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上帝保佑好人！我不想流眼泪浪费时间，赶紧收拾行李吧，太太，"她由衷地说道，一面用围裙擦擦脸，用粗糙的手紧紧地握了握女主人的手，转身离去，用一个顶三的劲头干起活来。 'She's right; there's no time for tears now. Be calm, girls, and let me think.' They tried to be calm, poor things, as their mother sat up, looking pale, but steady, and put away her grief to think and plan for them. " 她说得对，现在没时间流眼泪。镇静，姑娘们，让我想想。"可怜的姑娘们努力镇定下来，母亲坐起来，脸色苍白而平静。她强忍着悲痛，思量该怎么办。 'Where's Laurie?' she asked presently, when she had collected her thoughts, and decided on the first duties to be done. " 劳里在哪儿？"定下神后，她决定了首先要做的几件事，随即问道。 'Here, ma'am. Oh, let me do something!' cried the boy, hurrying from the next room, whither he had withdrawn, feeling that their first sorrow was too sacred for even his friendly eyes to see. " 在这里，太太。噢，让我干点什么吧！"小伙子赶忙从隔壁房间走出来叫道。他刚才觉得她们的悲哀异常神圣，即使是他友好的眼睛也不能亵渎，于是悄悄退下。 'Send a telegram saying I will come at once. The next train goes early in the morning. I'll take that.' 'What else? The horses are ready; I can go anywhere, do anything,' he said, looking ready to fly to the ends of the earth. " 发封电报，说我马上就来。明天一早有一趟车开出，我就搭这趟车。"“还有什么吩咐吗？马匹已经备好；我无论上哪儿、干什么都行。"看样子他已经准备好飞到天涯海角。 
送张便条给马奇婶婶。乔，把笔和纸给我。"乔从刚刚抄好的稿子里撕下一页空白稿纸，把桌子拉到母亲面前。她很清楚必须筹借一笔钱才能应付这次遥远而悲伤的旅行，她真想不惜牺牲一切，为父亲多筹集哪怕是小小的一笔钱。 'Now go, dear; but don't kill yourself driving at a desperate pace; there is no need of that.' Mrs. March's warning was evidently thrown away; for five minutes later Laurie tore by the window on his own fleet horse, riding as if for his life. " 去吧，亲爱的，不过别把车驾得太快摔坏了自己；这没蛊有必要。"马奇太太的警告显然被扔到了九霄云外。五分钟后，劳里驾着自己的骏马，拼了命似地从窗边狂奔而过。 'Jo, run to the rooms and tell Mrs. King that I can't come. On the way get these things. I'll put them down; they'll be needed, and I must go prepared for nursing. Hospital stores are not always good. Beth, go and ask Mr. Laurence for a couple of bottles of old wine: I'm not too proud to beg for Father; he shall have the best of everything. Amy, tell Hannah to get down the black trunk; and Meg, come and help me find my things, for I'm half bewildered.' " 乔，赶快到寓所告诉金斯夫人我不能来了。顺路把这些东西买来。我把它们写下来，它们会派上用场的，我得做好护理的准备，医院的商店不一定好。贝思，去向劳伦斯先生要两瓶陈年葡萄酒：为父亲我可以放下面子向人乞求，他应该得到最好的东西。艾美，告诉罕娜把黑色行李箱拿下来；梅格，你来帮我找找要用的东西，我脑子乱极了。" Writing, thinking, and directing, all at once, might well bewilder the poor lady, and Meg begged her to sit down quietly in her room for a little while, and let them work. Everyone scattered like leaves before a gust of wind; and the quiet, happy household was broken up as suddenly as if the paper had been an evil spell. 既要写字动脑筋，又要发号施令，这样大可以使这可怜的女士头脑昏乱，梅格便请她在自己的房间里静静小坐一会，让她们来干。众人分头散去，就像随风而去的树叶；那封电报犹如一纸恶符，一下子便把宁静温馨的家庭拆散。 Mr. Laurence came hurrying back with Beth, bringing every comfort the kind old gentleman could think of for the invalid, and friendliest promises of protection for the girls during the mother's absence, which comforted her very much. There was nothing he didn't offer, from his own dressing-gown to himself as escort. But that last was impossible. Mrs. March would not hear of the old gentleman's undertaking the long journey; yet an expression of relief was visible when he spoke of it, for anxiety ill fits one for travelling. He saw the look, knit his heavy eyebrows, rubbed his hands, and marched abruptly away, saying he'd be back directly. No one had time to think of him again till, as Meg ran through the entry, with a pair of rubbers in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, she came suddenly upon Mr. Brooke. 劳伦斯先生随贝思匆匆而来，好心的老人给病人带来了他能想到的各种慰问品，并友好地承诺在马奇太太离家期间照顾姑娘们，这使马奇太太倍感欣慰。他更主动施以援手，提供各项帮助，小至自己的晨衣，大至亲自当护驾，等等。当护驾是不可能的了，因为马奇太太不愿让老人长途跋涉。不过，当她听到他这样说时脸上流露出一丝宽慰的神情，因为她忧心如焚确实不适宜孤身上路。老人看到她的神情，浓眉一皱，擦擦双手，突然抬脚就走，口里说这就回来。大家忙乱之中便把他给忘了。不料当梅格一手拿着一对橡皮套鞋，一手拿着一杯茶跑出门口时，却突然碰到了布鲁克先生。 
