023 帮助无助之人

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For the first week after Mother left, the March sisters did remarkably well with the housework

母亲离开后的第一周，马奇家的姐妹们家务做得相当不错。

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They took on additional chores and made time to help each other if needed

她们承担了额外的家务，并在需要时抽出时间互相帮助。

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Once they were relieved to know that Father was recovering

当得知父亲正在康复后，她们松了一口气，

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a great burden was lifted from their heavy hearts, and soon the girls slowly began to return to their old habits

心头沉重的负担放下了，姑娘们很快又开始慢慢回到旧习惯中去了。

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Without Mother around to praise their hard work the sisters felt it only fair that they deserved a short break from their domestic chores

没有母亲在身边表扬她们的辛苦，姐妹们觉得，短暂歇一歇不做家务是理所当然的。

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Jo caught a bad cold and was not allowed to return to Aunt March's until she was fully recovered

乔得了重感冒，必须完全康复后才能回到马奇姑婆家。

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As Aunt March put it, she didn't want Jo " spreading dirty germs around the house."

用马奇姑婆的话说，她可不想让乔“把脏兮兮的病菌传得满屋子都是”。

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Jo had no complaints as she used the opportunity to catch up on some books that she had been aching to read

乔毫无怨言，她利用这个机会读了好几本一直心痒痒想读的书。

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She soon settled herself on the sofa with a warm blanket, handkerchief, and cup of hot tea

她很快就在沙发上安顿下来，身上裹着暖和的毯子，备好手帕和一杯热茶。

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Amy found that additional housework had strengthened the muscles in her artist's hands

艾米发现，额外的家务活让她那双艺术家之手的肌肉更有力量了，

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giving her another chance to try her skills at clay sculpting

这给了她又一次尝试泥塑技巧的机会。

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Without looking back, Amy abandoned her apron for her artist's smock and before long was thumping, mashing, molding, and creating new pieces of art

艾米头也不回地脱下围裙，换上她的艺术家工作服，不一会儿就开始捶打、揉捏、塑形，创作起新的艺术品来。

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Meg, on the other hand, faithfully continued to write to Mother and Father

另一方面，梅格则忠实地继续给父母写信，

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and more often to Mr. Brookes, who she said would appreciate a warm letter from time to time

而且更经常写信给布鲁克斯先生，她说他时不时会乐意收到一封温暖的信。

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In fact, her evenings with paper and pen took up so much time that she was soon neglecting her household duties

事实上，她每天晚上都花那么多时间在纸和笔上，很快就忽视了她的家务活儿。

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" Amy! If you don't stop that thumping I'm going to thump your head against that table soon," Jo shouted hoarsely at her sister

“艾米！你再不停止那捶打声，我马上就把你的脑袋往那桌子上敲。”乔沙哑地对妹妹喊道，

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who had just destroyed a sculpture and was now trying to soften the clay to turn it into something else

她刚刚毁了一个雕塑，现在正试图把黏土弄软，好改成别的东西。

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" You're so violent and rude," snapped Amy, ignoring Jo's threats by continuing to beat the clay harder

“你太暴力、太粗鲁了，”艾米厉声说，无视乔的威胁，继续更起劲地捶打黏土。

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" Besides, shouldn't you be in bed resting rather than down here anyway?"

“再说，你难道不应该躺在床上休息，而不是待在这儿吗？”

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" Girls, can you keep your voices down?" said Meg irritably

“姑娘们，你们能不能小声点？”梅格烦躁地说。

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" I'm just finishing a letter to Mother and I can't concentrate with your bickering."

