012 乔的坚决

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It took a few weeks for the family to adjust to homeschooling for Beth and Amy

一家人花了几周时间才适应了贝思和艾米在家上学。

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Mother, Meg, and Jo all taught different subjects

妈妈、梅格和乔分别教不同的科目。

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With Beth, it was fairly easy, since they would each assign her a portion to study for the week, and she could do it at her leisure

对贝思来说，这很容易，因为她们每人每周给她布置一部分学习内容，她可以按自己的节奏完成。

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Being an obedient and grateful girl, Beth never neglected her lessons

贝思是个听话又懂得感恩的女孩，从不耽误功课，

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making sure she finished all the work first before she allowed time for herself

总是先确保完成所有的学习任务，才给自己留出时间。

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Even going to Mr. Laurence's every day, as well as playing on her own little piano, did not distract her from carrying on with her studies

即使每天去劳伦斯先生家，还弹自己的小钢琴，也没让她分心，一直坚持学习。

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Amy, on the other hand, found out that she was not as disciplined as her sister

而艾米呢，发现自己不像姐姐那样自律。

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" Oh, Beth, can we please take a break?

“哦，贝思，我们能休息一下吗？

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I'm exhausted!" she cried one afternoon as she struggled with a math problem

我累坏了！”一天下午，她被一道数学题难住时叫道。

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" We just had a break, Amy, and besides, Jo wants us to finish this today," said Beth, pointing to the books stacked on the dining table

“我们刚休息过，艾米，再说乔让我们今天完成这个，”贝思指着餐桌上堆着的书本说。

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Since Beth and Amy were studying together, Mother felt it best to set aside a certain period of time each day for the girls' lessons

由于贝思和艾米在一起学习，母亲认为最好每天留出一段固定的时间给她们上课。

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Both Meg and Jo came home around the same time, so they took turns teaching the younger girls for a few hours every afternoon

由于贝思和艾米在一起学习，母亲认为最好每天留出固定的时间段给她们上课。

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Three times a week, Mother stayed home in the morning to help the girls with other subjects

梅格和乔差不多同时到家，因此她们每天下午轮流给妹妹们上几个小时的课。

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and on the days that Mother went out for her volunteer work, Beth and Amy were given homework to do

每周有三天，母亲早上待在家里辅导女孩们其他科目，

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" I hope Jo never becomes a real teacher," complained Amy

而在母亲外出做志愿工作的日子里，贝思和艾米会被布置家庭作业。

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" I would pity her students if she did

“我希望乔永远别当真正的老师，”艾米抱怨道。

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Just look at how much she gives us to do! How can I possibly read all that?"

“如果她当了老师，我真同情她的学生。

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Amy spread her hand toward the books and dramatically flung her pencil down

瞧瞧她给我们布置了多少作业！我怎么可能读得完？”

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" Well, if you would stop wasting time complaining and actually start reading, then maybe you could finish your assignment by the time you're 20,"

艾米朝那些书摊开手，然后夸张地把铅笔往下一扔。

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joked Jo as she came into the room carrying more thick textbooks, which she threw on the table

“嗯，你要是能停止浪费时间抱怨，真正开始读书，或许到二十岁时就能完成作业了，”

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" Jo!" shrieked Amy." What is that? Don't tell me we have to do more math problems?"

“乔！”艾米尖叫道。“那是什么？别告诉我还得做更多数学题？”

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" You don't have to do all of them tonight," Jo reassured her sister, who let out a sigh of relief

“你不用今晚全部做完。”乔安慰妹妹，艾米听后松了口气。

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Then Jo immediately added," Some of this is for tomorrow night, since we won't be here."

然后乔立刻补充道：“这些有一部分是明晚的，因为我们不在家。”

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Amy sat up straight and narrowed her eyes

艾米坐直身体，眯起了眼睛。

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" Why not? Where are you going? Is Meg going with you?" she questioned

“为什么不在？你们要去哪儿？梅格也去吗？”她问道。

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Chuckling to herself, Jo flapped a hand at her and said," It's none of your business

乔自顾自地笑了，朝她摆了摆手说：“这不关你的事。

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Now have you solved that problem yet or not?"

