名著精讀:《小婦人》第二章:聖誕快樂 第7節

A poor, bare, miserable room it was, with broken windows, no fire, ragged bedclothes, a sick mother, wailing baby, and a group of pale, hungry children cuddled under one old quilt, trying to keep warm.

這是一個滿目淒涼的貧賤之家，四壁蕭然，門窗破敗，屋裏沒有爐火，牀上被褥襤褸，病弱的母親抱着啼哭的嬰兒，一羣面黃肌瘦、飢腸轆轆的孩子披着一張破被縮成一團。

How the big eyes stared and the blue lips smiled as the girls went in.

看見姑娘們走進來，他們驚喜得瞪大眼睛，咧開凍得發紫的嘴脣笑了起來！

"Ach, mein Gott! It is good angels come to us!" said the poor woman, crying for joy.
　　
“哎呀，老天爺，善良的天使看我們來了！”那個可憐的女人歡喜得叫起來。

"Funny angels in hoods and mittens," said Jo, and set them to laughing.

“是戴帽子手套的趣怪天使，”喬說道，逗得他們都笑起來。

In a few minutes it really did seem as if kind spirits had been at work there. Hannah, who had carried wood, made a fire, and stopped up the broken panes with old hats and her own cloak. Mrs. March gave the mother tea and gruel, and comforted her with promises of help, while she dressed the little baby as tenderly as if it had been her own. The girls meantime spread the table, set the children round the fire, and fed them like so many hungry birds, laughing, talking, and trying to understand the funny broken English.

這情景真讓人以爲是好心的神靈在顯聖呢。罕娜用帶來的木柴生起爐火，又用一些舊帽子和自己的斗篷擋住破爛的玻璃窗。馬奇太太一邊爲做母親的端茶遞粥，一邊安慰她，讓她寬心，又像對待自己的親生骨肉一樣輕柔地爲小寶寶穿上衣服。姑娘們擺好桌子，把孩子們安頓到火爐邊，像喂一羣飢餓的小鳥一樣喂他們，並跟他們說笑，盡力想聽明白他們有趣而又蹩腳的英語。

"Das ist gut!" "Die Engel-kinder!" cried the poor things as they ate and warmed their purple hands at the comfortable blaze. The girls had never been called angel children before, and thought it very agreeable, especially Jo, who had been considered a 'Sancho' ever since she was born. That was a very happy breakfast, though they didn't get any of it. And when they went away, leaving comfort behind, I think there were not in all the city four merrier people than the hungry little girls who gave away their breakfasts and contented themselves with bread and milk on Christmas morning.
　　
“真系（是）好！”“這些天使好心人！”這班可憐的孩子邊吃邊把發紫的小手伸到溫暖的火爐邊暖和着。 姑娘們還是第一次被人稱作小天使，覺得非常愜意，尤其是喬，她自打孃胎生下來就被大家當作"桑丘"，因此更加得意。雖然她們沒有吃上一口早餐，心裏卻感到無比的舒暢。當這四個飢腸轆轆的小姑娘把溫暖留給別人，走在回家的路上時，我想合城裏再沒人能比她們更幸福了。她們在聖誕節早上把最好的早餐送給窮人，自己卻寧願吃麪包和牛奶。

ed ['rægid] adj. 衣衫襤褸的, 粗糙的, 刺耳的

The poor boy was ashamed of his ragged cloths.
這個窮孩子爲自己的破衣服感到難爲情。

t [kwilt] n. 被子,被狀物 vt. 縫被, 縫製, 用墊料填塞 vi. 製作被子, 做縫製工作

He bought a heavy quilt for the winter.
他買了一牀厚被子過冬。

en ['mitn] n. 連指手套, 露指手套

I have a pair of leather mittens.
我有一副皮連指手套。

l n. 稀粥

My parents like eating gruel.
我父母喜歡吃稀粥。

ent n. 內容, 目錄, 含量 adj. 滿足的, 滿意的 vt. 使...滿足, 使...安心

We can't go abroad this year, so we'll have to content ourselves with a holiday in Shanghai.
今年我們不能出國, 所以只能去上海度假了。