When Jo came home that spring, she had been struck with the change in Beth. No one spoke of it or seemed aware of it, for it had come too gradually to startle those who saw her daily, but to eyes sharpened by absence, it was very plain and a heavy weight fell on Jo’s heart as she saw her sister’s face. —
当乔在那个春天回到家时，她被贝丝的变化所打动。没有人谈论它，似乎也没有人意识到它，因为这种变化来得太慢，对于每天看到她的人来说并没有什么惊讶之处，但是对于乔来说，这是非常明显的，她看到了妹妹的脸上沉重的负担。 —

It was no paler and but littler thinner than in the autumn, yet there was a strange, transparent look about it, as if the mortal was being slowly refined away, and the immortal shining through the frail flesh with an indescribably pathetic beauty. —
贝丝的脸色没有比秋天更苍白，只是瘦了一点，但却有一种奇怪的透明感，仿佛人类的身体正慢慢净化，不可言喻的悲伤之美透过虚弱的肌肉闪耀出来。 —

Jo saw and felt it, but said nothing at the time, and soon the first impression lost much of its power, for Beth seemed happy, no one appeared to doubt that she was better, and presently in other cares Jo for a time forgot her fear.
乔看到了，感受到了，但当时没有说出来，很快第一次印象失去了很多力量，因为贝丝似乎很开心，似乎没有人怀疑她的好转，不久之后，在其他烦恼中，乔暂时忘记了她的担忧。

But when Laurie was gone, and peace prevailed again, the vague anxiety returned and haunted her. —
但当劳瑞离开，和平再次恢复时，那种模糊的焦虑又回来并困扰着她。 —

She had confessed her sins and been forgiven, but when she showed her savings and proposed a mountain trip, Beth had thanked her heartily, but begged not to go so far away from home. —
她已经忏悔了自己的罪过并得到了宽恕，但是当她拿出储蓄并提议去登山时，贝丝虽然非常感谢，可却恳求不要离家太远。 —

Another little visit to the seashore would suit her better, and as Grandma could not be prevailed upon to leave the babies, Jo took Beth down to the quiet place, where she could live much in the open air, and let the fresh sea breezes blow a little color into her pale cheeks.
再去海滩小住一段时间会更合适她，由于奶奶不能离开孩子们，乔把贝丝带到了一个宁静的地方，她可以多呆在户外，让新鲜的海风给她苍白的脸颊带来一些颜色。

It was not a fashionable place, but even among the pleasant people there, the girls made few friends, preferring to live for one another. —
那个地方并不时尚，但即便在那里的温和人中，这些女孩也结交不了几个朋友，她们更愿意为彼此而活。 —

Beth was too shy to enjoy society, and Jo too wrapped up in her to care for anyone else. —
贝丝太害羞了，不能享受社交活动，乔则太过专注于她自己而不在乎其他人。 —

So they were all in all to each other, and came and went, quite unconscious of the interest they exited in those about them, who watched with sympathetic eyes the strong sister and the feeble one, always together, as if they felt instinctively that a long separation was not far away.
所以她们彼此相依为命，来来去去，完全没有意识到周围的人们对她们的兴趣，他们用同情的眼光观察着这个坚韧的姐姐和虚弱的妹妹，总觉得长时间的分离即将到来。

They did feel it, yet neither spoke of it, for often between ourselves and those nearest and dearest to us there exists a reserve which it is very hard to overcome. —
他们虽然有这种感觉，但彼此并没有谈论，因为我们与最亲近的人之间通常存在着一种隐约的保留，很难消除。 —

Jo felt as if a veil had fallen between her heart and Beth’s, but when she put out her hand to lift it up, there seemed something sacred in the silence, and she waited for Beth to speak. —
乔感觉心与贝丝之间如有一层幕帘，但当她伸出手去解开它时，沉默中似乎有一种神圣，她等待着贝丝开口说话。 —

She wondered, and was thankful also, that her parents did not seem to see what she saw, and during the quiet weeks when the shadows grew so plain to her, she said nothing of it to those at home, believing that it would tell itself when Beth came back no better. —
她想知道，也感激她的父母似乎没有察觉她所看到的，在这段静谧的周日里，当阴影对她显露得如此清楚时，她没有对家人说出来，相信这将在贝丝回来之时自然显露出来。 —

