牛津书虫系列《小妇人》Chapter5 附中英双语文本

5 A surprise for Beth
5 白丝的惊喜
Laurie and the four girls were soon great friends． Mr Brooke complained to the old gentleman that his student was always running across to see the Marches．
罗瑞和四个女孩子很快就成了要好的朋友。布鲁克先生向老先生抱怨说，他的学生常跑过去看望马奇一家。
'Let him have a bit of a holiday，'said Mr Laurence．'He can catch up with his studies later．'
“让他放些假吧，”劳伦斯先生说。“他以后会补上他的功课的。”
What good times they had！Writing and acting plays，happy evenings at the Marches， and little parties at the big house．Only Beth was too shy to go there． When Mr Laurence heard about Beth's shyness， he came to have tea with their mother one day，and began to talk about music and great singers he had heard． Beth found it impossible to stay in her corner and came to listen．
他们玩得真开心！编写和上演剧本，有时在马奇家度过欢乐的夜晚，有时在大房子里举办小型的聚会。只是白丝太害羞，她不去那儿。劳伦斯先生听说了白丝的羞涩以后，有一天他来跟她们的母亲一起喝茶，并开始谈论音乐和他所听说过的歌唱家。白丝发觉自己根本不可能呆在她的角落里，于是过来倾听。
'Laurie hasn't much time for his music，'Mr Laurence told Mrs March，'so the piano is not used very often．Would any of your girls like to play it sometimes？ They needn't see or speak to anyone，and I'll be in my study．'He got up to go．'But if they don't want to come…'
“罗瑞没什么时间弹琴，”劳伦斯先生对马奇太太说，“所以钢琴不怎么常用。你的孩子有谁想有时过来弹琴吗？他们不用跟任何人谈话，而我会呆在我自己的书房里。”他站起身要走，“可如果她们不愿意来……”
At this moment， a little hand touched his own． It was Beth's． 'I-I want to come，'she said， her voice shaking．'Very much．'
此时，一只小手碰了碰他的手。是白丝。“我，我想来，”她说，声音颤抖，“非常想。”
'You're the musical girl，'said Mr Laurence， gently．
“你就是那个喜欢音乐的孩子？”劳伦斯先生轻柔地问。
'I'm Beth． Yes，I love music， and I shall come．'
“我是白丝。是的，我热爱音乐，我愿意来。”
The next day， Beth waited until the old and the young gentlemen both went out， then she ran across to the big house and found her way to the room with the beautiful piano．As soon as she began to play， she forgot her fears immediately in the delight which the music gave her．
第二天，白丝等到老先生和小先生都出门去了，她就跑到那座大房子里，径直找到那个摆着钢琴的房间。她一开始弹琴，立刻就在音乐带给她的愉快中忘记了恐惧。
After that， Beth went every day． She never knew that Mr Laurence often opened his study door to hear her playing， or that Laurie stood in the hall to keep the servants away from the shy little girl． But she was so grateful that she asked her mother and sisters to help her make the old gentleman a pair of slippers． After several days careful sewing， the slippers were finished． Then Beth wrote a short letter and， with Laurie's help， left it with the slippers in the old man's study one morning， before he was up．
从此以后，白丝每天都去弹琴。她从不知道劳伦斯先生常常打开他书房的门听她弹琴，或者罗瑞站在大厅里让仆人们走开以不打扰这个害羞的女孩。可是她非常感激，就让她母亲和姐妹们帮她给老先生做了一双拖鞋。经过几天精心的缝制，拖鞋做好了。然后白丝写了一张简短的字条，在罗瑞的帮助下，有一天早晨，趁老先生还没起床时将字条和拖鞋放进了他的书房。
The next day， Beth went out for a walk， and when she came back the others were waiting for her． 'Here's a letter for you， Beth！' they called out．'Come and read it！'She hurried to the house and they took her into the front room．'Look there！' everyone was saying at once． Beth looked-and got the biggest surprise of her life！For there stood a lovely little piano， with a letter on the top of it，addressed to ：' Miss Elizabeth March'．
第二天，白丝出门散步，当她回家时，大家都在等她。“这儿有你一封信，白丝！”她们喊。“快过来读读！”她赶快回到家，她们带她来到前厅。“看那儿！”每个人都立即说。白丝看过去——她得到了她一生中最大的惊喜！因为那里摆放着一架小钢琴，上面放着一封信，写道：“伊丽莎白·马奇小姐收。”
'You-you read it， Jo，' whispered Beth．'I can't．'
“你，你读吧，琼，”白丝喃喃地说，“我读不了。”