‘The first of June! The Kings are off to the seashore tomorrow, and I’m free. Three months’ vacation - how I shall enjoy it!’ exclaimed Meg, coming home one warm day to find Jo laid upon the sofa in an unusual state of exhaustion, while Beth took off her dusty boots, and Amy made lemonade for the refreshment of the whole party.
“六月一号！国王们明天准备去海边，而我自由了。三个月的假期 - 我会好好享受！” 梅格兴奋地说道，她回家的一天，发现乔疲倦地躺在沙发上，贝丝脱下灰尘的靴子，艾美为大家做柠檬水解渴。

‘Aunt March went today, for which, oh, be joyful!’ said Jo. ‘I was mortally afraid she’d ask me to go with her; —
“玛琪姨婆今天走了，哦，太好了！” 乔说到，“我一直非常害怕她会让我陪她去； —

if she had, I should have felt as if I ought to do it; —
如果她那样的话，我会觉得自己应该去， —

but Plumfield is about as gay as a churchyard, you know, and I’d rather be excused.
但普朗菲尔德（Plumfield）就跟墓地一样无聊，你知道的，我宁愿不去。

‘We had a flurry getting the old lady off, and I had a fright every time she spoke to me, for I was in such a hurry to be through that I was uncommonly helpful and sweet, and feared she’d find it impossible to part from me. —
“我们为了送走那位老太太而忙成一团，我每次她和我说话时都惶恐不安，因为我急于结束，所以表现得非常帮忙和甜蜜，担心她无法离开我。” —

I quaked till she was fairly in the carriage, and had a final fright, for, as it drove off, she popped out her head, saying, “Josyphine, won’t you - ?” I didn’t hear any more, for I basely turned and fled; —
我抖得直哆嗦，直到她进了马车，最后吓了一跳，因为车子开走时，她探出头说：“约瑟芬，你会不会——？”我没听见后面的话，卑劣地转身就跑。 —

I did actually run, and whisked round the corner, where I felt safe.’
我真的跑了，转过街角，感到安全了。

‘Poor old Jo! she came in looking as if bears were after her,’ said Beth, as she cuddled her sister’s feet with a motherly air.
“可怜的乔！她进来的时候看起来像是被熊追着。”贝丝说着，像个慈爱的母亲一样揉着姐姐的脚。

‘Aunt March is a regular samphire, is she not?’ observed Amy, tasting her mixture critically.
“奥黛丽-马奇太太真是个怪人，不是吗？”艾米品尝着她调制的东西，带着评论的口气说道。

‘She means vampire, no seaweed; but it doesn’t matter; —
“她是说吸血鬼，不是海藻，但无所谓了； —

it’s too warm to be particular about one’s parts of speech,’ murmured Jo.
这天气太热，不必太在意词性。”乔嘀咕道。

‘What shall you do all your vacation?’ asked Amy, changing the subject, with tact. —
“假期你打算干什么？”艾米巧妙地改变了话题。 —

‘I shall lie abed late and do nothing,’ replied Meg, from the depths of the rocking-chair. —
“我要躺在床上晚起床，什么也不做。”梅格从摇椅的深处回答道。 —

‘I’ve been routed up early all winter, and had to spend my days working for other people; —
“整个冬天我都早早被叫醒，白天都得为别人工作； —

so now I’m going to rest and revel to my heart’s content.’
所以现在我要好好休息，尽情享受。”

‘No,’ said Jo; ‘that dosy way wouldn’t suit me. —
“不，”乔说。“那种慵懒的方式不适合我。 —

I’ve laid in a heap of books, and I’m going to improve my shining hours reading on my perch in the old apple-tree, when I’m not having l——’
我已经搬了一堆书，准备在老苹果树上的枝头上读书，当我不做其他的时候——”

‘Don’t say “larks”!’ implored Amy, as a return snub for the ‘samphire’ correction.
‘请不要说”进攻”！’ 艾米哀求道，回击扎根苏菲儿化法。

‘I’ll say “nightingales”, then, with Laurie; —
‘那我就说”夜莺”好了， —

that’s proper and appropriate, since he’s a warbler.’
和劳瑞在一起是合适且恰当的，因为他是一个鸣禽。’

‘Don’t let us do any lessons, Beth, for a while, but play all the time, and rest, as the girls mean to,’ proposed Amy.
‘伯斯，我们先不学习一会儿，只是一直玩儿，休息，就像那些女孩打算的那样，’艾米提议道。

‘Well, I will, if Mother doesn’t mind. —
‘好的，如果妈妈不介意的话。我想学几首新歌， —

I want to learn some new songs, and my children need fitting up for the summer; —
而我的孩子们需要为夏天准备一下。他们非常破旧，而且真的需要衣服。’ —

they are dreadfully out of order, and really suffering for clothes.’
‘妈妈，可以吗？’梅格转向坐在那儿缝纫的玛奇太太。

‘May we, Mother?’ asked Meg, turning to Mrs. March, who sat sewing in what they called ‘Marmee’s corner’.
‘你们可以尝试一周，看看是否喜欢这样。我想周六晚上你们会发现只玩耍没有学习和只学习没有玩耍一样糟糕。’

‘You may try your experiment for a week, and see how you like it. —
‘多简单直接的回答！’梅格说着笑了。 —

I think by Saturday night you will find that all play and no work is as bad as all work and no play.’
‘好吧，那我们这周就休息一下，’乔宣布道。

‘Oh, dear, no! it will be delicious, I’m sure,’ said Meg, complacently.
“哦，亲爱的，不会的！我相信它会很美味的，”悠然自得地说着梅格。

