4 Party girl

Chapter 4 Party girl That summer, Meg was invited to stay with her friend, Sallie Moffat. "If only I didn't have to work..." she grumbled. Then, at the last minute, the children she looked after caught measles. "I can go after all!" Meg realized excitedly. Her sisters helped her pack. "A whole week of fun!" Beth said, picking out hair ribbons for Meg to take. Amy was green with envy. "Ooh, I wish I was going to a house party."

那年夏天，麦格被邀请去她的朋友莎莉·莫法特家做客。 “要是我不用工作就好了……” 她抱怨道。然后，在最后一刻，她照顾的孩子们得了麻疹。 “我还是可以去的！”梅格兴奋地意识到。 她的姐妹们帮她收拾行李。 “整整一个星期的乐趣！”白丝一边说，一边为麦格挑选发带。 艾米非常嫉妒。“我真希望我是去参加家庭聚会”

Jo began to fold Meg's skirts, looking like a windmill with her long arms. "What did Mother give you out of the treasure chest?" she wanted to know. The treasure chest, made of sweet- smelling cedar wood, was where their mother kept her best things.

琼开始叠麦格的裙子，长臂看上去像个风车。 “妈妈从宝箱里给了你什么？”她想知道。 这个用香柏木做成的宝箱，是妈妈放她最好的东西的地方。

"A pretty fan, a blue sash and a pair of silk stockings," said Meg. "There was a length of violet silk, too, but there isn't time to have it made up into a dress, so I must be content with my old white cotton, I suppose." She sighed. "Never mind, you always look lovely in white," Beth consoled her. "I wish I hadn't smashed my coral bracelet. It would have suited you so," mourned Jo, who loved to lend her things- though they were usually too broken to be of much use.

“一把漂亮的扇子，一条蓝色的腰带和一双丝袜，”梅格说。 “还有一段紫色的丝绸，但没有时间把它做成一件衣服，所以我想我必须满足于我的旧白棉。” 她叹了口气。“没关系，你穿白色衣服总是很漂亮，”贝思安慰她。 “我真希望我没有打碎我的珊瑚手镯。 它会很适合你的，”乔悲哀地说，她喜欢把东西借给她——尽管这些东西通常都破得没什么用。

"My white isn't low-necked and it doesn't rustle like a silk dress," Meg said crossly. "But it will have to do because there isn't anything else." "You said the other day you'd be perfectly happy if you could only go to Sallie Moffat's," Beth reminded her. Meg gave a rueful laugh. "So I did. I suppose the more you have the more you want."

“我的白色衣服不是低领的，也不像丝绸衣服那样沙沙作响，”梅格生气地说。 “但它必须这样做，因为没有其他选择。” “那天你说过，如果你能去莎莉·莫法特家，你会非常高兴的，”贝丝提醒她。 麦格苦笑了一声。于是我照做了。 我想，你拥有的越多，你想要的就越多。”

Meg was overawed by the Moffats' stylish and enormous house. She loved eating their extravagant meals, riding in their carriages and dressing herself up every day to go shopping and to concerts and on elegant picnics. Sallie Moffat's pretty things filled her with envy, and home soon seemed bare and dull by comparison.

莫法特家那幢气派而又巨大的房子使梅格肃然起敬。 她喜欢吃他们奢华的饭菜，坐他们的马车，每天打扮自己去购物，去听音乐会，去参加优雅的野餐。 莎莉·莫法特的漂亮东西让她充满了嫉妒，相比之下，家里很快就显得光秃秃的、沉闷的了。

The house was full of Sallie's friends, all girls the same age, but not one of them earned a living like Meg. She began to copy their airs and graces and to feel ill-used and overworked. The highlight of the week was the Spring Ball. The girls spent their time chatting about which dresses to wear. "I have a new pink silk," Sallie said. "What are you wearing, Meg?"

屋子里挤满了莎莉的朋友，都是同龄的女孩，但没有一个像梅格那样挣钱谋生。 她开始模仿他们的装腔作势，感到受了虐待，劳累过度。 这一周的高潮是春季舞会。 女孩们把时间花在讨论穿哪件衣服上。 “我有一条粉红色的新丝绸，”莎莉说。 “你穿的是什么，梅格？”