牛津書蟲系列 小婦人 中英雙語 11

11 Beth

11 白絲

Ten days after their mother went away，Beth came home late after one of several visits to a sick baby at the Hummels'house.She went straight to her mother's room and shut herself inside.Half an hour later，Jo found her sitting there，looking very ill.

母親離開10天以后，白絲很晚才回家，她已幾次去哈梅爾家看望一個生病的嬰兒。她徑直走進母親的房間，把自己關(guān)在里面。半個小時以后，瓊發(fā)現(xiàn)她坐在那兒，看上去病得很厲害。

'Beth，what's the matter?'cried Jo.

“白絲，怎么了?”瓊叫道。

Beth put out a hand to keep her away.'You've had scarlet fever，haven't you?she said.

白絲伸出一支手，讓她離遠點。“你得過猩紅熱，是不是?”她說。

'Years ago，when Meg did，'said Jo.'Why?'

“幾年以前得過，那是麥格得病時傳染了我，”瓊說，“怎么了?”

'Oh，Jo!Mrs Hummel's baby is dead，'said Beth.'It died in my arms before Mrs Hummel got home.'

“噢，瓊!哈梅爾的嬰兒死了，”白絲說，“它在哈梅爾太太回家前死在我懷里。”

'My poor Beth，how awful for you!'said Jo，putting an arm around her sister.'What did you do?'

“我可憐的白絲，這對你太糟了!”瓊說，用一只胳膊摟住她的妹妹。“你做了什么?”

'I just sat and held it until Mrs Hummel came with the doctor.He looked at Heinrich and Minna who were also feeling sick.“It's scarlet fever，”he said.Then he told me to come home and take some medicine quickly or I would catch it，too.'

“我就那么坐在那兒抱著它，直到哈梅爾太太帶著醫(yī)生來。他看看海因里奇和米娜，他們也覺得不舒服。'是猩紅熱，'他說。然后他告訴我回家來趕快吃點藥，要不然我也會得病的。”

'I'll fetch Hannah，'said Jo.

“我去找海娜，”瓊說。

'Don't let Amy come，'said Beth.'She hasn't had it，and I don't want to give it to her.'

“別讓艾米來，”白絲說。“她沒得過，我不想傳染給她。”

It was decided that Amy must go to Aunt March's house，so Laurie took her there.Poor Amy did not like this plan at all and only agreed to go when Laurie said he would visit her every day to bring her news of Beth.

大家決定艾米必須去馬奇姑媽家，于是羅瑞把她帶到那兒?？蓱z的艾米一點也不喜歡這個主意，直到羅瑞說他每天都會會看她，帶給她白絲的消息，她才同意去。

When Laurie got back，he asked Jo and Meg if he ought to send a telegram to Mrs March.

羅瑞回來的時候，問瓊和麥格他是不是應(yīng)該給馬奇太太發(fā)封電報。

'Hannah says Mother can't leave Father and would only worry，'said Meg.'She says Beth won't be sick long，and that she knows what to do，but it doesn't seem right.'

“海娜說媽媽不能離開爸爸，只會為這事著急擔心，”麥格說。“她說白絲不會病很久，她知道該怎么做，可這好像不對。”

Mr Laurence was not allowed to see Beth，and Meg felt unhappy writing letters to her mother saying nothing about Beth's illness.Jo nursed Beth night and day，but the time came when Beth did not know her and called for her mother.Jo was frightened，and Meg begged to be allowed to write the truth，but Hannah said there was no danger yet.Then a letter came saying that Mr March was worse and could not think of coming home for a long time.

他們不準勞倫斯先生來看望白絲。麥格為給媽媽的信中不能提白絲的病感到很不高興。瓊?cè)找拐湛窗捉z，可不久白絲不認識她了，喊叫著要母親。瓊害怕了，麥格懇求允許她把真情寫在信里，可海娜說還不會有危險。之后來了一封信，說馬奇先生病情加重，在很長一段時間內(nèi)她還不能考慮回家。

How dark the days seemed.How sad and lonely The sisters worked and waited as the shadow of death lay over the once happy home.It was then that Meg realized how rich she had been in the things which really mattered—love，peace，good health.And Jo，watching her little sister，thought about how unselfish Beth always was—living for others and trying to make home a happy place for all who came there.Amy，sad and lonely at Aunt March's house，just wanted to come home so that she could do something to help Beth.

那些日子看起來多陰暗哪。那么悲傷和孤獨，女孩子們工作著，等待著死亡的陰影籠罩著這個一度歡樂的家。就在那時，麥格意識到她曾經(jīng)多么富有，那些東西才是真正應(yīng)該在意的——愛，和平，健康。瓊看著她的妹妹，想起白絲一直是那么無私——為別人而生活，努力為來到家里的人把家變成一個快樂的地方。艾米在馬奇姑媽家又傷心又孤單，只想回家為白絲幫點忙。

On the first day of December，the doctor came in the morning.He looked at Beth，then said quietly，'If Mrs March can leave her husband，I think she should come home now.'

12月的第一天，醫(yī)生一早就來了。他看了看白絲，然后緩緩地說：“如果馬奇太太能離開她的丈夫，我認為她現(xiàn)在就應(yīng)該回家來。”

Jo threw on her coat and ran out into the snow to send a telegram.When she arrived back，Laurie came with a letter saying that Mr March was getting better again.This was good news，but Jo's face was so unhappy that Laurie asked， What is it?Is Beth worse?