‘I now propose a toast, as my “friend and pardner, Sairy Gamp”, says. —
“现在我提议为我的‘朋友和伙伴萨赖·甘普’干杯。”她说。 —

Fun for ever, and no grubbing!’ cried Jo, rising, glass in hand, as the lemonade went round.
“快乐到永远，不要挖苦！”乔起身，举起玻璃杯，随着柠檬水传递。

They all drank it merrily, and began the experiment by lounging for the rest of the day. —
他们欢快地喝下去，并开始执行计划，整天慵懒地躺着。第二天早上， —

Next morning Meg did not appear till ten o’clock; —
梅格直到十点钟才露面； —

her solitary breakfast did not taste nice and the room seemed lonely and untidy; —
她一个人吃早餐，味道不好，房间显得孤独而凌乱； —

for Jo had not filled the vases, Beth had not dusted, and Amy’s books lay scattered about. —
因为乔没有给花瓶打水，贝丝没有擦拭，艾米的书散落四处。 —

Nothing was neat and pleasant but ‘Marmee’s corner’, which looked as usual; —
除了‘妈妈的角落’外，没有任何地方整洁和愉快。那里的情况和往常一样； —

and there Meg sat, to ‘rest and read’, which meant yawn, and imagine what pretty summer dresses she would get with her salary. —
在那儿梅格坐着‘休息和阅读’，意思是打哈欠，想象着她将用工资买什么漂亮的夏季服装。 —

Jo spent the morning on the river with Laurie, and the afternoon reading and crying over The Wide, Wide World, up in the apple-tree. —
乔与劳里度过了整个早上的时间，在河上划船，下午则爬上苹果树，读书并因读《辽阔世界》而哭泣。 —

Beth began by rummaging everything out of the big closet where her family resided; —
贝丝从她的家人居住的大壁橱里将一切东西都翻遍了； —

but, getting tired before half done, she left her establishment topsy-turvy, and went to her music, rejoicing that she had no dishes to wash. —
然而，才做了一半，她就累得不行了，把屋子弄得一片狼藉，然后去听音乐，开心地想着自己没有盘子要洗。 —

Amy arranged her bower, put on her best white frock, smoothed her curls, and sat down to draw, under the honeysuckles, hoping someone would see and inquire who the young artist was. —
艾米整理了她的休息处，穿上了她最好的白裙子，梳理了她的卷发，坐在吊瓶花下画画，希望会有人看见并询问这位年轻的艺术家是谁。 —

As no one appeared but an inquisitive daddy long-legs, who examined her work with interest, she went for a walk, got caught in a shower, and came home dripping.
除了一只好奇的长腿爸爸蜘蛛以外，没有人出现，它对她的作品很感兴趣，于是她去散步了，被雨淋湿了回到家。

At tea-time they compared notes, and all agreed that it had been a delightful, though unusually long day. —
喝下午茶时，她们互相比较了一下，所有人都认同这是一个愉快的、虽然普通的一天。 —

Meg, who went shopping in the afternoon, and got a ‘sweet blue muslin’, had discovered, after she had cut the breadths off, that it wouldn’t wash, which mishap made her slightly cross. —
梅格下午出去购物，买了一条“甜蓝色纱布”，但剪掉面料后发现它不能洗，这使她有点生气。 —

Jo had burnt the skin off her nose boating, and got a raging headache by reading too long. —
乔在划船时把鼻子的皮烧掉了，还因为读书时间太长而得了一场剧烈的头痛。 —

Beth was worried by the confusion of her closet, and the difficulty of Teaming three or four songs at once; —
贝丝为她的壁橱混乱和同时学习三、四首歌而困扰。 —

and Amy deeply regretted the damage done her frock, for Katy Brown’s party was to be the next day, and now, like Flora M’Flimsey, she had ‘nothing to wear’. —
艾米深感后悔自己弄脏了裙子，因为凯蒂·布朗的派对就在第二天，而现在她却像弗洛拉·麦弗林西一样‘没有衣服可穿’。 —

But these were mere trifles; —
但这些只是小问题； —

and they assured their mother that the experiment was working finely. —
她们向母亲保证实验进行得非常顺利。 —

She smiled, said nothing, and, with Hannah’s help, did their neglected work, keeping home pleasant, and the domestic machinery running smoothly. —
她微笑着什么也没说，然后在汉娜的帮助下，完成了她们忽视的工作，让家里愉快，家务机器保持顺畅运转。 —

It was astonishing what a peculiar and uncomfortable state of things was produced by the ‘resting and revelling’ process. —
‘休息和狂欢’的过程产生了一种令人惊讶的特殊和不舒适的状态。 —

The days kept getting longer and longer; —
日子变得越来越长， —

the weather was unusually variable, and so were tempers; —
天气异常多变，情绪也一样。 —

an unsettled feeling possessed everyone, and Satan found plenty of mischief for the idle hands to do. —
一种不安定的感觉笼罩着每个人，而撒旦也为那些闲着的手提供了足够的恶作剧。 —

As the height of luxury, Meg put out some of her sewing, and then found time hang so heavily that she fell to snipping and spoiling her clothes, in her attempts to furbish them up * la Moffat. —
梅格把一些缝纫活拿出来，然后发现时间过得如此沉闷，结果她开始修剪和弄坏自己的衣物，试图让它们像莫法特一样闪亮。 —

