Little Women · chapter 16 of 31
Another Christmas Present
又一个圣诞节礼物
Christmas comes round again, with snow, a surprise from Jo and Laurie, and one more present that nobody in the March house is expecting.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 又是圣诞节了。这天早上，贝丝坐在窗户边。
Yòu shì shèngdànjié le. Zhè tiān zǎoshang, Bèisī zuò zài chuānghu biān.
It was Christmas again. That morning, Beth sat by the window.
- Beth 外边有一个雪人！她还拿着花和水果呢！
Wàibian yǒu yí gè xuěrén! Tā hái názhe huā hé shuǐguǒ ne!
There's a snow maiden outside! She's even holding flowers and fruit!
- Jo 是我和劳里给你做的！
Shì wǒ hé Láolǐ gěi nǐ zuò de!
Laurie and I made her for you!
Chapter 16 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.
- Beth 谢谢你们！乔，你也有礼物吗？
Xièxie nǐmen! Qiáo, nǐ yě yǒu lǐwù ma?
Thank you both! Jo, did you get a present too?
- Jo 有！新书！去年圣诞节，我就想要这本书了。
Yǒu! Xīn shū! Qùnián shèngdànjié, wǒ jiù xiǎng yào zhè běn shū le.
Yes! A new book! I've wanted this book since last Christmas.
- Beth 如果爸爸也在家，就好了……
Rúguǒ bàba yě zài jiā, jiù hǎo le…
If only Father were home too...
- Laurie 大家快来！这是给马奇家的又一个圣诞节礼物！
Dàjiā kuài lái! Zhè shì gěi Mǎqí jiā de yòu yí gè shèngdànjié lǐwù!
Everyone, quick! Here's another Christmas present for the March family!
- John Brooke 马奇先生，您慢一点儿。
Mǎqí xiānsheng, nín màn yìdiǎnr.
Mr. March, slowly now.
- Amy 爸爸！是爸爸回来了！
Bàba! Shì bàba huílai le!
Father! It's Father, home!
- Narrator 四个女儿都跑了过去，抱着爸爸。
Sì gè nǚ'ér dōu pǎo le guòqù, bàozhe bàba.
All four daughters ran to him and held him tight.
- Father 我的小妇人们……我回家了。
Wǒ de xiǎo fùrénmen… wǒ huí jiā le.
My little women... I'm home.
- Marmee 约翰，谢谢你把他带回家！
Yuēhàn, xièxie nǐ bǎ tā dài huí jiā!
John, thank you for bringing him home!
- Narrator 那天晚上，大家一起吃圣诞节晚饭。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, dàjiā yìqǐ chī shèngdànjié wǎnfàn.
That evening, they all sat down to Christmas dinner together.
- Father 梅格，你的手没有以前白了。你天天工作，我很骄傲。
Méigé, nǐ de shǒu méiyǒu yǐqián bái le. Nǐ tiāntiān gōngzuò, wǒ hěn jiāo'ào.
Meg, your hands aren't as white as they were. You work every day, and I'm proud of you.
- Meg 爸爸，你都看见了……
Bàba, nǐ dōu kànjiàn le…
Father, you noticed...
- Father 乔，你的头发短了，可是你像一个年轻的小姐了。
Qiáo, nǐ de tóufa duǎn le, kěshì nǐ xiàng yí gè niánqīng de xiǎojiě le.
Jo, your hair is short, but you look like a young lady now.
- Jo 小姐？我？天哪！
Xiǎojiě? Wǒ? Tiān na!
A lady? Me? Good heavens!
- Father 那二十五块钱，你妈妈在信里都告诉我了。
Nà èrshíwǔ kuài qián, nǐ māma zài xìn li dōu gàosu wǒ le.
Those twenty-five dollars: your mother told me all about them in her letters.
- Jo 我一点儿也不后悔！
Wǒ yìdiǎnr yě bú hòuhuǐ!
I'm not one bit sorry!
- Father 贝丝，你没有以前那么害羞了。艾米，你也会先想别人了。
Bèisī, nǐ méiyǒu yǐqián nàme hàixiū le. Àimǐ, nǐ yě huì xiān xiǎng biérén le.
Beth, you're not as shy as you were. And Amy, you've learned to think of others first.
- Beth 爸爸，我给你弹钢琴吧。
Bàba, wǒ gěi nǐ tán gāngqín ba.
Father, let me play the piano for you.
- Father 好啊。在打仗的地方，我天天都想听你弹钢琴。
Hǎo a. Zài dǎzhàng de dìfang, wǒ tiāntiān dōu xiǎng tīng nǐ tán gāngqín.
Yes, please. Out where the war was, I longed every day to hear you play.
- Narrator 第二天下午，布鲁克先生的伞还在门口。
Dì èr tiān xiàwǔ, Bùlǔkè xiānsheng de sǎn hái zài ménkǒu.
The next afternoon, Mr. Brooke's umbrella was still by the door.
- Meg 妈妈说，他喜欢我。如果他说什么，我就说：“不，谢谢您，布鲁克先生。”
Māma shuō, tā xǐhuan wǒ. Rúguǒ tā shuō shénme, wǒ jiù shuō: “Bù, xièxie nín, Bùlǔkè xiānsheng.”
Marmee says he likes me. If he says anything, I'll say: “No, thank you, Mr. Brooke.”
- Jo 说得真好！可是你的脸怎么红了？
Shuō de zhēn hǎo! Kěshì nǐ de liǎn zěnme hóng le?
Very nicely said! But why has your face gone red?
- Meg 乔！别说了！
Qiáo! Bié shuō le!
Jo! Stop it!
- Jo 他来了！是来拿伞的……还是来找你的？
Tā lái le! Shì lái ná sǎn de… háishi lái zhǎo nǐ de?
He's here! Is he here for his umbrella... or for you?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What did Jo and Laurie make for Beth?
“外边有一个雪人……是我和劳里给你做的”
- Who brings Father home?
“马奇先生，您慢一点儿……约翰，谢谢你把他带回家”
- What does Father say about Meg's hands?
“你的手没有以前白了。你天天工作，我很骄傲”
- How does Father know about Jo's twenty-five dollars?
“你妈妈在信里都告诉我了”
- What does Meg plan to say to Mr. Brooke?
“不，谢谢您，布鲁克先生”