04-01-05-小妇人 [16]
10月的一天下午，琼乘公共汽车到了镇上，在座落在一条繁华大街上的一幢楼前停了下来。她走了进去，向楼梯上望了望，片刻，又跑出来。她这样反复了好几次，使得在街对面看着她的一个年轻人感到很有意思。可是第四次，琼鼓了鼓勇气，走上了楼梯。
那个年轻人过了马路等候着。那是罗瑞。10分钟之后，琼跑了出来，可看上去不太高兴见到他。
“你在这儿干什么？”她问道。
“我在等着跟你一起回家，”他答道。“我有个秘密要告诉你，可你得先告诉我你的秘密。”
“你什么也不会对家里人讲，是吗？”琼问。
“一个字也不说，”罗瑞发誓说。
“我给一个报纸编辑留下了两篇我写的故事，”琼说，“可我还得等到下个星期才会知道它们会不会被发表。”
“马奇小姐，著名的美国作家！”罗瑞说道，一边把他的帽子扔到空中，然后又接住。
琼看上去高兴起来。“那么你的秘密是什么？”
“你还记得麦格野餐的时候丢了一只手套吗？”罗瑞说，“哎，我知道它在哪儿。”
“就这个吗？”琼说，看上去挺失望。
“别急呀，等我告诉你它在哪儿，”他说。
“那告诉我吧，”琼说。
罗瑞在琼耳边小声念叨了三个字。
她盯着他，看上去又惊又喜。“你怎么知道的？”
“我看见的。”
“在哪儿？”琼问。
“兜里。怎么了，你不喜欢这个消息吗？”
“当然不。这太愚蠢了！麦格知道了会说什么？”
“你谁也不许告诉，”罗瑞说。
“我没发过誓，”琼提醒他说。
“我以为你会高兴呢，”他说。
“为有人来要带麦格走而感到高兴吗？”琼说，“不，谢谢。”
她跑下山坡，可罗瑞追上了她并在她之前到达了坡底。她从他后面走过来，脸红红的，头发飘在风中。
“这真有意思！”她说，她已因为奔跑的快乐而忘记了她的不愉快。
就在那时，有人从他们身旁经过，然后停了下来朝后看。那是麦格。
“你在这儿干什么？”她看到琼，问道：“你刚才奔跑来的，是吗？琼，你什么时候才能像个年轻的淑女？”
“别让我长大，麦格，”琼说，看上去挺伤感。“看见你突然的改变就够难的了。”
麦格正在成长为一个妇人，罗瑞的秘密使琼意识到麦格有一天会离开家，也许很快。
两个星期后的星期六，琼悄悄去了镇里，麦格看到罗瑞满花园地追逐琼，然后两人都倒在草地上，笑着舞动着一张报纸。
“我们该把那个女孩子怎么办呢，”麦格说，“她永远也不会像个淑女。”
几分钟以后，琼手中拿着报纸走了进来。她坐下来开始读那份报。
“你是在读些有趣的事吗？”麦格问。
“只是个故事，”琼答道。
“大声地读，”艾米说，“它没准会逗我们开心。”
琼开始很快地读，孩子们倾听着。那是个关于两个名叫维奥拉和安尼鲁的人的爱情故事，大多数人物在结尾时都死去了。可女孩子喜欢它，麦格甚至在听到伤感的段落时还哭了。
“谁写的？”白丝问道，看着琼的脸。
琼把报纸放下。“我写的，”她说，她的眼睛亮闪闪的。
“你？”麦格吃惊地说。
“这太好了，”艾米说。
“我就知道！”白丝说。她跑过去用双臂搂住她的姐姐，“噢，琼，我真骄傲！”
当马奇太太被告知这件事时，她也特别骄傲。
每个人都开始异口同声地说：“告诉我们这一切吧。”“为这篇文章你得了多少钱？”“爸爸会怎么说？”“怪不得罗瑞笑呢！”
于是琼就把一切讲给她们听，那天晚上，没有比马奇一家更快乐的家庭了。
■ 10 A telegram
Mrs March，the girls and Laurie were sitting together on a dull November afternoon when Hannah hurried into the room with a telegram Mrs March read it，then dropped it to the floor，her face white and her hands shaking．Jo picked up the telegram and read it to the others in a frightened voice．Mrs March：Your husband is very ill．Come at once．S．
Hale，Blank Hospital，Washington．
The girls moved close to their mother．All their happiness had disappeared in a moment．
'I shall go at once，'said Mrs March，'but it may be too late．Oh，my children！'
For several minutes，there was only the sound of crying，then Hannah hurried away to get things ready for the long journey．
'Where's Laurie？'Mrs March asked．
'Here，'said the boy．'Oh，let me do something！'
'Send a telegram and say that I'll come at once，'said Mrs March．'The next train goes early in the morning． Now，I must write a note to Aunt March Jo，give me that pen and paper．
Jo knew that the money for the journey must be borrowed from Aunt March，and she too wanted to do something—anything—to help her father．
Laurie went off to take the note to Aunt March and to send the telegram．Jo went to fetch some things from the shops，and Amy and Meg helped their mother to get ready．
