经典名著：《小妇人（连载7）》
导读
《小妇人》（Little Women）是由美国女作家露易莎·梅·奥尔科特创作的长篇小说，首次出版于1868年。该作是一部以美国南北战争为背景，以19世纪美国新英格兰地区的一个普通家庭四个姐妹之间的生活琐事为蓝本的带有自传色彩的家庭伦理小说。小说受到当时的大思想家爱默生的影响，强调了个人尊严与自立自律的观念；内容平实却细腻，结构单纯而寓意深远，富有强烈的感染力。
Then things went smoothly, for Don Pedro defied the world in a speech of two pages without a single break. Hagar, the witch, chanted an awful incantation over her kettleful of simmering toads, with weird effect. Roderigo rent his chains asunder manfully, and Hugo died in agonies of remorse and arsenic, with a wild, “Ha! Ha!”
接下来就顺利多了。唐·佩德罗一口气读下两页挑战世界的宣言；女巫黑格把满满一锅蟾蜍放在火里炖，妖里妖气地给它们念一道可怕的咒语；罗德力戈力拔山河地扯断锁链，雨果狂叫着"哈！哈！”在悔恨和砒霜的折磨下死去。
“It’s the best we’ve had yet,” said Meg, as the dead villain sat up and rubbed his elbows.
“这是做得最好的一次，”当"死去"的反角坐起来揉擦肘部时，梅格说。
“I don’t see how you can write and act such splendid things, Jo. You’re a regular Shakespeare!” exclaimed Beth, who firmly believed that her sisters were gifted with wonderful genius in all things.
“乔，你能写出这么好的剧本，而且演得这么出色，简直不可思议！你真是莎士比亚再世！”贝思喊道。她坚信姐妹们才华横溢，无所不能。
“Not quite,” replied Jo modestly. “I do think The Witches Curse, an Operatic Tragedy is rather a nice thing, but I’d like to try Macbeth, if we only had a trapdoor for Banquo. I always wanted to do the killing part. ‘Is that a dagger that I see before me?’” muttered Jo, rolling her eyes and clutching at the air, as she had seen a famous tragedian do.
“过奖了，”乔谦逊地回答，”《女巫的咒语，一个歌剧式的悲剧》是挺不错的，不过我想演《麦克佩斯》，如果我们能给班柯一扇活地板门的话。我一直想演刺客这一角色。'我眼前看到的是一把刀吗？'" 乔轻声朗诵，像她所见过的一位著名悲剧演员一样，转动着眼珠，两手抓向空中。
“No, it’s the toasting fork, with Mother’s shoe on it instead of the bread. Beth’s stage-struck!” cried Meg, and the rehearsal ended in a general burst of laughter.
“错了，这是烧烤叉，你放上去的不是面包，而是妈妈的鞋。贝思看入迷了！“梅格叫起来。众姐妹大笑不已，排练也随之结束。
“Glad to find you so merry, my girls,” said a cheery voice at the door, and actors and audience turned to welcome a tall, motherly lady with a ‘can I help you’ look about her which was truly delightful. She was not elegantly dressed, but a noble-looking woman, and the girls thought the gray cloak and unfashionable bonnet covered the most splendid mother in the world.
“看到你们这么快活我真高兴，我的女儿们。”门口传来一串愉快的声音，这些演员和观众转过身来，迎接一位高高个儿、充满母性的女士。她神情可亲、令人愉快。她的衣着虽不华丽，但仪态高贵。在姐妹们心目中，这位身披灰色外套，头戴一顶过时无边小圆软帽的女士是普天下最出色的母亲。