你那道题解出来没？”

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Just then Meg rushed in, her cheeks flushed and eyes bright with excitement

就在这时，梅格冲了进来，脸颊绯红，眼神因兴奋而闪闪发亮。

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She secretly whispered something in Jo's ear

她悄悄对着乔耳语了几句。

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Giggling and speaking in hushed tones, the two girls left the room swiftly

两个女孩一边咯咯笑着，一边低声说着话，快步离开了房间。

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" That's not nice! You shouldn't whisper in front of others!"

“那样不礼貌！你们不该当着别人的面说悄悄话！”

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Amy yelled after them. Frustrated, hungry, and cranky, Amy vowed to find out what her sisters were up to

艾米朝她们喊道。沮丧、饥饿又烦躁的艾米发誓要弄清楚姐姐们在搞什么名堂。

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The March sisters rarely kept secrets from each other

马奇家的姐妹们很少对彼此保密。

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No wonder Amy found it odd that her sisters would not share their news with her

难怪艾米觉得奇怪，姐姐们竟然不和她分享消息。

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She had no choice but to find out on her own

她别无选择，只能自己去弄清楚。

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The next afternoon, both Meg and Jo disappeared into their room as soon as they returned from work

第二天下午，梅格和乔一下班就钻进了自己的房间。

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Amy could hear a great deal of running around, closet doors opening and shutting, and worst of all, lots of laughter

艾米听到不少跑来跑去的声音，衣柜门开开关关，最糟糕的是，还传来阵阵笑声。

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Feeling particularly grumpy that day, Amy left Beth to figure out the math equation, and crept upstairs to her sisters' room

那天艾米心情特别不好，她丢下贝思让她自己解数学题，蹑手蹑脚地上了楼，来到姐姐们的房间。

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Luckily for her, the door was slightly open

对她来说幸运的是，房门微微开着。

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" Jo, can you help me with my hair?" Meg was saying

“乔，你能帮我弄一下头发吗？”梅格正在说。

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" As soon as I tie this big Christmas ribbon around my waist," Jo replied, struggling with a satin sash that wound around her dark purple dress

"等我系好腰上这根大圣诞缎带。"乔一边回答，一边费力地摆弄着那条缠绕在她深紫色裙子上的缎面腰带。

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Giggling, Meg helped her clumsy sister, creating a perfect bow at the back of her dress

梅格咯咯笑着，帮她那笨手笨脚的妹妹在裙子后面打了一个完美的蝴蝶结。

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" There, that's better," she laughed cheerfully

"好啦，这样好多了。"她开心地笑着说。

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Then through the mirror, she caught sight of an uninvited guest

这时，她透过镜子瞥见了一位不速之客。

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" I think we have a visitor," she remarked to Jo

"看来我们有个访客。"她对乔说道。

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Jo swung around and caught Amy peering through the door

乔猛地转过身，发现艾米正从门口偷看。

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" What are you doing? And why aren't you downstairs doing your lessons?" she barked

"你在干什么？你为什么不在楼下做功课？"她厉声问道。

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Amy stubbornly cocked her head and replied nastily," Where are you going?

艾米倔强地昂起头，不客气地回答："你们要去哪儿？

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Does Mother know? If she doesn't, I'm going to tell."

妈妈知道吗？要是不知道，我就要去告状了。"

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Jo pinched Amy hard on her arm causing her to squeal like a pig

乔狠狠地掐了一下艾米的胳膊，疼得她像小猪一样尖叫起来。

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" You nasty little worm! I told you to mind your own business!

“你这讨厌的小跟屁虫！我告诉过你别多管闲事！”

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As for whether or not Mother knows, do you think we'd sneak around behind Mother's back without getting her permission to go out?" Jo shouted

“至于妈妈知不知道，你以为我们会不经她允许，就偷偷背着她溜出去吗？”乔喊道。

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" You hurt me! My arm is bruised!" moaned Amy, rubbing the red spot on her arm

“你弄疼我了！我的胳膊都青了！”艾米揉着胳膊上的红印，呻吟着说。

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" Serves you right!" said Jo sternly." Now go downstairs and do your lessons!"

