12 A Warm Welcome

CHAPTER 12 A Warm Welcome Mr. King helped Polly out of the coach and up the steps. Jasper followed with Polly's trunk. A stiff butler opened the door. Polly felt as if she'd floated away to the fairyland of her dreams. Before her were warm greetings, large rooms, and high walls decorated with elegant paintings. Mr. King held her hand as though she were a

第十二章热烈欢迎金先生扶着波莉下了马车，走上台阶。 贾斯帕提着波莉的箱子跟在后面。 一个生硬的管家开了门。 波莉觉得自己仿佛飘到了梦想中的仙境。 在她面前的是热情的问候、宽敞的房间和装饰着精美画作的高墙。 金先生握着她的手，好像她是一个

fragile package. Jasper bobbed around, introducing her to his nephews, Van, Percy, and Dick. Jasper's dog Prince jumped up and down trying to lick her face. Best of all was when Jasper's beautiful and kind older sister, Marian, smiled into Polly's upturned face and welcomed her with a hug and a kiss. "I am so very glad to have you here, Polly Pepper," Marian declared. From that moment on, Polly knew she would always love Marian. Marian took Polly's hand, "Come dear. I'll show you your room." "We want to see her. Let Polly stay and play!" Van, Percy, and Dick cried. "There's plenty of time for you to spend with Polly," Marian insisted, leading Polly up a wide oak staircase. Polly clung for dear life to Marian's soft, white hand as she led Polly down a lovely, long hallway.

脆弱的包。贾斯帕在周围晃来晃去，把她介绍给他的侄子范、珀西和迪克。 贾斯帕的狗“王子”跳上跳下，想舔她的脸。 最精彩的一幕是，贾斯珀美丽善良的姐姐玛丽安对着波莉仰起的脸微笑着，拥抱并亲吻了她。 “波莉·佩珀，你能来我真是太高兴了，”玛丽安说。 从那一刻起，波莉知道她会永远爱玛丽安。 玛丽安拉着波莉的手，“来吧，亲爱的。 我带你去你的房间。”“我们想见她。 让波莉留下来玩吧！”凡、珀西和迪克都哭了。 “你有很多时间陪波莉，”玛丽安坚持说，领着波莉走上一段宽阔的橡木楼梯。 当玛丽安领着波莉走过一条可爱的长走廊时，波莉紧紧抓住她柔软、白皙的手。

"Now Polly, I'm going to put you here in the room right next to mine. I hope you will be very happy in it." Then, because she couldn't help it, Marian hugged the scared, little Polly in her arms. At dinner that night, all the boys chattered and laughed. They each had to tell Polly their stories. Polly described Ben and how much he liked to do woodwork. She explained about Phronsie and her adorable ways, and how Joel and Davie always made everyone laugh. By the end of the evening, it seemed as though Polly had always lived there. As they left the table, Dick rushed up to Polly and flung himself into her arms. "I love you!" Dick declared. Nothing more was needed to make Polly feel at home.

“现在，波莉，我要把你放在我隔壁的房间里。 我希望你在这里过得很幸福。” 然后，玛丽安忍不住把吓坏了的小波莉抱在怀里。 那天晚上吃晚饭时，所有的男孩都谈笑风生。 他们每个人都得给波莉讲自己的故事。 波莉描述了本，说他多么喜欢做木工活。 她解释了弗朗西和她可爱的方式，以及乔尔和戴维如何总是让大家开怀大笑。 到晚上结束时，波莉似乎一直住在那里。 当他们离开餐桌时，迪克冲向波莉，扑进她的怀里。 “我爱你！”迪克宣布。 波莉不需要再做什么就能感到宾至如归了。

Each day, Polly awoke eager to learn as much as she could—for Mamsie. She carefully studied her school subjects and worked very hard at learning French. Most of all, Polly looked forward to her daily piano lessons. Polly loved the big piano in the drawing room. She barely noticed the shaded light, draped furniture, and thick, soft carpet. Polly only had eyes for the piano. Her music teacher was a funny, little man. Polly believed he was the magician who would unlock the secrets and mysteries of the piano. She admired him very much. The music teacher was charmed by Polly. He was very impressed with the way Polly devoted herself to her music lessons and how she practiced every day before he arrived. "I think Polly plays the piano better than any of us," Jasper announced proudly at dinner one evening.

