評論
打印
CHAPTER ONE第一章
PLAYING PILGRIMS 朝圣
Beth ate no more, but crept away to sit in her shadowy corner and brood over the delight to come, till the others were ready.
貝思不再吃了，她悄悄走到幽暗的屋角坐下，默默想著那即將到來的歡樂，直到大家吃完。
"I think it was so splendid in Father to go as chaplain when he was too old to be drafted, and not strong enough for a soldier," said Meg warmly.
“爸爸已超過征兵年齡，身體也不適宜當兵，我認為他去當隨軍牧師真是太好了，”梅格熱切地說。
"Don't I wish I could go as a drummer, a vivan--what's its name? Or a nurse, so I could be near him and help him," exclaimed Jo, with a groan.
“我真想當個鼓手，或者當個--什么來著？或者去當個護士，這樣我就可以在他身邊幫忙，”喬大聲說道，一邊哼了一聲。
"It must be very disagreeable to sleep in a tent, and eat all sorts of bad-tasting things, and drink out of a tin mug," sighed Amy.
“睡帳篷，吃不堪入口的食物，用大錫杯喝水，這一定十分難受，”艾美嘆道。
"When will he come home, Marmee?" asked Beth, with a little quiver in her voice.
“他什么時候回家，媽媽？”貝思聲音微顫地問道。
"Not for many months, dear, unless he is sick. He will stay and do his work faithfully as long as he can, and we won't ask for him back a minute sooner than he can be spared. Now come and hear the letter."
“不出幾個月，親愛的，除非他病倒。他在部隊一天就會盡忠職守一天。我們也不會要求他提早一分鐘回來。現在來讀信吧！”
They all drew to the fire, Mother in the big chair with Beth at her feet, Meg and Amy perched on either arm of the chair, and Jo leaning on the back, where no one would see any sign of emotion if the letter should happen to be touching. Very few letters were written in those hard times that were not touching, especially those which fathers sent home. In this one little was said of the hardships endured, the dangers faced, or the homesickness conquered. It was a cheerful, hopeful letter, full of lively descriptions of camp life, marches, and military news, and only at the end did the writer's heart over-flow with fatherly love and longing for the little girls at home.
她們都圍近火邊，媽媽坐在大椅子上，貝思坐在她腳邊，梅格和艾美一邊一個靠在椅子扶手上，喬故意倚在背后，這樣讀到信中感人的地方時別人也不會覺察到她表情的變化。在那種艱難的日子里，信，尤其是父親們寫回家的信，往往都催人淚下。但這封信卻極少談及受到的艱難險阻和壓抑的鄉愁，描述的都是些生動的軍營生活、行軍情況和部隊新聞，讀了令人心情振奮，只是在信尾才展露出一顆深沉的慈父愛心以及渴望回家和妻女們團聚的愿望。
