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当马奇先生为帮助一位不幸的朋友而失去财产时，他的两个大女儿请求让她们出去干点活，这样她们至少可以负担自己的生活。考虑到应该早点培养她们的进取精神和自立能力，父母便同意了。姐妹带着美好的心愿投入工作，相信尽管困难重重，最后一定会取得成功。玛格丽特找到的职业是幼儿家庭教师，薪酬虽少，对她来说却是一笔大数目。正如她自己所说，她"向往奢华"，她的主要烦恼便是贫穷。由于她还记得华屋美服、轻松快乐、无忧无虑的好时光，她比起他姐妹更难接受现实。 She tried not to be envious or discontented but it was very natural that the young girl should long for pretty things, gay friends, accomplishments, and a happy life. At the Kings' she daily saw all she wanted, for the children's older sisters were just out, and Meg caught frequent glimpses of dainty party-dresses and bouquets, heard lively gossip about theatres, concerts, sleighing parties, and merry-makings of all kinds, and saw money lavished on trifles which would have been so precious to her. Poor Meg seldom complained, but a sense of injustice made her feel bitter towards everyone sometimes, for she had not yet learned to know how rich she was in the blessings which alone can make life happy. 她也试图知足、试图不嫉妒别人，但年青姑娘爱美、爱交朋友、希望成功和过幸福生活却是天性使然。在金斯家里，她天天都看到她想要的东西，因为孩子们的几个姐姐刚开始参加社交活动。梅格不时看到精致的舞会礼服和漂亮的花束，听到她们热烈地谈论戏剧、音乐会、雪橇比赛等各种娱乐活动，看到她们花钱如流水，随意挥霍。可怜的梅格虽然极少抱怨，但一股不平之气却令她有时对每个人都怀有恨意。她还不明白她其实是多么富有，因为祝福本身就能令人过上幸福的生活。 Jo happened to suit Aunt March, who was lame, and needed an active person to wait upon her. The childless old lady had offered to adopt one of the girls when the troubles came, and was much offended because her offer was declined. Other friends told the Marches that they had lost all chance of being remembered in the rich old lady's will; but the unworldly Marches only said: 'We can't give up our girls for a dozen fortunes. Rich or poor, we will keep together and be happy in one another.' 乔刚好被马奇婶婶看中了。马奇婶婶跛了腿，需要找一个勤快的人来侍候。刚跛腿时这位无儿无女的老太太曾向马奇夫妇提出要收一个姑娘为养女，却被婉言拒绝了，心里老大不高兴。一些朋友告诉马奇夫妇说他们错失了被列入这位阔太太遗嘱继承人的机会，但超尘脱俗的马奇夫妇只是说--"我们不能为钱财而放弃女儿。不论贫富，我们都要厮守一起，共享天伦之乐。" The old lady wouldn't speak to them for a time, but, happening to meet Jo at a friend's, something in her comical face and blunt manners struck the old lady's fancy, and she proposed to take her for a companion. This did not suit Jo at all; but she accepted the place since nothing better appeared, and, to everyone's surprise, got on remarkably well with her irascible relative. There was an occasional tempest, and once Jo had marched home, declaring she couldn't bear it any longer; but Aunt March always cleared up quickly, and sent for her back again with such urgency that she could not refuse, for in her heart she rather liked the peppery old lady. 老太太有一段时间都不愿跟他们说话，但一次在朋友家里偶然见到了乔。乔言谈风趣，举止直率，十分合老太太的心意，她便提出让乔跟她作个伴。乔并不乐意，但她找不到更好的差事，便答应下来。出人意料的是，她跟这位性情暴躁的亲戚相处得非常好。但偶尔也会遇到狂风骤雨，一次乔便气得跑回了家，宣布自己忍无可忍；但马奇婶婶总是很快收拾残局，急匆匆地派人请她回去，令她不便拒绝。其实，她内心对这位火辣辣的老太太也颇有好感。 