Whatever his motive might have been, Laurie studied to some purpose that year, for he graduated with honor, and gave the Latin oration with the grace of a Phillips and the eloquence of a Demosthenes, so his friends said. They were all there, his grandfather--oh, so proud--Mr. and Mrs. March, John and Meg, Jo and Beth, and all exulted over him with the sincere admiration which boys make light of at the time, but fail to win from the world by any after-triumphs.
"I’ve got to stay for this confounded supper, but I shall be home early tomorrow. You’ll come and meet me as usual, girls?" Laurie said, as he put the sisters into the carriage after the joys of the day were over. He said ’girls’, but he meant Jo, for she was the only one who kept up the old custom. She had not the heart to refuse her splendid, successful boy anything, and answered warmly . . .
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3
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“我会来的,特迪,无论如何都会来,我会走在你前面,用单簧口琴为你弹奏《为凯旋的英雄欢呼》。”
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"I’ll come, Teddy, rain or shine, and march before you, playing ’Hail the conquering hero comes’ on a jew’s-harp."
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劳里谢了她,他脸上的神色使乔突然恐慌起来。”哦,天哪!我晓得他要说些什么了。我怎么办呢?”
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Laurie thanked her with a look that made her think in a sudden panic, "Oh, deary me! I know he’ll say something, and then what shall I do?"
Evening meditation and morning work somewhat allayed her fears, and having decided that she wouldn’t be vain enough to think people were going to propose when she had given them every reason to know what her answer would be, she set forth at the appointed time, hoping Teddy wouldn’t do anything to make her hurt his poor feelings.
A call at Meg’s, and a refreshing sniff and sip at the Daisy and Demijohn, still further fortified her for the tete-a-tete, but when she saw a stalwart figure looming in the distance, she had a strong desire to turn about and run away.
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7
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“单簧口琴在哪里,乔?”一走到能听见说话声之处,劳里便叫了起来。
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7
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"Where’s the jew’s-harp, Jo?" cried Laurie, as soon as he was within speaking distance.
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8
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“我忘了。”乔又鼓起了勇气。这样的招呼算不上情人般的招呼。
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8
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"I forgot it." And Jo took heart again, for that salutation could not be called lover-like.
She always used to take his arm on these occasions, now she did not, and he made no complaint, which was a bad sign, but talked on rapidly about all sorts of faraway subjects, till they turned from the road into the little path that led homeward through the grove.
Then he walked more slowly, suddenly lost his fine flow of language, and now and then a dreadful pause occurred. To rescue the conversation from one of the wells of silence into which it kept falling, Jo said hastily, "Now you must have a good long holiday!"
Something in his resolute tone made Jo look up quickly to find him looking down at her with an expression that assured her the dreaded moment had come, and made her put out her hand with an imploring, "No, Teddy. Please don’t!"
"I will, and you must hear me. It’s no use, Jo, we’ve got to have it out, and the sooner the better for both of us," he answered, getting flushed and excited all at once.
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14
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“那你就说吧,我听着,”乔说,带着一种豁出去的坚韧之心。
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"Say what you like then. I’ll listen," said Jo, with a desperate sort of patience.
Laurie was a young lover, but he was in earnest, and meant to ’have it out’, if he died in the attempt, so he plunged into the subject with characteristic impetuousity, saying in a voice that would get choky now and then, in spite of manful efforts to keep it steady . . .
"I’ve loved you ever since I’ve known you, Jo, couldn’t help it, you’ve been so good to me. I’ve tried to show it, but you wouldn’t let me. Now I’m going to make you hear, and give me an answer, for I can’t go on so any longer."
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17
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“我想让你别这样,我以为你已经理解了――”乔开口说,她发现情况比她预料的更难办。
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17
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"I wanted to save you this. I thought you’d understand . . ." began Jo, finding it a great deal harder than she expected.
"I know you did, but the girls are so queer you never know what they mean. They say no when they mean yes, and drive a man out of his wits just for the fun of it," returned Laurie, entrenching himself behind an undeniable fact.
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19
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“我不是那种人。我从来不想让你那样爱我,只要有可能,我总是走开以免你这样。”
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"I don’t. I never wanted to make you care for me so, and I went away to keep you from it if I could."