“你活该！”乔严厉地说。“现在下楼去做你的功课！”

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" Just tell me where you're going then," cried Amy

“那就告诉我你们要去哪儿呀，”艾米喊道。

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" Jo, why don't we just tell her?" Meg said, trying to make peace

“乔，我们干嘛不就直接告诉她呢？”梅格试图打圆场。

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" Fine, but don't start crying because you can't come!"

“好吧，但可别因为不能去就哭鼻子！”

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Jo turned her back and continued to get ready

乔转过身去，继续做准备。

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Meg gently rubbed Amy's arm and began in her motherly way," Laurie has invited us to―"

梅格温柔地揉着艾米的胳膊，以她大姐姐的口吻开始说：“劳里邀请我们去——”

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But before she could finish, Amy interrupted by screaming

但她话还没说完，艾米就尖叫着打断了她，

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" You're going to the theater! You're going to see that play!

“你们是要去剧院！你们要去看那出戏！

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I wanted to see it! I'm the one who told you about it!"

我想看的！还是我告诉你们这出戏的！”

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Neither Meg nor Jo could deny it, for it was indeed Amy who had mentioned the very theater production a few weeks ago

梅格和乔都无法否认，因为确实，几周前正是艾米提到了这出戏剧。

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She had heard about it from her friend Kitty

她是从她朋友基蒂那里听说的。

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" Well, darling, Laurie already saw it and he didn't think it was suitable for young ones..."

“哦，亲爱的，劳里已经看过了，他觉得这不适合小孩子……”

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Meg tried to reason with her frantic sister

梅格试图和她激动的妹妹讲道理。

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" That's not fair! I want to go! Please, I'm very mature for my age!" Amy continued to argue

“这不公平！我想去！求你们了，我在同龄人里算很懂事了！”艾米继续争辩。

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" Well, I know you are, but, well, maybe if we ask..."

“嗯，我知道你是，但是，呃，也许如果我们问一下……”

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Meg struggled to find the right words to say

梅格努力寻找着合适的措辞。

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" No!" Jo slammed the closet door and stamped her feet

“不行！”乔砰地关上柜门，跺着脚。

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" No, no, no! You are not coming with us because you are not invited!

“不行，不行，不行！你不能跟我们一起去，因为你没被邀请！

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If you're as mature as you say you are, stop screaming like a monkey, and get back to your lessons!"

如果你真像自己说的那么懂事，就别像猴子一样尖叫，回去做你的功课！”

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" I hate you, Jo March! I hate you!" Amy screamed at the top of her lungs

“我恨你，乔·马奇！我恨你！”艾米声嘶力竭地尖叫。

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" You're going to pay for this! I swear you're going to be sorry!"

“你会为此付出代价的！我发誓你会后悔的！”

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Amy collapsed on the floor, wailing and throwing her fists around in frustration

艾米瘫倒在地板上，嚎啕大哭，懊恼地胡乱挥舞着拳头。

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Jo, grabbing her bag, stepped right over her, and when she got to the door, turned around one last time and said in a spiteful voice

乔抓起她的包，直接从她身上跨过去，走到门口时，最后一次转过身，恶狠狠地说，

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" You'd better not be in here when we get back

“我们回来时，你最好别待在这儿。

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And you'd better have finished the work I gave you or else you're in big trouble, young lady!"

而且你最好把我给你布置的功课做完，否则你就麻烦大了，小姐！”

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Meg, looking apologetically at her youngest sister, quietly followed Jo out of the room

梅格歉疚地看着她的小妹妹，默默地跟着乔走出了房间。

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" I promise you will pay for this, Josephine March," sniffed Amy

“我发誓你会为此付出代价的，约瑟芬·马奇，”艾米抽泣着说。