“我正给妈妈写完信，你们吵得我没法集中注意力。”

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Jo childishly stuck her tongue out at Amy, who returned the gesture

乔孩子气地朝艾米吐舌头，艾米也回头朝她吐舌头。

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While the others gradually ignored their chores, not to mention their consciences, Beth alone kept up her work

其他人渐渐连家务带良心都抛诸脑后，只有贝丝独自坚持干活。

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She would faithfully carry out her tasks as well as the ones her sisters had forgotten or postponed indefinitely

她会尽责地完成自己的活计，也不忘把姐姐们忘了或一直拖着的事做完。

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She tried to keep her spirits up by singing and humming to herself as she worked

她干活时试着通过唱歌哼曲来振作精神，

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imagining how wonderful it would be when Mother and Father returned home and they could be a family again

想象着爸爸妈妈回家、一家人再次团聚时会有多美好。

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But as angelic as Beth was, she was also human

可贝丝虽然天使般善良，到底也是个凡人。

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Sometimes she became so frustrated that she would seek solace in her parents' room, lying on their bed and pretending they were hugging her

有时她沮丧极了，就会到父母房间寻求安慰，躺在床上，假装他们正搂着自己。

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Doing this calmed her and gave her a sense of security so that she could continue her work cheerfully

这么做能让她平静下来、找到安全感，从而又能开开心心地接着干活。

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Beth's approach seemed to work because her sisters never saw her frowning, speaking insensitively, or acting rudely around them

贝丝这法子似乎挺管用，因为姐姐们从没见她皱过眉、说过刻薄话，或在她们面前举止粗鲁过。

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One evening, Beth, as usual, was in the kitchen preparing a food basket for the Hummels

一天傍晚，贝丝像往常一样在厨房为赫梅尔一家准备食物篮。

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She seemed unusually tired and sighed a great deal while she slowly filled the basket with bread, fruit, and hot soup

她看起来格外疲惫，一边慢慢地往篮子里装面包、水果和热汤，一边不住地叹气。

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When her older sisters strolled into the kitchen, Beth looked at them pleadingly and asked

当她的姐姐们溜达进厨房时，贝丝恳求地看着她们，问道：

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" Would one of you be able to visit the Hummels tonight? I don't feel well."

“今晚你们有谁能去探望赫梅尔一家吗？我觉得不舒服。”

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Meg, washing her hands, shook her head and answered," I would if I could, but I must finish this letter to Mother

梅格边洗手边摇头回答：“如果我能去我会去的，但是我必须写完给妈妈的信。

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Then I have to write a short one to Mr. Brookes because Mr. Laurence has an urgent message for him."

然后我还得给布鲁克斯先生写一封短信，因为劳伦斯先生有急事要告诉他。”

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" And I can't...," said Jo, forcing a cough," because I still have this nasty cold."

“我也不能去……”乔假装咳嗽了一声说，“因为我这重感冒还没好。”

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" But you seemed well enough to go out with Laurie this afternoon," Beth pointed out gently

“可是你今天下午和劳里出去的时候看起来还挺好的，”贝丝温和地指出。

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Jo's face turned crimson as she replied with a chuckle," I felt better then. But I think I should rest now."

乔的脸涨得通红，她轻笑着回答：“那时候我感觉好些了。但我现在觉得应该休息一下。”

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" I've been going every night since Mother left, but I was hoping that one of you could go instead just this once," sighed Beth

“妈妈走后我一直每晚都去，但我希望你们谁能替我去就这一次，”贝丝叹气道。

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Meg and Jo both felt guilty that they hadn't followed Mother's instructions to visit the Hummels

梅格和乔都因为没有遵照妈妈的嘱咐去探望赫梅尔一家而感到内疚，

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yet they didn't want to leave their warm home and walk in the freezing cold that evening

但那晚她们却不愿离开温暖的家，到严寒中去走一趟。

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In order to ease her guilt, Meg suggested," Darling, just stay in tonight

为了减轻内疚感，梅格提议道：“亲爱的，今晚就待在家里吧。

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I'm sure the Hummels have plenty to eat for one evening, then tomorrow I'll go and see them. I promise."

我相信赫梅尔一家一顿晚餐应该够吃了，明天我一定去看他们。我保证。”

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Beth smiled at her sister and said," Thanks, Meg

贝丝对姐姐笑了笑，说：“谢谢你，梅格。

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But since I've already filled the basket, I'll go and drop it off at their house. I'll be back shortly."