听到这个消息我万分难过，马奇小姐，"他说，声调亲切轻柔。心乱如麻的梅格觉得这声音十分动听。"我来请求当蛊你妈妈的护驾。劳伦斯先生交代我在华盛顿办点事，能在那边为她效劳将是我一大乐事。"橡皮套鞋落到了地上，茶也差一点就溢了出来，梅格伸出手，脸上充满感激之情，布鲁克先生见状恨不能以身相报，更别说付出一点时间来照顾马奇太太了。 'How kind you all are! Mother will accept, I'm sure; and it will be such a relief to know that she has someone to take care of her. Thank you very, very much!' Meg spoke earnestly, and forgot herself entirely, till something in the brown eyes looking down at her made her remember the cooling tea, and lead the way into the parlour, saying she would call her mother. " 你们都是菩萨心肠！我肯定妈妈会答应的。知道她有人照顾，我们就放心了。真是非常、非常感谢你！"梅格激动得完全忘掉了自己，布鲁克先生低头望着她，棕色的眼睛流露出一种异样的神情，她这才想起将要凉了的茶水，忙把他带进客厅，一面说她这就去叫母亲。 Everything was arranged by the time Laurie returned with a note from Aunt March enclosing the desired sum, and a few lines repeating what she had often said before - that she had always told them it was absurd for March to go into the army, always predicted that no good would come of it, and she hoped they would take her advice next time. Mrs. March put the note in the fire, the money in her purse, and went on with her preparations, with her lips folded tightly, in a way which Jo would have understood if she had been there. 到劳里回来的时候，一切已安排就绪。他从马奇婶婶处带来一张便条，内附她们所希望的金额和几句她以前常常唠叨的话--她早就再三告诫她们，让马奇参军是桩荒唐事，不会有什么好结果的，她希望她们下次能够听她的劝告。马奇太太看后把纸条放到火炉里，把钱装进钱包，紧闭双唇，继续收拾行装。要是乔在场的话，乔一定能懂得她那副神情。 The short afternoon wore away; all the other errands were done, and Meg and her mother busy at some necessary needlework, while Beth and Amy got tea, and Hannah finished her ironing with what she called a 'slap and a bang', but still Jo did not come. They began to get anxious; and Laurie went off to find her, for no one ever knew what freak Jo might take into her head. He missed her, however, and she came walking in with a very queer expression of countenance, for there was a mixture of fun and fear, satisfaction and regret in it, which puzzled the family as much as did the roll of bills she laid before her mother, saying, with a little choke in her voice, 'That's my contribution towards making Father comfortable, and bringing him home!' 下午很快就过去了，大小事情已一一办妥，梅格和母亲忙着做一些必需的针线活，贝思和艾美泡茶，罕娜嬷嬷乓乓地，如她所说，熨好衣服，但乔仍没回来。众人开始有点担心，大家都不知道与众不同的乔会起什么念头，劳里便出去找她。他没碰上她，乔却古里古怪地走了进来，神情若喜若悲，似笑似恨，大家正在诧异不解之间，她又把一卷钞票摆在母亲面前，哽哽咽咽地说："这是我献给爸爸的礼物，让他舒舒服服，平安回家！" 'My dear, where did you get it? Twenty-five dollars? Jo, I hope you haven't done anything rash?' “好孩子，这钱是怎么来的？二十五元！乔，你不是干了蛊什么傻事吧？" 
“不是，这钱千真万确是我的。我没讨，没借，也没偷。我是自己赚来的，我想你一定不会责备我，我只是卖掉了自己的东西。"乔说着摘下帽子，大家一起惊呼起来，只见一头又浓又密的长发变得短不溜秋。 'Your hair! Your beautiful hair!' 'Oh, Jo, how could you? Your one beauty.' 'My dear girl, there was no need of this.' 'She doesn't look like my Jo any more, but I love her dearly for it!' " 你的头发！你那漂亮的头发！""噢，乔你怎能这样？你秀美的头发！""好女儿，你没必要这么做。""她不像我的乔了，但我因此而更深爱她。" As everyone exclaimed, and Beth hugged the cropped head tenderly, Jo assumed an indifferent air, which did not deceive anyone a particle, and said, rumpling up the brown bush, and trying to look as if she liked it, 'It doesn't affect the fate of the nation, so don't wail, Beth. It will be good for my vanity; I was getting too proud of my wig. It will do my brains good to have that mop taken off; my head feels deliciously light and cool, and the barber said I could soon have a curly crop, which will be boyish, becoming, and easy to keep in order. I'm satisfied; so please take the money, and let's have supper.' 在大家的叫声中，贝思把乔剪成平头的脑袋紧紧搂在怀里，乔故意装出一副满不在乎的神态，但却骗不过大家；她用手拨弄一下棕色的短发，以示自己喜欢这种发式，说："这又不是什么惊天动地的大事，别这么嚎啕大哭了，贝思。这正好可以治治我的虚荣心，我原来对自己的头发也太自鸣得意了点儿。现在剪掉这头乱发，还可以健脑益智，我的脑袋变得又轻便又好使，理发师说短发很快就可以卷曲起来，这样既活泼好看，又容易梳理。我高兴着呢，收起钞票，我们吃饭吧。" 'Tell me all about it, Jo. I am not quite satisfied, but I can't blame you, for I know how willingly you sacrificed your vanity, as you call it, to your love. But, my dear, it was not necessary, and I'm afraid you will regret it, one of these days,' said Mrs. March. “把事情经过告诉我，乔。我并不是十分满意，但我不能责怪你，因为我知道你是多么愿意为自己所爱的人牺牲你所谓的虚荣心。不过，亲爱的，你没必要这样，我怕你有一天会后悔呢，"马奇太太说。 'No, I won't!' returned Jo, stoutly, feeling much relieved that her prank was not entirely condemned. " 不，我不会的！"乔坚定地回答。这次胡闹没有遭到严厉谴责，她心里轻松多了。
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