"I liked the place where the bundles fell off and tumbled downstairs," said Meg.
“我喜歡包袱掉下來滾落樓梯這個情節，”梅格說。
"I don't remember much about it, except that I was afraid of the cellar and the dark entry, and always liked the cake and milk we had up at the top. If I wasn't too old for such things, I'd rather like to play it over again," said Amy, who began to talk of renouncing childish things at the mature age of twelve.
“我最喜歡的是我們走出來，上到平坦的屋頂，屋頂滿是鮮花、喬木和美麗的東西，我們站在那裡，在陽光照耀下，放聲歡歌，”貝思微微笑著說，好像又重新回到了那美好的時刻。“我不大記得了，只記得我挺害怕那個地窖和黑漆漆的入口，還有就是挺喜歡吃屋頂上的蛋糕和牛奶。如果不是年齡太大，我倒挺想再演一回。”年僅十二但已顯得成熟的艾美開始談論告別童真了。
"We never are too old for this, my dear, because it is a play we are playing all the time in one way or another. Our burdens are here, our road is before us, and the longing for goodness and happiness is the guide that leads us through many troubles and mistakes to the peace which is a true Celestial City. Now, my little pilgrims, suppose you begin again, not in play, but in earnest, and see how far on you can get before Father comes home."
“演這出戏永遠沒有年齡之分，親愛的，事實上我們一直都在扮演，只是方式不同而已。我們重擔在肩，道路就在眼前，追求善美、追求幸福的願望引導我們跨越無數艱難險阻，最後踏入聖寧之地--真正的'天國'。來吧，往天國進發的小旅客們，再來一次吧。不是做戲，而是真心真意地去做，看看爸爸回來時你們走了多遠的路。”
"Really, Mother? Where are our bundles?" asked Amy, who was a very literal young lady.
“真的嗎，媽媽？我們的重擔在哪裡？”缺乏想像力的年輕女士艾美問道。
- tumbled adj. 翻滾，滾磨 v. 翻到，滾動（tumble的過去分詞）
- renounce [ri'nauns] vt. 宣佈放棄；與…斷絕關係
- mature [mə'tjuə] adj. 成熟的；充分考慮的；到期的；vi. 成熟
- in one way or another 以某種方式；用這樣或那樣的方式；不管怎樣；無論如何
- literal ['lɪtərəl] adj. 文字的；逐字的；無誇張的
"Each of you told what your burden was just now, except Beth. I rather think she has not got any," said her mother.
“剛才你們各人都把自己的擔子說了出來，只有貝思除外。恐怕她沒有哩，”母親答道。
"Yes, I have. Mine is dishes and dusters, and envying girls with nice pianos, and being afraid of people."
“有呵，我也有。鍋、碗、瓶、盆，掃帚抹布，嫉妒有漂亮鋼琴的女孩，害怕生人，這些都是我的擔子。”
Beth's bundle was such a funny one that everybody wanted to laugh, but nobody did, for it would have hurt her feelings very much.
貝思的包袱如此有趣，大家直想笑，不過都沒有笑出來，因為這樣會大大傷害她的自尊心。
"Let us do it," said Meg thoughtfully. "It is only another name for trying to be good, and the story may help us, for though we do want to be good, it's hard work and we forget, and don't do our best."
“幹這些有什麼不好呢？”梅格沉思著說，”這其實就是追求善美，只是說法不同而已，而這個故事可以啟發我們，因為儘管我們都有追求善美之心，但因為做起來困難，我們便又忘掉了，不去盡力而為。”
"We were in the Slough of Despond tonight, and Mother came and pulled us out as Help did in the book. We ought to have our roll of directions, like Christian.
“我們今晚本來處於'絕望的深淵'，媽媽像書中的'幫助'一樣來把我們拉了出去，我們應該像基督教徒一樣有幾本指導手冊。
What shall we do about that?" asked Jo, delighted with the fancy which lent a little romance to the very dull task of doing her duty.
這事怎麼辦好呢？”喬問，為自己的想像力給沉悶的任務添加了幾分浪漫色彩而自鳴得意。
- duster ['dʌstɚ] n. 抹布，撣子；除塵器
- thoughtfully adv. 沉思地；體貼地，親切地
- slough [slau] n. 蛻下的皮（或殼）；絕境；泥沼；vt. 使陷入泥沼；拋棄
- despond [di'spɔnd] vi. 失去勇氣；沮喪 n. 失去勇氣；失望
- dull [dʌl] adj. 鈍的；遲鈍的；無趣的；呆滯的；陰暗的 vt. 使遲鈍；使陰暗；緩和
"Look under your pillows Christmas morning, and you will find your guidebook," replied Mrs. March.
