`Crawling at your feet (у твоих ног ползет),' said the Gnat (Alice drew her feet back in some alarm (Алиса с некоторой тревогой отодвинула ноги)), `you may observe a Bread-and-Butterfly (Бутербабочка, /которую/ ты можешь видеть; to observe — наблюдать, следить за чем-л.). Its wings are thin slices of Bread-and-butter (ее крылья — это тонкие ломтики хлеба с маслом), its body is a crust (тело — корка хлеба), and its head is a lump of sugar (а голова — кусочек сахара).'
`And what does IT live on (а чем же она питается)?'
`Weak tea with cream in it (некрепким чаем со сливками; weak — слабый /физически/; водянистый, некрепкий).'
butterfly ['bAtqflaI], crawling ['krO:lIN], observe [qb'zE:v]
`And then there's the Butterfly,' Alice went on, after she had taken a good look at the insect with its head on fire, and had thought to herself, `I wonder if that's the reason insects are so fond of flying into candles—because they want to turn into Snap-dragon-flies!'
`Crawling at your feet,' said the Gnat (Alice drew her feet back in some alarm), `you may observe a Bread-and-Butterfly. Its wings are thin slices of Bread-and-butter, its body is a crust, and its head is a lump of sugar.'
`And what does IT live on?'
`Weak tea with cream in it.'
A new difficulty came into Alice's head (новая трудность пришла Алисе в голову). `Supposing it couldn't find any (а что, если она не сможет его найти)?' she suggested (предположила она; to suggest — предлагать, советовать; подсказывать /мысль/, намекать).
`Then it would die, of course (тогда она умрет, конечно же).'
`But that must happen very often (но это, должно быть, происходит очень часто),' Alice remarked thoughtfully (задумчиво заметила Алиса; thought — мысль, размышление).
`It always happens (это случается всегда),' said the Gnat.
After this, Alice was silent for a minute or two, pondering (после этого Алиса молчала минуту или две, размышляя; to ponder — обдумывать; размышлять, раздумывать). The Gnat amused itself meanwhile by humming round and round her head (Комар развлекался тем, что все это время жужжал вокруг ее головы): at last it settled again and remarked (наконец, он снова уселся и заметил), `I suppose you don't want to lose your name (я полагаю, ты не хочешь потерять свое имя)?'
thoughtfully ['TO:tfqlI], meanwhile ['mi:nwaIl], lose [lu:z]
A new difficulty came into Alice's head. `Supposing it couldn't find any?' she suggested.
`Then it would die, of course.'
`But that must happen very often,' Alice remarked thoughtfully.
`It always happens,' said the Gnat.