Little Women · chapter 29 of 31
All Alone
乔一个人
With Beth gone, Jo feels alone in the quiet house, until Marmee asks her to write something just for the family. Then an old book holds a surprise.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 那年夏天，家里很安静。贝丝的钢琴，没有人弹了。
Nà nián xiàtiān, jiā li hěn ānjìng. Bèisī de gāngqín, méiyǒu rén tán le.
That summer the house was very quiet. Nobody played Beth's piano anymore.
- Jo 以前，家里有我们四个。现在，就我一个了。
Yǐqián, jiā li yǒu wǒmen sì gè. Xiànzài, jiù wǒ yí gè le.
There used to be four of us at home. Now it's just me.
- Jo 贝丝，我答应过你……可是好难啊。
Bèisī, wǒ dāyingguo nǐ… kěshì hǎo nán a.
Beth, I promised you... but it's so hard.
Chapter 29 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Part 1 of Little Women (chapters 1–6) is free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Marmee 乔，你又一个人在想贝丝吗？
Qiáo, nǐ yòu yí gè rén zài xiǎng Bèisī ma?
Jo, are you alone thinking about Beth again?
- Jo 妈妈，我想跟贝丝一样好。可是我什么都做不好。
Māma, wǒ xiǎng gēn Bèisī yíyàng hǎo. Kěshì wǒ shénme dōu zuò bu hǎo.
Marmee, I want to be as good as Beth. But I can't do anything right.
- Marmee 你不用做贝丝，你就做乔。写一点儿东西给我们，好吗？
Nǐ búyòng zuò Bèisī, nǐ jiù zuò Qiáo. Xiě yìdiǎnr dōngxi gěi wǒmen, hǎo ma?
You don't have to be Beth. Just be Jo. Write a little something for us, will you?
- Jo 给你们……好。我就写我心里想的。
Gěi nǐmen… hǎo. Wǒ jiù xiě wǒ xīn li xiǎng de.
For you... All right. I'll just write what's in my heart.
- Father 乔，这个故事真好。我拿去给做报纸的人看看。
Qiáo, zhège gùshi zhēn hǎo. Wǒ ná qù gěi zuò bàozhǐ de rén kànkan.
Jo, this story is really good. I'll take it to the newspaper people to read.
- Jo 爸爸，别！这就是一个小故事……
Bàba, bié! Zhè jiù shì yí gè xiǎo gùshi…
Father, don't! It's just a little story...
- Narrator 几个星期以后，很多人都看了乔的故事。
Jǐ gè xīngqī yǐhòu, hěn duō rén dōu kàn le Qiáo de gùshi.
A few weeks later, a great many people had read Jo's story.
- Marmee 乔，你看！这么多信，都是给你的！
Qiáo, nǐ kàn! Zhème duō xìn, dōu shì gěi nǐ de!
Jo, look! So many letters, and they're all for you!
- Jo 为什么？我写的是我们家啊！
Wèishénme? Wǒ xiě de shì wǒmen jiā a!
Why? I only wrote about our family!
- Father 因为里边有真的东西，乔。这就是秘密。
Yīnwèi lǐbian yǒu zhēn de dōngxi, Qiáo. Zhè jiù shì mìmì.
Because there is truth in it, Jo. That's the secret.
- Narrator 秋天的一天，乔在楼上看旧东西。
Qiūtiān de yì tiān, Qiáo zài lóushàng kàn jiù dōngxi.
One autumn day, Jo was upstairs, looking through old things.
- Jo 四个小箱子，都写着我们的名字……
Sì gè xiǎo xiāngzi, dōu xiězhe wǒmen de míngzi…
Four little chests, each with one of our names on it...
- Jo 这是我的德语书。这儿有教授写的话！
Zhè shì wǒ de Déyǔ shū. Zhèr yǒu jiàoshòu xiě de huà!
This is my German book. Here's something the Professor wrote!
- Jo “等我，我的朋友。我可能会晚一点儿，可是我一定会来。”
“Děng wǒ, wǒ de péngyou. Wǒ kěnéng huì wǎn yìdiǎnr, kěshì wǒ yídìng huì lái.”
“Wait for me, my friend. I may be a little late, but I shall surely come.”
- Jo 巴尔教授……您现在在哪儿呢？
Bā'ěr jiàoshòu… nín xiànzài zài nǎr ne?
Professor Bhaer... where are you now?
- Narrator 几天以后的晚上，乔坐在火边。
Jǐ tiān yǐhòu de wǎnshang, Qiáo zuò zài huǒ biān.
One evening a few days later, Jo was sitting by the fire.
- Laurie 乔！我回来了！
Qiáo! Wǒ huílai le!
Jo! I'm back!
- Jo 泰迪？你怎么回来了？
Tàidí? Nǐ zěnme huílai le?
Teddy? What are you doing back?
- Laurie 艾米跟爷爷在后边。乔，我们结婚了！六个星期以前，在巴黎！
Àimǐ gēn yéye zài hòubiān. Qiáo, wǒmen jiéhūn le! Liù gè xīngqī yǐqián, zài Bālí!
Amy's behind me, with Grandpa. Jo, we're married! Six weeks ago, in Paris!
- Jo 什么？你们……结婚了？
Shénme? Nǐmen… jiéhūn le?
What? You two... got married?
- Laurie 你说过，你不跟我结婚。所以我找了一个比你好的！
Nǐ shuōguo, nǐ bù gēn wǒ jiéhūn. Suǒyǐ wǒ zhǎo le yí gè bǐ nǐ hǎo de!
You said you wouldn't marry me. So I found someone better than you!
- Jo 对！她比我好多了！艾米，快过来！
Duì! Tā bǐ wǒ hǎo duō le! Àimǐ, kuài guòlai!
Right! She's much better than me! Amy, come here, quick!
- Amy 乔！我好想你……还有贝丝。
Qiáo! Wǒ hǎo xiǎng nǐ… hái yǒu Bèisī.
Jo! I've missed you so much... and Beth too.
- Mr. Laurence 马奇太太，现在我们是一家人了，啊？
Mǎqí tàitai, xiànzài wǒmen shì yì jiā rén le, a?
Mrs. March, now we're all one family, hey?
- Father 这么晚了，谁会来呢？
Zhème wǎn le, shéi huì lái ne?
So late? Who could that be?
- Jo 巴尔教授？是您！
Bā'ěr jiàoshòu? Shì nín!
Professor Bhaer? It's you!
- Professor Bhaer 马奇小姐……我来晚了吗？
Mǎqí xiǎojiě… wǒ lái wǎn le ma?
Miss March... have I come too late?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Marmee ask Jo to do?
“写一点儿东西给我们，好吗？”
- Why does Father say so many people like Jo's story?
“因为里边有真的东西”
- What does Jo find in her German book?
“这儿有教授写的话！”
- When and where did Laurie and Amy get married?
“六个星期以前，在巴黎！”
- Who is at the door at the end of the chapter?
“巴尔教授？是您！”