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可以，亲爱的。他会非常高兴，这是感谢他的好办法。姐妹们会帮你做，缝制费用我来出，"马奇太太答道。她特别乐于答应贝思的要求，因为她极少为自己要求什么。 After many serious discussions with Meg and Jo, the pattern was chosen, the materials bought, and the slippers begun. A cluster of grave yet cheerful pansies on a deeper purple ground was pronounced very appropriate and pretty; and Beth worked away early and late, with occasional lifts over hard parts. She was a nimble little needle-woman, and they were finished before anyone got tired of them. Then she wrote a very short, simple note, and, with Laurie's help, got them smuggled on to the study-table one morning before the old gentleman was up. 贝思跟梅格和乔严肃讨论后，选定了图案，接着便购买材料，开始动工。大家一致称紫黑色底衬着一丛庄重而生机勃勃的三色堇非常合适漂亮。贝思夜以继日地缝制，只是难做的部分才偶尔要人帮忙。她做缝纫活儿心灵手巧，众人还未感到厌倦鞋子便完工了。然后她写了一张简单的便条，一天早上趁老人尚未起床，让劳里帮她悄悄把它们捎到书房，放在书桌上。 When this excitement was over, Beth waited to see what would happen. All that day passed, and a part of the next, before any acknowledgement arrived, and she was beginning to fear she had offended her crotchety friend. On the afternoon of the second day, she went out to do an errand, and give poor Joanna, the invalid doll, her daily exercise. As she came up the street, on her return, she saw three, yes, four, heads popping in and out of the parlour windows, and the moment they saw her, several hands were waved, and several joyful voices screamed: 'Here's a letter from the old gentleman! Come quick, and read it!' 此后，贝思怀着紧张的心情等着看老人的反应。当天无事发生，第二天中午仍然无声无息，她开始担心自己冒犯了那位怪癖的朋友。下午，她出去办点差事，并带乔安娜，一个残破的洋娃娃，去做日常锻炼。回来走近大街时，她看到三个，对了，是四个人在客厅的窗边探头探脑。看到她走来，她们一起招手，快乐地尖声高叫--“老先生来了一封信！快，快来读吧！" 'Oh, Beth, he's sent you--' began Amy, gesticulating with unseemly energy; but she got no further, for Jo quenched her by slamming down the window. “噢，贝思，他送你--"艾美争先说，笨拙地使劲打着手势，不过她没再往下说，因为乔砰的一声关上窗户，把她的话堵了回去。 Beth hurried on in a flutter of suspense. At the door, her sisters seized and bore her to the parlour in a triumphal procession, all pointing, and all saying at once, 'Look there! look there!' Beth did look, and turned pale with delight and surprise; for there stood a little cabinet piano, with a letter lying on the glossy lid, directed, like a signboard, to 'Miss Elizabeth March'. 贝思悬着一颗心加快了脚步，刚走到门边，姐妹们便将她一把抓住，众星拱月般地把她拥到大厅，一起指着说："看哪！看哪！"贝思仔细一看，惊喜得脸色发白，原来地上放着一架小巧精致的钢琴，光滑的琴盖上放着一封信，像个招牌一样摆着，上书"致伊丽莎白·马奇小姐"。 
给我的？"贝思气喘吁吁，她扶着乔，觉得自己就要跌倒。这事来得毕竟太突然了，令她难以承受。 'Yes; all for you, my precious! Isn't it splendid of him? Don't you think he's the dearest old man in the world? Here's the key in the letter. We didn't open it, but we are dying to know what he says,' cried Jo, hugging her sister, and offering the note. " 对，就是给你的，我的宝贝！他是不是棒极了？你说他是不是天底下最可爱的老人？这是信里头的钥匙。信我们没拆，但我们都急着想知道他怎么说，”乔喊道，紧紧搂着妹妹，把信递上。 'You read it! I can't! I feel so queer! Oh, it is too lovely!' and Beth hid her face in Jo's apron, quite upset by her present. " 你念吧！