名著精讀:《小婦人》第二章:聖誕快樂 第1節

Jo was the first to wake in the gray dawn of Christmas morning. No stockings hung at the fireplace, and for a moment she felt as much disappointed as she did long ago, when her little sock fell down because it was crammed so full of goodies. Then she remembered her mother's promise and, slipping her hand under her pillow, drew out a little crimson-covered book. She knew it very well, for it was that beautiful old story of the best life ever lived, and Jo felt that it was a true guidebook for any pilgrim going on a long journey.

喬覺得這正是一切踏上漫長征途的朝聖者所需要的指導書。她一聲"聖誕快樂“把梅格叫醒，叫她看看枕頭下面有什麼。梅格掏出一本綠色封面、帶有相同插圖的書，媽媽在上面題了詞，使這件禮物倍添珍貴。不一會，貝思和艾美也醒來了，翻尋到各自的小書--一本乳白色，另一本藍色--四姐妹於是坐着邊看邊討論，不覺東方已泛起紅霞，新的一天又告開始。

She woke Meg with a "Merry Christmas," and bade her see what was under her pillow. A green- covered book appeared, with the same picture inside, and a few words written by their mother, which made their one present very precious in their eyes. Presently Beth and Amy woke to rummage and find their little books also, one dove-colored, the other blue, and all sat looking at and talking about them, while the east grew rosy with the coming day.

聖誕節一早，天剛矇矇亮，喬便第一個醒來。她看到壁爐邊沒有掛着襪子，一時深感失望。多年前，她的小襪子因爲糖果塞得太滿而掉落地上，她也曾這樣失望過。稍後她想起母親的諾言，便悄悄把手伸到枕頭下面，果然摸出一本菲紅色封面的書。她十分熟悉這本書，因爲它記載的是歷史上最優秀的人物的經典故事。

place n. 壁爐

Books and a fireplace lent a feeling of warmth to the room.
書和房內的火爐給人一種溫暖的感覺

[kræm] v. 塞滿, 填滿, 猛吃

This box is crammed with Christmas gifts.
這個盒子裏塞滿了聖誕禮物。

son ['krimzn] n. 深紅色 adj. 深紅色的 v. 變爲深紅色, 臉紅

The evening sky was suffused with crimson.
黃昏時分天空紅霞燦燦.

rim ['pilgrim] n. 朝聖者

We met many pilgrims on their way to Mecca.
我們遇到許多去麥加朝聖的人。

age v. 到處翻尋, 搜出, 檢查 n. 翻箱倒櫃的尋找, 臨檢, 碎屑

He had a good rummage inside the sofa.
他把沙發內部徹底搜尋了一翻。