Alice's adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll- page 15

CHAPTER IV.

• CHAPTER: a main division of a book [ˈʧæptər]
• IV: Roman numeral for the number 4 [iv]

It was the White Rabbit, trotting slowly back again, and looking anxiously about as it went, as if it had lost something; and she heard it muttering to itself 'The Duchess! The Duchess!

• It was: introducing the subject [ɪt wɑz]
• the White Rabbit: a character in the story, a white rabbit [ðə waɪt ˈræbɪt]
• trotting: moving at a pace faster than walking, but slower than running [ˈtrɑtɪŋ]
• slowly: at a slow pace [sˈloʊli]
• back again: returning to a previous location [bæk əˈgɛn]
• and looking: visually searching [ənd ˈlʊkɪŋ]
• anxiously: in a worried or uneasy manner [ˈæŋkʃəsli]
• about: around; in the surrounding area [əˈbaʊt]
• as it went: while moving [ɛz ɪt wɛnt]
• as if: in a way that suggests [ɛz ɪf]
• it had lost something: the rabbit is missing an item [ɪt hæd lɔst ˈsəmθɪŋ]
• and she heard: Alice overheard [ənd ʃi hərd]
• it muttering: speaking quietly and indistinctly [ɪt ˈmətərɪŋ]
• to itself: speaking to oneself [tɪ ˌɪtˈsɛlf]
• The Duchess! The Duchess: Exclamation referring to a noble woman [ðə ˈdəʧəs ðə ˈdəʧəs]

Oh my dear paws!

• Oh my dear paws: Expressing distress about the rabbit's feet [oʊ maɪ dɪr pɔz]

Oh my fur and whiskers!

• Oh my fur and whiskers: Expressing distress about the rabbit's fur and facial hair [oʊ maɪ fər ənd ˈwɪskərz]

She'll get me executed, as sure as ferrets are ferrets!

• She'll get me executed: The Duchess will have the rabbit killed [ʃil gɪt mi ˈɛksəˌkjutɪd]
• as sure as ferrets are ferrets: An idiom emphasizing certainty, comparing ferrets to themselves [ɛz ʃʊr ɛz ˈfɛrəts ər ˈfɛrəts]

Where CAN I have dropped them, I wonder?' Alice guessed in a moment that it was looking for the fan and the pair of white kid gloves, and she very good-naturedly began hunting about for them, but they were nowhere to be seen—everything seemed to have changed since her swim in the pool, and the great hall, with the glass table and the little door, had vanished completely.

• Where CAN I have dropped them, I wonder: Expressing confusion about the location of the missing items [wɛr kən aɪ hæv drɑpt ðɛm aɪ ˈwəndər]
• Alice guessed: Alice made an assumption [ˈælɪs gɛst]
• in a moment: quickly; immediately [ɪn ə ˈmoʊmənt]
• that it was looking for: the rabbit was searching for [ðət ɪt wɑz ˈlʊkɪŋ fər]
• the fan and the pair of white kid gloves: specific items the rabbit is missing [ðə fæn ənd ðə pɛr əv waɪt kɪd gləvz]
• and she: Alice [ənd ʃi]
• very good-naturedly: in a kind and helpful manner [ˈvɛri ˈgʊdˈneɪʧərdli]
• began hunting: started searching [bɪˈgæn ˈhəntɪŋ]
• about: around [əˈbaʊt]
• for them: for the missing items [fər ðɛm]
• but they were nowhere to be seen: the items could not be found [bət ðeɪ wər ˈnoʊˌwɛr tɪ bi sin]
• everything seemed: it appeared that [ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ simd]
• to have changed: to be different [tɪ hæv ʧeɪnʤd]
• since her swim: after Alice's swim [sɪns hər swɪm]
• in the pool: in the body of water [ɪn ðə pul]
• and the great hall: a large room [ənd ðə greɪt hɔl]
• with the glass table: containing a table made of glass [wɪθ ðə glæs ˈteɪbəl]
• and the little door: containing a small door [ənd ðə ˈlɪtəl dɔr]
• had vanished completely: had disappeared entirely [hæd ˈvænɪʃt kəmˈplitli]

Very soon the Rabbit noticed Alice, as she went hunting about, and called out to her in an angry tone, 'Why, Mary Ann, what ARE you doing out here?

• Very soon: in a short amount of time; happening quickly [ˈvɛri sun]
• the Rabbit: referring to a specific rabbit, likely a character in a story [ðə ˈræbɪt]
• noticed: became aware of; observed [ˈnoʊtɪst]
• Alice: a proper noun, likely the name of a person [ˈælɪs]
• as she went hunting about: while she was searching or looking around actively [ɛz ʃi wɛnt ˈhəntɪŋ əˈbaʊt]
• and called out to her: and shouted or spoke loudly to her [ənd kɔld aʊt tɪ hər]
• in an angry tone: with a voice that expressed anger or displeasure [ɪn ən ˈæŋgri toʊn]
• Why: an exclamation expressing surprise or mild annoyance [waɪ]
• Mary Ann: a proper noun, likely a name [ˈmɛri æn]
• what ARE you doing: emphasizing the question of what someone is doing [wət ər ju duɪŋ]
• out here: away from a specific place, in this location [aʊt hir]

Run home this moment, and fetch me a pair of gloves and a fan!

• Run home: go back to your house quickly [rən hoʊm]
• this moment: immediately; right now [ðɪs ˈmoʊmənt]
• and fetch me: and bring me [ənd fɛʧ mi]
• a pair of gloves: two gloves that are designed to be worn together [ə pɛr əv gləvz]
• and a fan: and a handheld device used to create a breeze [ənd ə fæn]

Quick, now!' And Alice was so much frightened that she ran off at once in the direction it pointed to, without trying to explain the mistake it had made.