我念不了，我觉得头晕目眩！呵，这太美了！"贝思把脸埋在乔的围裙里，她被这件礼物搅得六神无主。 Jo opened the paper, and began to laugh, for the first words she saw were: 'MISS MARCH: 'Dear Madam' - 'How nice it sounds! I wish someone would write to me so!' said Amy, who thought the old-fashioned address very elegant. 乔展开信笺，笑出声来，因为首先映入眼帘的几个字是--"马奇小姐：亲爱的女士--""动听极了！但愿有人会这样跟我写信！"艾美说。她认为旧式称呼非常优雅。 'I have had many pairs of slippers in my life, but I never had any that suited me so well as yours,' continued Jo. 'Heart's ease is my favourite flower, and these will always remind me of the gentle giver. I like to pay my debts; so I know you will allow 'the old gentleman' to send you something which once belonged to the little granddaughter he lost. With hearty thanks and best wishes, I remain, your grateful friend and humble servant, 'JAMES LAURENCE.' “'我一生中穿过无数双鞋子，但没有一双像你做的那么适合我，'"乔接着往下念，"'三色堇是我最喜欢的花，它将使我永远记住温柔的赠花人。我想报答你的恩惠，我知道你会允许"老绅士"给你送上这件一度属于他失去了的小孙女的礼物。谨致诚挚的谢意及美好的祝愿。"'衷心感激，并愿效犬马之劳。"'詹姆士·劳伦斯' 
“嘿，贝思，这无疑是件值得骄傲的光彩事儿！劳里跟我说过劳伦斯先生最疼爱那死去的孩子了，他把她用过的东西一一小心保存起来。想想看，他竟把她的铜琴送给了你。那是因为你有一对蓝色的大眼睛，而且热爱音乐，"乔说，试图使兴奋得全身发抖的贝思冷静下来。 'See the cunning brackets to hold candles, and the nice green silk, puckered up, with a gold rose in the middle, and the pretty rack and stool, all complete,' added Meg, opening the instrument and displaying its beauties. " 你看这些精致的烛台，这些折叠得漂漂亮亮的绿绸子，中间还镶着一朵金色的玫瑰，再看漂亮的凳子和架构，简直是十全十美，"梅格一面接着说一面打开钢琴向大家展览。 '"Your humble servant, James Laurence"; only think of his writing that to you. I'll tell the girls. They'll think it's splendid,' said Amy, much impressed by the note. "' 愿效犬马之劳，詹姆士·劳伦斯'。多有绅士风度！我要告诉学校的姑娘们，她们一定会赞不绝口，"艾美说。她十分欣赏那封信。 'Try it, honey. Let's hear the sound of the baby pianny,' said Hannah, who always took a share in the family joys and sorrows. " 弹一弹吧，小乖乖。让大家听听这架宝贝钢琴的声音，"罕娜说。她一向和她们一家人甘苦与共。 So Beth tried it; and everyone pronounced it the most remarkable piano ever heard. It had evidently been newly tuned and put in apple-pie order; but perfect as it was, I think the real charm of it lay in the happiest of all happy faces which leaned over it, as Beth lovingly touched the beautiful black and white keys and pressed the bright pedals. 贝思便弹起来，众人齐称这是有史以来听到过的最美妙的琴声。钢琴显然新近调校了音调，并收拾得十分齐整。贝思脚踩亮油油的踏板，轻抚漂亮的黑白色琴键，众人把头聚拢琴边，脸上洋溢着无限的幸福，此情此景，真动人心弦。 
你得去谢谢他哩，"乔开玩笑地说。她并没有想到贝思会真的去。 'Yes, I mean too. I guess I'll go now, before I get frightened thinking about it.' And, to the utter amazement of the assembled family, Beth walked deliberately down the garden, through the hedge, and in at the Laurences' door. " 是的，我要去。我想现在就去，再犹豫就会害怕了，"说罢，贝思竟然不慌不忙地走过花园，穿过树篱，从劳伦斯家的门口走进去，令一家人大为惊讶。 'Well, I wish I may die if it ain't the queerest thing I ever see. The pianny has turned her head! She'd never have gone in her right mind,' cried Hannah, staring after her, while the girls were rendered quite speechless by the miracle. " 老天爷！