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“可怜的乔！她进来的样子就像身后有只熊追她似的，"贝思像慈母一样抱着姐姐的双脚说道。"马奇婶婶真是个海蓬子，对吗？"艾美一边评论一边挑剔地品尝着她的混合饮料。 'She means vampire, no seaweed; but it doesn't matter; it's too warm to be particular about one's parts of speech,' murmured Jo. " 她是说吸血鬼，不是海草，不过也无伤大雅；天气这么暖和，不必对修辞太讲究，"乔咕哝道。 'What shall you do all your vacation?' asked Amy, changing the subject, with tact. 'I shall lie abed late and do nothing,' replied Meg, from the depths of the rocking-chair. 'I've been routed up early all winter, and had to spend my days working for other people; so now I'm going to rest and revel to my heart's content.' " 你们这个假期怎么过？"艾美问，巧妙地转开话题。"我要躺在床上，什么也不做，"梅格从摇椅深处回答，"我这个冬季每天一早就被唤醒，整天为别人操劳，现在我要随心所欲，美美地睡个痛快。"“不成，" 'No,' said Jo; 'that dosy way wouldn't suit me. I've laid in a heap of books, and I'm going to improve my shining hours reading on my perch in the old apple-tree, when I'm not having l--' 'Don't say "larks"!' implored Amy, as a return snub for the 'samphire' correction. 乔说，"这种养神功夫不适合我。我搬进了一大堆书，我要躲到那棵苹果树上头充实我的好时光，如果不玩--"“别说玩耍！"艾美要求道，借以回击"海蓬子"这一箭之仇。 'I'll say "nightingales", then, with Laurie; that's proper and appropriate, since he's a warbler.' 'Don't let us do any lessons, Beth, for a while, but play all the time, and rest, as the girls mean to,' proposed Amy. " 那我就说'玩唱'；和劳里一起，这词够贴切了，反正他歌唱得好。"“我们别做功课了，贝思，让我们玩个痛快，好好歇歇，女孩子们应该那样，"艾美建议。 
嗯，如果妈妈没意见的话，我就不做了。我想学几首新歌，夏天到了，我的孩子们也要添置点东西；它们衣服短缺，一派混乱。"“行吗，妈妈？"梅格把头转向坐在她们称之为"妈咪角"的地方做针线活的马奇太太，问道。 'You may try your experiment for a week, and see how you like it. I think by Saturday night you will find that all play and no work is as bad as all work and no play.' 'Oh, dear, no! it will be delicious, I'm sure,' said Meg, complacently. " 你们可以试上一个星期，看看滋味如何。我想到了星期六晚上你们就会发现，光玩不干活和光干活不玩一样难受。"“噢，哎哟，不会的！我肯定这一定会其乐无穷，"梅格美滋滋地说。 'I now propose a toast, as my "friend and pardner, Sairy Gamp", says. Fun for ever, and no grubbing!' cried Jo, rising, glass in hand, as the lemonade went round. “现在我提议大家干一杯。永远快乐，不用辛劳！"这时柠檬汁传过来，乔站起来，举杯在手，叫道。 They all drank it merrily, and began the experiment by lounging for the rest of the day. Next morning Meg did not appear till ten o'clock; her solitary breakfast did not taste nice and the room seemed lonely and untidy; for Jo had not filled the vases, Beth had not dusted, and Amy's books lay scattered about. Nothing was neat and pleasant but 'Marmee's corner', which looked as usual; and there Meg sat, to 'rest and read', which meant yawn, and imagine what pretty summer dresses she would get with her salary. 大家快乐地一饮而尽，于是试验开始，那天的剩余时间便被懒洋洋地打发过去了。第二天早上，梅格直到十点钟才露面。她独个儿吃早餐，却食之无味；由于乔没有在花瓶里插上花，贝思也没有打扫，艾美又把书丢得满地都是，房间显得空空落落，十分零乱，只有"妈咪角"仍然跟平常一样井井有条，令人愉快。梅格便坐在那里，"休息读书"，也就是说一面打呵欠一面胡思乱想，盘算着用自己的薪水买什么式样的漂亮夏装。 