• Quick, now: do it fast, immediately [kwɪk naʊ]
• And Alice: continuing the narrative about Alice [ənd ˈælɪs]
• was so much frightened: was very scared [wɑz soʊ məʧ ˈfraɪtənd]
• that she ran off: that she left quickly by running [ðət ʃi ræn ɔf]
• at once: immediately; without delay [æt wəns]
• in the direction: toward the place or way [ɪn ðə dɪˈrɛkʃɪn]
• it pointed to: the direction that something indicated [ɪt ˈpɔɪntɪd tɪ]
• without trying: without making an effort [wɪˈθaʊt traɪɪŋ]
• to explain: to give a reason or clarification [tɪ ɪkˈspleɪn]
• the mistake: an error or misunderstanding [ðə mɪˈsteɪk]
• it had made: the error that someone or something had committed [ɪt hæd meɪd]

'He took me for his housemaid,' she said to herself as she ran. 'How surprised he'll be when he finds out who I am!

• He took me: He mistook me [hi tʊk mi]
• for his housemaid: as his servant who cleans the house [fər hɪz housemaid]
• she said: she spoke [ʃi sɛd]
• to herself: privately, not aloud [tɪ hərˈsɛlf]
• as she ran: while she was running [ɛz ʃi ræn]
• How surprised: expressing how astonished someone will be [haʊ səˈpraɪzd]
• he'll be: he will be [hil bi]
• when he finds out: when he discovers [wɪn hi faɪndz aʊt]
• who I am: my true identity [hu aɪ æm]

But I'd better take him his fan and gloves—that is, if I can find them.' As she said this, she came upon a neat little house, on the door of which was a bright brass plate with the name 'W. RABBIT' engraved upon it.

• But I'd better: But I should [bət aɪd ˈbɛtər]
• take him: bring to him [teɪk ɪm]
• his fan and gloves: the fan and gloves that belong to him [hɪz fæn ənd gləvz]
• that is: meaning, or rather [-ðət ɪz]
• if I can find them: if I am able to locate them [ɪf aɪ kən faɪnd ðɛm]
• As she said this: While she was speaking [ɛz ʃi sɛd ðɪs]
• she came upon: she found or encountered [ʃi keɪm əˈpɑn]
• a neat little house: a tidy and small house [ə nit ˈlɪtəl haʊs]
• on the door: on the entrance [ɔn ðə dɔr]
• of which: referring to the door [əv wɪʧ]
• was: existed [wɑz]
• a bright brass plate: a shiny plate made of brass [ə braɪt bræs pleɪt]
• with the name: displaying the name [wɪθ ðə neɪm]
• W. RABBIT: the name of the rabbit [ˈdəbəlju ˈræbɪt]
• engraved: carved or etched [ɪnˈgreɪvd]
• upon it: on the plate [əˈpɑn ɪt]

She went in without knocking, and hurried upstairs, in great fear lest she should meet the real Mary Ann, and be turned out of the house before she had found the fan and gloves.

• She went in: She entered [ʃi wɛnt ɪn]
• without knocking: without striking the door to announce her presence [wɪˈθaʊt ˈnɑkɪŋ]
• and hurried upstairs: and quickly went up the stairs [ənd ˈhərid əpˈstɛrz]
• in great fear: feeling very scared [ɪn greɪt fɪr]
• lest she should meet: for fear that she might encounter [lɛst ʃi ʃʊd mit]
• the real Mary Ann: the actual Mary Ann [ðə ril ˈmɛri æn]
• and be turned out: and be forced to leave [ənd bi tərnd aʊt]
• of the house: from the house [əv ðə haʊs]
• before she had found: before she located [ˌbiˈfɔr ʃi hæd faʊnd]
• the fan and gloves: the fan and gloves [ðə fæn ənd gləvz]

'How queer it seems,' Alice said to herself, 'to be going messages for a rabbit!

• How queer it seems: An exclamation expressing surprise or bewilderment at how strange or odd something appears [haʊ kwɪr ɪt simz]
• Alice said to herself: Alice spoke her thoughts aloud, but only to herself [ˈælɪs sɛd tɪ hərˈsɛlf]
• to be going messages for a rabbit: to be running errands or delivering messages on behalf of a rabbit, which is an unusual and absurd situation [tɪ bi goʊɪŋ ˈmɛsɪʤɪz fər ə ˈræbɪt]

I suppose Dinah'll be sending me on messages next!' And she began fancying the sort of thing that would happen: '"Miss Alice!

• I suppose: I assume or expect [aɪ səˈpoʊz]
• Dinah'll: contraction of 'Dinah will', where Dinah is likely a pet or character in the story [dinahll]
• be sending me on messages next: will be giving me errands or tasks to do next, implying a continuation of the absurd situation [bi ˈsɛndɪŋ mi ɔn ˈmɛsɪʤɪz nɛkst]
• And she began fancying: And she started imagining or picturing in her mind [ənd ʃi bɪˈgæn fancying]
• the sort of thing: the type of event or situation [ðə sɔrt əv θɪŋ]
• that would happen: that might occur or take place [ðət wʊd ˈhæpən]
• Miss Alice: Addressing Alice formally [mɪs ˈælɪs]

Come here directly, and get ready for your walk!" "Coming in a minute, nurse!

• Come here directly: Come here immediately or without delay [kəm hir dɪˈrɛkli]
• and get ready for your walk: prepare yourself for your walk [ənd gɪt ˈrɛdi fər jʊr wɔk]
• Coming in a minute, nurse: I'll be there shortly, nurse! [ˈkəmɪŋ ɪn ə ˈmɪnət nərs]