"I liked the place where the bundles fell off and tumbled downstairs," said Meg.
“我喜欢包袱掉下来滚落楼梯这个情节，”梅格说。
"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.
“我最喜欢的是我们走出来，上到平坦的屋顶，屋顶满是鲜花、乔木和美丽的东西，我们站在那里，在阳光照耀下，放声欢歌，”贝思微微笑着说，好像又重新回到了那美好的时刻。“我不大记得了，只记得我挺害怕那个地窖和黑漆漆的入口，还有就是挺喜欢吃屋顶上的蛋糕和牛奶。如果不是年龄太大，我倒挺想再演一回。”年仅十二但已显得成熟的艾美开始谈论告别童真了。
"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."
“演这出戏永远没有年龄之分，亲爱的，事实上我们一直都在扮演，只是方式不同而已。我们重担在肩，道路就在眼前，追求善美、追求幸福的愿望引导我们跨越无数艰难险阻，最后踏入圣宁之地--真正的'天国'。来吧，往天国进发的小旅客们，再来一次吧。不是做戏，而是真心真意地去做，看看爸爸回来时你们走了多远的路。”
"Really, Mother? Where are our bundles?" asked Amy, who was a very literal young lady.
“真的吗，妈妈？我们的重担在哪里？”缺乏想像力的年轻女士艾美问道。
- tumbled adj. 翻滚，滚磨 v. 翻到，滚动（tumble的过去分词）
- renounce [ri'nauns] vt. 宣布放弃；与…断绝关系
- mature [mə'tjuə] adj. 成熟的；充分考虑的；到期的；vi. 成熟
- in one way or another 以某种方式；用这样或那样的方式；不管怎样；无论如何
- literal ['lɪtərəl] adj. 文字的；逐字的；无夸张的
"Each of you told what your burden was just now, except Beth. I rather think she has not got any," said her mother.
“刚才你们各人都把自己的担子说了出来，只有贝思除外。恐怕她没有哩，”母亲答道。
"Yes, I have. Mine is dishes and dusters, and envying girls with nice pianos, and being afraid of people."
“有呵，我也有。锅、碗、瓶、盆，扫帚抹布，嫉妒有漂亮钢琴的女孩，害怕生人，这些都是我的担子。”
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.
贝思的包袱如此有趣，大家直想笑，不过都没有笑出来，因为这样会大大伤害她的自尊心。
"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."
“干这些有什么不好呢？”梅格沉思着说，”这其实就是追求善美，只是说法不同而已，而这个故事可以启发我们，因为尽管我们都有追求善美之心，但因为做起来困难，我们便又忘掉了，不去尽力而为。”
"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.
“我们今晚本来处于'绝望的深渊'，妈妈像书中的'帮助'一样来把我们拉了出去，我们应该像基督教徒一样有几本指导手册。
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.
这事怎么办好呢？”乔问，为自己的想像力给沉闷的任务添加了几分浪漫色彩而自鸣得意。
- duster ['dʌstɚ] n. 抹布，掸子；除尘器
- thoughtfully adv. 沉思地；体贴地，亲切地
- slough [slau] n. 蜕下的皮（或壳）；绝境；泥沼；vt. 使陷入泥沼；抛弃
- despond [di'spɔnd] vi. 失去勇气；沮丧 n. 失去勇气；失望
- dull [dʌl] adj. 钝的；迟钝的；无趣的；呆滞的；阴暗的 vt. 使迟钝；使阴暗；缓和
"Look under your pillows Christmas morning, and you will find your guidebook," replied Mrs. March.
“圣诞节一早看看你们的枕下，就会找到指导手册了，”马奇太太说。
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.
罕娜嬷嬷收拾桌子时，大家开始讨论新计划，然后取出四个装活计的小篮子，姐妹们开始飞针走线，为马奇太太缝制被单。
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.
罕娜嬷嬷收拾桌子时，大家开始讨论新计划，然后取出四个装活计的小篮子，姐妹们开始飞针走线，为马奇太太缝制被单。针线活是个沉闷的活儿，不过今天晚上谁也没有抱怨。她们采纳乔的建议，把长长的缝口分为四段，分别称为欧洲、亚洲、非洲和美洲。这样果然缝得快多了。她们一边缝一边谈论针线穿越的不同国家，更觉进展神速。
At nine they stopped work, and sang, as usual, before they went to bed.
九点钟的时候大家停下活儿，像平时那样先唱歌再去睡觉。
- pillows n. 枕头（pillow的复数）；靠垫 v. 靠
- grumble ['ɡrʌmbl] vi. 抱怨；嘟囔 n. 怨言
- seam [si:m] n. 缝；接缝 vt. 缝合
- capitally ['kæpətli] adv. 极佳地
- stitched v. 缝纫；装订（stitch的过去分词)
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.
家里有架老掉牙的钢琴，除了贝思，大家都不大会弹。她轻轻触动泛黄的琴键，大家随着悠扬的琴声唱了起来。
Meg had a voice like a flute, and she and her mother led the little choir.
梅格的嗓音像芦笛一样动听，她和母亲担任这支小演唱队的领唱。
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 . . .
艾美歌声清脆，如蟋蟀的鸣叫，乔则任由歌声在空中飘荡，总是在不适宜的时候冒出个颤音或怪叫声来，把最深沉的曲调给糟蹋掉。
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.打从牙牙学语的时候开始，她们就一直这样唱：小星星，亮晶晶，如今这已成了家里的惯例，因为她们的母亲就是个天生的歌唱家。早上听到的第一个声音就是她在屋子里走动时唱出的云雀般婉转的歌声，晚上，她那轻快的歌声又成了一天的尾声。这支熟识的摇篮曲姑娘们百听不厌。
- accompaniment [ə'kʌmpənimənt] n. 伴奏；伴随物
- flute [flu:t] n. 长笛 vt. 用长笛吹奏
- choir ['kwaiə] n. 唱诗班；合唱队；舞蹈队 vt. 合唱
- chirp [tʃɝp] n. 唧唧声；喳喳声； 啁啾声 vi. 吱喳而鸣；
- quaver ['kweivə] vt. 颤抖
- pensive ['pensiv] adj. 沉思的，忧郁的；悲伤的，哀愁的
- tune [tju:n, tu:n] n. 曲调
- custom ['kʌstəm] n. 习惯；风俗；海关 adj. 定制的，定做的
- lark [lɑ:k] n. 云雀；百灵鸟；欢乐 vi. 骑马玩乐
- lullaby ['lʌləbai] n. 摇篮曲；催眠曲 vt. 唱摇篮曲使入睡
今天我们终于更新完了《小妇人》的第一章，带大家感受了一下这个家庭的简单和温暖，也了解了一下这本书的词汇难度。长难句不多，词汇也比较简单。本书大概一共有48章。更完也需要很长一段时间，不知道大家喜欢不喜欢，大家可以私信小编，要不要继续更新这本书。
