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请您一定让我把你打扮得气派一点。我喜欢这样做。装点一番后，你准是个标准的小美人。我要把你装扮好才让你见人，然后我们像参加舞会的灰姑娘和仙姑一样突然出现在大家面前，"贝儿用富有说服力的声调说。梅格无法拒绝如此友好的提议，因为她很想看着自己打扮后是否会变成个"小美人"，于是点头同意，把原来对莫法特一家的不满抛诸脑后。 On the Thursday evening Belle shut herself up with her maid; and between them they turned Meg into a fine lady. They crimped and curled her hair, they polished her neck and arms with some fragrant powder, touched her lips with coralline salve, to make them redder, and Hortense would have added 'a soup?on of rouge', if Meg had not rebelled. They laced her into a sky-blue dress which was so tight she could hardly breathe, and so low in the neck that modest Meg blushed at herself in the mirror. A set of silver filigree was added, bracelets, necklace, broach, and even earrings, for Hortense tied them on with a bit of pink silk which did not show. A cluster of tea-rosebuds at the bosom and a ruche reconciled Meg to the display of her pretty white shoulders, and a pair of high-heeled blue silk boots satisfied the last wish of her heart. A laced handkerchief, a plumy fan, and a bouquet in a silver holder finished her off; and Miss Belle surveyed her with the satisfaction of a little girl with a newly dressed doll. 星期四晚上，贝儿把自己和女佣关在房里，两人合力把梅格变成一个绝代佳人。她们把她的头发烫曲，在她的颈脖和胳膊扑上一种香粉，在她的双唇抹上珊瑚色的唇膏，使它们显得更红，如果不是梅格反抗，霍丹斯还会加上"一点点胭脂"。她们把她裹进天蓝色的裙子里，裙子又紧又窄，她几乎透不过起来，领口开得极低，矜持的梅格对着镜子羞得红晕满脸。一套银丝首饰也被戴上了：手镯、项链、胸针、甚至耳环，因为霍丹斯用一条看不出来的粉红色丝线把它们系了起来。一丛点缀胸前的香水月季花蕾和一条花边褶带衬得梅格一双玉肩优美动人，一对高跟蓝色丝靴也使她的最后一道心愿得到满足。一条镶边手帕、一把羽毛扇和一束银枝礼花，终于把她打扮完毕。贝儿小姐满意地审视着自己的杰作，就像一个小姑娘在看一个刚刚打扮好的洋娃娃一样。 'Mademoiselle is charmante, tres jolie, is she not?' cried Hortense, clasping her hands in an affected rapture. 'Come and show yourself,' said Miss Belle, leading the way to the room where the others were waiting. " 小姐真Ｃｈａｒｍａｎｔｅ，ｔｒèｓｊｏｌｉｅ，不是吗？"霍丹斯为做作地拍手欢叫。"出去让大家看看吧，"贝儿小姐一边说一边领梅格去见在房间里等着的姑娘们。 As Meg went rustling after her, with her long skirts trailing, her earrings tling, her curls waving, and her heart beating, she felt as if her "fun" had really begun at last, for the mirror had plainly told her that she was "a little beauty". Her friends repeated the pleasing phrase enthusiastically; and for several minutes she stood, like the jackdaw in the fable, enjoying her borrowed plumes, while the rest chattered like a party of magpies. 梅格拖着长裙跟在后面，裙子窸窣有声，耳环一摇一晃，鬈发上下波动，心儿砰砰猛跳。刚才那面镜子已明明白白地告诉她自己是个"小美人"，她觉得似乎她的"好戏"真的已经开始了。朋友们热情洋溢，不断地称她为"小美人"，她站在那里，好像寓言里的寒鸦，尽情享受着自己借来的羽毛，起他人则像一班喜鹊，叽叽喳喳地叫个不停。 'While I dress, do you drill her, Nan, in the management of her skirt, and those French heels, or she will trip herself up. Take your silver butterfly, and catch up that long curl on the left side of her head, Clara, and don't any of you disturb the charming work of my hands,' said Belle, as she hurried away, looking well pleased with her success. " 趁我换衣裳，南妮，你教她怎样走步，别让她被裙子和法式高跟鞋绊倒。卡莱拉，你用银蝴蝶发夹把她左边的那绺长鬈发夹起来。你们谁也别弄糟了我这一手漂亮功夫，"贝儿说着匆匆走开，对自己的成功显得相当得意。 