“聖誕節一早看看你們的枕下，就會找到指導手冊了，”馬奇太太說。
They talked over the new plan while old Hannah cleared the table, then out came the four little work baskets, and the needles flew as the girls made sheets for Aunt March.
罕娜嬤嬤收拾桌子時，大家開始討論新計劃，然後取出四個裝活計的小籃子，姐妹們開始飛針走線，為馬奇太太縫製被單。
It was uninteresting sewing, but tonight no one grumbled. They adopted Jo's plan of dividing the long seams into four parts, and calling the quarters Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, and in that way got on capitally, especially when they talked about the different countries as they stitched their way through them.
罕娜嬤嬤收拾桌子時，大家開始討論新計劃，然後取出四個裝活計的小籃子，姐妹們開始飛針走線，為馬奇太太縫製被單。針線活是個沉悶的活兒，不過今天晚上誰也沒有抱怨。她們採納喬的建議，把長長的縫口分為四段，分別稱為歐洲、亞洲、非洲和美洲。這樣果然縫得快多了。她們一邊縫一邊談論針線穿越的不同國家，更覺進展神速。
At nine they stopped work, and sang, as usual, before they went to bed.
九點鐘的時候大家停下活兒，像平時那樣先唱歌再去睡覺。
- pillows n. 枕頭（pillow的複數）；靠墊 v. 靠
- grumble ['ɡrʌmbl] vi. 抱怨；嘟囔 n. 怨言
- seam [si:m] n. 縫；接縫 vt. 縫合
- capitally ['kæpətli] adv. 極佳地
- stitched v. 縫紉；裝訂（stitch的過去分詞)
No one but Beth could get much music out of the old piano, but she had a way of softly touching the yellow keys and making a pleasant accompaniment to the simple songs they sang.
家裡有架老掉牙的鋼琴，除了貝思，大家都不大會彈。她輕輕觸動泛黃的琴鍵，大家隨著悠揚的琴聲唱了起來。
Meg had a voice like a flute, and she and her mother led the little choir.
梅格的嗓音像蘆笛一樣動聽，她和母親擔任這支小演唱隊的領唱。
Amy chirped like a cricket, and Jo wandered through the airs at her own sweet will, always coming out at the wrong place with a croak or a quaver that spoiled the most pensive tune. They had always done this from the time they could lisp . . .
艾美歌聲清脆，如蟋蟀的鳴叫，喬則任由歌聲在空中飄蕩，總是在不適宜的時候冒出個顫音或怪叫聲來，把最深沉的曲調給糟蹋掉。
Crinkle, crinkle, 'ittle 'tar, and it had become a household custom, for the mother was a born singer. The first sound in the morning was her voice as she went about the house singing like a
lark, and the last sound at night was the same cheery sound, for the girls never grew too old for that familiar lullaby.打從牙牙學語的時候開始，她們就一直這樣唱：小星星，亮晶晶，如今這已成了家裡的慣例，因為她們的母親就是個天生的歌唱家。早上聽到的第一個聲音就是她在屋子裡走動時唱出的雲雀般婉轉的歌聲，晚上，她那輕快的歌聲又成了一天的尾聲。這支熟識的搖籃曲姑娘們百聽不厭。
- accompaniment [ə'kʌmpənimənt] n. 伴奏；伴隨物
- flute [flu:t] n. 長笛 vt. 用長笛吹奏
- choir ['kwaiə] n. 唱詩班；合唱隊；舞蹈隊 vt. 合唱
- chirp [tʃɝp] n. 唧唧聲；喳喳聲； 啁啾聲 vi. 吱喳而鳴；
- quaver ['kweivə] vt. 顫抖
- pensive ['pensiv] adj. 沉思的，憂鬱的；悲傷的，哀愁的
- tune [tju:n, tu:n] n. 曲調
- custom ['kʌstəm] n. 習慣；風俗；海關 adj. 定製的，定做的
- lark [lɑ:k] n. 雲雀；百靈鳥；歡樂 vi. 騎馬玩樂
- lullaby ['lʌləbai] n. 搖籃曲；催眠曲 vt. 唱搖籃曲使入睡
今天我們終於更新完了《小婦人》的第一章，帶大家感受了一下這個家庭的簡單和溫暖，也瞭解了一下這本書的詞彙難度。長難句不多，詞彙也比較簡單。本書大概一共有48章。更完也需要很長一段時間，不知道大家喜歡不喜歡，大家可以私信小編，要不要繼續更新這本書。