"I thought so. It was like you, but it was no use. I only loved you all the more, and I worked hard to please you, and I gave up billiards and everything you didn’t like, and waited and never complained, for I hoped you’d love me, though I’m not half good enough . . ." Here there was a choke that couldn’t be controlled, so he decapitated buttercups while he cleared his ’confounded throat’.
"You, you are, you’re a great deal too good for me, and I’m so grateful to you, and so proud and fond of you, I don’t know why I can’t love you as you want me to. I’ve tried, but I can’t change the feeling, and it would be a lie to say I do when I don’t."
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“真的吗?一点儿也不假吗,乔?”
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"Really, truly, Jo?"
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23
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他突然停住脚,捉住她的双手,提出了这个问题,脸上的表情让乔很久忘不了。
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23
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He stopped short, and caught both her hands as he put his question with a look that she did not soon forget.
They were in the grove now, close by the stile, and when the last words fell reluctantly from Jo’s lips, Laurie dropped her hands and turned as if to go on, but for once in his life the fence was too much for him.
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26
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他只能将脑袋靠在生了苔的柱子上,一动不动地站在那儿。乔给吓坏了。
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So he just laid his head down on the mossy post, and stood so still that Jo was frightened.
"Oh, Teddy, I’m sorry, so desperately sorry, I could kill myself if it would do any good! I wish you wouldn’t take it so hard, I can’t help it. You know it’s impossible for people to make themselves love other people if they don’t," cried Jo inelegantly but remorsefully, as she softly patted his shoulder, remembering the time when he had comforted her so long ago.
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“有时人们是这样做的,”柱子后传来沉闷的声音。
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"They do sometimes," said a muffled voice from the post.
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“我不相信那是真正的爱。我宁愿不这么试,”回答坚定。
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29
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"I don’t believe it’s the right sort of love, and I’d rather not try it," was the decided answer.
There was a long pause, while a blackbird sung blithely on the willow by the river, and the tall grass rustled in the wind. Presently Jo said very soberly, as she sat down on the step of the stile, "Laurie, I want to tell you something."
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他吃了一惊,好像挨了一枪似的。他把头一昂,大声叫道:“别告诉我,乔,我现在受不了!”
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31
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He started as if he had been shot, threw up his head, and cried out in a fierce tone, "Don’t tell me that, Jo, I can’t bear it now!"
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“告诉你什么?”她问,搞不清他为什么发怒。
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"Tell what?" she asked, wondering at his violence.
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33
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“你爱那个老头。”
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"That you love that old man."
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“哪个老头?”乔问。她想他肯定是指他爷爷。
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"What old man?" demanded Jo, thinking he must mean his grandfather.
"That devilish Professor you were always writing about. If you say you love him, I know I shall do something desperate;" and he looked as if he would keep his word, as he clenched his hands with a wrathful spark in his eyes.
Jo wanted to laugh, but restrained herself and said warmly, for she too, was getting excited with all this, "Don’t swear, Teddy! He isn’t old, nor anything bad, but good and kind, and the best friend I’ve got, next to you. Pray, don’t fly into a passion. I want to be kind, but I know I shall get angry if you abuse my Professor. I haven’t the least idea of loving him or anybody else."
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“可是过一段时间你会爱他的,那我怎么办呢?”
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37
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"But you will after a while, and then what will become of me?"
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38
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“你也会爱上别人的,像一个明智的男孩,忘掉这一切烦恼吧。”
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38
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"You’ll love someone else too, like a sensible boy, and forget all this trouble."
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“我不会爱任何别的人了,我永远也忘不了你,乔,永远,永远!”他一踩脚,用以强调他那激昂的话语。
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"I can’t love anyone else, and I’ll never forget you, Jo, Never! Never!" with a stamp to emphasize his passionate words.
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40
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“我拿他怎么办呢?”乔叹了口气。她发现感情比她预想的要难对付。
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40
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"What shall I do with him?" sighed Jo, finding that emotions were more unmanagable than she expected.
"No, I can’t. I’ve tried and failed, and I won’t risk our happiness by such a serious experiment. We don’t agree and we never shall, so we’ll be good friends all our lives, but we won’t go and do anything rash."
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45
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“不,如果有机会我们就要做,”劳里顽固地咕哝着。
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45
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"Yes, we will if we get the chance," muttered Laurie rebelliously.