目 录 上一节 下一节 
这种夹子正是艺术家们用来在画板上夹画纸的那种，因此用在这里尤其合适。这幅滑稽图显然把太阳公公逗乐了，他笑得喷出万道金光，把乔照醒。看到艾美这付尊容，她禁不住大笑出声，遂把众姐妹闹醒了。 Sunshine and laughter were good omens for a pleasure party, and soon a lively bustle began in both houses. Beth, who was ready first, kept reporting what went on next door, and enlivened her sisters' toilets by frequent telegrams from the window. 阳光和笑声是野营盛会的吉兆。两家屋子的人开始活跃忙碌起来。贝思第一个准备停当，她靠在窗前不断报告邻居的新动态，把正在梳妆打扮的三姐妹弄得越发紧张忙碌。 'There goes the man with the tent! I see Mrs. Barker doing up the lunch in a hamper and a great basket. Now Mr. Laurence is looking up at the sky and the weathercock; I wish he would go too. There's Laurie, looking like a sailor - nice boy! Oh, mercy me! here's a carriage full of people - a tall lady, a little girl, and two dreadful boys. One is lame; poor thing, he's got a crutch. Laurie didn't tell us that. Be quick, girls! it's getting late. Why, there is Ned Moffat, I do declare. Look, Meg, isn't that the man who bowed to you one day when we were shopping?' " 一个人带着帐篷出来了！我看到巴克太太把午饭放到一个盖箱和大篓里。现在劳伦斯先生仰头望望天空和风标；但愿他也一起去。那是劳里，打扮得像个水手--帅小伙子！噢，啊呀！一整车的人--一个高个女士，一个小姑娘，还有两个可怕的男孩子。一个跛了腿：可怜的人！他拄着支拐杖。劳里没跟我们说过。快点，姑娘们！时间不早了。呀，那是内德·莫法特，没错。瞧，梅格，这不是那天我们上街时向你行礼的那个人吗？" 'So it is. How queer that he should come. I thought he was at the Mountains. There is Sallie; I'm glad she's got back in time. Am I all right, Jo?' cried Meg, in a flutter. “果然不错。他怎么也来了？我还以为他在山里头呢。那是莎莉；太好了，她回来得正是时候。你看我这样行吗，乔？"梅格焦急地问道。 'A regular daisy. Hold up your dress and put your hat straight; it looks sentimental tipped that way, and will fly off at the first puff. Now then, come on!' 'Oh, Jo, you are not going to wear that awful hat? It's too absurd! You shall not make a guy of yourself,' remonstrated Meg, as Jo tied down, with a red ribbon, the broad-brimmed old-fashioned Leghorn Laurie had sent for a joke. " 漂亮极了。提起裙子，把帽子戴正，这样斜翘着看上去有种感伤情调，而且风一吹便要飞走了。好了，我们出发吧！"“噢，乔，你不是要戴这顶糟帽子去吧？这太荒唐了，你不该把自己弄得像个男人，"梅格规劝道。此时乔正把劳里开玩笑送来的旧式阔边意大利草帽用一根红丝带围系起来。 
我正是要戴着去，它棒极了--又挡荫，又轻，又大。戴上它更添情趣，再说，只要舒服，我不在乎做个男人，"乔说罢迈步就走，姐妹们紧跟其后--每人穿一身夏装，戴一顶逍遥自在的帽子，春风满脸，十分好看，俨然一支活泼快乐的小队伍。 Laurie ran to meet and present them to his friends in the most cordial manner. The lawn was the reception room, and for several minutes a lively scene was enacted there. Meg was grateful to see that Miss Kate, though twenty, was dressed with a simplicity that American girls would do well to imitate; and she was much flattered by Mr. Ned's assurances that he came especially to see her. 劳里跑上前来迎接她们，十分热情地把她们介绍给各位朋友。草坪成了会客厅，大家在那里逗留了几分钟，气氛十分活跃。梅格看到凯特小姐虽然年方二十，穿着打扮却相当简扑，心里松了一口气，因为这种风格美国姑娘不费吹灰之力就能学会。她听内德先生一再声明自己特为见她一面而来，心里更加受用。 