"Cuddle your cats and get over your headache, Bethy. Goodbye, Marmee. We are a set of rascals this morning, but we'll come home regular angels. Now then, Meg!" And Jo tramped away, feeling that the pilgrims were not setting out as they ought to do.
“抱上你的貓,頭痛就會好了,貝思。再見,媽媽。我們今早真是一班小壞蛋,不過我們回家時一定還是平日的小天使。走吧,梅格!”喬邁開步伐,覺得她們的天國之旅從一開始就沒有走好。
They always looked back before turning the corner, for their mother was always at the window to nod and smile, and wave her hand to them. Somehow it seemed as if they couldn't have got through the day without that, for whatever their mood might be, the last glimpse of that motherly face was sure to affect them like sunshine.
她們轉過拐角之前總要回頭望望,因為母親總是倚在窗前點頭微笑,向她們揮手道別。不這樣她們這一天就似乎過得不踏實,因為無論她們心情如何,她們最后一起所看到的母親的臉容無異于縷縷陽光,令她們歡欣鼓舞。
"If Marmee shook her fist instead of kissing her hand to us, it would serve us right, for more ungrateful wretches than we are were never seen," cried Jo, taking a remorseful satisfaction in the snowy walk and bitter wind.
“即使媽咪不向我們揮手吻別,而是揮起拳頭,我們也是罪有應得,因為我們是天底下最不知道感恩圖報的小混帳,”喬在凄風蕭瑟的雪路上大聲懺悔。
"Don't use such dreadful expressions," replied Meg from the depths of the veil in which she had shrouded herself like a nun sick of the world.
“不要用這么難聽的字眼,”梅格說。她用頭巾把自己裹得嚴嚴實實,看上去就像一個厭世的尼姑。
"I like good strong words that mean something," replied Jo, catching her hat as it took a leap off her head preparatory to flying away altogether.
“我喜歡強有力而有意義的好字眼,”喬答道,用手抓著幾乎被風吹落的帽子。
"Call yourself any names you like, but I am neither a rascal nor a wretch and I don't choose to be called so."
“你愛怎么叫自己就怎么叫吧,我可不是壞蛋,也不是混帳,也不愿意人家這么叫我。”
"You're a blighted being, and decidedly cross today because you can't sit in the lap of luxury all the time. Poor dear, just wait till I make my fortune, and you shall revel in carriages and ice cream and high-heeled slippers, and posies, and red-headed boys to dance with."
“你是個傷心落魄人,今天這么怒氣沖天是因為你不能整天置身于花團錦簇之中。可憐的寶貝,等著吧,等我賺到錢,你就可以享受馬車、雪糕、高跟鞋、花束,并和紅發小伙子一起跳舞了。”
"How ridiculous you are, Jo!" But Meg laughed at the nonsense and felt better in spite of herself.
“喬,你真荒唐!”梅格不由被這荒唐話逗笑了。
"Lucky for you I am, for if I put on crushed airs and tried to be dismal, as you do, we should be in a nice state. Thank goodness, I can always find something funny to keep me up. Don't croak any more, but come home jolly, there's a dear."
“幸虧是我呢!如果我也像你一樣垂頭喪氣一副憂郁相,我們可都成了什么樣子?謝天謝地,我總可以找到一些有趣的東西來令自己振作。別再發牢騷了,高高興興地回家吧,這就對了。”