目 录 上一节 下一节 
是什么促使你这样做的？"艾美问。对于她来说，剪掉蛊一头秀发还不如剪掉她的脑袋。 'Well, I was wild to do something for Father,' replied Jo, as they gathered about the table, for healthy young people can eat even in the midst of trouble. 'I hate to borrow as much as Mother does, and I knew Aunt March would croak; she always does, if you ask for a nine-pence. Meg gave all her quarterly salary toward the rent, and I only got some clothes with mine, so I felt wicked, and was bound to have some money, if I sold the nose off my face to get it.' " 嗯，我十分渴望能为爸爸做点事，"乔回答。这时大家已经围在桌边，年青人身体健康，即便遇上烦恼也能照样吃饭。"我像妈妈一样憎恨向人借钱，我知道马奇婶婶又要呱呱乱叫，她向来就是这样，只要你向她借上一文钱。梅格把她这季度的薪水全交了房租，我的却用来买了衣服，我觉得自己很坏，决心无论如何要筹点钱，哪怕是卖掉自己脸上的鼻子。" 'You needn't feel wicked, my child; you had no winter things, and got the simplest with your own hard earnings, said Mrs. March, with a look that warmed Jo's heart. “你不必为这事而觉得自己很坏，我的孩子。你没有冬衣，用自己辛苦赚来的钱买几件最扑素不过的衣服，这并没有错，"马奇太太说着慈爱地看了乔一眼。 'I hadn't the least idea of selling my hair at first, but as I went along I kept thinking what I could do, and feeling as if I'd like to dive into some of the rich stores and help myself. In a barber's window I saw tails of hair with the prices marked; and one black tail, not so thick as mine, was forty dollars. It came over me all of a sudden that I had one thing to make money out of, and without stopping to think, I walked in, asked if they bought hair, and what they would give for mine.' 'I don't see how you dared to do it,' said Beth, in a tone of awe. " 开始我一点也没想到要卖头发，后来我边走边盘算自己能做点什么，真想窜进富丽堂皇的商店里不问自龋我看到理发店的橱窗摆了几个发辫，都标了价，一个黑色发辫，还不及我的粗，标价四十元。我突然想到我有一样东西可以换钱，于是我顾不上多想便走了进去，问他们要不要头发，我的他们给多少钱。"“我不明白你怎么这样勇敢。"贝思肃然起敬。 'Oh, he was a little man who looked as if he merely lived to oil his hair. He rather stared, at first, as if he wasn't used to having girls bounce into his shop and ask him to buy their hair. He said he didn't care about mine, it wasn't the fashionable colour, and he never paid much for it in the first place; the work put into it made it dear, and so on. It was getting late, and I was afraid, if it wasn't done right away, that I shouldn't have it done at all, and you know when I start to do a thing, I hate to give it up; so I begged him to take it, and told him why I was in such a hurry. It was silly, I dare say, but it changed his mind, for I got rather excited, and told the story in my topsy-turvy way, and his wife heard, and said so kindly: "Take it, Thomas, and oblige the young lady; I'd do as much for our Jimmy any day if I had a spire of hair worth selling".' 'Who was Jimmy?' asked Amy, who liked to have things explained as they went along. " 哦。老板是个小个子男人，看他的样子似乎他活着就是为了给他的头发上油。他一开始有点吃惊，看来他不习惯女孩子闯进他的店子里叫他买头发。他说他对我的没什么兴趣，因为颜色并不时髦，首先他不会出高价；这头发要经过加工才值钱，等等。天色将晚，我担心如果我不马上做成这桩买卖，那就根本做不成了，你们也知道我做事不喜欢半途而废；于是我求他把头发买下，并告诉他我为何这样着急。这样做蛊当然很傻，但他听后改变了主意，因为我当时相当激动，话说得语无伦次。他妻子听到了，好心地说：'买下吧，汤姆斯，成全这位小姐吧，如果我有一把值钱的头发，我也会为我们的吉米这样做的。'"“吉米是谁？"逢事喜欢让人解释的艾美问道。 
