Аліса в Задзеркаллі

           ‘Wouldyoukindlytellmethemeaningofthepoemcalled"Jabberwocky"?’

           ‘Let’shearit,’saidHumptyDumpty.‘Icanexplainallthepoemsthatwereeverinvented—andagoodmanythathaven’tbeeninventedjustyet.’

           Thissoundedveryhopeful,soAlicerepeatedthefirstverse:

           ’Twasbrillig,andtheslithytoves

           Didgyreandgimbleinthewabe;

           Allmimsyweretheborogoves,

           Andthemomerathsoutgrabe.

           ‘That’senoughtobeginwith,’HumptyDumptyinterrupted:‘thereareplentyofhardwordsthere."brillig"meansfouro’clockintheafternoon—thetimewhenyoubeginbroilingthingsfordinner.’

           ‘That’lldoverywell,’saidAlice:and"slithy"?’

           ‘Well,"slithy"means"litheandslimy.""Lithe"isthesameas"active."Youseeit’slikeaportmanteau—therearetwomeaningspackedupintooneword.’

           ‘Iseeitnow,’Aliceremarkedthoughtfully:‘andwhatare"toves"?’

           ‘Well,"toves"aresomethinglikebadgers—they’resomethinglikelizards—andthey’resomethinglikecorkscrews.’

           ‘Theymustbeverycuriouslookingcreatures.’

           ‘Theyarethat,’saidHumptyDumpty:‘alsotheymaketheirnestsundersun-dials—alsotheyliveoncheese.’

           ‘Andywhat’sthe"gyre"andto"gimble"?’

           ‘To"gyre"istogoroundandroundlikeagyroscope.To"gimble"istomakeholeslikeagimlet.’

           ‘And"thewabe"isthegrass-plotroundasun-dial,Isuppose?’saidAlice,surprisedatherowningenuity.

           ‘Ofcourseitis.