I suspect that the real attraction was a large library of fine books, which was left to dust and spiders since Uncle March died. Jo remembered the kind old gentleman, who used to let her build railroads and bridges with his big dictionaries, tell her stories about the queer pictures in his Latin books, and buy her cards of gingerbread whenever he met her in the street. The dim, dusty room, with the busts staring down from the tall bookcases, the cosy chairs, the globes, and, best of all, the wilderness of books, in which she could wander where she liked,, made the library a region of bliss to her. 我猜想真正吸引乔的是一个装满了漂亮图书的大藏书室，这个房间自马奇叔叔去世后便积满了灰尘和蜘蛛网。乔记得那位和蔼的老绅士常常让她用大字典堆起铁道桥梁，跟她讲拉丁语书中那些古怪插图的故事，在街上碰到她时给她买姜饼。藏书室光线暗淡，灰尘满布，还有舒适的椅子、精致的地球仪，最妙的是，几个半身人像从书架上俯视地下，书籍凌乱地堆放着，乔可以毫无顾忌地随处走动翻阅，这一切使藏书室成了乔的天堂。 
每当马奇婶婶打盹儿或顾着跟人闲聊时，乔便匆匆走进这个平静之处，像名符其实的蛀书虫一样大嚼诗歌、浪漫故事、游记、漫画书等等。不过这种令人陶醉的享受却总是不能持久；每当她看得入神，读到精彩之处，必定会传来一声尖叫："约瑟--芬！约瑟--芬！"这时她便不得不离开自己的天堂，出去绕纱线，给卷毛狗洗澡，或者朗读波尔沙的《随笔》，忙个不停。 Jo's ambition was to do something very splendid; what it was she had no idea, as yet, but left it for time to tell her; and, meanwhile, found her greatest affliction in the fact that she couldn't read, run, and ride as much as she liked. A quick temper, sharp tongue, and restless spirit were always getting her into scrapes, and her life was a series of ups and downs, which were both comic and pathetic. But the training she received at Aunt March's was just what she needed; and the thought that she was doing something to support herself made her happy, in spite of the perpetual 'Josy-phine!' 乔的理想是做一番宏伟的事业，但这番事业究竟是什么她却一直毫无头绪，也并不急于知道；她觉得自己最大的痛苦是不能尽兴读书、跑步和骑马。她是个急性子，言语尖刻，内心躁动不安，经常把自己推入困境，因此她的生活经历悲喜交集，甜酸苦辣，五味俱全。不过，她在马奇婶婶家里受到的锻炼正是她所需要的，而一想到这样工作可以自立，她就无比高兴，即使是马奇婶婶那没完没了的"约瑟--芬！"也变得微不足道了。 Beth was too bashful to go to school; it had been tried., but she suffered so much that it was given up, and she did her lessons at home with her father. Even when he went away, and her mother was called to devote her skill and energy to Soldiers' Aid Societies, Beth went faithfully on by herself, and did the best she could. She was a housewifely little creature, and helped Hannah keep home neat and comfortable for the workers, never thinking of any reward but to be loved. Long, quiet days she spent, not lonely nor idle, for her little world was peopled with imaginary friends, and she was by nature a busy bee. 贝思因性格太羞怯而没有上学；她也曾进过学堂，但感到极度痛苦，只得辍学在家，跟着父亲读书。父亲走后，母亲也被派去为"战士援助会"服务，贝思仍忠实不移，坚持尽自己的最大努力自学。她是个贤妻良母型的小姑娘，帮罕娜为工人们把家里打理得整洁舒适，从不乞求报偿，只要被人爱着便心满意足。她静悄悄地度过漫漫长日，从不孤独，从不懒散，因为她的小天地不乏虚构出来的朋友，而她天生就是个勤劳的小蜜蜂。 There were six dolls to be taken up and dressed every morning, for Beth was a child still, and loved her pets as well as ever. Not one whole or handsome one among them all were outcasts till Beth took them in; for, when her sisters outgrew these idols, they passed to her, because Amy would have nothing old or ugly. Beth cherished them all the more tenderly for that very reason, and set up a hospital for infirm dolls. No pins were ever stuck into their cotton vitals; no harsh words or blows were ever given them; no neglect ever saddened the heart of the most repulsive: but all were fed and clothed, nursed and caressed, with an affection which never failed. 