名著精讀:《小婦人》第一章:朝聖 第10節

"Give them all of my dear love and a kiss. Tell them I think of them by day, pray for them by night, and find my best comfort in their affection at all times. A year seems very long to wait before I see them, but remind them that while we wait we may all work, so that these hard days need not be wasted. I know they will remember all I said to them, that they will be loving children to you, will do their duty faithfully, fight their bosom enemies bravely, and conquer themselves so beautifully that when I come back to them I may be fonder and prouder than ever of my little women." Everybody sniffed when they came to that part. Jo wasn't ashamed of the great tear that dropped off the end of her nose, and Amy never minded the rumpling of her curls as she hid her face on her mother's shoulder and sobbed out, "I am a selfish girl! But I'll truly try to be better, so he mayn't be disappointed in me by-and-by."

“給她們獻上我所有的愛和吻。告訴她們我天天想念她們，夜夜爲她們祈禱，每時每刻都從她們的愛中得到最大的安慰。要見到她們還要等上漫長的一年，但請提醒她們我可以在等待中工作，不虛度這段難忘的日子。我知道她們會牢記我的話，做好孩子，忠實地做她們該做的事，勇敢地生活、戰鬥，善於自我控制。等我重返家園的時候，我的四個小婦人一定變得更可愛，更令我感到驕傲。”讀到這段，每個人都抽泣鼻子，喬任由大滴大滴的淚珠從鼻尖滾落下來，艾美顧不得一頭鬈髮會被弄亂，把臉埋在媽媽的肩頭上，嗚嗚咽咽地說：“我是個自私的女孩！但我一定努力進取，不讓爸爸失望。”

"We all will," cried Meg. "I think too much of my looks and hate to work, but won't any more, if I can help it."

"I'll try and be what he loves to call me, 'a little woman' and not be rough and wild, but do my duty here instead of wanting to be somewhere else," said Jo, thinking that keeping her temper at home was a much harder task than facing a rebel or two down South.

“我們都會努力！”梅格哭着說，”我太注重衣着打扮，而且討厭工作，以後一定儘量改正。”“我會試着做個'小婦人'，就像爸爸總愛這麼叫我的那樣，改掉粗野的脾氣，做好自己的分內事，不再胡思亂想，“喬說，心裏明白在家管好自己的脾氣比在南方對付兩個敵人還要艱難。

Beth said nothing, but wiped away her tears with the blue army sock and began to knit with all her might, losing no time in doing the duty that lay nearest her, while she resolved in her quiet little soul to be all that Father hoped to find her when the year brought round the happy coming home.

貝思沒有言語，只是用深藍色的軍襪抹掉眼淚，拼命埋頭編織。她不浪費點滴時間，而是從身邊的工作做起，並暗下決心，一定讓爸爸回來歡聚的時候如願以償。

Mrs. March broke the silence that followed Jo's words, by saying in her cheery voice, "Do you remember how you used to play Pilgrims Progress when you were little things? Nothing delighted you more than to have me tie my piece bags on your backs for burdens, give you hats and sticks and rolls of paper, and let you travel through the house from the cellar, which was the City of Destruction, up, up, to the housetop, where you had all the lovely things you could collect to make a Celestial City."

馬奇太太用她愉悅的聲音打破了喬說話之後的一陣沉默：“你們還記得演《天路歷程》的情形嗎？那時候你們還都是些小東西。你們最喜歡我把布袋綁到你們背上做擔子，再給你們帽、棍子和紙卷，你們從屋裏走到地窖，也就是'毀滅城'，又再往上一直走到屋頂，在那裏你們可以得到許多好東西，這就是'天國'了。

"What fun it was, especially going by the lions, fighting Apollyon, and passing through the valley where the hob-goblins were," said Jo.

“那多好玩啊，特別是走過獅子羣，大戰'地獄魔王'，路過'妖怪谷'時候！”喬說。

ction n. 慈愛, 喜愛, 感情, 影響

Every mother has affection for her children.
每個母親都愛她的孩子。

hfully ['feiθfuli] adv. 忠實, 誠心誠意, 深信着

They swore an oath to carry out their duties faithfully.
他們發誓要忠實履行自己的職責。

f [snif] n. 以鼻吸氣, 吸入的東西, 吸氣(聲), 一股氣味 vi. 用鼻吸氣, 嗤之以鼻, 找出 vt. 用鼻吸氣, 以輕蔑的口吻說, 嗅到

The dog was sniffing at the lamppost.
那條狗在燈柱旁嗅來嗅去。

le n. 皺紋, 皺褶 v. 弄皺, 弄亂

vt. 哭訴; 嗚咽地說

She sobbed into her handkerchief.
她用手絹掩面啜泣.

[waip] n. 擦拭, 用力打 v. 擦, 消除, 拭去

She wiped her tears away.
她擦掉了眼淚。

etop n. 屋頂

She is sitting at the window, looking out over the housetop.
她坐在窗戶旁邊, 看著外面的屋頂。

stial adj. 天上的, 非凡的 n. 天神

They had no hope of admission to the celestial kingdom.
他們無望進入天國。