Jo read till her eyes gave out, and she was sick of books; —
乔读到眼睛累垮， —

got so fidgety that even good-natured Laurie had a quarrel with her, and so reduced in spirits that she desperately wished she had gone out with Aunt March. Beth got on pretty well, for she was constantly forgetting that it was to be all play, and no work, an fell back into her old ways now and then; —
厌倦了书本；变得如此坐立不安，连善良的劳里都和她吵起来，心情沮丧到她极其希望自己和奥叔一起出去的地步。 —

but something in the air affected her, and more than once her tranquillity was much disturbed; —
贝丝还算顺利，因为她总是忘记这是一场纯粹的游戏，不用工作，不过偶尔还是会恢复到她以前的那种方式； —

so much so, that, on one occasion, she actually shook poor dear Joanna, and told her she was a ‘fright’. —
但空气中的某种因素影响了她，以至于有几次她的平静被严重打扰； —

Amy fared worst of all, for her resources were small; —
其中一次， —

and when her sisters left her to amuse and care for herself, she soon found that accomplished and important little self a great burden. —
她竟然摇了可怜的乔安娜，告诉她她很“可怕”。 —

She didn’t like dolls, fairy tales were childish, and one couldn’t draw all the time; —
艾米的境况最糟糕，因为她的资源很少；当她的姐妹们让她自己娱乐和照顾自己时，她很快发现那个有能力又重要的小家伙是个沉重的负担。 —

tea parties didn’t amount to much, neither did picnics, unless very well conducted. —
她不喜欢玩具娃娃，童话故事太幼稚了，也不能一直画画；茶话会也没什么意义，野餐活动也不过如此，除非非常好的组织。 —

‘If one could have a fine house, full of nice girls, or go travelling, the summer would be delightful; —
如果人们可以拥有一座漂亮的房子，里面住满了漂亮的女孩，或者去旅行，夏天将会很愉快； —

but to stay at home with three selfish sisters and a grown-up boy was enough to try the patience of a “Boaz”,’ complained Miss Malaprop, after several days devoted to pleasure, fretting, and ennui. —
但是，对于留在家里和三个自私的姐妹以及一个已经长大的男孩在一起，这已经足够考验一个”波阿兹”的耐心，抱怨着米丝·马拉普在几天的寻欢作乐、烦躁和厌倦之后。 —

No one would own that they were tired of the experiment; —
没有人愿意承认他们对这个实验感到厌倦； —

but, by Friday night, each acknowledged to herself that she was glad the week was nearly done. —
但是到了星期五晚上，每个人都承认自己庆幸这个星期快要过去了。 —

Hoping to impress the lesson more deeply, Mrs. March, who had a good deal of humour, resolved to finish off the trial in an appropriate manner; —
为了更深刻地印象这个教训，有着很多幽默感的玛琳·马奇决定以一种合适的方式结束这次试验； —

so she gave Hannah a holiday, and let the girls enjoy the full effect of the play system. —
所以她给了汉娜一个假期，让女孩们充分体验游戏系统的效果。 —

When they got up on Saturday morning, there was no fire in the kitchen, no breakfast in the dining room, and no mother anywhere to be seen.
当她们周六早上起床时，厨房没有生火，餐厅没有早餐，母亲也不见了。

‘Mercy on us! what has happened?’ cried Jo, staring about her in dismay.
‘天啊！发生了什么事？’乔惊慌地四处张望着。

Meg ran upstairs, and soon came back again, looking relieved, but rather bewildered, and a little ashamed.
梅格跑上楼，不久又回来了，看起来松了一口气，但有些困惑和有点害羞。

‘Mother isn’t sick, only very tired, and she says she is going to stay quietly in her room all day, and let us do the best we can. —
“妈妈没有生病，只是非常疲倦，她说今天要安静地呆在房间里，让我们尽力而为。” —

It’s a very queer thing for her to do, she doesn’t act a bit like herself; —
这对她来说很奇怪，她的举止一点也不像她自己； —

but she says it has been a hard week for her, so we mustn’t grumble, but take care of ourselves.’
但她说这一周对她来说很辛苦，所以我们不能抱怨，只能照顾好自己。

‘That’s easy enough, and I like the idea; —
“这很容易，我喜欢这个想法； —

I’m aching for something to do - that is, some new amusement, you know,’ added Jo, quickly.
我非常想找些事情做 - 换句话说，找些新的娱乐活动。”乔迅速补充道。

In fact it was an immense relief to them all to have a little work, and they k hold with a will, but soon realized the truth of Hannah’s saying, ‘Housekeeping ain’t no joke.’ There was plenty of food in the larder, and, while Beth and Amy set the table, Meg and Jo got breakfast, wondering, as they did so, why servants ever talked about hard work.
实际上，对于他们来说，有点工作是一种巨大的解脱，他们齐心协力完成了任务，但很快意识到了汉娜所说的“做家务可不是闹着玩的”。罐子里有足够的食物，当贝丝和艾米摆桌子时，梅格和乔准备早餐，并在此过程中想着为什么仆人们总是谈论辛苦的工作。

‘I shall take some up to Mother, though she said we were not to think of her, for she’d take care of herself,’ said Meg, who presided, and felt quite matronly behind the teapot.
“我会给妈妈端一些上去，尽管她说我们不要为她操心，她自己会照顾好自己的，”梅格说道，她坐在茶壶后面，感到相当像个已婚女士。

So a tray was fitted out before anyone began, and taken up with the cook’s compliments. —
因此在大家动筷之前，先备好了一份托盘，厨师带着自己的祝福，把它送了上去。 —

The boiled tea was very bitter, the omelette scorched, and the biscuits speckled with saleratus; —
煮的茶非常苦，煎饼糊了，饼干上长满了碱粉的颗粒； —

but Mrs. March received her repast with thanks, and laughed heartily over it after Jo was gone.
但是当乔离开后，马奇太太还是带着感激之情接受了自己的早餐，并开怀大笑起来。