Jo spent the morning on the river with Laurie, and the afternoon reading and crying over The Wide, Wide World, up in the apple-tree. Beth began by rummaging everything out of the big closet where her family resided; but, getting tired before half done, she left her establishment topsy-turvy, and went to her music, rejoicing that she had no dishes to wash. Amy arranged her bower, put on her best white frock, smoothed her curls, and sat down to draw, under the honeysuckles, hoping someone would see and inquire who the young artist was. As no one appeared but an inquisitive daddy long-legs, who examined her work with interest, she went for a walk, got caught in a shower, and came home dripping. 乔在河边和劳里玩了一个早上，下午爬到苹果树上读《大世界》读得泪流满面。贝思从洋娃娃家族居住的大衣柜里头把东西全部翻出来整理，未及一半便倦了，于是把她的大家族横七竖八地躲在一边去弹钢琴，暗暗庆幸自己不用洗碗碟。艾美把花荫收拾一番，穿上漂亮的白色上衣，把鬈发梳理一遍，坐在忍冬花下画画，希望有人看到她，询问这位年轻的艺术家是谁。可惜只来了一只好事的长脚蜘蛛，饶有兴趣地把她的作品审视一番，她只好去散步，却遭大雨淋了一顿，回家时湿得像个落汤鸡。 
到了喝茶的时候，她们互相交流心得，一致认为这天过得相当愉快，只是日子似乎格外长。梅格下午上街买了一幅"漂亮的蓝薄纱"，把幅面裁开后才发现这种布不经洗，这一小小的不幸令她脾气有点暴躁。乔划船时晒脱了鼻子上的皮，长时间看书又害得她脑袋生疼。贝思因为衣柜混乱不堪而忧心忡忡，一下子学三四首歌又力不从心。艾美淋湿了上衣，后悔不迭，第二天就是凯蒂·布朗的晚会，现在，她就像弗洛拉·麦克弗里姆西一样，"没有衣服穿"。 But these were mere trifles; and they assured their mother that the experiment was working finely. She smiled, said nothing, and, with Hannah's help, did their neglected work, keeping home pleasant, and the domestic machinery running smoothly. It was astonishing what a peculiar and uncomfortable state of things was produced by the 'resting and revelling' process. The days kept getting longer and longer; the weather was unusually variable, and so were tempers; an unsettled feeling possessed everyone, and Satan found plenty of mischief for the idle hands to do. 不过，这些都只是小事一桩，她们告诉母亲进展顺利。母亲笑笑，不做声，和罕娜一起把姐妹们丢下的工作接过来，把家操持得整齐舒适，使家庭机构顺利运作。这种"休息和享乐"产生的结果出人意料：大家都有一种奇怪的、极不自在的感觉。日子变得越来越长，天气也跟她们的脾气一样变化无常，大家心里全都无头无绪，空空落落。而魔鬼撒旦可不会让你两手白闲着，他总会找出一些事来让你做。 As the height of luxury, Meg put out some of her sewing, and then found time hang so heavily that she fell to snipping and spoiling her clothes, in her attempts to furbish them up la Moffat. Jo read till her eyes gave out, and she was sick of books; got so fidgety that even good-natured Laurie had a quarrel with her, and so reduced in spirits that she desperately wished she had gone out with Aunt March. Beth got on pretty well, for she was constantly forgetting that it was to be all play, and no work, an fell back into her old ways now and then; but something in the air affected her, and more than once her tranquillity was much disturbed; so much so, that, on one occasion, she actually shook poor dear Joanna, and told her she was a 'fright'. 作为最高享受，梅格把一些针线活拿出去让人做，但接着便发现时间十分沉闷，熬不住又操起裁剪活，结果在莫法特家刷新衣服时因为使劲太大而把自己的衣服弄坏了。乔书不离手，一直读得两眼昏花，见书生厌，脾气也变得异常烦躁，连性子极好的劳里也跟她吵了一架，她于是伤心落泪，只恨未能早跟了马奇婶婶去。贝思倒过得相当安稳，因为她常常忘记了这是光玩不工作时间，不时重新操起旧活；但大家的情绪感染了她，性子一向温柔平和的她也变得有几分烦躁不安--一次甚至把可怜的宠儿乔安娜摇了几下，骂她是个"怪物"。 Amy fared worst of all, for her resources were small; and when her sisters left her to amuse and care for herself, she soon found that accomplished and important little self a great burden. She didn't like dolls, fairy tales were childish, and one couldn't draw all the time; tea parties didn't amount to much, neither did picnics, unless very well conducted. 