目 录 上一节 下一节 
坐下歇一会,待我把这些东西卸掉,我有一件十分严肃的事情要跟你商量,"在展示完自己的光彩并把鹦哥赶到一角后,她这样说。"这只鸟真是我命中的克星,"她接着又说,一面摘下头上粉红色的庞然大物。劳里则跨坐在一张椅子上。 'Yesterday, when Aunt was asleep, and I was trying to be as still as a mouse, Polly began to squall and flap about in his cage; so I went to let him out, and found a big spider there. I poked it out, and it ran under the book-case; Polly marched straight after it, stooped down and peeped under the book-case, saying, in his funny way, with a cock of his eye, "Come out and take a walk, my dear." I couldn't help laughing, which made Poll swear, and Aunt woke up and scolded us both.' " 昨天,婶婶睡着了,我正敛息不敢吱一声,鹦哥却在笼子里尖声高叫,乱七乱动;我便过去把它放出来,发现笼子里有一只大蜘蛛,我用火钳把它捅出来,它却溜到书架下面;鹦哥紧追过去,弯低脖子向书架下面瞪直双眼,怪模怪样地说:'出来散个步,宝贝。'我忍不住笑出了声,鹦哥听到叫骂起来,婶婶被吵醒了,把我们两个痛斥一顿。"“蜘蛛接受了那老家伙的邀请吗?"劳里打了个呵欠,问。 'Did the spider accept the old fellow's invitation?' asked Laurie, yawning. 'Yes; out it came, and away ran Polly, frightened to death, and scrambled up on Aunt's chair, calling out, "Catch her! catch her! catch her!" as I chased the spider.' 'That's a lie! Oh, lor!' cried the parrot, pecking at Laurie's toes. “接受了,它走出来,鹦哥却拔脚就跑,吓得半死,它狠命跳到婶婶椅子上,一面看我追蜘蛛一面大叫:'抓住她!抓住她!抓住她!'"“撒谎!呵,上帝!"鹦鹉叫起来,又去啄劳里的脚趾。 'I'd wring your neck if you were mine, you old torment,' cried Laurie, shaking his fist at the bird, who put his head on one side, and gravely croaked, 'Allyluyer! bless your buttons, dear!' " 如果你是我养的我就拧断你的脖子,你这孽畜!"劳里向鸟儿晃晃头叫道。鹦哥把头一侧躲过,扯着嗓子庄严地嘎嘎大叫:"阿利路亚!上帝保佑,宝贝!" 'Now I'm ready,' said Amy, shutting the wardrobe, and taking a paper out of her pocket. 'I want you to read that, please, and tell me if it is legal and right. I felt that I ought to do it, for life is uncertain and I don't want any ill-feeling over my tomb.' “好了。"艾美把衣橱门关上,从口袋里掏出一张纸。"我想请你看看这份文件,告诉我它是否合法、妥当。我觉得我应该这样做,因为生命无常,我不想死后引起纷争,令大家不快。" 
劳里咂咂嘴唇,把眼光从这位悲天悯人的朋友身上移开,微微背转身子,带着颇值嘉许的认真劲头读起了下面这份有错字的文件:我的遗愿和遗属我,艾美·科蒂斯·马奇,在此心智健全之际,把我的全部财产曾(赠)送并遗曾(赠)如下--即,就是--也就是给父亲:我最好的图画、素描、地图及艺术品,包括画框。还有一百美元给他自由支配。 'To my Mother, all my clothes, except the blue apron with pockets - also my likeness, and my medal, with much love. 给母亲:诚挚送上我的全部衣服,有口袋的蓝围裙除外--以及我的肖像、奖章。 'To my dear sister Margaret, I give my turkquoise ring (if I get it), also my green box with the doves on it, also my piece of real lace for her neck, and my sketch of her as a memorial of her "little girl". 给亲爱的姐姐玛格丽特:曾(赠)送我的录(绿)松石戒指(如果我能得到),以及装鸽子用的录(绿)色箱子,以及我的上等花边给她戴,还有我给她画的肖像,以纪念她的“小姑娘"。 'To Jo I leave my breast-pin, the one mended with sealing wax, also my bronze inkstand - she lost the cover - and my most precious plaster rabbit, because I am sorry I burnt up her story. 给乔,我留给她我的胸针,被封蜡补过的那个,以及我的铜墨水台--她弄丢了盖子--还有我最珍爱的塑胶兔子,因为我很后悔烧掉了她的故事。 'To Beth (if she lives after me) I give my dolls and the little bureau, my fan, my linen collars, and my new slippers if she can wear them being thin when she gets well. And I herewith also leave her my regret that I ever made fun of old Joanna. 给贝思(如果我先她而去)我送给她我的玩偶和小衣柜、扇子、亚麻布衣领和我的新鞋子,如果她病好后身体瘦弱可以穿下的话。在此我一并为以前取笑过乔安娜而致歉。 
给我的朋友和邻居西奥多·劳伦斯,我遗曾(赠)我的制型纸文件夹,陶土模型马,虽然他说过这马没有颈。以及他喜欢的我的任何一件艺术品,以报答他在我们痛苦之际对我们的大恩大德,最好是《圣母玛利亚》。 'To our venerable benefactor Mr. Laurence I leave my purple box with a looking glass in the cover which will be nice for his pens and remind him of the departed girl who thanks him for his favours to her family, specially Beth. 给我们尊敬的恩人劳伦斯先生我留给他一面盖子上镶有镜子的紫色盒子,这给他装钢笔用最为漂亮,并可以使他睹物思人,想起那位对他感激涕零的逝去了的姑娘。她感谢他帮助了她一家,尤其是贝思。 'I wish my favourite play mate Kitty Bryant to have the blue silk apron and my gold bead ring with a kiss. 我希望我最要好的伙伴吉蒂·布莱恩得到那条28妇人蓝绸缎围裙和我的金殊戒子,连同一吻。 'To Hannah I give the bandbox she wanted and all the patch work I leave hoping she will "remember me, when it you see". 给罕娜我送她想要的硬纸匣和我留下的全部拼凑布匹,希望她“看到它时就会想起我"。 'And now having disposed of my most valuable property I hope all will be satisfied and not blame the dead. I forgive everyone, and trust we may all meet when the trump shall sound. Amen. 我最有价值的财产现已处理完毕,我希望大家满意,不会责备死者。我原谅所有人,并相信号角响起时我们会再见。阿门。 
