the Queen (там продолжались пререкания между палачом, Королем и Королевой), who were all talking at once (которые разговаривали все вместе), while all the rest were quite silent, and looked very uncomfortable (в то время как все остальные сохраняли молчание и выглядели крайне встревоженными; uncomfortable — неудобный; испытывающий неловкость, стеснение, тревожность).
surprised [sq'praIzd], collected [kq'lektId], dispute [dIs'pju:t], executioner ["eksI'kju:Snq]
When she got back to the Cheshire Cat, she was surprised to find quite a large crowd collected round it: there was a dispute going on between the executioner, the King, and the Queen, who were all talking at once, while all the rest were quite silent, and looked very uncomfortable.
The moment Alice appeared, she was appealed to by all three to settle the question (как только появилась Алиса, все трое обратились к ней, чтобы она разрешила эту проблему; to appeal — апеллировать, обращаться, прибегать, взывать; question — вопрос; проблема, дело, обсуждаемый вопрос), and they repeated their arguments to her (и они повторили ей свои доводы), though, as they all spoke at once (хотя, оттого что они говорили все разом), she found it very hard indeed to make out exactly what they said (она сочла в самом деле очень сложным разобрать, что именно они говорили).
The executioner's argument was (довод палача был таков), that you couldn't cut off a head unless there was a body to cut it off from (что нельзя отрубить голову, если нет туловища, с которой ее рубить): that he had never had to do such a thing before (что ему никогда прежде не приходилось делать такое), and he wasn't going to begin at his time of life (и что он не собирался начинать /делать это/ на своем веку; time — время; период жизни, век).
appear [q'pIq], appeal [q'pi:l], argument ['Q:gjVmqnt], before [bI'fO:]
The moment Alice appeared, she was appealed to by all three to settle the question, and they repeated their arguments to her, though, as they all spoke at once, she found it very hard indeed to make out exactly what they said.
The executioner's argument was, that you couldn't cut off a head unless there was a body to cut it off from: that he had never had to do such a thing before, and he wasn't going to begin at his time of life.