Алиса в зазеркалье

           ‘Thequestionis,’saidAlice,‘whetheryoucanmakewordsmeansomanydifferentthings.’

           ‘Thequestionis,’saidHumptyDumpty,‘whichistobemaster—that’sall.’

           Alicewastoomuchpuzzledtosayanything,soafteraminuteHumptyDumptybeganagain.‘They’veatemper,someofthem—particularlyverbs,they’retheproudest—adjectivesyoucandoanythingwith,butnotverbs—however,Icanmanagethewholelotofthem!Impenetrability!That’swhatIsay!’

           ‘Wouldyoutellme,please,’saidAlice‘whatthatmeans?’

           ‘Nowyoutalklikeareasonablechild,’saidHumptyDumpty,lookingverymuchpleased.‘Imeantby"impenetrability"thatwe’vehadenoughofthatsubject,anditwouldbejustaswellifyou’dmentionwhatyoumeantodonext,asIsupposeyoudon’tmeantostopherealltherestofyourlife.’

           ‘That’sagreatdealtomakeonewordmean,’Alicesaidinathoughtfultone.

           ‘WhenImakeaworddoalotofworklikethat,’saidHumptyDumpty,‘Ialwayspayitextra.’

           ‘Oh!’saidAlice.Shewastoomuchpuzzledtomakeanyotherremark.

           ‘Ah,youshouldsee’emcomeroundmeofaSaturdaynight,’HumptyDumptywenton,wagginghisheadgravelyfromsidetoside:‘fortogettheirwages,youknow.’

           (Alicedidn’tventuretoaskwhathepaidthemwith;andsoyouseeIcan’ttellyou.)

           ‘Youseemverycleveratexplainingwords,Sir,’saidAlice.