不过既然我已经把篮子装满了，还是我去他们家送一趟吧。我很快就回来。”

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Hugging their little sister, Meg and Jo went back to the living room to do their own thing

梅格和乔拥抱了小妹妹之后，就回到客厅各做各的事去了。

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Sighing, Beth picked up the basket and got ready to leave

贝丝叹了口气，拿起篮子准备出门。

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That evening the others decided to turn in early, with Meg complaining of a headache, Jo blaming her cold, and Amy wanting her beauty sleep

那天晚上，其他人都决定早点睡——梅格说头疼，乔怪自己的感冒，艾米则想睡个美容觉。

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Soon after Jo had fallen asleep, however, she was awakened by slow footsteps creeping up the stairs

然而，乔刚睡着不久，就被楼梯上缓慢悄悄上来的脚步声吵醒了。

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Alarmed, she silently got out of bed, careful not to disturb her sleeping sisters

她吃了一惊，悄悄下床，小心不吵醒熟睡的姐妹们。

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The footsteps stopped in front of her parents' room, so Jo cautiously tiptoed over and slowly opened the door

脚步声在父母房门前停了下来，乔便谨慎地踮着脚尖走过去，慢慢推开门。

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What she saw frightened her more than anything she could imagine

眼前的景象比她所能想象的任何事都更让她害怕。

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" Beth! Beth! What happened?" she cried, seeing her sister spread out on their parents' bed

“贝丝！贝丝！怎么了？”她看到妹妹摊开在父母的床上，叫了起来。

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Beth was breathing unevenly and her face was flushed with fever

贝丝呼吸不匀，脸庞因发烧而通红。

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Panicking, Jo looked around for a washcloth and water to cool Beth's burning face

乔慌了神，四处找毛巾和水，想给贝丝滚烫的脸降温。

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" Jo?" Beth whispered weakly

“乔？”贝丝虚弱地低语。

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" I'm right here, darling," Jo replied, placing a wet washcloth on Beth's forehead

“我在这儿，亲爱的。”乔答道，将湿毛巾敷在贝丝额头上。

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" Jo? She died..." Beth's voice broke

“乔？她死了……”贝丝的声音哽咽了。

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" Who, Beth? Who died?" Jo asked, startled at her words

“谁，贝丝？谁死了？”乔被这话吓了一跳，问道。

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" The baby, Hummels' baby... in my arms...," Beth managed to say

“那个婴儿，赫梅尔家的婴儿……在我怀里……”贝丝勉强说道。

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" Oh, my poor darling," Jo cried, holding Beth close to her

“哦，我可怜的宝贝。”乔哭着，把贝丝紧紧抱在怀里。

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" Doctor said... scarlet... scarlet fever... all the children have it...," continued Beth." Jo? I might be sick too."

“医生说……猩……猩红热……所有孩子都得了……”贝丝继续说，“乔？我可能也病了。”

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Jo's heart sank and she wanted to scream aloud with anguish

乔的心一沉，痛苦得想放声尖叫。

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Scarlet fever, as everyone knew in those days before antibiotics and childhood immunizations, was often fatal

在还没有抗生素和儿童免疫接种的年代，人人都知道猩红热常常是致命的。

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Both Meg and Jo had already had the disease and so their bodies were immune to the bacteria

梅格和乔都曾得过这种病，所以身体对病菌有免疫力。

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Amy, on the other hand, had never had scarlet fever, which was both contagious and dangerous

而艾米从未得过猩红热，这病既会传染又很危险。

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" I wish I knew what to do!" cried Jo, beating her fists against the bed in frustration

“我真希望知道该怎么办！”乔沮丧地用拳头捶着床，哭喊道。

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" Please, Jo, my throat is so dry... my head hurts...," Beth mumbled weakly

“求你了，乔，我嗓子好干……头疼……”贝丝虚弱地咕哝道。

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Clutching her sister, Jo wept loudly, hating herself for allowing Beth to go to the Hummels when she should have gone

乔紧紧抱住妹妹，放声大哭，恨自己本应去赫梅尔家却让贝丝去了，

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and at the same time, wishing Mother were there to tell her what to do

同时又希望母亲能在身边告诉她该怎么做。

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" Jo? Keep Amy away. Keep her away...," said Beth before she closed her eyes and became silent

“乔？别让艾米靠近。把她隔开……”贝丝说完，便闭上眼睛，不再出声。