我发誓我从没见过这么离奇古怪的事情！小钢琴弄得她神魂颠倒了！她脑子正常的话，绝不会去的，"罕娜喊道，呆呆地目送着她走进去，姐妹三人则惊诧得不能言语。 They would have been still more amazed if they had seen what Beth did afterwards. If you will believe me, she went and knocked at the study door before she gave herself time to think; and when a gruff voice called out, 'Come in!' she did go in, right up to Mr. Laurence, who looked quite taken aback, and held out her hand, saying, with only a small quaver in her voice, 'I came to thank you, sir, for--' But she didn't finish; for he looked so friendly, that she forgot her speech, and, only remembering that he had lost the little girl he loved, she put both arms round his neck, and kissed him. 如果她们看到贝思后来做的事情一定会更加惊异。真的，她径直走到书房门口，毫不思索便叩门。一个生硬的声音叫道："进来！"她果真走进去，走到大吃一惊的劳伦斯先生面前，伸出手，声音微颤地说道："我来谢谢您，先生。谢谢你--"一语未毕，劳伦斯先生慈爱友善的目光令她忘记了要说的话，她只记得他失去了最钟爱的小孙女，于是伸出双臂抱住他的颈部，吻了他一下。 If the roof of the house had suddenly flown off, the old gentleman wouldn't have been more astonished; but he liked it - oh, dear, yes, he liked it amazingly! - and was so touched and pleased by that confiding little kiss, that all his crustiness vanished; and he just set her on his knee, and laid his wrinkled cheek against her rosy one, feeling as if he had got his own little granddaughter back again. Beth ceased to fear him from that moment and sat there talking to him as cosily as if she had known him all her life; for love casts out fear, and gratitude can conquer pride. When she went home, he walked with her to her own gate, shook hands cordially, and touched his hat as he marched back again, looking very stately and erect, like a handsome, soldierly old gentleman, as he was. When the girls saw that performance, Jo began to dance a jig, by way of expressing her satisfaction; Amy nearly fell out of the window in her surprise; and Meg exclaimed, with uplifted hands, 'Well, I do believe the world is coming to an end!' 即使屋顶突然飞落，老人也不会这么震惊，但他非常欢喜--啊，真的，欢喜得难以言喻！--那流露真情的轻轻一吻使他深深感动、非常愉快，他彻底软化了。他把她放在膝头上，把自己满布皱纹的脸颊贴住她玫瑰色的脸颊，仿佛自己又寻回了自己的小孙女。贝思从那一刻起不再怕他，她坐在那里与他亲密地交谈，仿佛从一生下来就已经认识他一般，因为爱可以驱除恐惧，感激可以征服自尊。她回家时劳伦斯先生把她一直送到家门口，跟她诚挚地握手，往回走时又轻触帽檐向她致意，腰身挺直，神态庄重，活像个英俊勇敢的老绅士，而事实也正是如此。看到这一幕，乔跳起了快步舞，来表达心里的快慰，艾美惊讶得差一点摔出窗户，梅格则高举双手大叫："呵，我真相信世界末日到了！" 
那小伙子真像希腊神话中的独眼巨人，你说呢？"艾美说。这时劳里正骑马得得而行，经过时还把马鞭一扬。 'How dare you say so, when he's got both his eyes? and very handsome ones they are, too,' cried Jo, who resented any slighting remarks about her friend. " 你怎敢这样说话？他一双眼睛完整无缺，而且漂亮得很哩，"乔叫起来。她容不得人家说她的朋友半点闲话。 'I didn't say anything about his eyes, and I don't see why you need fire up when I admire his riding.' 'Oh, my goodness! that little goose means a centaur, and she called him a Cyclops,' exclaimed Jo, with a burst of laughter. " 我并没有说他的眼睛怎么了，我也不明白你怎么会火冒三丈，我只是羡慕他的马上功夫而已。"“噢，老天爷！这小傻瓜的意思是骑马高手，却把他叫成了独眼巨人，"乔爆发出一阵大笑，叫道。
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