每天一早贝思都要给六个玩具宝宝穿衣装扮，因为她还是个孩子，仍然喜欢宠物。她的小宝贝原来都是弃儿，个个残缺不全，都是两个姐姐长大后不要而传给她的，因为这样又旧又丑的东西艾美是不会要的。正因为如此，贝思对它们呵护有加，专为这些摇摇摆摆的小宝贝设了间医院。她给这些布娃娃一丝不苟地打针，给它们喂饭、穿衣、护理，从不打骂它们，并不忘奉上深情的一吻，即使是最丑陋的玩偶也不会被忽略。 One forlorn fragment of dollanity had belonged to Jo; and, having led a tempestuous life, was left a wreck in the ragbag, from which dreary poor-house it was rescued by Beth, and taken to her refuge. Having no top to its head, she tied on a neat little cap, and, as both arms and legs were gone, she hid those deficiencies by folding it in a blanket, and devoting her best bed to this chronic invalid. If anyone had known the care lavished on that dolly, I think it would have touched their hearts, even while they laughed. She brought it bits of bouquets; she read to it, took it out to breathe the air, hidden under her coat; she sang it lullabies, and never went to bed without kissing its dirty face, and whispering tenderly, 'I hope you'll have a good night, my poor dear.' 一个残缺不堪的"宝宝"原是乔的旧物，经过暴风骤雨的生活洗礼后，四肢不全，五官不整，被弃置在一个破袋子里头，贝思把它从那破旧的包袱里解救出来放到她的避难所。因为头顶不见了，她便扎上一顶雅致的小帽，四肢没有了，便把它裹在毯子里，把缺陷掩盖起来，并把最好的床让给这位长期病员。如果有人知道她是如何细致入微地照料这个玩具娃娃，我想他们即使发笑，也一定会深受感动。她给它送花、读书，把它裹在她的大衣里，带它出去呼吸新鲜空气，给它唱摇篮曲，睡觉前总要吻吻那脏脸孔，并柔声细语："祝你晚安，可怜的宝贝。" 
贝思像她的姐妹一样也有自己的烦恼，她并非什么天使，也是个食人间烟火的小姑娘。用乔的话来说，她常常"哭鼻子"，因为不能去上音乐课，因为家里没有一架好钢琴。她酷爱音乐，学得异常用功，并极有耐心地用那架丁当作响的钢琴练习弹奏，似乎真该有人（并非暗指马奇婶婶）来帮她一把。然而没有人帮她，也没有人看到她悄悄把落在五音不全的黄色琴键上的眼泪抹掉。她像只小云雀般为自己的工作歌唱，为妈咪和姐妹们伴奏，永不言累，每天都满怀希望地对自己说："我知道有一天我一定会学好音乐，只要我乖。" There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind. 世界上有许许多多个贝思，腼腆平静，默默居于一角，需要时才挺身而出，乐于为别人而牺牲自己。人们只看到她们脸上的笑容，却没有意识到她们所作出的牺牲，直到炉边的小蟋蟀停止了吟唱，和美的阳光消逝而去，空剩下一片寂静和黑暗。 If anybody had asked Amy what the greatest trial of her life was, she would have answered at once, 'My nose'. When she was a baby, Jo had accidentally dropped her into the coal-hod, and Amy insisted that the fall had ruined her nose for ever. It was not big, nor red, like poor 'Petrea's', it was only rather flat, and all the pinching in the world could not give it an aristocratic point. No one minded it but herself, and it was doing its best to grow, but Amy felt deeply the want of a Grecian nose, and drew whole sheets of handsome ones to console herself. 如果有人问艾美生活中最大的痛苦是什么，她会立即回答："我的鼻子。"当她还是婴孩时，乔一次不小心把她摔落在煤斗里头。艾美认定那次意外永远毁掉了她的鼻子。她的鼻子既不大也不红，只是有点扁。无论怎样捏怎样夹也弄不出个贵族式的鼻尖儿，除了她自己外，并没有人在意，而且鼻子的长势也极好，但艾美总认为自己的鼻梁不够直，便画了一大堆美鼻画儿聊以自慰。 'Little Raphael', as her sisters called her, had a decided talent for drawing, and was never so happy as when copying flowers, designing fairies, or illustrating stories with queer specimens of art. Her teachers complained that, instead of doing her sums, she covered her slate with animals; the blank pages of her atlas were used to copy maps on; and caricatures of the most ludicrous description came fluttering out of all her books at unlucky moments. " 小拉斐尔"正如她的姐姐们所称，无疑极有绘画天分。她最大的幸福莫过于摹绘鲜花、设计小仙女，或用古怪的艺术形象说明故事。她的老师抱怨说她的写字板不是用来做算术，而是画满了动物，地图册上的空白版面被她摹满了地图，她的书本一不小心便会弄出许多荒唐滑稽的漫画。
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