04-01-05-小妇人 [5]
“那你会说法语吗？”她问。
他用法语讲了几句话，琼用心倾听。“你是在问：'那个穿着漂亮舞鞋的女孩子是谁？'那是我姐姐，麦格，你知道的。你觉得她漂亮吗？”
“是的，”他答道。“她看上去那么清纯和安静。”
这让琼十分高兴，不久他们俩就像老朋友一样自如地交谈起来。“我听说你学习很用功，”琼说，“那你不久要去读大学吗？”
“一两年内不会，”他回答。“我下个月满16岁，17岁以前我不会去。”
“我真希望能上大学，”琼说。
“我一想到它就感到憎恨！”罗瑞说。
琼想问为什么，可他看上去很严肃，琼没提问，而是说：“你为什么不去跳舞？”
“如果你也来我就跳，”他回答。
“我不能，因为——，”琼欲言又止。
“因为什么？”
“你不说出去吗？”
“绝不会！”
“我有个坏毛病，总是离火炉很近，结果把裙子烧了，”琼说，“我只好站直了，好让人看不出这件衣服上的烧痕。想笑你就笑吧。”
可罗瑞没笑。“没关系，”他轻柔地说，“来吧。”
琼笑了。“好吧，”她说，“谢谢。”
音乐停下的时候，他们坐下来开始聊天，可琼看见麦格在向她招手。她走过去，随姐姐走进旁边的一个房间。
“我的脚转得太多，脚踝都疼了，”麦格说，“我都不能走路了，真不知道该怎么回家。”
“你穿着那双蠢笨的高跟鞋，跳得过度我一点也不吃惊，”琼说，“你得要一辆马车，或者在这儿呆一晚上。”
“要辆马车会花好多钱，”麦格说。“我也不能在这儿呆一晚上，因为房间都住满了。我只好在海娜来接我们之前休息会儿，然后再想办法。”
“他们正进去吃晚饭，”琼说，“我陪着你。”
“不，快去给我弄些咖啡来，”麦格说。
琼找到了咖啡，可马上就洒到了裙子上。她正用麦格的手套擦拭时听到一个友好的声音在跟她讲话。
“我能帮忙吗？”罗瑞说。他一只手端着一杯咖啡，另一只手举着一个盘子，上面放着一块蛋糕。
“我正给麦格找点吃的，”琼说。
“我正找人要把这些吃的送出去，”罗瑞说。他又替琼取了一些咖啡和一块蛋糕，然后三个人一起聊天，度过了一段愉快的时光，直到海娜来了。麦格早已完全忘了她脚疼的事，很快站了起来。她痛苦地喊叫了一声。罗瑞看到她不能走路，就立即邀请她们一起坐他祖父的马车回家。
“可你还不想回家呢，”琼说。
“我一向走得很早，”罗瑞回答。
他坐在车夫旁边，两个女孩和海娜坐在马车里面，兴奋地谈论舞会的情况。
“我玩得棒极了，你呢？”琼说。
“我也是，直到我受了伤，”麦格说，“萨丽的朋友安妮·墨菲请我春天到她那儿住一个星期，萨丽也去。”
琼给麦格讲述她的经历，然后她们就到家了。她们感谢了罗瑞，就悄悄地走进家门，不想惊醒任何人。然而当她们一推开卧室的门，两个小小的声音就叫起来：“快给我们讲讲舞会的事！快给我们讲讲舞会的事！”
■ 4 The house next door
'It's so nice to go to parties and drive home in carriages．'said Mea，the next morning．'Other people live like that all the time，and I wish we could．I wish we were rich．'
'Well， we're not，'said Jo．' So we must do our work with a smile，the way Mother does．'
Mr March had lost most of his money helping a friend．When the two older girls discovered this，they wanted to do something to earn some money for the family， and as soon as they were old enough，they found work．Meg got a job teach ing four small children．It was hard for her to be poor because she could remember the time when their home had been beautiful，with every thing they wanted． And every day at Mrs King's house she saw pretty dresses，and heard talk of parties and the theatre-all the things which Meg loved．
Jo went to Aunt March，who needed someone to fetch and carry things，and read to her．She was a difficult old lady who complained a lot，but Jo did her best．
Beth was much too shy to go to school with other children，so she studied at home with her father． When he went away，and her mother was busy with war work， Beth continued to study by herself and helped Hannah keep the home tidy for the others． She also spent long，quiet hours alone，talking to her dolls or playing the old piano．Beth loved music and，although the family could not afford music lessons or a good piano for her， she tried hard to make herself a better musician．
Amy drew the most beautiful pictures and wanted to be a fa mous painter one day．She was a favoturite with everyone， except when she complained abut having to wear her cousin's old clothes because her mother could not afford to buy new ones for her．
One afternoon a week or two later， Jo went outside to clear the snow away from some of the garden so that Beth could walk there when the sun came out．She looked across to the house next door-a big stone house with lovely things inside that Jo occasionally saw through the open curtains at the windows．But it seemed a lonely， lifeless kind of house， as no children played outside， no motherly face smiled at the windows， and not many people went in and out， except the old gentleman and his grandson．
She had not seen the Laurence boy lately and wondered if he was away， but suddenly she saw him looking out of an upstairs window ．She threw up a handful of soft show and called out，'Are you ill？'
Laurie opened the window'm almost better， thank you，'he said．'I've had a bad cold．'
'What do you find to do？'said Jo．
'Nothing，'he said．'They won't let me．'
'Why don't you get someone to come and see you？'
'I don't know anyone．'
'You know us，'said Jo．
'So I do！'laughed Laurie．'Will you come，please？'
'I'll come if Mother will let me． I'll go and ask her． Shut the window and wait until I come．'
Laurie was excited and began to get ready for Jo's visit
