名著精读:《小妇人》第四章:负担 第2节

Beth had a headache and lay on the sofa, trying to comfort herself with the cat and three kittens. Amy was fretting because her lessons were not learned, and she couldn't find her rubbers. Jo would whistle and make a great racket getting ready.

大家似乎都有点不对劲，个个脸上阴霾满布。贝思头痛，躺在沙发上，试图在那只大猫和三只小猫之中寻找安慰；艾美烦躁不安，因为她没有弄懂功课，而且找不到胶擦；乔真想大吹一声口哨；

Mrs. March was very busy trying to finish a letter, which must go at once, and Hannah had the grumps, for being up late didn't suit her.

马奇太太正赶着写一封急信；罕娜因为不喜欢大家晚起，不停地抱怨。

"There never was such a cross family!" cried Jo, losing her temper when she had upset an inkstand, broken both boot lacings, and sat down upon her hat.
　　
“我从来没见过一家人这么火爆！”乔喊道。她打翻了墨水后，弄断了两根靴带，又坐在自己的帽子上，终于发起了脾气。

"You're the crossest person in it!" returned Amy, washing out the sum that was all wrong with the tears that had fallen on her slate.

“你是最火爆的一个！”艾美反击道，用滴落在写字板上的泪水抹去全算错了的数目。

"Beth, if you don't keep these horrid cats down cellar I'll have them drowned," exclaimed Meg angrily as she tried to get rid of the kitten which had scrambled up her back and stuck like a burr just out of reach.

“贝思，如果你不把这些讨厌的猫放到地窖里去，我就把他们淹死，”梅格一面愤怒地高叫，一面力图摆脱一只爬到她背上牢牢粘着不肯走的小猫。

Jo laughed, Meg scolded, Beth implored, and Amy wailed because she couldn't remember how much nine times twelve was.

乔大笑着，梅格责备着，贝思央求着，艾美因为想不起九乘十二等于多少而号哭起来。

"Girls, girls, do be quiet one minute! I must get this off by the early mail, and you drive me distracted with your worry," cried Mrs. March, crossing out the third spoiled sentence in her letter.

“姑娘们，姑娘们，安静一会吧！我必须赶在第一个邮班前把信寄出，你们却乱哄哄地闹得我心神不定，”马奇太太叫道，一边划掉信中第三个写错了的句子。

There was a momentary lull, broken by Hannah, who stalked in, laid two hot turnovers on the table, and stalked out again. These turnovers were an institution, and the girls called them 'muffs', for they had no others and found the hot pies very comforting to their hands on cold mornings.

众人一时安静下来，这时罕娜大步走进来，把两个热气腾腾的卷饼放在桌子上，又大步走出去。这两个卷饼是家里的惯例，姑娘们称之为"手笼"，因为她们发觉寒冷的早上手里笼着个热饼挺暖和。

Hannah never forgot to make them, no matter how busy or grumpy she might be, for the walk was long and bleak. The poor things got no other lunch and were seldom home before two.
　　
罕娜无论多么忙多么牢骚满腹也不会忘记做上两个，因为路远天寒，两个可怜的姑娘常要在两点以后才回到家里，卷饼便是她们的午饭。

ting n. 微振磨损 adj. 烦躁的，焦虑的

He was fretting with impatience.
他因不耐烦而烦躁不安。

p n. [常用复]一阵坏脾气，发火 vi. 抱怨，闹情绪 vt. 嘟囔着抱怨

tand n. 墨水瓶

e[sleit] n. 板岩，石板，石片

The falling slate sliced into his arm.
落下来的一块石片划破了他的手臂。

[weil] n. 痛哭，嚎啕 v. 痛哭，悲叹

The wind wailed in the forest all night.
风在林子里彻夜呼啸。

racted[di'stræktid] adj. 注意力不集中的，心烦意乱的

Children are so easily distracted.
儿童的注意力很不容易集中。

v. 使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗 n. 暂停，间歇

The mother lulled the baby to sleep.
母亲哄着孩子入睡了。

over n. 翻覆，翻折，半圆卷饼