'Father will need good food and wine to help him get better，and there won't be much at the hospital，'said Mrs March．'Beth，go and ask Mr Laurence for a couple of bottles of wine．I'm not too proud to beg for Father．'
Mr Laurence came back with Beth．He offered to go with Mrs March，but she wouldn't let the old gentleman make the long，tiring journey，although he could see that she would like to have somebody with her．He went away again，saying，'I'll be back．
Soon after，Meg saw Mr Brooke by the door．
'I'm very sorry to hear your news，Miss March，'he said gently．'Mr Laurence and I think it will be a good idea if I travel with your mother．'
'How kind you all are！'said Meg．'It will be so good to know that there is someone to take care of Mother．Thank you very much！'She put out her hand and smiled gratefully up into his warm brown eyes．
Laurie came back with a letter and money from Aunt March，but Jo did not return．It was late afternoon when she came walking in and gave her mother some money．
'That's to help make Father comfortable and to bring him home，'she said．
'Twenty-five dollars！'said Mrs March．'My dear，where did you get it？'
Jo took off her hat．
'Your hair，your beautiful hair！'cried Amy．
All Jo's lovely，thick，long hair was cut short．
'Jo，how could you？'cried Meg．
'My dear girl，there was no need for this，'said Mrs March
那个年轻人过了马路等候着。那是罗瑞。10分钟之后，琼跑了出来，可看上去不太高兴见到他。
“你在这儿干什么？”她问道。
“我在等着跟你一起回家，”他答道。“我有个秘密要告诉你，可你得先告诉我你的秘密。”
“你什么也不会对家里人讲，是吗？”琼问。
“一个字也不说，”罗瑞发誓说。
“我给一个报纸编辑留下了两篇我写的故事，”琼说，“可我还得等到下个星期才会知道它们会不会被发表。”
“马奇小姐，著名的美国作家！”罗瑞说道，一边把他的帽子扔到空中，然后又接住。
琼看上去高兴起来。“那么你的秘密是什么？”
“你还记得麦格野餐的时候丢了一只手套吗？”罗瑞说，“哎，我知道它在哪儿。”
“就这个吗？”琼说，看上去挺失望。
“别急呀，等我告诉你它在哪儿，”他说。
“那告诉我吧，”琼说。
罗瑞在琼耳边小声念叨了三个字。
她盯着他，看上去又惊又喜。“你怎么知道的？”
“我看见的。”
“在哪儿？”琼问。
“兜里。怎么了，你不喜欢这个消息吗？”
“当然不。这太愚蠢了！麦格知道了会说什么？”
“你谁也不许告诉，”罗瑞说。
“我没发过誓，”琼提醒他说。
“我以为你会高兴呢，”他说。
“为有人来要带麦格走而感到高兴吗？”琼说，“不，谢谢。”
她跑下山坡，可罗瑞追上了她并在她之前到达了坡底。她从他后面走过来，脸红红的，头发飘在风中。
“这真有意思！”她说，她已因为奔跑的快乐而忘记了她的不愉快。
就在那时，有人从他们身旁经过，然后停了下来朝后看。那是麦格。
“你在这儿干什么？”她看到琼，问道：“你刚才奔跑来的，是吗？琼，你什么时候才能像个年轻的淑女？”
“别让我长大，麦格，”琼说，看上去挺伤感。“看见你突然的改变就够难的了。”
麦格正在成长为一个妇人，罗瑞的秘密使琼意识到麦格有一天会离开家，也许很快。
两个星期后的星期六，琼悄悄去了镇里，麦格看到罗瑞满花园地追逐琼，然后两人都倒在草地上，笑着舞动着一张报纸。
“我们该把那个女孩子怎么办呢，”麦格说，“她永远也不会像个淑女。”
几分钟以后，琼手中拿着报纸走了进来。她坐下来开始读那份报。
“你是在读些有趣的事吗？”麦格问。
“只是个故事，”琼答道。
“大声地读，”艾米说，“它没准会逗我们开心。”
琼开始很快地读，孩子们倾听着。那是个关于两个名叫维奥拉和安尼鲁的人的爱情故事，大多数人物在结尾时都死去了。可女孩子喜欢它，麦格甚至在听到伤感的段落时还哭了。
“谁写的？”白丝问道，看着琼的脸。
琼把报纸放下。“我写的，”她说，她的眼睛亮闪闪的。
“你？”麦格吃惊地说。
“这太好了，”艾米说。
“我就知道！”白丝说。她跑过去用双臂搂住她的姐姐，“噢，琼，我真骄傲！”
当马奇太太被告知这件事时，她也特别骄傲。
每个人都开始异口同声地说：“告诉我们这一切吧。”“为这篇文章你得了多少钱？”“爸爸会怎么说？”“怪不得罗瑞笑呢！”
于是琼就把一切讲给她们听，那天晚上，没有比马奇一家更快乐的家庭了。
