目 录 上一节 下一节 
“恐怕这会委屈了你呢。"梅格试图装出一副生气的样子，却一点也装不出来。 'Not a bit of it. Come, I'll be good; I don't like your gown, but I do think you are - just splendid'; and he waved his hands, as if words failed to express his admiration. " 绝对不会，我打心眼里想跟你跳呢。来吧，我不会惹你生气的。我虽然不喜欢你的衣服，但我真的觉得你--反正漂亮极了。"他挥挥手，似乎语言还不足以表达他的仰慕之情。 Meg smiled and relented, and whispered, as they stood waiting: 'Take care my skirt don't trip you up; it's the plague of my life, and I was a goose to wear it.' 'Pin it round your neck, and then it will be useful', said Laurie, looking down at the little blue boots, which he evidently approved of. 'Laurie, I want you to do me a favour; will you?' said Meg. 梅格一笑，心软了下来。当他们站在一起等着和上音乐节拍时，她悄悄说道："小心我的裙子把你绊倒了；它使我受尽折磨，我穿上它真是个傻瓜。"“把它围着领口别起来就行了，"劳里说着，低头看看那双小蓝靴，显然对它们很满意。他们敏捷而优雅地迈开舞步，由于在家里练习过，这对活泼的年轻人配合得相当默契，给舞场平添了快乐的气氛。他们欢快地旋转起舞，觉得经历了这次小口角之后，彼此更加接近了。"劳里，我想你帮我个忙，愿意吗？"梅格说。她刚跳一会便气喘吁吁地停下来，也不解释，劳里便站在一边替她扇扇子。 'Won't I!' said Laurie, with alacrity. " 那还用说！"劳里欣然回答。 
回到家里千万不要告诉她们我今天晚上的打扮。她们不会明白这个玩笑，妈妈听到会担心的。"“那你为什么这样做？"劳里的眼睛显然是在这样问。梅格急得又说--“我会亲自把一切告诉她们，向妈妈'坦白'我有多傻。但我宁愿自己来说；你别说，行吗？"“我向你保证我不会说，只是她们问我时该怎样回答？"“就说我看上去挺好，玩得很开心。" 'I'll say the first with all my heart; but how about the other? You don't look as if you were having a good time; are you?' and Laurie looked at her with an expression which made her answer, in a whisper: 'No, not just now. Don't think I'm horrid; I only wanted a little fun, but this sort doesn't pay, I find, and I'm getting tired of it.' “第一项我会全心全意地说的，只是第二项怎么说？你看上去并不像玩得开心，不是吗？"劳里盯着她，那种神情促使她悄声说道--“是，刚才是不开心。不要以为我那么讨厌。我只是想开个小玩笑，但我发现这种玩笑毫无益处，我已经开始厌倦了。" 'Here comes Ned Moffat; what does he want?' said Laurie, knitting his black brows as if he did not regard his young host in the light of a pleasant addition to the party. 'What a bore!' said Meg, assuming a languid air, which amused Laurie immensely. “内德·莫法特走过来了，他想干什么？"劳里边说边皱起黑色的眉头，仿佛并不欢迎这位年轻主人的到来。"他认下了三场舞，我想他是来找舞伴的。烦死人！"梅格说完摆出一副倦怠的神情，把劳里也逗乐了。 He did not speak to her again till supper-time, when he saw her drinking champagne with Ned and his friend Fisher, who were behaving 'like a pair of fools', as Laurie said to himself, for he felt a brotherly sort of right to watch over the Marches, and fight their battles whenever a defender was needed. 他一直到晚饭时候才再跟她说上话，当时她正跟内德和他的朋友费希尔一起喝香槟。劳里觉得那两人表现得"十足一对傻瓜"，他觉得自己有权像兄弟一样监护马奇姐妹，必要时站出来保护她们。 'You'll have a splitting headache tomorrow, if you drink that stuff. I wouldn't, Meg; your mother doesn't like it, you know,' he whispered, leaning over her chair, as Ned turned to refill her glass, and Fisher stooped to pick up her fan. " 如果你喝多了，明天就会头痛得厉害。我可不这样做。梅格，你妈妈不喜欢这样，你知道，"他在她椅边俯下身来低声说道，此时内德正转身把她的杯子重新斟满，费希尔则弯腰捡起她的扇子。 
今天晚上我不是梅格，而是个轻狂的'洋娃娃'。明天我就会收拾起这副'轻浮炫耀'的嘴脸，重新做个好女孩子，"她佯笑一声答道。"那么，但愿明天已经到来，"劳里咕哝着，怏怏走开了。看到她变成这副样子，他心里很不高兴。 Meg danced and flirted, chattered and giggled, as the other girls did; after supper she undertook the German polka, and blundered through it, nearly upsetting her partner with her long skirt, and romping in a way that scandalized Laurie, who looked on, and meditated a lecture. But he got no chance to deliver it, for Meg kept away from him till he came to say good night. 梅格一边跳舞一边调情卖俏，嘀嘀咕咕地聊着傻笑着，就像别的姑娘们一样；晚饭后她跳华尔兹舞，由始至终跌跌撞撞，那条长裙子也差点把她的舞伴绊倒。劳里见到她这种轻蹦乱跳的模样心生反感，他一边看着，心里想好了一番忠告，但却没有机会告诉她，因为梅格总是躲着他，一直到他过去道晚安为止。 'Remember!' she said, trying to smile, for the splitting headache had already begun. “记住！"她说道，勉强笑笑，因为剧烈的头痛已经开始了。 'Silence la mort,' relied Laurie, with a melodramatic flourish, as he went away. " Ｓｉｌｅｎｃｅàｌａｍｏｒｔ，"劳里回答，使劲挥挥手，转身离去。 This little bit of byplay excited Annie's curiosity; but Meg was too tired for gossip, and went to bed feeling as if she had been to a masquerade, and hadn't enjoyed herself as much as she expected. She was sick all the next day, and on Saturday went home, quite used up with her fortnight's fun, and feeling that she had 'sat in the lap of luxury' long enough. 这小小的一幕激发了安妮的好奇心，但梅格累得不想再扯闲话，她走上床，觉得自己像参加了一场化装舞会，但却玩得并不开心。她第二天整天都昏昏沉沉，星期六就回家了。两个星期的玩乐弄得她筋疲力尽，她自觉在那"繁华世界"已经呆得太久。 