‘Poor little souls, they will have a hard time, I’m afraid; —
“可怜的小家伙们，恐怕他们会过得很艰难， —

but they won’t suffer, and it will do them good,’ she said, producing the more palatable viands with which she had provided herself, and disposing of the bad breakfast, so that their feelings might not be hurt - a motherly little deception for which they were grateful.
但是他们不会受苦，这对他们有好处，”她说着，拿出自己准备的更可口的食物，把糟糕的早餐处理掉，以免伤害到他们的感情——这样母性的小欺骗让他们心怀感激。

Many were the complaints below, and great the chagrin of the head cook at her failures. —
下面有很多抱怨声，头位厨师对自己的失败感到非常沮丧。“没关系， —

‘Never mind, I’ll get the dinner and be servant; —
我会准备午餐并充当女佣； —

you be mistress, keep your hands nice, see company, and give orders,’ said Jo, who knew still less than Meg about culinary affairs.
“你做女主人，保持你的手干净，给客人好看，并且发号施令，”乔说道，对于烹饪事务她比梅格还知之甚少。

This obliging offer was gladly accepted; —
这个乐意的提议被欣然接受； —

and Margaret retired to the parlour, which she hastily put in order by whisking the litter under the sofa, and shutting the blinds, to save the trouble of dusting. —
玛格丽特走进了起居室，她匆忙地整理了一下，把一堆东西往沙发底下一扫而光，拉上百叶窗，省去了擦灰尘的麻烦。 —

Jo, with perfect faith in her own powers, and a friendly desire to make up the quarrel, immediately put a note in the office, inviting Laurie to dinner.
乔对于自己的能力充满信心，并且怀有友好的愿望来化解争吵，她立刻在办公室里放了一张便条，邀请劳瑞来吃晚饭。

‘You’d better see what you have got before you think about having company,’ said Meg, when informed of the hospitable but rash act.
“在你考虑请客之前，最好先看看你有什么，”梅格在得知这个好客但轻率的行为后说道。

‘Oh, there’s corned beef and plenty of potatoes; —
“哦，这里有熏肉和足够的土豆； —

and I shall get some asparagus, and a lobster, “for a relish”, as Hannah says. —
我还会买一些芦笋和一只龙虾，‘作为调味品’，正如汉娜所说的。” —

We’ll have lettuce, and make a salad. —
“我们会吃莴苣，做沙拉。 —

I don’t know how, but the book tells. —
我不知道怎么做，但书上有写。” —

I’ll have blancmange and strawberries for dessert; —
“我会做蛋清布丁和草莓作为甜点； —

and coffee, too, if you want to be elegant.’
如果你想要优雅一些，还可以喝咖啡。”

‘Don’t try too many messes, Jo, for you can’t make anything but gingerbread and molasses candy fit to eat. —
乔，别乱搞太多事情，你除了做姜饼和糖浆糖果，什么都吃不了。 —

I wash my hands of the dinner-party; —
饭局的事情跟我无关了， —

and since you have asked Laurie on your own responsibility, you may just take care of him.’
你要是自作主张地请了劳瑞，那就你自己对付他吧。

‘I don’t want you to do anything but be civil to him, and help with the pudding. —
我只希望你对他客气点，帮忙弄布丁就行了。 —

You’ll give me your advice if I get in a muddle, won’t you?’ asked Jo, rather hurt.
如果我搞糊涂了，你会给我出主意吧？乔有些受伤地问道。

‘Yes; but I don’t know much, except about bread, and a few trifles. —
是的，但我除了面包和一些琐事外，不懂什么。 —

You had better ask Mother’s leave before you order anything,’ returned Meg, prudently.
在你定购之前最好问一下妈妈的意见，慎重一点，梅格明智地回答道。

‘Of course I shall; I’m not a fool,’ and Jo went off in a huff at the doubts expressed of her powers.
当然，我不是傻瓜。乔因对她的能力表示怀疑而生气地离开了。

‘Get what you like, and don’t disturb me; —
随便买你喜欢的东西，别打扰我， —

I’m going out to dinner, and can’t worry about things at home,’ said Mrs. March, when Jo spoke to her.
我要出去吃饭了，家里的事情我没时间操心，当乔跟妈妈说的时候，她说道。

‘I never enjoyed housekeeping, and I’m going to take a vacation today, and read, and write, go visiting, and amuse myself.’
我从来就不喜欢做家务，今天我要休息一下，读书，写作，去拜访，自我娱乐。

The unusual spectacle of her busy mother rocking comfortably and reading, early in the morning, made Jo feel as if some natural phenomenon had occurred; —
她忙碌的妈妈清晨舒适地摇着椅子看书，这一不寻常的景象让乔感觉好像发生了某种自然现象； —

for an eclipse, an earthquake, or a volcanic eruption would hardly have seemed stranger.
因为日食、地震或火山爆发似乎都不会更奇怪。

‘Everything is out of sorts somehow,’ she said to herself, going downstairs. ‘There’s Beth crying; —
“一切都有点不对劲了”，她自言自语地下楼说。” 贝丝在哭，这肯定是家里出了问题。 —

that’s a sure sign that something is wrong with this family. —
如果是艾米在搞鬼，我就要摇醒她。” —

If Amy is bothering, I’ll shake her.’
乔自己也感觉很不舒服，于是匆忙走进客厅，发现贝丝正为小金丝雀皮普的死哭泣。皮普躺在笼子里，小爪子可怜地伸开，似乎在乞求食物，因为它饿死了。

