名著精讀:《小婦人》第四章:負擔 第1節

"Oh, dear, how hard it does seem to take up our packs and go on," sighed Meg the morning after the party, for now the holidays were over, the week of merrymaking did not fit her for going on easily with the task she never liked.

“唉！又得背起擔子往前走了，生活真是一種磨難，”晚會的第二天早上梅格這樣嘆息道。過節玩了一週，現在又要從事不喜歡的工作，她心裏相當不情願。

"I wish it was Christmas or New Year's all the time. Wouldn't it be fun?" answered Jo, yawning dismally.

“我但願每天都過聖誕節或者過新年，那就好玩了，”喬說着懶洋洋地打了個呵欠。

"We shouldn't enjoy ourselves half so much as we do now. But it does seem so nice to have little suppers and bouquets, and go to parties, and drive home, and read and rest, and not work. It's like other people, you know, and I always envy girls who do such things, I'm so fond of luxury," said Meg, trying to decide which of two shabby gowns was the least shabby.

“我們能過上現在這種日子已經是三生有幸。但是如果能參加一些宴會舞會，有鮮花馬車，每天讀書休息，不用工作，那該有多麼愜意。你知道有些人就有這樣的福氣，我總是羨慕這些女孩子，我這人就是嚮往奢華，”梅格說。她正在比較兩條破舊不堪的長裙，看哪一條稍好一點。

"Well, we can't have it, so don't let us grumble but shoulder our bundles and trudge along as cheerfully as Marmee does. I'm sure Aunt March is a regular Old Man of the Sea to me, but I suppose when I've learned to carry her without complaining, she will tumble off, or get so light that I shan't mind her."

“畢竟我們沒有這個福氣，還是別發牢騷，挑起擔子，像媽媽一樣樂觀地向前走吧。我肯定馬奇嬸嬸就是我的冤家對頭，但我想只要我學會忍受，不去埋怨，她就會被丟到腦後，或者變得微不足道。”

This idea tickled Jo's fancy and put her in good spirits, but Meg didn't brighten, for her burden, consisting of four spoiled children, seemed heavier than ever. She had not heart enough even to make herself pretty as usual by putting on a blue neck ribbon and dressing her hair in the most becoming way.

這主意讓喬覺得挺好玩，心情也愉快起來，但梅格卻不是很高興，因爲她的擔子--四個寵壞了的孩子--現在顯得異常沉重。她甚至沒有心情像往常一樣在領口打上藍絲，也沒有心緒對鏡理妝。

"Where's the use of looking nice, when no one sees me but those cross midgets, and no one cares whether I'm pretty or not?" she muttered, shutting her drawer with a jerk. "I shall have to toil and moil all my days, with only little bits of fun now and then, and get old and ugly and sour, because I'm poor and can't enjoy my life as other girls do. It's a shame!"

“一天到晚都對着幾個小搗蛋鬼，我打扮得這麼漂亮有誰來看？又有誰來理會我漂亮不漂亮？”她咕噥道，把抽屜猛地一推關上，”我將終生勞碌，只能偶爾得到一點樂趣，逐漸變老變醜，變得尖酸刻薄，就因爲我窮，不能像其他女孩子一樣享受生活。這是個恥辱！”

So Meg went down, wearing an injured look, and wasn't at all agreeable at breakfast time. Everyone seemed rather out of sorts and inclined to croak.
　　
梅格說完走下去，臉上帶着一種受傷的表情，吃早餐時也全無心緒。

ymaking n. 盡情歡樂，尋歡作樂

Come and join in the merrymaking.
來參加我們的狂歡。

ally adv. 陰暗地，沉悶地，憂鬱地

by adj. 破舊的(低劣的)

She is none the less beautiful for her shabby clothing.
即使她衣衫襤褸，卻仍然美麗。

ble v. 發牢騷，抱怨，轟鳴 n. 怨言，牢騷，轟隆聲

They will grumble about having to do the work.
他們將爲不得不幹那項工作而抱怨。

ge n. 沉重的步伐 v. 沉重地走，蹣跚地走

He trudge three hour in the snow to get back home.
他在雪中跋涉三個鐘點纔回到家。

et n. 侏儒，極小者 adj. 極小的

v. 猛拉，猛推，急動 n. 猛拉，急動，顛簸 n. <俚> 蠢人，笨蛋

The knife was stuck but she pulled it out with a jerk.
那把刀子被卡住了，她猛地一拔，把它拔了出來。

【難句解析】shoulder bundle意思是“負起擔子”；old man of the sea是“無法擺脫的糾纏不休的人”；

【句子翻譯】畢竟我們沒有這個福氣，還是別發牢騷，挑起擔子，像媽媽一樣樂觀地向前走吧。我肯定馬奇嬸嬸就是我的冤家對頭...