Jo understood why Laurie 'primmed up his mouth' when speaking of Kate, for that young lady had a stand-off-don't-touch-me air, which contrasted strongly with the free and easy demeanour of the other girls. Beth took an observation of the new boys, and decided that the lame one was not 'dreadful', but gentle and feeble, and she would be kind to him on that account. Amy found Grace a well-mannered, merry little person; and after staring dumbly at one another for a few minutes, they suddenly became very good friends. 乔终于明白劳里为什么一提到凯特就"一本正经地抿起嘴巴"，因为这位女士神态孤高冷傲，不像其他姑娘那样无拘无束、轻松随和。贝思观察了一下新来的男孩子，认为跛足这位并不"可怕"，反倒温顺柔弱，她因此想善待他。艾美觉得格莱丝是个举止优雅、活泼快乐的小人儿，她俩默默对视了几分钟后，马上成了十分要好的朋友。 Tents, lunch, and croquet utensils had been sent on beforehand, the party was soon embarked, and the two boats pushed off together, leaving Mr. Laurence waving his hat on the shore. Laurie and Jo rowed one boat; Mr. Brooke and Ned the other; while Fred Vaughn, the riotous twin, did his best to upset both by paddling about in a wherry like a disturbed water-bug. Jo's funny hat deserved a word of thanks, for it was of general utility; it broke the ice in the beginning, by producing a laugh; it created quite a refreshing breeze, flapping to and fro as she rowed, and would make an excellent umbrella for the whole party if a shower came up, she said. 帐篷、午饭、槌球游戏用具等先行送走后，大家随即登上小艇。两叶轻舟并驾齐驱，岸上只剩下挥着帽子的劳伦斯先生一人。劳里和乔共划一艘艇，布鲁克先生和内德先生划另一艘，而淘气反叛的双胞胎兄弟弗雷德·沃恩则使劲划着一只单人赛艇，像只受了惊的水蝽一样在两叶小舟之间乱冲乱撞。乔那顶风趣的帽子用途十分广泛，值得击掌鸣谢：它一开始便打破隔膜，逗得众人笑一来，她划船时帽子上下摆动，扇出阵阵清风，如果下起雨来它还可以给全班人马当作一把大伞使用，她说。 Kate looked rather amazed at Jo's proceedings, especially as she exclaimed 'Christopher Columbus!' when she lost her oar; and Laurie said, 'My dear fellow, did I hurt you?' when he tripped over her feet in taking his place. But after putting up her glass to examine the queer girl several times, Miss Kate decided that she was 'odd, but rather clever', and smiled upon her from afar. 凯特对乔的一举一动都觉得十分新奇，她丢了桨时大叫一声"我的妈哟！"；而劳里就坐时不小心在她脚上绊了一下，他说："我的好伙伴，弄痛了你没有？"这些更叫她纳罕不已。戴上眼镜把这位奇怪的姑娘审视几遍后，凯特小姐认定乔"古怪，但挺聪明"，于是远远对着她微笑起来。 
另一只艇上的梅格舒舒服服地坐在两个荡桨手的对面，两个小伙子喜之不尽，各自使出不一般的"技巧和机敏"，把艇划得十分稳当。布鲁克先生是个严肃、沉默寡言的年青人，声音悦耳动听，一对棕色的眼睛明亮有神。梅格喜欢他性格沉静，把他看作是一部活百科全书，里头装满了各种有用的知识。他跟她不大说话，但眼光却常常落在她身上，梅格肯定他对自己并不反感。内德是大学新生，当然摆足派头。他并不特别聪明，但性情随和，不失为野营活动的好伙伴。莎莉·加德纳一面打足精神护着自己的白裙子，以免被水平脏，一面和到处乱冲乱撞的弗雷德交谈。弗雷德不断做出各式各样的恶作剧，把贝思吓得心惊胆战。 It was not far to Longmeadow; but the tent was pitched and the wickets down by the time they arrived. A pleasant green field, with three wide-spreading oaks in the middle, and a smooth strip of turf for the croquet. 长草坪相隔并不远，他们到达时帐篷已搭好了，三柱门也支了起来。这是一片令人心旷神怡的绿地，中间挺立着三棵枝繁叶茂的橡树，还有一块玩槌球用的平滑狭长的草坪。 'Welcome to Camp Laurence!' said the young host, as they landed, with exclamations of delight. " 欢迎光临劳伦斯营地！"大家登上绿地，高兴得发出阵阵赞叹的时候，年轻主人说道。 