Feeling very much out of sorts herself, Jo hurried into the parlour to find Beth sobbing over Pip, the canary, who lay dead in the cage, with his little claws pathetically extended, as if imploring the food for want of which he had died.
“这全是我的错，我把它忘了，一粒种子和一滴水都没有了。噢，皮普！噢，皮普！我怎么能对你那么残忍？”贝丝哭着说，把可怜的小鸟拿在手中，试图恢复它。

‘It’s all my fault - I forgot him - there isn’t a seed or a drop left. —
“It’s all my fault - I forgot him - there isn’t a seed or a drop left. O Pip! O Pip! 意思是”这全是我的错，我把它忘了，一粒种子和一滴水都没有了。 —

O Pip! O Pip! —
噢，皮普！噢，皮普！” —

how could I be so cruel to you?’ cried Beth, taking the poor thing in her hands, and trying to restore him.
how could I be so cruel to you? 意思是”我怎么能对你那么残忍？”

Jo peeped into his half-open eye, felt his little heart, and finding him stiff and cold shook her bead, and offered her domino box for a coffin.
乔偷看他微开着的眼睛，感受到他的小心脏，发现他已经僵硬和冷却，摇了摇头，拿出她的骨牌盒当作棺材。

‘Put him in the oven, and maybe he will get warm and revive,’ said Amy, hopefully.
“把他放进烤箱里，也许他会变暖和复活的。” 艾米满怀希望地说道。

‘He’s been starved, and he shan’t be baked, now he’s dead. —
“他被饿死了，他不应该被烤，现在他已经死了。 —

I’ll make him a shroud, and he shall be buried in the garden; —
我会给他做条裹尸布，然后将他埋在花园里； —

and I’ll never have another bird, never, my Pip! —
“我再也不养鸟了，再也不养， —

for I’m too bad to own one,’ murmured Beth, sitting on the floor with her pet folded in her hands.
因为我太坏了，不能再拥有一个。”贝丝低声说道，坐在地板上抱着她的宠物。

‘The funeral shall be this afternoon, and we will all go. Now, don’t cry, Betty; —
“葬礼将在今天下午举行，我们都要去。别哭，贝蒂； —

it’s a pity, but nothing goes right this week, and Pip has had the worst of the experiment. —
“这真可惜，但这个星期什么都不顺利，皮普遭受了实验的最坏结果。做个裹尸布， —

Make the shroud, and lay him in my box; —
把他放进我的盒子里； —

and, after the dinner party, we’ll have a nice little funeral,’ said Jo, beginning to feel as if she had undertaken a good deal.
“在晚宴之后，我们将举行一个美好的小葬礼。”乔说道，开始感觉自己承担了很多责任。

Leaving the others to console Beth, she departed to the kitchen, which was in a most discouraging state of confusion. —
乔离开别人去安慰贝丝，走向了厨房，厨房一团糟，令人泄气。 —

Putting on a big apron she fell to work, and got the dishes piled up ready for washing, when she discovered that the fire was out. —
戴上一件大围裙，她开始工作，把盘子堆起来准备洗碗，却发现火熄了。 —

‘Here’s a sweet prospect!’ muttered Jo, slamming the stove-door open, and poking vigorously among the cinders.
“真是个甜蜜的前景啊！” 乔小声咕哝着，把炉门猛地打开，用力在炉渣中翻动。

Having rekindled the fire, she thought she would go to market while the water heated. —
想着重新点燃火后可以去市场，她决定烧水的时候出去。 —

The walk revived her spirits; —
散步让她精神焕发； —

and flattering herself that she had made good bargains, she trudged home again, after buying a very young lobster, some very old asparagus, and two boxes of acid strawberries. —
自以为买了便宜货，她在回家的路上兴高采烈，买了一只非常幼小的龙虾，一些非常老的芦笋和两盒酸草莓。 —

By the time she got cleared up the dinner arrived, and the stove was red-hot. —
她整理好后，晚餐就到了，炉子火红一片。 —

Hannah had left a pan of bread to rise, Meg had worked it up early, set it on the hearth for a second rising, and forgotten it. —
汉娜留了一盘面包发酵，梅格早早地处理了它，放在炉子上再次发酵，却忘记了。 —

Meg was entertaining Sallie Gardiner in the parlour, when the door flew open, and a floury, crocky, flushed, and dishevelled figure appeared, demanding tartly:
当梅格在客厅招待萨利·加德纳时，门突然打开，出现了一个被面粉弄脏、披头散发的人，生气地问道：

‘I say, isn’t bread “riz” enough when it runs over the pans?’
“我说，当面包从盘子中流出来的时候，它发酵的时间不够吗？”

Sallie began to laugh; but Meg nodded, and lifted her eyebrows as high as they would go, which caused the apparition to vanish, and put the sour bread into the oven without further delay. —
萨莉开始笑了起来，但是梅格点了点头，把她的眉毛扬得尽可能高，这让幽灵消失了，她立即把发酵的面包放进烤箱里。 —

Mrs. March went out, after peeping here and there to see how matters went, also saying a word of comfort to Beth, who sat making a winding sheet, while the dear departed lay in state in the domino box. —
玛奇夫人四处张望了一下，看看事情的进展，还对坐在那里做殡葬布的贝丝说了些安慰的话，而亲爱的亡者则被放在长袍盒里安放着。 —

A strange sense of helplessness fell upon the girls as the grey bonnet vanished round the comer; —
当灰色的帽子转过街角消失时，女孩们突然感到了一种奇怪的无助。 —

and despair seized them when, a few minutes later, Miss Crocker appeared, and said she’d come to dinner. —
几分钟后，克罗克小姐出现了，宣布她要来吃晚饭，这时绝望笼罩了她们。 —