每天，波莉醒来时都渴望尽可能多地为玛西学习。 她认真学习学校的课程，并且非常努力地学习法语。 最重要的是，波莉盼望着每天的钢琴课。 波莉喜欢客厅里的那架大钢琴。 她几乎没有注意到阴暗的灯光、垂下的家具和又厚又软的地毯。 波莉眼里只有钢琴。 她的音乐老师是个风趣的小个子男人。 波莉相信他就是那个能解开钢琴秘密的魔术师。 她非常钦佩他。 音乐老师被波莉迷住了。 在他到来之前，波莉全身心地投入到音乐课上，每天都在练习，这给他留下了深刻的印象。 “我认为波莉钢琴弹得比我们任何人都好。”一天晚饭时，贾斯帕骄傲地宣布。

"Polly is always practicing," Van said in a grumpy tone. "She never has time to play with us," Percy added. "I want Polly to play with me," Dick said. "Leave Polly alone," Jasper said sternly. "You think because you're thirteen you can tell us what to do," Van said. "But that's only three years older than I. So you can't tell me what to do, even if you are my uncle." Polly had never heard such angry talk at the Little Brown House. "Let's tell stories," Polly said in a bright voice. "We'll each tell one," she suggested. "You tell us a story, Polly. You tell the best stories," the little boys begged. So, Polly began one of her finest and funniest stories, which soon had all four boys giggling. Even Mr. King joined the fun. "How do you think of things like that, Polly Pepper?" Van asked, his face red from laughing.

“波莉总是在练习，”范生气地说。 “她从来没有时间和我们一起玩。”珀西补充说。 “我想让波莉和我一起玩，”迪克说。 “放开波莉。”贾斯帕严厉地说。 “你以为你十三岁就可以告诉我们该怎么做，”范说。 “但他只比我大三岁。 所以即使你是我的叔叔，你也不能告诉我该怎么做。” 波莉在布朗小房子里从来没有听到过这样愤怒的谈话。 “我们讲故事吧。”波莉用欢快的声音说。 “我们每人讲一个，”她建议道。 “你给我们讲个故事吧，波莉。 你讲的故事最好，”小男孩恳求道。 于是，波莉开始讲她最精彩、最有趣的一个故事，很快就把四个男孩都逗乐了。 就连金先生也加入了其中。 “你是怎么想的，波莉·佩珀？”范问道，他的脸笑得通红。

"That isn't anything compared to the stories she used to tell at the Little Brown House," Jasper exclaimed. Jasper noticed Polly's face. At the mention of the Little Brown House, Polly had turned pale, and her brown eyes drooped. Her sad little face went right to Jasper's heart. Could Polly be homesick already? That night, and every night, when no one could see, tears would roll down Polly's rosy cheeks. The only place in the King house where Polly was truly happy, other than in front of the piano, was in the family greenhouse. After school-work, piano practice, and telling stories to the boys, Polly would rush to the greenhouse where old Turner, the gardener, tended the flowers. But even with the music and the flowers, the light in Polly's merry brown eyes was never very bright. She grew more silent and pale and droopy with each passing day.

“这和她以前在布朗小房子里讲的故事比起来根本不算什么。”贾斯帕大声说。 贾斯帕注意到了波莉的脸。 一提到棕色小房子，波莉的脸色就变得苍白，棕色的眼睛耷拉下来。 她悲伤的小脸直抵贾斯珀的心。 波莉是不是已经想家了？ 那天晚上，以及每天晚上，当没有人看得见的时候，泪水就会顺着波莉玫瑰色的脸颊滚落下来。 在金的房子里，除了钢琴前，波莉唯一真正快乐的地方就是家里的温室。 放学、练琴、给孩子们讲故事之后，波莉就会冲到园丁老特纳照料鲜花的温室里。 但是，即使有了音乐和鲜花，波莉那快乐的棕色眼睛里的光也从来没有很亮过。 她一天比一天沉默寡言，脸色苍白，无精打采。