She wondered still more if her sister really guessed the hard truth, and what thoughts were passing through her mind during the long hours when she lay on the warm rocks with her head in Jo’s lap, while the winds blew healthfully over her and the sea made music at her feet.
她更加好奇她的妹妹是否真的猜到了残酷的真相，以及当她躺在热乎乎的岩石上，头放在乔的腿上，微风轻拂着她，海水在她脚下奏响美妙的音乐时，她的脑海里正在思考什么。

One day Beth told her. Jo thought she was asleep, she lay so still, and putting down her book, sat looking at her with wistful eyes, trying to see signs of hope in the faint color on Beth’s cheeks. —
一天，贝丝告诉她。乔觉得她在睡觉，她躺得那么安静，放下书，坐在那里望着她，用目光充满希望地试图看出贝丝脸颊微微泛红的迹象。 —

But she could not find enough to satisfy her, for the cheeks were very thin, and the hands seemed too feeble to hold even the rosy little shells they had been collecting. —
但她无法满足于此，因为脸颊非常苍白，手似乎太虚弱了，甚至无法握住她们一直在收集的玫瑰小贝壳。 —

It came to her then more bitterly than ever that Beth was slowly drifting away from her, and her arms instinctively tightened their hold upon the dearest treasure she possessed. —
她比以往任何时候都更加痛苦地意识到贝丝正在慢慢离开她，她的双臂本能地紧紧抱住她最宝贵的财富。 —

For a minute her eyes were too dim for seeing, and when they cleared, Beth was looking up at her so tenderly that there was hardly any need for her to say, “Jo, dear, I’m glad you know it. —
一分钟里她的眼睛变得太昏暗，等眼睛恢复清晰时，贝丝以那样温柔的眼神凝视着她，以至于她几乎不需要说，“乔亲爱的，我很高兴你知道了。 —

I’ve tried to tell you, but I couldn’t.”
我一直试图告诉你，但是我说不出口。”

There was no answer except her sister’s cheek against her own, not even tears, for when most deeply moved, Jo did not cry. —
除了她妹妹的面颊贴在她的脸上外，没有任何回答，甚至没有眼泪，因为乔在最深感动的时候不会哭泣。 —

She was the weaker then, and Beth tried to comfort and sustain her, with her arms about her and the soothing words she whispered in her ear.
当时她是弱者，贝丝试图用她的双臂拥抱着她，以及她在耳边低语的安慰之词来支持她。

“I’ve known it for a good while, dear, and now I’m used to it, it isn’t hard to think of or to bear. —
“我很久以前就知道了，亲爱的，现在我已经习惯了，想想或承受这件事都不难。 —

Try to see it so and don’t be troubled about me, because it’s best, indeed it is.”
请试着这样看，不要为我感到困扰，因为这是最好的，确实如此。”

“Is this what made you so unhappy in the autumn, Beth? —
“这是秋天让你如此不幸吗，贝丝？ —

You did not feel it then, and keep it to yourself so long, did you?” asked Jo, refusing to see or say that it was best, but glad to know that Laurie had no part in Beth’s trouble.
你那时候没有感受到，也没有保守了这么久，对吗？”乔问道，拒绝看到或说出最好这件事，但很高兴知道劳里与贝丝的烦恼无关。

“Yes, I gave up hoping then, but I didn’t like to own it. —
“是的，那时我放弃了希望，但我不愿承认。 —

I tried to think it was a sick fancy, and would not let it trouble anyone. —
我试图认为那只是一种病态的幻想，并且不想让它给任何人带来困扰。” —

But when I saw you all so well and strong and full of happy plans, it was hard to feel that I could never be like you, and then I was miserable, Jo.”
“但当我看到你们都如此健康、强壮，充满了幸福的计划，我很难接受我永远无法像你们一样，然后我就感到很痛苦，乔。”

“Oh, Beth, and you didn’t tell me, didn’t let me comfort and help you? —
“哦，贝丝，你为什么不告诉我，不让我安慰和帮助你？ —

How could you shut me out, bear it all alone?”
你怎么能把我拒之门外，一个人承受这一切？”

Jo’s voice was full of tender reproach, and her heart ached to think of the solitary struggle that must have gone on while Beth learned to say goodbye to health, love, and life, and take up her cross so cheerfully.
乔的声音充满了温柔的责备，她的心痛于想到在贝丝学会告别健康、爱情和生活并愉快地承担自己的重担的过程中，她将会经历孤独的斗争。