Now, this lady was a thin, yellow spinster, with a sharp nose and inquisitive eyes, who saw everything, and gossiped about all she saw. —
现在，这位女士是个瘦瘦的黄色老处女，长着尖尖的鼻子和爱打听的眼睛，她能看到一切，并且会传播她所看到的一切。 —

They disliked her, but had been taught to be kind to her, simply because she was old and poor, and had few friends. —
她们讨厌她，但被教导要对她友善，仅仅因为她老了、穷了，而且朋友很少。 —

So Meg gave her the easy-chair, and tried to entertain her, while she asked questions, criticized everything, and told stories of the people who she knew.
所以梅姬把舒适的椅子给了她，并试图招待她，同时她问问题，批评一切，并讲述她所认识的人的故事。

Language cannot describe the anxieties, experiences, and exertions which Jo underwent that morning; —
语言无法描述乔早晨所经历的焦虑、经历和努力。 —

and the dinner she served up became a standing joke. —
她做的晚餐成了笑柄。她不敢再请教更多建议， —

Fearing to ask any more advice, she did her best alone, and discovered that something more than energy and goodwill is necessary to make a cook. —
她尽力独自完成，发现只有充沛的精力和善意是不够的，还需要其他东西才能成为一名厨师。 —

She boiled the asparagus for an hour, and was grieved to find the heads cooked off and the stalks harder than ever. —
她把芦笋煮了一个小时，很伤心地发现头被煮熟了，而茎比以前更硬。 —

The bread burnt black, for the salad-dressing so aggravated her that she let everything else go till she had convinced herself that she could not make it fit to eat. —
面包烧焦了，因为沙拉酱使她很烦恼，她把其他所有事情都放在一边，直到她确信她无法做出可食用的沙拉酱为止。 —

The lobster was a scarlet mystery to her, but she hammered and poked till it was unshelled, and its meagre proportions concealed in a grove of lettuce leaves. —
对她来说，龙虾是一种红宝石的谜团，但她一直敲打着，直到它剥离壳，它瘦弱的身躯被藏在一片生菜叶子的丛林中。 —

The potatoes had to be hurried, not to keep the asparagus waiting, and were not done at last. —
土豆必须赶紧做好，否则芦笋就要等了，最后还是没做好。 —

The blancmange was lumpy, and the strawberries not as ripe as they looked, having been skilfully ‘deaconed’
布兰奇蒙奇结块了，草莓看起来成熟度不如表面看起来的那么高，被巧妙地伪装过了。

‘Well, they can eat beef, and bread and butter, if they are hungry; —
“嗯，如果他们饿了，他们可以吃牛肉和黄油面包； —

only it’s mortifying to have to spend your whole morning for nothing,’ thought Jo, as she rang the bell half an hour later than usual, and stood, hot, tired, and dispirited, surveying the feast spread for Laurie, accustomed to all sorts of elegance, and Miss Crocker, whose curious eyes would mark all failures, and whose tattling tongue would report them far and wide.
只是真让人沮丧，整个早上都白费了。”乔心想，她比平时晚了半个小时按响了铃，站在这里，热、累、沮丧，看着摆满了盛宴的桌子，让习惯了各种优雅的劳里和对她的失败充满好奇眼睛的克罗克小姐，以及爱传播八卦的她的会议展开。

Poor Jo would gladly have gone under the table, as one thing after another was tasted and left; —
可怜的乔真想躲到桌子下面去，因为一个接一个的菜品尝了又放下； —

while Amy giggled, Meg looked distressed, Miss Crocker pursed up her lips, and Laurie talked and laughed with all his might, to give a cheerful tone to the festive scene. —
而艾米咯咯地笑着，梅格看起来心烦意乱，克罗克小姐撅起了嘴唇，劳里则尽力地说笑，为这个欢乐的场景增添了一丝愉悦的氛围。 —

Jo’s one strong point was the fruit, for she had sugared it well, and had a pitcher of rich cream to eat with it. —
乔唯一的优点就是水果，因为她加了糖，还备了一壶浓郁的奶油来搭配。 —

Her hot cheeks cooled a trifle, and she drew a long breath, as the pretty glass plates went round, and everyone looked graciously at the little rosy islands floating in a sea of cream. —
她火辣的面颊稍微冷却了一点，深吸了一口气，漂亮的玻璃碟子传递着，每个人都优雅地看着漂浮在奶油之海上的粉红小岛。 —

Miss Crocker tasted first, made a wry face, and drank some water hastily. —
克罗克小姐第一个品尝，皱起了眉头，急忙喝了些水。 —

Jo, who had refused, thinking there might not be enough, for they dwindled sadly after the picking over, glanced at Laurie, but he was eating away manfully, though there was a slight pucker about his mouth, and he kept his eye fixed on his plate. —
乔本来想拒绝，因为她担心可能不够吃，毕竟在挑选之后果子的数量少了很多，她瞥了劳瑞一眼，但是他正在勇敢地吃着，嘴角微微皱起，目光始终盯着自己的盘子。 —

Amy, who was fond of delicate fare, took a heaping spoonful, choked, hid her face in her napkin, and left the table precipitately.
艾米喜欢精致的食物，她舀了一大勺，咳嗽了一下，将脸藏在餐巾中，匆匆离开了餐桌。

‘Oh, what is it?’ exclaimed Jo, trembling.
“哦，是什么东西？”乔颤抖着问道。

‘Salt instead of sugar, and the cream is sour,’ replied Meg, with a tragic gesture.
“是盐，而不是糖，奶油也发酸了，”梅格伸出手势，带着悲剧性的语气回答道。