我不敢走下去，我觉得头晕目眩，身子僵硬，好像只穿了一半衣服，"梅格对莎莉说。此时铃声响起，莫法特太太派人来请年轻女士们立即赴会。 'You don't look a bit like yourself, but you are very nice. I'm nowhere beside you, for Belle has heaps of taste, and you're quite French, I assure you. Let your flowers hang; don't be so careful of them, and be sure you don't trip,' returned Sallie; trying not to care that Meg was prettier than herself. Keeping that warning carefully in mind, Margaret got safely downstairs, and sailed into the drawing rooms, where the Moffats and a few early guests were assembled. " 你完全变了个样子，不过这样很漂亮。我在你身边简直没地方站了，都亏贝儿品味高，当然你也很有法国味。就让你的花儿这么随意挂着，小心不要绊倒，"莎莉回答，努力不去在意梅格比自己漂亮这个事实。梅格牢牢记着这个教导，安然步下楼梯，款款走进客厅。莫法特夫妇和几个早到的客人已经聚集在那里。 She very soon discovered that there is a charm about fine clothes which attracts a certain class of people, and secures their respect. Several young ladies who had taken no notice of her before, were very affectionate all of a sudden; several young gentlemen, who had only stared at her at the other party, now not only stared, but asked to be introduced, and said all manner of foolish but agreeable things to her; and several old ladies, who sat on sofas and criticized the rest of the party, inquired who she was, with an air of interest. She heard Mrs. Moffat reply to one of them: 'Daisy March - father a colonel in the army - one of our first families, but reverses of fortune, you know; intimate friends of the Laurences; sweet creature, I assure you; my Ned is quite wild about her.' 她很快发现华丽的衣服有一种魅力，就是能吸引那么一些人，获得他们的尊敬。几位以前没有正眼瞧过她的年轻小姐突然变得十分亲热；几个上次舞会只是盯着她看的年轻绅士现在不只盯着她看，还要求介绍介绍，而且向她极尽奉承，说了许多愚不可及但十分入耳的话；几位坐在沙发上指指点点的老太太感兴趣地打探她是何方人氏。梅格听到莫法特太太回答其中一个说--“黛茜·马奇--父亲是部队的上校--我们的远亲，可惜时运不济，你知道；劳伦斯家的密友；甜姐儿，告诉你吧；我家内德对她很是着迷哩。" 'Dear me!' said the old lady, putting up her glass for another observation of Meg, who tried to look as if she had not heard, and been rather shocked at Mrs. Moffat's fibs. “噢！"那老太太戴上眼镜把梅格又再细看一遍。听到莫法特太太谎话连篇，梅格只装作好像没有听见，也并不震惊。 The "queer feeling" did not pass away, but she imagined herself acting the new part of a fine lady, and so got on pretty well, though the tight dress gave her a side-ache, the train kept getting under her feet, and she was in constant fear lest her earrings should fly off, and get lost or broken. She was flirting her fan, and laughing at the feeble jokes of a young gentleman who tried to be witty, when she suddenly stopped laughing, and looked confused; for, just opposite, she saw Laurie. He was staring at her with undisguised surprise, and disapproval also, she thought, for, though he bowed and smiled, yet something in his honest eyes made her blush, and wish she had her old dress on. To complete her confusion, she saw Belle nudge Annie, and both glance from her to Laurie, who, she was happy to see, looked unusually boyish and shy. 