名著精讀:《小婦人》第一章:朝聖 第12節

"We were in the Slough of Despond tonight, and Mother came and pulled us out as Help did in the book. We ought to have our roll of directions, like Christian. What shall we do about that?" asked Jo, delighted with the fancy which lent a little romance to the very dull task of doing her duty.

“我們今晚本來處於'絕望的深淵'，媽媽像書中的'幫助'一樣來把我們拉了出去，我們應該像基督教徒一樣有幾本指導手冊。這事怎麼辦好呢？”喬問，爲自己的想像力給沉悶的任務添加了幾分浪漫色彩而自鳴得意。

"Look under your pillows Christmas morning, and you will find your guidebook," replied Mrs. March.

“聖誕節一早看看你們的枕下，就會找到指導手冊了，”馬奇太太說。

They talked over the new plan while old Hannah cleared the table, then out came the four little work baskets, and the needles flew as the girls made sheets for Aunt March. It was uninteresting sewing, but tonight no one grumbled. They adopted Jo's plan of dividing the long seams into four parts, and calling the quarters Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, and in that way got on capitally, especially when they talked about the different countries as they stitched their way through them.

罕娜嬤嬤收拾桌子時，大家開始討論新計劃，然後取出四個裝活計的小籃子，姐妹們開始飛針走線，爲馬奇太太縫製被單。針線活是個沉悶的活兒，不過今天晚上誰也沒有抱怨。她們採納喬的建議，把長長的縫口分爲四段，分別稱爲歐洲、亞洲、非洲和美洲。這樣果然縫得快多了。她們一邊縫一邊談論針線穿越的不同國家，更覺進展神速。

At nine they stopped work, and sang, as usual, before they went to bed. No one but Beth could get much music out of the old piano, but she had a way of softly touching the yellow keys and making a pleasant accompaniment to the simple songs they sang. Meg had a voice like a flute, and she and her mother led the little choir. Amy chirped like a cricket, and Jo wandered through the airs at her own sweet will, always coming out at the wrong place with a croak or a quaver that spoiled the most pensive tune. They had always done this from the time they could lisp . . .

九點鐘的時候大家停下活兒，像平時那樣先唱歌再去睡覺。家裏有架老掉牙的鋼琴，除了貝思，大家都不大會彈。她輕輕觸動泛黃的琴鍵，大家隨着悠揚的琴聲唱了起來。梅格的嗓音像蘆笛一樣動聽，她和母親擔任這支小演唱隊的領唱。

Crinkle, crinkle, 'ittle 'tar, and it had become a household custom, for the mother was a born singer. The first sound in the morning was her voice as she went about the house singing like a lark, and the last sound at night was the same cheery sound, for the girls never grew too old for that familiar lullaby.

艾美歌聲清脆，如蟋蟀的鳴叫，喬則任由歌聲在空中飄蕩，總是在不適宜的時候冒出個顫音或怪叫聲來，把最深沉的曲調給糟蹋掉。打從牙牙學語的時候開始，她們就一直這樣唱：小星星，亮晶晶，如今這已成了家裏的慣例，因爲她們的母親就是個天生的歌唱家。早上聽到的第一個聲音就是她在屋子裏走動時唱出的雲雀般婉轉的歌聲，晚上，她那輕快的歌聲又成了一天的尾聲。這支熟識的搖籃曲姑娘們百聽不厭。

ow n. 枕頭

He bought a foam pillow.
他買了一個海綿枕頭。

teresting adj. 無趣味的, 乏味的

He was able to cast off such an uninteresting task.
他終於擺脫了這麼一項乏味的工作。

ch n. 一針, 疼痛, 碎布條 v. 縫合

When she sews she makes long stitches.
她做針線活時針腳很大。

ive ['pensiv] adj. 沉思的, 愁眉苦臉的

The painting can inspire a pensive mood.
這幅畫能引人沉思。

aby n. 搖籃曲, 催眠曲, 任何輕柔的音樂 v.唱搖籃曲使安眠, 使安靜

All mothers like to sing lullabies to their babies.
所有的母親都喜歡給她們的孩子唱搖籃曲。