“Perhaps it was wrong, but I tried to do right. —
“也许我做错了，但我试图做正确的事情。 —

I wasn’t sure, no one said anything, and I hoped I was mistaken. —
我不确定，没有人说过什么，而且我希望我是错的。 —

It would have been selfish to frighten you all when Marmee was so anxious about Meg, and Amy away, and you so happy with Laurie–at least I thought so then.”
“当时梅格令妈妈如此担心，艾米不在身边，你和劳里在一起那么开心，吓唬你们大家会自私的，至少那时我是这么想的。”

“And I thought you loved him, Beth, and I went away because I couldn’t,” cried Jo, glad to say all the truth.
“我以为你爱他，贝丝，我离开是因为我无法忍受，”乔大声说道，很高兴能说出全部真相。

Beth looked so amazed at the idea that Jo smiled in spite of her pain, and added softly, “Then you didn’t, dearie? —
伯斯看起来对于乔在痛苦中还能微笑的想法感到非常惊讶，并轻声补充道：“那你当时没这样做，亲爱的？” —

I was afraid it was so, and imagined your poor little heart full of lovelornity all that while.”
我担心是这样，然后想象着你可怜的小心脏那么长时间都充满了爱情。

“Why, Jo, how could I, when he was so fond of you?” asked Beth, as innocently as a child. —
“为什么，乔，当他这么喜欢你的时候，我怎么会这样呢？”贝丝天真无邪地问道， —

“I do love him dearly. —
“我真的很爱他。” —

He is so good to me, how can I help It? —
他对我太好了，我怎么能不喜欢他呢？ —

But he could never be anything to me but my brother. —
但他对我来说永远只能是兄弟。 —

I hope he truly will be, sometime.”
我希望有一天他们会真的在一起。

“Not through me,” said Jo decidedly. “Amy is left for him, and they would suit excellently, but I have no heart for such things, now. —
“不是因为我，”乔断然地说，“埃米是留给他的，他们会非常般配，但是我对这种事情没有兴趣，现在。” —

I don’t care what becomes of anybody but you, Beth. You must get well.”
“我不在乎其他人的命运，贝丝，我只关心你。你必须康复。”

“I want to, oh, so much! I try, but every day I lose a little, and feel more sure that I shall never gain it back. —
“我很想，哦，如此之多！我试着，但是每天我都会失去一点，我越来越确信我永远无法恢复。” —

It’s like the tide, Jo, when it turns, it goes slowly, but it can’t be stopped.”
“这就像潮水一样，乔，当它转变方向时，会慢慢前进，但无法停止。”

“It shall be stopped, your tide must not turn so soon, nineteen is too young, Beth. I can’t let you go. —
“不行，你不能这么早离去，十九岁还太年轻了，贝丝。我不能让你走。 —

I’ll work and pray and fight against it. —
我会努力、祈祷、反抗。 —

I’ll keep you in spite of everything. —
我会不顾一切地留住你。 —

There must be ways, it can’t be too late. —
一定有办法，现在还不算太晚。 —

God won’t be so cruel as to take you from me,” cried poor Jo rebelliously, for her spirit was far less piously submissive than Beth’s.
“上帝不会对我这么残忍，把你夺走的，” 袖手无策的乔哭喊着，因为她的精神远不及贝丝那般虔诚顺从。

Simple, sincere people seldom speak much of their piety. —
真诚的人很少多说自己虔诚的事， —

It shows itself in acts rather than in words, and has more influence than homilies or protestations. —
他们会用行动而不是言语来表现，这种行动比道德说教或宣言更有影响力。 —

Beth could not reason upon or explain the faith that gave her courage and patience to give up life, and cheerfully wait for death. —
贝丝无法对她所依赖的信仰进行推理或解释，这种信仰给了她勇气和耐心去放弃生命，愉快地等待死亡。 —

Like a confiding child, she asked no questions, but left everything to God and nature, Father and Mother of us all, feeling sure that they, and they only, could teach and strengthen heart and spirit for this life and the life to come. —
就像一个信任的孩子，她不问问题，把一切都交给上帝和自然，我们所有人的父母，确信只有他们才能教导和加强心灵和精神，无论是在此生还是来世。” —

