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"That's loving our neighbor better than ourselves, and I like it," said Meg, as they set out their presents while their mother was upstairs collecting clothes for the poor Hummels.
“這就是所謂愛別人勝于愛自己，我喜歡這樣，”梅格說。 她們趁母親上樓為貧窮的赫梅爾一家收集衣物時把禮物擺了出來。
Not a very splendid show, but there was a great deal of love done up in the few little bundles, and the tall vase of red roses, white chrysanthemums, and trailing vines, which stood in the middle, gave quite an elegant air to the table.
這些小禮物并不貴重，但都經(jīng)過精心的包裝，從中可見一片深情。一只高高的花瓶立在桌子中間，里頭插著紅色的玫瑰和白色的菊花，襯著幾縷垂蔓，平添一份雅致。
"She's coming! Strike up, Beth! Open the door, Amy! Three cheers for Marmee!" cried Jo, prancing about while Meg went to conduct Mother to the seat of honor.
“她來了！開始演奏，貝思！開門，艾美！為媽媽歡呼三聲！”喬歡躍著大聲喊叫，梅格則上前去把媽媽接到貴賓席位。
Beth played her gayest march, Amy threw open the door, and Meg enacted escort with great dignity. Mrs. March was both surprised and touched, and smiled with her eyes full as she examined her presents and read the little notes which accompanied them. The slippers went on at once, a new handkerchief was slipped into her pocket, well scented with Amy's cologne, the rose was fastened in her bosom, and the nice gloves were pronounced a perfect fit.
貝思彈起歡快的進(jìn)行曲，艾美拉開門，梅格儼然是一個護花使者。馬奇太太既驚訝又感動，她含笑端詳著她的禮物，讀著附在上面的小字條，不由眼中噙滿淚水地笑了。她當(dāng)即穿上便鞋，又把一條散發(fā)著古龍水香味的手帕放入衣袋，然后她把那朵玫瑰花別在胸前，又稱贊別致的手套"絕對合適"。
There was a good deal of laughing and kissing and explaining, in the simple, loving fashion which makes these home festivals so pleasant at the time, so sweet to remember long afterward, and then all fell to work.
大家笑著、吻著、解釋著，這種簡單而又充滿愛意的方式增添了家里的節(jié)日氣氛，其溫馨讓人永久難忘。然后，大家又投入了工作。
The morning charities and ceremonies took so much time that the rest of the day was devoted to preparations for the evening festivities. Being still too young to go often to the theater, and not rich enough to afford any great outlay for private performances, the girls put their wits to work, and necessity being the mother of invention, made whatever they needed. Very clever were some of their productions, pasteboard guitars, antique lamps made of old-fashioned butter boats covered with silver paper, gorgeous robes of old cotton, glittering with tin spangles from a pickle factory, and armor covered with the same useful diamond shaped bits left in sheets when the lids of preserve pots were cut out. The big chamber was the scene of many innocent revels.
早上的慈善活動和慶典花了不少時間，余下的時間便用來準(zhǔn)備晚上的歡慶活動。由于年齡太小，不宜經(jīng)常上戲院，又因為經(jīng)濟拮據(jù)，支付不起業(yè)余表演的大筆費用，姑娘們于是充分發(fā)揮才智--需要是發(fā)明之母--需要什么，她們便做什么。她們的創(chuàng)造品有些還挺見心機--用紙板做的吉它，用舊式牛油瓶裹上錫紙做成的古燈，用舊棉布做的鮮艷奪目的長袍，面上亮晶晶地鑲著從一家腌菜廠拿來的小錫片，還有鑲有同樣的鉆石形小錫片的盔甲，這些被派上用場的小錫片是腌菜廠做罐頭剩下的邊角料。屋子里的家具常常被弄得亂七八糟，大房間就是舞臺，姑娘們在臺上天真無邪地盡興表演。