他用法语讲了几句话，琼用心倾听。“你是在问：'那个穿着漂亮舞鞋的女孩子是谁？'那是我姐姐，麦格，你知道的。你觉得她漂亮吗？”
“是的，”他答道。“她看上去那么清纯和安静。”
这让琼十分高兴，不久他们俩就像老朋友一样自如地交谈起来。“我听说你学习很用功，”琼说，“那你不久要去读大学吗？”
“一两年内不会，”他回答。“我下个月满16岁，17岁以前我不会去。”
“我真希望能上大学，”琼说。
“我一想到它就感到憎恨！”罗瑞说。
琼想问为什么，可他看上去很严肃，琼没提问，而是说：“你为什么不去跳舞？”
“如果你也来我就跳，”他回答。
“我不能，因为——，”琼欲言又止。
“因为什么？”
“你不说出去吗？”
“绝不会！”
“我有个坏毛病，总是离火炉很近，结果把裙子烧了，”琼说，“我只好站直了，好让人看不出这件衣服上的烧痕。想笑你就笑吧。”
可罗瑞没笑。“没关系，”他轻柔地说，“来吧。”
琼笑了。“好吧，”她说，“谢谢。”
音乐停下的时候，他们坐下来开始聊天，可琼看见麦格在向她招手。她走过去，随姐姐走进旁边的一个房间。
“我的脚转得太多，脚踝都疼了，”麦格说，“我都不能走路了，真不知道该怎么回家。”
“你穿着那双蠢笨的高跟鞋，跳得过度我一点也不吃惊，”琼说，“你得要一辆马车，或者在这儿呆一晚上。”
“要辆马车会花好多钱，”麦格说。“我也不能在这儿呆一晚上，因为房间都住满了。我只好在海娜来接我们之前休息会儿，然后再想办法。”
“他们正进去吃晚饭，”琼说，“我陪着你。”
“不，快去给我弄些咖啡来，”麦格说。
琼找到了咖啡，可马上就洒到了裙子上。她正用麦格的手套擦拭时听到一个友好的声音在跟她讲话。
“我能帮忙吗？”罗瑞说。他一只手端着一杯咖啡，另一只手举着一个盘子，上面放着一块蛋糕。
“我正给麦格找点吃的，”琼说。
“我正找人要把这些吃的送出去，”罗瑞说。他又替琼取了一些咖啡和一块蛋糕，然后三个人一起聊天，度过了一段愉快的时光，直到海娜来了。麦格早已完全忘了她脚疼的事，很快站了起来。她痛苦地喊叫了一声。罗瑞看到她不能走路，就立即邀请她们一起坐他祖父的马车回家。
“可你还不想回家呢，”琼说。
“我一向走得很早，”罗瑞回答。
他坐在车夫旁边，两个女孩和海娜坐在马车里面，兴奋地谈论舞会的情况。
“我玩得棒极了，你呢？”琼说。
“我也是，直到我受了伤，”麦格说，“萨丽的朋友安妮·墨菲请我春天到她那儿住一个星期，萨丽也去。”
琼给麦格讲述她的经历，然后她们就到家了。她们感谢了罗瑞，就悄悄地走进家门，不想惊醒任何人。然而当她们一推开卧室的门，两个小小的声音就叫起来：“快给我们讲讲舞会的事！快给我们讲讲舞会的事！”
■ 4 The house next door
'It's so nice to go to parties and drive home in carriages．'said Mea，the next morning．'Other people live like that all the time，and I wish we could．I wish we were rich．'
'Well， we're not，'said Jo．' So we must do our work with a smile，the way Mother does．'
Mr March had lost most of his money helping a friend．When the two older girls discovered this，they wanted to do something to earn some money for the family， and as soon as they were old enough，they found work．Meg got a job teach ing four small children．It was hard for her to be poor because she could remember the time when their home had been beautiful，with every thing they wanted． And every day at Mrs King's house she saw pretty dresses，and heard talk of parties and the theatre-all the things which Meg loved．
Jo went to Aunt March，who needed someone to fetch and carry things，and read to her．She was a difficult old lady who complained a lot，but Jo did her best．
Beth was much too shy to go to school with other children，so she studied at home with her father． When he went away，and her mother was busy with war work， Beth continued to study by herself and helped Hannah keep the home tidy for the others． She also spent long，quiet hours alone，talking to her dolls or playing the old piano．Beth loved music and，although the family could not afford music lessons or a good piano for her， she tried hard to make herself a better musician．
Amy drew the most beautiful pictures and wanted to be a fa mous painter one day．She was a favoturite with everyone， except when she complained abut having to wear her cousin's old clothes because her mother could not afford to buy new ones for her．
One afternoon a week or two later， Jo went outside to clear the snow away from some of the garden so that Beth could walk there when the sun came out．She looked across to the house next door-a big stone house with lovely things inside that Jo occasionally saw through the open curtains at the windows．But it seemed a lonely， lifeless kind of house， as no children played outside， no motherly face smiled at the windows， and not many people went in and out， except the old gentleman and his grandson．
She had not seen the Laurence boy lately and wondered if he was away， but suddenly she saw him looking out of an upstairs window ．She threw up a handful of soft show and called out，'Are you ill？'
Laurie opened the window'm almost better， thank you，'he said．'I've had a bad cold．'
'What do you find to do？'said Jo．
'Nothing，'he said．'They won't let me．'
'Why don't you get someone to come and see you？'
'I don't know anyone．'
'You know us，'said Jo．
'So I do！'laughed Laurie．'Will you come，please？'
'I'll come if Mother will let me． I'll go and ask her． Shut the window and wait until I come．'
Laurie was excited and began to get ready for Jo's visit