She did not rebuke Jo with saintly speeches, only loved her better for her passionate affection, and clung more closely to the dear human love, from which our Father never means us to be weaned, but through which He draws us closer to Himself. —
她没有用圣洁的演讲责备乔，只是更爱她，因为她充满激情的感情，并更加紧密地依靠着亲切的人间之爱，而父亲永远不会让我们断绝关系，也正是通过这种关系将我们拉近到他自己跟前。 —

She could not say, “I’m glad to go,” for life was very sweet for her. —
她无法说：“我很高兴离开”，因为她觉得生活对她来说很美好。 —

She could only sob out, “I try to be willing,” while she held fast to Jo, as the first bitter wave of this great sorrow broke over them together.
她只能抽泣着说：“我尽量愿意”，同时紧紧地抓住乔，因为这个巨大的悲伤的浪潮正与她们一同涌来。

By and by Beth said, with recovered serenity, “You’ll tell them this when we go home?”
未几，贝丝恢复了宁静，她说：“我们回家的时候你会告诉他们吗？”

“I think they will see it without words,” sighed Jo, for now it seemed to her that Beth changed every day.
“我想他们会无需言语地看到的。”乔叹了口气，因为现在她觉得贝丝每天都在变化。

“Perhaps not. I’ve heard that the people who love best are often blindest to such things. —
“也许不会。我听说那些最爱的人经常对这样的事情视而不见。 —

If they don’t see it, you will tell them for me. —
如果他们没有看到，你会替我告诉他们。” —

I don’t want any secrets, and it’s kinder to prepare them. —
“我不想有任何秘密，而且这样对他们更好。 —

Meg has John and the babies to comfort her, but you must stand by Father and Mother, won’t you Jo?”
梅格有约翰和孩子们来安慰她，而你必须支持爸爸和妈妈，是吗，乔？”

“If I can. But, Beth, I don’t give up yet. —
“如果我可以的话。但是，贝丝， —

I’m going to believe that it is a sick fancy, and not let you think it’s true.” said Jo, trying to speak cheerfully.
我还没有放弃。我要相信这只是一种病态的幻想，不让你觉得是真的。”乔试着愉快地说道。

Beth lay a minute thinking, and then said in her quiet way, “I don’t know how to express myself, and shouldn’t try to anyone but you, because I can’t speak out except to my Jo. I only mean to say that I have a feeling that it never was intended I should live long. —
贝丝静静地思考了一会儿，然后以她平静的方式说道：“我不知道怎么表达自己，除了你，我不打算对任何人说，因为我只能对我的乔吐露心声。我只是想说，我有一种感觉，命运从来没打算让我活得很久。 —

I’m not like the rest of you. —
我和你们大家不一样。 —

I never made any plans about what I’d do when I grew up. —
我从没为自己未来做过任何计划。 —

I never thought of being married, as you all did. —
我从来没有像你们一样想过结婚。 —

I couldn’t seem to imagine myself anything but stupid little Beth, trotting about at home, of no use anywhere but there. —
我似乎无法想象自己做别的事情，除了在家里傻傻地转悠，除了在那里没有任何用处。 —

I never wanted to go away, and the hard part now is the leaving you all. —
我从来没有想过离开，现在最困难的部分就是要离开你们所有人。 —

I’m not afraid, but it seems as if I should be homesick for you even in heaven.”
我不害怕，但似乎即使在天堂我也会因你们而思家。”

Jo could not speak, and for several minutes there was no sound but the sigh of the wind and the lapping of the tide. —
乔无法开口，几分钟间只有风的叹息声和潮水的拍打声。 —

A white-winged gull flew by, with the flash of sunshine on its silvery breast. —
一只白翼鸥飞过，它的银色胸襟上闪烁着阳光的光芒。 —

Beth watched it till it vanished, and her eyes were full of sadness. —
贝丝注视着它消失，她的眼里充满了悲伤。 —

A little gray-coated sand bird came tripping over the beach ‘peeping’ softly to itself, as if enjoying the sun and sea. —
一只灰色的小沙鸟蹦跳着来到沙滩上，轻声自言自语地“吱吱”叫着，好像在享受着阳光和大海。 —