'If one could have a fine house, full of nice girls, or go travelling, the summer would be delightful; but to stay at home with three selfish sisters and a grown-up boy was enough to try the patience of a "Boaz",' complained Miss Malaprop, after several days devoted to pleasure, fretting, and ennui. 最难受的要数艾美，她的娱乐圈子窄，三位姐姐把她丢下，让她自己玩并自己照顾自己，她很快发现自己这个多才多艺、举足轻重的小人儿其实是个大包袱。她不喜欢洋娃娃，童话故事又太幼稚，而人也总不能一天到晚光画画；茶会没什么意思，野餐也不过如此，除非组织得极好。"如果能有一栋漂亮的房子，里头住满了善解人意的姑娘，或者外出旅游，这夏天才会过得开心。但跟三个自私的姐姐和一个大男孩呆在家里，（圣）神人也会发火，"我们的错词小姐心里抱怨道。这几天她充分体验了欢乐、烦恼，继而厌倦无聊的况味。 No one would own that they were tired of the experiment; but, by Friday night, each acknowledged to herself that she was glad the week was nearly done. Hoping to impress the lesson more deeply, Mrs. March, who had a good deal of humour, resolved to finish off the trial in an appropriate manner; so she gave Hannah a holiday, and let the girls enjoy the full effect of the play system. When they got up on Saturday morning, there was no fire in the kitchen, no breakfast in the dining room, and no mother anywhere to be seen. 没有人愿意承认自己对这个试验感到厌倦，但到星期五晚上大家都暗暗松了一口气，窃喜一个星期终于熬到了头。富有幽默感的马奇太太为了加深这个教训的印象，决定用一种恰如其分的方式来结束这个试验。她放罕娜一天假，让姑娘们充分享受光玩不干活的滋味。星期六早上姐妹们一觉醒来，发现厨房里没有生火，饭厅里没有早餐，母亲也不见了影踪。 
嗳呀！出了什么事？"乔嚷道，惊愕地瞪大眼睛四面看。 Meg ran upstairs, and soon came back again, looking relieved, but rather bewildered, and a little ashamed. 梅格跑上楼，很快便折回来，神态不再紧张，但却显得颇为困惑，并有几分惭愧。 'Mother isn't sick, only very tired, and she says she is going to stay quietly in her room all day, and let us do the best we can. It's a very queer thing for her to do, she doesn't act a bit like herself; but she says it has been a hard week for her, so we mustn't grumble, but take care of ourselves.' 'That's easy enough, and I like the idea; I'm aching for something to do - that is, some new amusement, you know,' added Jo, quickly. " 妈妈没生病，只是非常累。她说要在自己房间里静养一天，让我们自己好自为之。这真奇怪，一点都不像她平时的作为；但她说这个星期她干得很辛苦，所以我们别发牢骚，还是自己照顾自己吧。"“那还不容易！这主意正合我的心思，我正愁没事干--意思是，没新玩法，你们知道，"乔飞快地又添了一句。 In fact it was an immense relief to them all to have a little work, and they k hold with a will, but soon realized the truth of Hannah's saying, 'Housekeeping ain't no joke.' There was plenty of food in the larder, and, while Beth and Amy set the table, Meg and Jo got breakfast, wondering, as they did so, why servants ever talked about hard work. 事实上，此时此刻，做一点工作对她们来说是一种很好的放松。她们决心把活干好，但"做家务可不是闹儿戏"，她们很快便会认识到罕娜这话的实际意义了。食品柜里有很多存货，贝思和艾美摆桌子，梅格和乔做早餐，一面做一面还奇怪为什么佣人说家务难做。 'I shall take some up to Mother, though she said we were not to think of her, for she'd take care of herself,' said Meg, who presided, and felt quite matronly behind the teapot. " 虽然妈妈说我们不用管她，她会自个照顾自己，我还是要拿一些上去，"梅格说。她站在锅碗瓢盆后面指挥，觉得挺像回事儿。
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