安安静静，不用整天客套应酬，这才是令人愉快的日子。家是个好地方，虽然它并不华丽，"星期天晚上梅格跟母亲和乔坐在一起，悠然四顾，说道。 'I'm glad to hear you say so, dear, for I was afraid home would seem dull and poor to you after your fine quarters,' replied her mother, who had given her many anxious looks that day; for motherly eyes are quick to see any change in children's faces. " 你这样说我很高兴，亲爱的，我一直担心你经过这番阅历后会把家看得又穷又闷，"妈妈答道。她那天不时担心地望一眼女儿，因为孩子们脸上的任何变化都逃不过母亲的眼睛。 Meg had told her adventures gaily, and said over and over what a charming time she had had; but something still seemed to weigh upon her spirits, and, when the younger girls were gone to bed, she sat thoughtfully staring at the fire, saying little, and looking worried. 梅格快乐地跟大家讲了她的经历，并一再说她玩得十分痛快，但她的情绪似乎仍然有点不对劲。当两个小妹妹去睡觉之后，她坐在那里若有所思地呆呆盯着炉火，寡言少语，神情焦虑。 As the clock struck nine, and Jo proposed bed, Meg suddenly left her chair, and taking Beth's stool, leaned her elbows on her mother's knee, saying bravely: 'Marmee, I want to "'fess".' 'I thought so; what is it, dear?' 'Shall I go away?' asked Jo, discreetly. 时钟敲过九下，乔也说要睡觉了，梅格突然离开坐椅，拿起贝思的跪凳，双肘靠在母亲的膝头上，勇敢地说道--"妈咪，我想'坦白'。"“我也料到了，是什么事，亲爱的？"“要我走开吗？"乔知趣地问道。 'Of course not; don't I always tell you everything? I was ashamed to speak of it before the children, but I want you to know all the dreadful things I did at the Moffats'.' 'We are prepared,' said Mrs. March, smiling, but looking a little anxious. “当然不要。我什么事情瞒过你了？在两个小妹妹面前我没脸说出口，但我想把我在莫法特家干的那些好事向你们全抖出来。"“说吧，"马奇太太微笑着说，不过神情有点焦虑。 
我说过她们把我打扮一新，但我没告诉你们她们给我涂脂抹粉，烫曲头发，给我穿紧身裙，把我收拾得像个时髦人儿。劳里虽然嘴里没说，但我知道他心里也认为我不像话，有一个人甚至叫我是'洋娃娃'。我知道这样很傻，但她们奉承我，说我是个美人呀什么的，我便任凭她们摆布了。" 'Is that all?' asked Jo, as Mrs. March looked silently at the downcast face of her pretty daughter, and could not find it in her heart to blame her little follies. “就这些吗？"乔问，马奇太太则默默注视着美丽的女儿那张沮丧的脸孔，不忍心责备她干的那些傻事。 'No; I drank champagne, and romped, and tried to flirt and was altogether abominable,' said Meg, self-reproachfully. " 不，我还喝香槟，乱蹦乱跳，学人家调情卖俏，总之丑态百出，"梅格内疚地说。 'There is something more, I think,' and Mrs. March smoothed the soft cheek, which suddenly grew rosy, as Meg answered slowly: 'Yes; it's very silly, but I want to tell it, because I hate to have people say and think such things about us and Laurie.' Then she told the various bits of gossip she had heard at the Moffats'; and, as she spoke, Jo saw her mother fold her lips tightly, as if ill pleased that such ideas should be put into Meg's innocent mind. " 还有一些什么吧，我想。"马奇太太抚摸着女儿嫩滑的脸颊。梅格突然涨红了脸，慢慢答道--“是的。这很无聊，但我想说出来，因为我痛恨人家这样猜测和议论我们和劳里之间的关系。"接着她把在莫法特家听到的流言蜚语告诉她们。乔看到母亲一面听一面紧闭双唇，似乎十分气愤，居然有人把这种念头塞进梅格天真无邪的脑子里。 'Well, if that isn't the greatest rubbish I ever heard,' cried Jo, indignantly. 'Why didn't you pop out and tell them so, on the spot?' 'I couldn't, it was so embarrassing for me. I couldn't help hearing at first, and then I was so angry and ashamed, I didn't remember that I ought to go away.' 'Just wait till I see Annie Moffat, and I'll show you how to settle such ridiculous stuff. The idea of having "plans", and being kind to Laurie because he's rich, and may marry us by and by! Won't he shout when I tell him what those silly things say about us poor children?' and Jo laughed, as if, on second thoughts, the thing struck her as a good joke. " 哎呀，我第一次听到这样无耻的废话！"乔气愤地叫道，"你为什么不当场走出来说个明白？"“我做不到，这太窘了。起初我是无意听到的，但后来我又怒又羞，倒没想起该走开了。"“待我见到安妮·莫法特，你就知道我怎样解决这种荒唐事！什么'早有计划'，什么对劳里好是因为他家有钱，以后会娶我们！如果我告诉他那些无聊东西是怎样谈论我们穷孩子的，他不叫起来才怪！"乔说着笑起来，似乎这种事情想深一层不过是个大笑话而已。
| 