瓊穿上外衣跑到外面的雪地里，去發(fā)電報。當她回來時，羅瑞帶來一封信，說馬奇先生又有好轉(zhuǎn)了。這是好消息，可瓊的臉上看上去是那么不開心，于是羅瑞問：“怎么了?是不是白絲病重了?”

'I've sent for Mother，'said Jo，beginning to cry.'Beth doesn't know us any more.'

“我已經(jīng)叫媽媽回來了，”瓊說道，開始哭泣起來，“白絲已經(jīng)不認識我們了。”

Laurie held her hand and whispered，'I'm here，Jo.Hold on to me.Your mother will be here soon，and then everything will be all right.'

羅瑞握住她的手，小聲說：“我在這兒，瓊。有我呢。你媽媽就會回來了，然后所有的事都會好了。”

'I'm glad Father is better，'said Jo.'Now Mother won't feel so bad about coming home.'

“我很高興爸爸好些了，”瓊說。“現(xiàn)在媽媽回家里心情也不會很糟。”

'You're very tired，'said Laurie.'But I'll tell you something to cheer you up better than anything.'

“你很累了，”羅瑞說。“可我要告訴你一些事使你高興起來。”

'What is it?'said Jo.

“是什么?”瓊問。

Laurie smiled.'I sent a telegram to your mother yesterday，and Mr Brooke answered that she'd come at once.She'll be here tonight and everything will be all right!'

羅瑞笑了。“我昨天就已發(fā)了一封電報給你媽媽，布魯克先生說她會馬上回來。她今天晚上就會回來，一切都會好的!”

Jo threw her arms around him.'Oh，Laurie!Oh，Mother!I am so glad!'She did not cry again，but held on to her friend.He was surprised，but he smoothed her hair and followed this with a kiss or two.

瓊用雙臂摟住他。“噢，羅瑞!噢，媽媽!我太高興了!”她不再哭了，可還是摟著羅瑞。他很吃驚，可他理了理她的頭發(fā)，然后吻了她一兩下。

Jo pushed him gently away.'Oh，don't!I didn't mean—!'

瓊輕輕把他推開。“噢，別這樣，我并不是說想——!”

'I enjoyed it!'laughed Laurie，then，went on，'Grandfather and I thought your mother ought to know.She wouldn't forgive us if Beth—well，if anything happened.Her train will be in at two o'clock in the morning，and I'll meet her.'

“我很喜歡!”羅瑞笑了，然后繼續(xù)說，“祖父和我認為你母親應(yīng)該知道。萬一白絲——哦，如果發(fā)生什么事，她不會饒恕我們的。她乘坐的火車早晨兩點到，我去接她。”

All that day，the snow fell and the hours went slowly by.The doctor came，then said he would come back after midnight when he expected there to be some change in Beth's condition，for better or worse.Hannah fell asleep in a chair beside Beth's bed.Mr Laurence waited downstairs，while Laurie lay on the floor pretending to rest.The girls just waited，unable to sleep.

那一整天，下著雪，時間緩慢地過去。醫(yī)生來了，然后說他午夜以后再來，那時白絲的情況會有變化，變好或變壞。海娜坐在白絲床邊的椅子上睡著了。勞倫斯先生等在樓下，羅瑞躺在地上權(quán)當休息。女孩子們只有等待，她們睡不著。

At twelve o'clock，a change seemed to pass over Beth's face.Hannah slept on，but the girls saw the shadow which seemed to fall upon the little bed.An hour went by and Laurie left quietly for the station.

12點鐘，似乎白絲臉上有了變化。海娜繼續(xù)睡著，可女孩子們卻似乎看到降臨到那張小床上的陰影。一小時過去了，羅瑞離開去了車站。

At two o'clock，Jo was standing at the window，watching the snow.She heard something and turned to see Meg kneeling beside her mother's chair.A cold feeling of fear passed over Jo.'Beth is dead，'she thought.

兩點鐘，瓊站在窗邊看雪。她聽到了一點聲音，轉(zhuǎn)過身來看見麥格跪在媽媽的椅子旁邊。一種冰冷的恐懼感傳遍瓊的全身。“白絲死了，”她想。

She ran to the bed.The pain had gone from Beth's face，and now there was a look of peace instead.Jo kissed her and softly whispered，'Goodbye，Beth，goodbye!'

她朝床跑過去。痛苦已從白絲臉上消失，取而代之的是一種安詳?shù)谋砬?。瓊吻了吻她，輕柔地低語：“再見，白絲，再見!”

Hannah woke up and looked at Beth.'The fever's gone!'she cried.'She's sleeping and breathing easily!'

海娜醒了過來，看了看白絲。“熱退了!”她喊道，“她睡著了，呼吸很順暢!”

The doctor came soon after.'I think she'll be all right，'he said.'Keep the house quiet and let her sleep.'

醫(yī)生不久就來了。“我想她會好的，”他說。“讓這房子保持安靜，叫她睡覺。”

Meg and Jo held each other close，their hearts too full for words.Beth was lying as she used to，with her cheek on her hand，and breathing quietly.

麥格和瓊緊緊地擁抱，她們的心情難以言表。白絲就像她從前一樣躺著，手托著臉頰，平靜地呼吸著。

'I wish Mother would come now，'whispered Jo.

“我希望媽媽能現(xiàn)在就回來，”瓊低聲說。

And a moment later，they heard the sound of the door below，a cry from Hannah，then Laurie's happy voice saying，'Girls，she's come!She's come!'

片刻之后，他們聽到了樓下的門聲，海娜喊了一聲，然后是羅瑞快樂的聲音說：“女孩們，她來了，她來了!”