Jo uttered a groan, and fell back in her chair; —
乔发出了一声叹息，倒在椅子上； —

remembering that she had given a last hasty powdering to the berries out of one of the two boxes on the kitchen table, and had neglected to put the milk in the refrigerator. —
她记起自己匆忙地在厨房桌子上的两个盒子中的一个上撒了最后一层粉，却忘了把牛奶放进冰箱里。 —

She turned scarlet, and was on the verge of crying, when she met Laurie’s eyes, which would look merry in spite of his heroic efforts; —
她脸红了起来，快要哭出来，这时她碰到劳瑞的眼睛，尽管他英勇努力地表现得欢快； —

the comical side of the affair suddenly struck her, and she laughed till the tears ran down her cheeks. —
这种情况的滑稽一面突然打动了她，她笑得泪流满面。 —

So did everyone else, even ‘Croaker’, as the girls called the old lady; —
其他人也都是如此，即使是“小鳄鱼”，女孩们称呼的那位老太太也不例外； —

and the unfortunate dinner ended gaily, with bread and butter, olives, and fun.
不幸的晚餐以面包、黄油、橄榄和欢乐的方式结束了。

‘I haven’t strength of mind enough to clear up now, so we will sober ourselves with a funeral,’ said Jo, as they rose; —
“我没足够的毅力现在收拾，所以我们将以丧葬活动来让自己冷静下来，”乔说着起身； —

and Miss Crocker made ready to go, being eager to tell the new story at another friend’s dinner-table. —
为了贝丝的缘故，他们为自己找到了一片宁静； —

They did sober themselves for Beth’s sake; —
—

Laurie dug a grave under the ferns in the grove, little Pip was laid in, with many tears, by his tender-hearted mistress, and covered with moss, while a wreath of violets and chickweed was hung on the stone which bore his epitaph, composed by Jo while she struggled with the dinner:
劳瑞在小树林里的蕨丛下挖了一个坟墓，他温柔的主人把小Pip躺进去，眼含泪水。坟墓上覆盖着苔藓，还悬挂着一圈紫罗兰和鸭跖草，上面镶嵌着人们为他刻的墓志铭。而此时，乔正在努力做晚餐，她在努力写墓志铭的同时也陷入了困境。

Here lies Pip March,
这就是Pip March的墓志铭。

Who died the 7th of June;
他于6月7日去世。

Loved and lamented sore,
人们深爱并痛惜他，

And not forgotten soon.
而且不会很快遗忘。

At the conclusion of the ceremonies, Beth retired to her room, overcome with emotion and lobster; —
仪式结束后，贝丝情绪激动地退到了房间，她被情绪压倒，感到非常疲惫。 —

but there was no place of repose, for the beds were not made, and she found her grief much assuaged by beating up pillows and putting things in order. —
但是卧室没有一个可以安歇的地方，因为床还没有铺好。她发现整理枕头和整理物品可以缓解她的悲伤。 —

Meg helped Jo clear away the remains of the feast, which took half the afternoon, and left them so tired that they agreed to be contented with tea and toast for supper. —
梅格帮助乔清理餐桌，这花费了半个下午，让她们感到非常疲倦。她们决定满足于晚餐的茶和吐司。 —

Laurie took Amy for a drive, which was a deed of charity, for the sour cream seemed to have had a bad effect upon her temper. —
劳瑞带着艾米出去兜风，这是件慈善的事情，因为酸奶似乎对她的脾气产生了不好的影响。 —

Mrs. March came home to find the three older girls hard at work in the middle of the afternoon, and a glance at the closet gave her an idea of the success of one part of the experiment.
下午中途，三个大姐妹正在努力工作，而衣橱里的一瞥给她带来了一个关于实验成功的想法。

Before the housewives could rest several people called, and there was a scramble to get ready to see them; —
在家庭主妇们休息之前，有几个人打来电话，他们匆忙准备迎接他们；然后茶水必须准备好， —

then tea must be got, errands done; —
差事要处理； —

and one or two necessary bits of sewing neglected till the last minute. —
还有一两点需要紧急做的缝纫活被忽略到最后一刻。 —

As twilight fell, dewy and still, one by one they gathered in the porch where the June roses were budding beautifully, and each groaned or sighed as she sat down as if tired or troubled.
黄昏降临时，极富水气而安静，她们一个接一个地聚集在玫瑰花盖着的门廊上，每个人在坐下时都哼哼或叹息，好像疲惫或烦恼。

‘What a dreadful day this has been!’ began Jo, usually the first to speak.
“今天真糟糕！”乔通常是第一个说话的人。

‘It has seemed shorter than usual, but so uncomfortable,’ said Meg.
“与往常相比，时间似乎过得更快，但却如此不舒服。”梅格说。

‘Not a bit like home,’ added Amy.
“一点都不像家”，艾米补充道。

‘It can’t seem so without Marmee and little Pip,’ sighed Beth, glancing with full eyes at the empty cage above her head.
“没有妈咪和小皮普，就感觉不一样。”贝丝叹了口气，满眼含泪地看着她头顶上的空鸟笼。

‘Here’s Mother, dear; and you shall have another bird tomorrow, if you want it.’
“亲爱的，妈妈来了；明天你要是想要的话，你可以再有一只鸟。”

As she spoke, Mrs. March came and took her place among them, looking as if her holiday had not been much pleasanter than theirs.
当她说话时，玛奇夫人走过来，坐在她们中间，看起来她的假期并不比他们愉快。