It came quite close to Beth, and looked at her with a friendly eye and sat upon a warm stone, dressing its wet feathers, quite at home. —
它走近了贝丝，用友好的眼神看着她，坐在一块温暖的石头上，梳理着湿漉漉的羽毛，如此亲切自在。 —

Beth smiled and felt comforted, for the tiny thing seemed to offer its small friendship and remind her that a pleasant world was still to be enjoyed.
贝丝微笑着感到安慰，因为这只小小的生物似乎向她献出了微薄的友谊，提醒她仍然可以享受一个美好的世界。

“Dear little bird! See, Jo, how tame it is. —
“亲爱的小鸟！瞧，乔，它多亲近人。 —

I like peeps better than the gulls. —
我比起鸥更喜欢它们。 —

They are not so wild and handsome, but they seem happy, confiding little things. —
它们不那么野性而美丽，但它们似乎是快乐的、信任的小生物。 —

I used to call them my birds last summer, and Mother said they reminded her of me –busy, quaker-colored creatures, always near the shore, and always chirping that contented little song of theirs. —
去年夏天我常称它们为我的鸟，妈妈说它们使她想起了我——勤忙、颜色素净的生物，总是靠近海岸，总是唱着那愉悦的小曲。” —

You are the gull, Jo, strong and wild, fond of the storm and the wind, flying far out to sea, and happy all alone. —
你是海鸥乔，强壮而狂野，喜欢风暴和狂风，在大海上飞翔，在独自时感到快乐。 —

Meg is the turtledove, and Amy is like the lark she writes about, trying to get up among the clouds, but always dropping down into its nest again. —
梅格是斑鸠，艾米像她所写的云雀，试图飞到云端，但总是又回到自己的窝里。 —

Dear little girl! She’s so ambitious, but her heart is good and tender, and no matter how high she flies, she never will forget home. —
可爱的小姑娘！她很有抱负，但心地善良而温柔，无论她飞得有多高，她都不会忘记家。 —

I hope I shall see her again, but she seems so far away.”
我希望我能再见到她，但她似乎离我很远。

“She is coming in the spring, and I mean that you shall be all ready to see and enjoy her. —
“她春天会来，我希望你们都准备好见到她并欣赏她。 —

I’m going to have you well and rosy by that time,” began Jo, feeling that of all the changes in Beth, the talking change was the greatest, for it seemed to cost no effort now, and she thought aloud in a way quite unlike bashful Beth.
到那时候我打算让你恢复健康、面色红润。”乔开始说，她觉得在贝丝身上所有的变化中，能讲话是最大的变化，因为现在似乎毫不费力，她以一种与害羞的贝丝截然不同的方式自言自语。

“Jo, dear, don’t hope any more. It won’t do any good. —
“乔亲爱的，别再抱有希望了。那样做没有任何好处。 —

I’m sure of that. We won’t be miserable, but enjoy being together while we wait. —
我对此很确定。我们不会不开心，而是等待的同时享受在一起。” —

We’ll have happy times, for I don’t suffer much, and I think the tide will go out easily, if you help me.”
我们会度过快乐的时光，因为我并没有太多的痛苦，而且我认为如果你帮助我，潮水会容易退去。

Jo leaned down to kiss the tranquil face, and with that silent kiss, she dedicated herself soul and body to Beth.
乔俯下身来亲吻宁静的脸庞，带着这个无言的吻，她将自己的灵魂和身体奉献给贝丝。

She was right. There was no need of any words when they got home, for Father and Mother saw plainly now what they had prayed to be saved from seeing. —
她是对的。当他们回到家时，不需要任何言语，因为父亲和母亲现在清楚地看到了他们一直祈祷不希望看到的事情。 —

Tired with her short journey, Beth went at once to bed, saying how glad she was to be home, and when Jo went down, she found that she would be spared the hard task of telling Beth’s secret. —
疲惫的贝丝一回到家就立刻上床睡觉，她说自己多么高兴能回家，而乔下楼时发现她将被免去告诉贝丝秘密的艰巨任务。 —

Her father stood leaning his head on the mantelpiece and did not turn as she came in, but her mother stretched out her arms as if for help, and Jo went to comfort her without a word.
她的父亲站在壁炉台上，低着头没有转过身来，而她的母亲伸出双臂，仿佛在寻求帮助，乔不做声地去安慰她。