那种"头晕目眩"的感觉仍然没有消失，但她想象自己正在扮演这一新角色，倒也觉得相当愉快，不过，她的两胁被紧身裙勒得隐隐作痛，双脚不断踩到长裙，还老得提防那对耳环，担心它们突然甩出来，弄丢或摔破了。她正手摇折扇，咯咯笑着听一位卖弄诙谐的年轻人讲并不好笑的笑话，突然止住了笑声，显得手足无措，原来，她看到劳里正站在对面。他紧紧地盯着她，毫不掩饰心中的惊愕，还有不快，她想，因为他虽然躬身致礼，面露微笑，但坦诚的眼睛却流露出一种眼光，令她羞红了脸，只恨没有穿上自己的旧裙子。她看到贝儿用肘子碰碰安妮，两人的目光从她身上扫到劳里身上，更加心乱如麻，幸亏劳里看上去孩子气十足，而且十分害羞，她这才安下心来。 
无聊的东西，把这种念头放进我脑子里。我可不在乎，该怎样做就怎样做。"想到这里，梅格一路窸窸窣窣地响着走到房间对面和她的朋友握手。 'I'm glad you've come, I was afraid you wouldn't,' she said, with her most grown-up air. " 你来了我真高兴，我还担心你不会来呢，"她摆出一副大姐姐的神态说。 'Jo wanted me to come, and tell her how you looked, so I did,' answered Laurie, without turning his eyes upon her, though he half smiled at her maternal tone. " 乔希望我来，并告诉她你的情况，我便来了，"劳里回答，他对她那副老成持重的腔调感到有点好笑，但并不正眼看她。 'What shall you tell her?' asked Meg, full of curiosity to know his opinion of her, yet feeling ill at ease with him, for the first time. " 你会告诉她什么呢？"梅格问。她很想知道劳里对自己的看法，然而却第一次觉得在他面前很不自然。 'I shall say I didn't know you; for you look so grown-up, and unlike yourself, I'm quite afraid of you,' he said, fumbling at his glove-button. " 我会说我不认识你了，因为你看上去这么成熟，一点都不像你自己，我挺害怕的，"他摸着手套上的钮扣，说道。 
你真荒谬！这些姑娘们把我打扮成这个样子，只是为了好玩，我也挺乐意的。你说乔看到我会不会把眼睛瞪直了呢？"梅格说，想引他说出他是不是觉得自己更好看。 'Yes, I think she would,' returned Laurie, gravely. 'Don't you like me so?' asked Meg. 'No, I don't,' was the blunt reply. 'Why not?' in an anxious tone. " 我想她会，"劳里严肃地回答。"你不喜欢这个样子吗？"梅格问。"不，不喜欢！"回答得干脆率直。“为什么不？"声调甚为着急。 He glanced at her frizzled head, bare shoulders, and fantastically trimmed dress, with an expression that abashed her more than his answer, which had not a particle of his usual politeness about it. 'I don't like fuss and feathers.' 他扫了一眼她那披着鬈发的脑袋、裸露的双肩，以及镶着漂亮花边的裙子，那种神情把她窘得无地自容，接着他的回答也一反往日彬彬有礼的风度。"我不喜欢轻浮炫耀。" That was altogether too much from a lad younger than herself, and Meg walked away, saying petulantly: 'You are the rudest boy I ever saw.' 这话出自一个比自己年轻的小伙子口里，叫梅格如何接受。她转身就走，一面恨恨地说道："我从来没有见过你这样无礼的男孩子。" Feeling very much ruffled, she went and stood at a quiet window to cool her cheeks, for the tight dress gave her an uncomfortably brilliant colour. As she stood there, Major Lincoln passed by, and, a minute after, she heard him saying to his mother: 'They are making a fool of that little girl; I wanted you to see her, but they have spoilt her entirely; she's nothing but a doll tonight.' 她又气又恼地走到一扇窗边，站在无人之处，让自己的双颊凉下来，因为紧身裙箍得她头热脑胀，很不舒服。这么呆站着时，林肯少校从她身边走过，不一会儿，她听到他跟他自己的母亲说道--“他们在愚弄那个小姑娘；我原想让你见见她的，但他们把她全毁了；今天晚上一无是处，只是一个洋娃娃。" 
“唉，上帝！"梅格叹息道，“如果我理智一点，穿上自己的衣服，就不会令人厌恶，也不会生出这般烦恼，自惭自愧。"她把额头靠在冰凉的窗棂上面，任由窗帘半掩着自己的身影，她最喜欢的华尔兹已经开始，她也仿佛全然不觉。这时，一个人碰碰她；她回过身来，看到了劳里。他一脸悔色，郑重其事地向她鞠了个躬，伸出手来--“请恕我一时无礼，来和我跳个舞吧。"
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