Little Women · chapter 10 of 31
Castles in the Air
空中的城堡
A summer day by the river, then a hot September afternoon on the hill, where everyone tells the one thing they want most.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 七月的一天，劳里请大家去河边玩。他的朋友们也来了。
Qīyuè de yì tiān, Láolǐ qǐng dàjiā qù hébiān wán. Tā de péngyoumen yě lái le.
One day in July, Laurie invited everyone to the river. His friends came too.
- Laurie 这是布鲁克先生，我的老师。今天大家都要玩得高兴！
Zhè shì Bùlǔkè xiānsheng, wǒ de lǎoshī. Jīntiān dàjiā dōu yào wán de gāoxìng!
This is Mr. Brooke, my tutor. Today everyone has to have fun!
- Meg 我做什么？我在金家做家庭教师。
Wǒ zuò shénme? Wǒ zài Jīn jiā zuò jiātíng jiàoshī.
What do I do? I'm a governess for the Kings.
Chapter 10 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.
- Narrator 问梅格的那个女孩听了，就不跟她说话了。
Wèn Méigé de nàge nǚhái tīng le, jiù bù gēn tā shuōhuà le.
The girl who had asked Meg heard this and stopped talking to her.
- John Brooke 马奇小姐，自己工作的女孩子，没有什么不好。
Mǎqí xiǎojiě, zìjǐ gōngzuò de nǚháizi, méiyǒu shénme bù hǎo.
Miss March, there's nothing wrong with a girl who works for herself.
- Meg 谢谢您，布鲁克先生。
Xièxie nín, Bùlǔkè xiānsheng.
Thank you, Mr. Brooke.
- Laurie 布鲁克先生，您今天说的话，比一个月说的还多！
Bùlǔkè xiānsheng, nín jīntiān shuō de huà, bǐ yí gè yuè shuō de hái duō!
Mr. Brooke, you've said more today than in a whole month!
- John Brooke 劳里，去看看你的客人吧。
Láolǐ, qù kànkan nǐ de kèrén ba.
Laurie, go and look after your guests.
- Narrator 九月的一个下午，天还很热。姐妹们在山上看书，做衣服。
Jiǔyuè de yí gè xiàwǔ, tiān hái hěn rè. Jiěmèimen zài shān shang kàn shū, zuò yīfu.
One September afternoon, it was still hot. The sisters were up on the hill, reading and sewing.
- Laurie 原来你们在这儿！你们四个在山上做什么？
Yuánlái nǐmen zài zhèr! Nǐmen sì gè zài shān shang zuò shénme?
So this is where you are! What are you four doing up on the hill?
- Jo 做事！想留下，就要帮忙！
Zuò shì! Xiǎng liúxià, jiù yào bāngmáng!
Working! If you want to stay, you have to help!
- Laurie 好，我帮忙。来，说说我们的梦，好不好？
Hǎo, wǒ bāngmáng. Lái, shuōshuo wǒmen de mèng, hǎo bu hǎo?
All right, I'll help. Come on, let's tell our castles in the air, shall we?
- Jo 好！泰迪，你先说！
Hǎo! Tàidí, nǐ xiān shuō!
Yes! Teddy, you go first!
- Laurie 泰迪？比西奥多好听！我想做有名的音乐家，像我妈妈一样。爷爷不让。
Tàidí? Bǐ Xī'àoduō hǎotīng! Wǒ xiǎng zuò yǒumíng de yīnyuèjiā, xiàng wǒ māma yíyàng. Yéye bú ràng.
Teddy? That's better than Theodore! I want to be a famous musician, like my mother. But Grandpa won't let me.
- Meg 我想要一座漂亮的大房子。里边有很多好东西！
Wǒ xiǎng yào yí zuò piàoliang de dà fángzi. Lǐbian yǒu hěn duō hǎo dōngxi!
I want a lovely big house, with lots of beautiful things inside!
- Amy 我要去罗马，画最漂亮的画！
Wǒ yào qù Luómǎ, huà zuì piàoliang de huà!
I'm going to Rome to paint the most beautiful pictures!
- Beth 我就想在家里，跟爸爸妈妈在一起。
Wǒ jiù xiǎng zài jiā li, gēn bàba māma zài yìqǐ.
I just want to be at home with Father and Marmee.
- Jo 贝丝，爸爸会从打仗的地方回来的。
Bèisī, bàba huì cóng dǎzhàng de dìfang huílai de.
Beth, Father will come home from the war.
- Laurie 乔，你呢？
Qiáo, nǐ ne?
And you, Jo?
- Jo 我？我要写很有名的书！
Wǒ? Wǒ yào xiě hěn yǒumíng de shū!
Me? I'm going to write famous books!
- Meg 乔的梦，一直是最大的。
Qiáo de mèng, yìzhí shì zuì dà de.
Jo's castle in the air has always been the biggest.
- Jo 十年以后，如果我们都还活着，就再来这儿。看看谁的梦实现了！
Shí nián yǐhòu, rúguǒ wǒmen dōu hái huózhe, jiù zài lái zhèr. Kànkan shéi de mèng shíxiàn le!
Ten years from now, if we're all still alive, let's come back here. We'll see whose castle came true!
- Laurie 乔，你说得好像已经有办法了。
Qiáo, nǐ shuō de hǎoxiàng yǐjīng yǒu bànfǎ le.
Jo, you sound as if you already know the way.
- Jo 我的梦，我已经有钥匙了。能不能开门，等着看吧！
Wǒ de mèng, wǒ yǐjīng yǒu yàoshi le. Néng bu néng kāi mén, děngzhe kàn ba!
My castle? I already have the key. Whether I can open the door, you'll have to wait and see!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What work does Meg say she does?
“我在金家做家庭教师。”
- What does Mr. Brooke tell Meg?
“自己工作的女孩子，没有什么不好。”
- Why can't Laurie be a famous musician?
“我想做有名的音乐家……爷爷不让。”
- What is Beth's castle in the air?
“我就想在家里，跟爸爸妈妈在一起。”
- What does Jo want them all to do ten years from now?
“十年以后，如果我们都还活着，就再来这儿。看看谁的梦实现了！”