她的儿子，她说也在军队里头。这种事情使陌生人一见如故，可不是吗？那男人帮我剪发时，她一路跟我拉话儿，分散我的注意力。"“剪刀剪下去的时候你觉得心寒吗？"梅格打了个哆嗦，问。 'I took a last look at my hair while the man got his things, and that was the end of it. I never snivel over trifles like that; I will confess, though, I felt queer when I saw the dear old hair laid out on the table, and felt only the short, rough ends on my head. It almost seemed as if I'd an arm or a leg off. The woman saw me look at it, and picked out a long lock for me to keep. I'll give it to you, Marmee, just to remember past glories by; for a crop is so comfortable I don't think I shall ever have a mane again.' " 趁那男人做准备的当儿，我看了自己的头发最后一眼，仅此而已。我从不为这种小事浪费感情。不过我承认当我看到自己的宝贝头发摆在桌上，摸摸脑袋只剩下又短又粗的发脚时，心里很不自在。这种滋味简直有点像掉了一只手臂一条腿。那女人看到我盯着头发，便捡起一绺长发给我保存。我现在把它交给您，妈妈，以此纪念我昔日的光彩，因为短发舒服极了，我想我以后再也不会留长发了。" Mrs. March folded the wavy chestnut lock, and laid it away with a short grey one in her desk. She only said, 'Thank you, deary', but something in her face made the girls change the subject, and talk as cheerfully as they could about Mr. Brooke's kindness, the prospect of a fine day tomorrow, and the happy times they would have when Father came home to be nursed. 马奇太太把卷曲的栗色发绺折起来，把它和一绺灰白色的短发一起放在她的桌子里头，只说了一句："难为你了，宝贝。"但她脸上的神色、使姑娘们换了个话题。她们强打精神，谈论布鲁克先生是怎样一个好人，又说明天一定天气晴朗，爸爸回来养病的时候大家就可以共享天伦之乐了，等等。 No one wanted to go to bed, when, at ten o'clock, Mrs. March put by the last finished job, and said, 'Come, girls.' Beth went to the piano and played the father's favourite hymn; all began bravely, but broke down one by one, till Beth was left alone, singing with all her heart, for to her music was always a sweet consoler. 到了十点钟大家仍不愿上床睡觉，马奇太太把刚刚做完的活计搁在一边，说："来吧，姑娘们。"贝思便走到钢琴前、弹奏父亲最喜欢的圣歌；大家勇敢地唱了起来，但又一个接蛊一个停下了歌声，最后，只剩贝思一人独自纵情歌唱，因为对于她来说，音乐就是心灵最好的慰藉。 'Go to bed and don't talk, for we must be up early, and shall need all the sleep we can get. Good night, my darlings,' said Mrs. March, as the hymn ended, for no one cared to try another. " 上床睡觉，别讲话，我们得起个大早，要抓紧时间好好休息。晚安，孩子们，"圣歌唱完后马奇太太这样说，因为这时大家都没有心情再唱下去了。 
她们静静地亲亲母亲，轻手轻脚地走上床，仿佛生病的父亲就躺在隔壁房间里。 Beth and Amy soon fell asleep in spite of the great trouble, but Meg lay awake, thinking the most serious thoughts she had ever known in her short life. Jo lay motionless, and her sister fancied that she was asleep, till a stifled sob made her exclaim, as she touched a wet cheek: 'Jo, dear, what is it? Are you crying about Father?' 'No, not now.' 'What then?' 'My - my hair!' burst out poor Jo, trying vainly to smother her emotion in the pillow. 尽管挂虑父亲，贝思和艾美还是很快就睡着了，梅格却全无睡意，躺在床上思考她短短的一生以来所遇到的最为严肃的问题。乔躺着也不动，梅格以为她早已入睡，不料却听到一下低低的抽齐声，她一伸手，摸到一张湿漉漉的脸颊，不禁叫起来--“乔，亲爱的，怎么回事？是为爸爸伤心吗？"“不，这会儿不是。"“那是为什么？"“我--我的头发！"可怜的乔冲口说道。她用枕头死死堵住嘴巴，试图掩住激动的啜齐声，但却徒费功夫。 It did not sound at all comical to Meg, who kissed and caressed the afflicted heroine in the tenderest manner. 梅格一点也不觉得好笑，她亲亲这位伤心的女英雄，一边十分温柔地抚摸着她。 'I'm not sorry,' protested Jo, with a choke. 'I'd do it again tomorrow, if I could. It's only the vain, selfish part of me that goes and cries in this silly way. Don't tell anyone, it's all over now. I thought you were asleep, so I just made a little private moan for my one beauty. How came you to be awake?' 'I can't sleep, I'm so anxious,' said Meg. " 我并不后悔，"乔哽噎了一下声明，"如果可能，我明天还会这样做。这只是我身上的私心在作怪。不要告诉别人，现在好了。我以为你睡着了，所以悄悄为我的一把美发洒几滴眼泪。你怎么也没睡？"“睡不着，我心里很乱，"梅格说。 'Think about something pleasant, and you'll soon drop off.' 'I tried it, but felt wider awake than ever.' 'What did you think of?' 'Handsome faces - eyes particularly,' answered Meg, smiling to herself, in the dark. 'What colour do you like best?' 'Brown - that is, sometimes; blue are lovely.' " 想想愉快的事情，就会很快睡着了。"“我试过了，但反而更清醒。"蛊“你在想什么？"“英俊的脸孔--特别是眼睛，"梅格答道，黑暗中自个微笑起来。"你最喜欢什么颜色？"“棕色--我的意思是，有时候，不过蓝色也很漂亮。" 