'Brooke is commander-in-chief; I am commissary-general; the other fellows are staff-officers; and you, ladies, are company. The tent is for your especial benefit, and that oak is your drawing room; this is the messroom, and the third is the camp-kitchen. Now, let's have a game before it gets hot, and then we'll see about dinner.' " 布鲁克任总指挥，我任军需官，其他各位男士任参谋官，而你们，女士们，则是陪同。这个帐篷专为你们而搭，那棵橡树是你们的客厅，第二棵是餐室，第三棵是营地厨房。好了，天未热我们先玩个游戏，然后再来做饭。" Frank, Beth, Amy, and Grace sat down to watch the game played by the other eight. Mr. Brooke chose Meg, Kate, and Fred; Laurie took Sallie, Jo, and Ned. The Englishers played well; but the Americans played better, and contested every inch of the ground as strongly as if the spirit of '76 inspired them. Jo and Fred had several skirmishes, and once narrowly escaped high words. Jo was through the last wicket, and had missed the stroke, which failure ruffled her a good deal. Fred was close behind her, and his turn came before hers; he gave a stroke, his ball hit the wicket, and stopped an inch on the wrong side. No one was very near; and running up to examine, he gave it a sly nudge with his toe, which put it just an inch on the right side. 弗兰克、贝思、艾美和格莱丝坐下观看其他八人玩游戏。布鲁克选了梅格、凯特和弗雷德；劳里则选了莎莉、乔和内德。英国孩子打得不错，但美国孩子打得更好，而且冲劲十足。乔和弗雷德发生了几次小冲突，一次还几乎吵了起来。乔过最后一道三柱门时失了一球，很是光火。弗雷德紧跟其后，这回先轮到他发球，接着才轮到乔。他把球一击，球打在三柱门上，然后停了下来，离球门仅有一英寸之距。大家离得较远，于是跑上来看个究竟。他狡猾地用脚指头把球轻轻一碰，球便刚好滑进了球门。 
“我进了！哈，乔小姐，我要把你击败，第一个进球，"年轻人挥舞着球棍叫道，准备再击一球。 'You pushed it! I saw you; it's my turn now,' said Jo, sharply. " 你推了球，我亲眼看见的；这回轮到我，"乔厉声说。 'Upon my word, I didn't move it; it rolled a bit, perhaps, but that is allowed; so stand off, please, and let me have a go at the stake.' 'We don't cheat in America, but you can, if you choose, said Jo, angrily. 'Yankees are a deal the most tricky, everybody knows. There you go!' returned Fred, croqueting her ball far away. " 我发誓，我没动它；球也许是滚了一点，但这并不犯规；还是请站开一点，让我好好击球吧。"“我们美国人不作弊，但你们可以，如果你们喜欢。"乔十分生气。"美国佬最有手段，这谁不知道。去你的球吧！"弗雷德回击道，把她的球打出老远。 Jo opened her lips to say something rude, but checked herself in time, coloured up to her forehead, and stood a minute hammering down a wicket with all her might, while Fred hit the stake, and declared himself out with much exultation. She went off to get her ball, and was a long time finding it among the bushes; but she came back, looking cool and quiet, and waited her turn patiently. It took several strokes to regain the place she had lost; and, when she got there, the other side had nearly won, for Kate's ball was the last but one, and lay near the stake. 乔张口要骂，却又忍住了，只觉得热血直冲脑门，她怔了一会，用尽全力把一个三柱门捶倒，而弗雷德则击中目标，狂喜地宣布自己胜出。乔走开去拾球，好一会功夫才在矮树丛里把球找到。但她走回来，神态冷静，一言不发，耐心地等着发球。她打了好几球才追回到原来的位置；当她追上时，对方差不多就要赢了，因为凯特的球是倒数第二个，正停在目标旁边。
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