Eachtra Eibhlíse i dTir na nIontas – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Gaeilge – English)

“Cónaíonn an Haitéir ansin,” arsa an Cat, ag ardú lapa leis, “agus Giorria Márta siar ansin,” ag ardú an lapa eile leis. “Téigh ag féachaint éinne acu is maith leat: tá siad araon as a meabhair.”

“Ach ní maith liom a bheith i measc daoine a bhíonn as a meabhair,” arsa Eibhlís

“Ó, níl leigheas agat air sin,” arsa an Cat, “tá gach éinne as a mheabhair anseo. Táimse as mo mheabhair. Tá tusa as do mheabhair.”

“Conas tá a fhios agat go bhfuilimse as mo mheabhair?” arsa Eibhlís.

“Tá tú gan dabht,” arsa an Cat, “agus murach go bhfuil tú ní anseo a bheifeá.”

Seoid de chuid litríochta na bpáistí atá in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a foilsíodh den chéad uair sa bhliain 1865. Foilsíodh aistriúchán Gaeilge le Nicholas Williams sa bhliain 2003, agus cuireadh amach an dara heagrán de in 2007. Is sa bhliain 1922, áfach, a foilsíodh an chéad leagan Gaeilge, a rinne Pádraig Ó Cadhla (1875-1948), ach is deacair teacht ar chóip den leabhar sin inniu, agus is beag duine a bhfuil sé léite aige. Is sa bhliain 2015 atá an t-atheagrán seo d’aistriúchán Uí Chadhla á fhoilsiú, 150 bliain tar éis chéadfhoilsiú Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

“In that direction,” the Cat said, waving its right paw around, “lives a Hatter: and in that direction,” waving the other paw, “lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they’re both mad.”

“But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked.

“Oh, you ca’n’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”

“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.

“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.”

The book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a treasure of English children’s literature and was first published in 1865. It has been translated into many languages. An Irish translation by Pádraig Ó Cadhla (1875-1948) was published in 1922 but no other Irish version has appeared since. The present Irish version is a completely new translation. K. Verschoyle drew the illustrations for Ó Cadhla’s version, whereas this new book contains the famous illustrations of Sir John Tenniel, which first appeared in the original English edition.