乔笑了，梅格严厉地命她不许再说，接着又笑着答应替她把头发卷曲，随后便酣然入梦，走进她的空中楼阁去了。 The clocks were striking midnight, and the rooms were very still, as a figure glided quietly from bed to bed, smoothing a coverlet here, settling a pillow there, and pausing to look long and tenderly at each unconscious face, to kiss each with lips that mutely blessed, and to pray the fervent prayers which only mothers utter. As she lifted the curtain to look out into the dreary night, the moon broke suddenly from behind the clouds, and shone upon her like a bright, benignant face, which seemed to whisper in the silence, 'Be comforted, dear soul! There is always light behind the clouds.' 时钟敲响十二点，更深夜静，一个人影在床间悄悄移动，把这边的被角掖好，把那边的枕头摆正，又停下来深情地久久凝视着每张熟睡的面孔，轻轻吻吻她们，然后带着无限的爱意热诚祈祷。当她拉起窗帘，望着沉沉夜色时，月亮穿云破雾，倏忽而出，向她洒下一片祥和的光辉，似乎在静夜中悄悄低语："别着急，善良的人！守得云开见月明。" In the cold grey dawn the sisters lit their lamp, and read their chapter with an earnestness never felt before; for now the shadow of a real trouble had come, the little books were full of help and comfort; and, as they dressed, they agreed to say good-bye cheerfully and hopefully, and send their mother on her anxious journey unsaddened by tears or complaints from them. Everything seemed very strange when they went down - so dim and still outside, so full of light and bustle within. 天方蒙蒙亮，姐妹们便冒着严寒，点亮灯，以前所未有的热诚阅读她们的小册子，因为一项真正的麻烦已经降临到她们身上，而这些小书当中随处可以寻到帮助和宽慰。穿衣的时候，她们约定要高高兴兴地跟母亲道别、不流泪、不诉苦，让她轻松上路。她们走下楼时一切都似乎变得十分陌生--外头天色灰暗、鸦雀无声，里头却灯火透亮、一片忙乱。 Breakfast at that early hour seemed odd, and even Hannah's familiar face looked unnatural as she flew about her kitchen with her night-cap on. The big trunk stood ready in the hall, Mother's cloak and bonnet lay on the sofa, and Mother herself sat trying to eat, but looking so pale and worn, with sleeplessness and anxiety, that the girls found it very hard to keep their resolution. Meg's eyes kept filling in spite of herself; Jo was obliged to hide her face in the kitchen roller more than once; and the little girls wore a grave, troubled expression, as if sorrow was a new experience to them. 这么早便吃早餐显得有点古里古怪，罕娜戴着睡帽在厨房里跑上跑下，那张熟识的面孔也好像与往日不同。大行李箱已在大厅里放好，母亲的外套和帽子摆在沙发上。母亲坐在那里，正吃力地把早点咽下去，因昨晚忧思劳神、一夜无眠，脸色显得十分苍白憔悴，姑娘们见状几乎把持不祝梅格忍不住泪如雨下，乔不得不三番四次地躲到厨房的碾子后面抹眼泪，两个小妹妹也神情严肃，愁眉不展，仿佛悲伤对于她们来说是一种新体验。 Nobody talked much, but as the time drew very near, and they sat waiting for the carriage, Mrs. March said to the girls, who were all busied about her, one folding her shawl, another smoothing out the strings of her bonnet, a third putting on her overshoes, and a fourth fastening up her travelling bag: 大家都没有怎么说话，出发的时间就要到了，大家坐着在等马车，姑娘们围着母亲忙忙碌碌，一个替她叠围巾，一个把她的帽带弄起，一个为她穿上套鞋，一个为她系好行李袋。马奇太太对她们说--
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