■ 10 A telegram
Mrs March，the girls and Laurie were sitting together on a dull November afternoon when Hannah hurried into the room with a telegram Mrs March read it，then dropped it to the floor，her face white and her hands shaking．Jo picked up the telegram and read it to the others in a frightened voice．Mrs March：Your husband is very ill．Come at once．S．
Hale，Blank Hospital，Washington．
The girls moved close to their mother．All their happiness had disappeared in a moment．
'I shall go at once，'said Mrs March，'but it may be too late．Oh，my children！'
For several minutes，there was only the sound of crying，then Hannah hurried away to get things ready for the long journey．
'Where's Laurie？'Mrs March asked．
'Here，'said the boy．'Oh，let me do something！'
'Send a telegram and say that I'll come at once，'said Mrs March．'The next train goes early in the morning． Now，I must write a note to Aunt March Jo，give me that pen and paper．
Jo knew that the money for the journey must be borrowed from Aunt March，and she too wanted to do something—anything—to help her father．
Laurie went off to take the note to Aunt March and to send the telegram．Jo went to fetch some things from the shops，and Amy and Meg helped their mother to get ready．
'Father will need good food and wine to help him get better，and there won't be much at the hospital，'said Mrs March．'Beth，go and ask Mr Laurence for a couple of bottles of wine．I'm not too proud to beg for Father．'
Mr Laurence came back with Beth．He offered to go with Mrs March，but she wouldn't let the old gentleman make the long，tiring journey，although he could see that she would like to have somebody with her．He went away again，saying，'I'll be back．
Soon after，Meg saw Mr Brooke by the door．
'I'm very sorry to hear your news，Miss March，'he said gently．'Mr Laurence and I think it will be a good idea if I travel with your mother．'
'How kind you all are！'said Meg．'It will be so good to know that there is someone to take care of Mother．Thank you very much！'She put out her hand and smiled gratefully up into his warm brown eyes．
Laurie came back with a letter and money from Aunt March，but Jo did not return．It was late afternoon when she came walking in and gave her mother some money．
'That's to help make Father comfortable and to bring him home，'she said．
'Twenty-five dollars！'said Mrs March．'My dear，where did you get it？'
Jo took off her hat．
'Your hair，your beautiful hair！'cried Amy．
All Jo's lovely，thick，long hair was cut short．
'Jo，how could you？'cried Meg．
'My dear girl，there was no need for this，'said Mrs March