‘Are you satisfied with your experiment, girls, or do you want another week of it?’ she asked, as Beth nestled up to her, and the rest turned towards her with brightening faces, as flowers turn towards the sun.
“你们对你们的实验满意吗，孩子们，还是希望再过一个星期呢？”她问道，贝丝依偎在她身边，其他人的脸上露出了明朗的神色，就像花朝向太阳一样。“我不满意，”乔坚决地说。

‘I don’t,’ cried Jo, decidedly.
“我也不满意，”其他人附和道。

‘Nor I,’ echoed the others.
“那么你们认为，最好是有一些责任，为别人活一点，对吗？”

‘You think, then, that it is better to have a few duties, and live a little for others, do you?’
“渴望和恶作剧是付不起的，”乔摇摇头说。“我已经厌倦了，打算马上找份工作。”

‘Longing and larking doesn’t pay,’ observed Jo, shaking her head. ‘I’m tired of it, and mean to go to work at something right off.’
“如果你学会简单的烹饪，那是个有用的技能，没有一个女人应该没有的，”玛奇夫人笑了笑，低声回忆起乔的晚餐会；

‘Suppose you learn plain cooking; —
—

that’s a useful accomplishment which no woman should be without,’ said Mrs. March, laughing inaudibly at the recollection of Jo’s dinner-party; —
因为她见过克拉克小姐，并听说了她的叙述。 —

for she had met Miss Crocker, and heard her account of it.
“妈妈，你是不是离开了一切，就为了看看我们的进展？”梅格大声说出了她一整天的猜疑。

‘Mother, did you go away and let everything be, just to see how we’d get on?’ cried Meg, who had had suspicions all day.
“妈妈，你是不是离开了一切，就为了看看我们的进展？”梅格大声说出了她一整天的猜疑。

‘Yes; I wanted you to see how the comfort of all depends on each doing her share faithfully. —
是的；我希望你看到，每个人都忠实地尽自己的份额，对大家的舒适度都有影响。 —

While Hannah and I did your work you got on pretty well, though I don’t think you were very happy or amiable; —
当汉娜和我做你的工作时，你过得还不错，尽管我觉得你并不是很愉快或友善。 —

so I thought, as a little lesson, I would show you what happens when everyone thinks only of herself. —
所以我想，作为一次小教训，我会向你展示当每个人只考虑自己时会发生什么。 —

Don’t you feel that it is pleasanter to help one another, to have dally duties which make leisure sweet when it comes, and to bear and forbear, that home may be comfortable and lovely to us all?’
你不觉得互相帮助更愉快吗？有一些日常事务，使得闲暇时更加甜蜜，宽容和忍让，让家变得舒适和可爱对我们所有人来说都很重要吧？

‘We do, Mother, we do!’ cried the girls.
‘是的，妈妈，是的！’女孩们大喊道。

‘Then let me advise you to take up your little burdens again; —
那么让我建议你再次承担起你的小负担； —

for though they seem heavy sometimes, they are good for us, and lighten as we learn to carry them. —
尽管有时它们似乎很重，但对我们来说是有益处的，并且随着我们学会承担，它们会变得轻松。 —

Work is wholesome, and there is plenty for everyone; —
工作是有益的，每个人都有足够的工作； —

it keeps us from ennui an mischief, is good for health and spirits, and gives us a sense of power and independence better than money or fashion.’
它使我们远离厌倦与混乱，有益于健康和精神，并给予我们一种力量和独立感，超过金钱或时尚。

‘We’ll work like bees, and love it too; see if we don’t!’ said Jo. ‘I’ll learn plain cooking for my holiday task; —
“我们将像蜜蜂一样努力工作，并且会喜欢这样做的！”乔说。“我将学习简单的烹饪作为我的假期任务； —

and the next dinner-party I have shall be a success.’
“下一次我举办的晚宴将会很成功。”

‘I’ll make the set of shirts for Father, instead of letting you do it, Marmee. —
“我会为爸爸做一套衬衫，而不是让你来做，妈咪。我能行， —

I can and I will, though I’m not fond of sewing; —
而且我一定会做的，尽管我不喜欢缝纫； —

that will be better than fussing over my own things, which are plenty nice enough as they are,’ said Meg.
“这比纠结我自己的东西更好，我的东西已经足够好了，”梅格说。

‘I’ll do my lessons every day, and not spend so much time with my music and dolls. —
“我会每天都做功课，不再花太多时间在音乐和玩偶上。 —

I am a stupid thing, and ought to be studying, not playing,’ was Beth’s resolution; —
“我很笨，应该学习而不是玩。”贝丝说道。 —

while Amy followed their example by heroically declaring, ‘I shall learn to make buttonholes, and attend to my parts of speech.’
而艾米则英勇地跟随他们的榜样宣言道：“我要学会做钮扣眼，还要重视我的词汇。”

‘Very good! then I am quite satisfied with the experiment, and fancy that we shall not have to repeat it; —
“非常好！那么我对这个实验很满意，并且想象我们不需要重复它； —

only don’t go to the other extreme, and delve like slaves. Have regular hours for work and play; —
“只是不要走向另一个极端，像奴隶一样埋头苦干。要有定时的工作和娱乐时间； —

make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. —
使每一天既有用又愉快，并通过好好利用时间来证明你理解时间的价值。 —

Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life become a beautiful success, in spite of poverty.’
那样青春将令人愉快，老年将少有悔恨，生活将成为一次美丽的成功，尽管贫穷。

‘We’ll remember, Mother!’ and they did.
“我们会记住的，妈妈！”他们这样说道，并且他们真的记住了。