我于今天公元一八六一年十一月二十日在此遗属(嘱)上签字盖章。 'Amy Curtis March. 'Witnesses Estelle Valnor Theodore Laurence.' 艾美·科蒂斯·马奇,证人:埃丝特尔·梵尔奈西奥多·劳伦斯 The last name was written in pencil, and Amy explained that he was to rewrite it in ink, and seal it up for her properly. 最后一个名字是用铅笔写上的,艾美解释说他要用墨水笔重写一次。并替她把文件妥善封好。 'What put it into your head? Did anyone tell you about Beth's giving away her things?' asked Laurie, soberly, as Amy laid a bit of red tape, with sealing-wax, a taper, and a standish before him. " 你怎么会想出这个主意?有人告诉你贝思要分派自己的东西了吗?"劳里严肃地问。此时艾美在他面前放上一段扎文件用的红带,连同封蜡、一支小蜡烛、一个墨水台。 She explained; and then asked anxiously, 'What about Beth?' 'I'm sorry I spoke: but as I did I'll tell you. She felt so ill one day that she wanted to give her piano to Meg, her cats to you, and the poor old doll to Jo, who would love it for her sake. She was sorry she had so little to give, and left locks of hair to the rest of us, and her best love to grandpa. She never thought of a will.' 她于是解释一番,然后焦急地问:"贝思怎么样?"“我本不该说的,但既然说了,我便告诉你。一天她觉得自己已病入膏肓,便告诉乔她想把她的钢琴送给梅格,她的猫儿给你,她可怜的旧玩偶给乔,乔会为她而爱惜这个玩偶的,她很遗憾自己没有更多的东西留给大家,便把自己的头发一人一绺分给我们和其他人、把挚爱留给爷爷。她根本没想到什么遗嘱。" 
劳里一面说一面签字盖章,久久没有抬起头来,直到一颗硕大的泪珠慢慢滑落到纸上。艾美神色大变;但她只是问道:"人们有时会在遗嘱上加插附言之类的东西吗?" 'Yes; "codicils", they call them.' 'Put one in mine, then - that I wish all my curls cut off, and given round to my friends. I forgot it; but I want it done, though it will spoil my looks.' “会的,他们把它叫做'补遗'。"“那么我的也加上一条--我希望把我的鬈发通通剪掉,分送给朋友们留念。我刚才忘了,但我想现在补上,虽然这会毁掉我的相貌。" Laurie added it, smiling at Amy's last and greatest sacrifice. Then he amused her for an hour, and was much interested in all her trials. But when he came to go, Amy held him back to whisper, with trembling lips, 'Is there really any danger about Beth?' 'I'm afraid there is; but we must hope for the best, so don't cry, dear'; and Laurie put his arm about her with a brotherly gesture which was very comforting. 劳里把这条加上去,为艾美作出这最后一个也是最伟大的一个牺牲而微笑起来。之后他又陪她玩了一个小时,并耐心听她倾吐苦水。当他准备告辞时,艾美把他拉住,颤抖着嘴唇悄声问道:"贝思是不是真会有什么危险?"“恐怕是这样,但我们必须抱最好的希望。别哭,亲爱的。"劳里像哥哥一样伸出手臂护着她,使她感到了莫大的安慰。 When he had gone, she went to her little room, and sitting in the twilight, prayed for Beth, with streaming tears and an aching heart, feeling that a million turquoise rings would not console her for the loss of her gentle little sister. 劳里走后,她来到自己的小教堂,静坐于蒙蒙暮光之中,为贝思祈祷,一面心酸落泪。假如失去了温柔可爱的小姐姐,即使有一千个一万个绿松石戒指,也不能给她带来安慰。 I don't think I have any words in which to tell the meeting of the mother and daughters; such hours are beautiful to live, but very hard to describe, so I will leave it to the imagination of my readers, merely saying that the house was full of genuine happiness, and that Meg's tender hope was realized; for when Beth woke from that long, healing sleep, the first objects on which her eyes fell were the little rose and Mother's face. Too weak to wonder at anything, she only smiled, and nestled close into the loving arms about her, feeling that the hungry longing was satisfied at last. Then she slept again, and the girls waited upon their mother; for she would not unclasp the thin hand which clung to hers even in sleep. 埃我认为我找不到任何词语来描述她们母女重逢的情形;这种温馨、美好的时光是难以用笔墨来形容的,我只好把它留给我的读者们去想象,只能说屋子里洋溢着真正的快乐,梅格美好的心愿也成为现实;因为贝思睡了长长一觉醒来,她第一眼看到的正是那朵小玫瑰花和母亲慈爱的面孔。因身体仍极度虚弱,她没有气力发出惊叹,只是露出微笑,紧紧依偎在母亲慈爱的臂膀中,那种感觉就像久旱的禾苗终于盼到了甘露。然后她又睡了过去,姐妹俩则熬夜守候在母亲身边,因为母亲不愿放弃女儿沉睡中依然紧紧攥着她的瘦削的手。
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