Little Women · chapter 17 of 31
John's Umbrella
约翰的伞
Mr. Brooke says he has only come back for his umbrella. Meg has her answer ready, word for word, and now she is alone with him.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 圣诞节的第二天下午，布鲁克先生来了。
Shèngdànjié de dì èr tiān xiàwǔ, Bùlǔkè xiānsheng lái le.
On the afternoon of the day after Christmas, Mr. Brooke came.
- John Brooke 我来拿伞……我是说，来看看马奇先生。
Wǒ lái ná sǎn… wǒ shì shuō, lái kànkan Mǎqí xiānsheng.
I've come for my umbrella... I mean, to see Mr. March.
- Jo 伞在门口。我去叫爸爸！
Sǎn zài ménkǒu. Wǒ qù jiào bàba!
The umbrella's by the door. I'll go get Father!
Chapter 17 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.
- Meg 我都想好了，就说：“不，谢谢您，布鲁克先生。”
Wǒ dōu xiǎng hǎo le, jiù shuō: “Bù, xièxie nín, Bùlǔkè xiānsheng.”
I've got it all worked out. I'll just say: "No, thank you, Mr. Brooke."
- John Brooke 梅格，你怕我吗？
Méigé, nǐ pà wǒ ma?
Meg, are you afraid of me?
- Meg 不怕。您对爸爸那么好。
Bú pà. Nín duì bàba nàme hǎo.
No. You've been so good to Father.
- John Brooke 我只想知道：你有一点儿喜欢我吗？
Wǒ zhǐ xiǎng zhīdào: nǐ yǒu yìdiǎnr xǐhuan wǒ ma?
All I want to know is this: do you care for me a little?
- Meg 我想好的话呢？一句也想不起来了！
Wǒ xiǎng hǎo de huà ne? Yí jù yě xiǎng bu qǐlai le!
Where's the speech I had ready? I can't remember a word!
- Meg 我不知道……我还太小了。
Wǒ bù zhīdào… wǒ hái tài xiǎo le.
I don't know... I'm still too young.
- John Brooke 我可以等。你会喜欢我的，我知道。
Wǒ kěyǐ děng. Nǐ huì xǐhuan wǒ de, wǒ zhīdào.
I can wait. You'll come to care for me. I know it.
- Meg 您知道？请您走吧！
Nín zhīdào? Qǐng nín zǒu ba!
Oh, you know, do you? Please go away!
- Narrator 这时候，马奇姑妈来了。布鲁克先生去了旁边的房间。
Zhè shíhou, Mǎqí gūmā lái le. Bùlǔkè xiānsheng qù le pángbiān de fángjiān.
Just then Aunt March arrived, and Mr. Brooke went into the next room.
- Aunt March 梅格，刚才那个年轻人是谁？
Méigé, gāngcái nàge niánqīngrén shì shéi?
Meg, who was that young man just now?
- Meg 是布鲁克先生。他想跟我结婚。
Shì Bùlǔkè xiānsheng. Tā xiǎng gēn wǒ jiéhūn.
That was Mr. Brooke. He wants to marry me.
- Aunt March 他那么穷！跟他结婚，我的钱，你一分也拿不到！
Tā nàme qióng! Gēn tā jiéhūn, wǒ de qián, nǐ yì fēn yě ná bu dào!
He's so poor! Marry him, and you won't get one penny of my money!
- Meg 我不要您的钱！我想跟谁结婚，就跟谁结婚！
Wǒ bú yào nín de qián! Wǒ xiǎng gēn shéi jiéhūn, jiù gēn shéi jiéhūn!
I don't want your money! I'll marry whoever I please!
- Aunt March 好啊！那你就去做穷太太吧！以后别来找我！
Hǎo a! Nà nǐ jiù qù zuò qióng tàitai ba! Yǐhòu bié lái zhǎo wǒ!
Fine! Then go and be a poor man's wife! And don't come running to me later!
- John Brooke 梅格，谢谢你为我说话。现在我知道了，你是喜欢我的。
Méigé, xièxie nǐ wèi wǒ shuōhuà. Xiànzài wǒ zhīdào le, nǐ shì xǐhuan wǒ de.
Meg, thank you for standing up for me. Now I know you really do care for me.
- Meg 是的，约翰。
Shì de, Yuēhàn.
Yes, John.
- Narrator 过了一会儿，乔回来了。梅格坐在布鲁克先生的腿上。
Guò le yíhuìr, Qiáo huílai le. Méigé zuò zài Bùlǔkè xiānsheng de tuǐ shang.
A little later Jo came back. Meg was sitting on Mr. Brooke's knee.
- Jo 天哪！爸爸！妈妈！约翰·布鲁克太坏了，梅格还很喜欢！
Tiān na! Bàba! Māma! Yuēhàn Bùlǔkè tài huài le, Méigé hái hěn xǐhuan!
Good heavens! Father! Marmee! John Brooke is behaving dreadfully, and Meg likes it!
- Narrator 那天晚上，大家都很高兴，可是乔一个人坐在旁边。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, dàjiā dōu hěn gāoxìng, kěshì Qiáo yí gè rén zuò zài pángbiān.
That evening everyone was happy, but Jo sat off to one side by herself.
- Meg 乔，别不高兴了。我们要等三年呢。
Qiáo, bié bù gāoxìng le. Wǒmen yào děng sān nián ne.
Jo, don't be glum. We have to wait three years, you know.
- Jo 三年？三年太短了！
Sān nián? Sān nián tài duǎn le!
Three years? Three years is far too short!
- Laurie 乔，你怎么不笑？
Qiáo, nǐ zěnme bú xiào?
Jo, why aren't you smiling?
- Jo 泰迪，梅格三年以后要结婚了。他说是来拿伞的，伞还在门口呢！
Tàidí, Méigé sān nián yǐhòu yào jiéhūn le. Tā shuō shì lái ná sǎn de, sǎn hái zài ménkǒu ne!
Teddy, Meg's getting married in three years. He said he came for his umbrella, and it's still by the door!
- Laurie 我就知道！他要的不是伞，是梅格！
Wǒ jiù zhīdào! Tā yào de bú shì sǎn, shì Méigé!
I knew it! It wasn't the umbrella he wanted, it was Meg!
- Laurie 你还有我啊。你不想看看三年以后，我们都会在哪儿吗？
Nǐ hái yǒu wǒ a. Nǐ bù xiǎng kànkan sān nián yǐhòu, wǒmen dōu huì zài nǎr ma?
You still have me. Don't you want to see where we'll all be in three years?
- Jo 不想。我怕看到难过的事。
Bù xiǎng. Wǒ pà kàndào nánguò de shì.
No. I'm afraid I'd see something sad.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What reason does Mr. Brooke give first for coming?
“我来拿伞”
- What does Mr. Brooke want to know from Meg?
“你有一点儿喜欢我吗？”
- What does Aunt March say will happen if Meg marries Mr. Brooke?
“跟他结婚，我的钱，你一分也拿不到！”
- How does Meg answer John at last?
“是的，约翰。”
- What does Jo answer when Laurie asks about seeing three years ahead?
“不想。我怕看到难过的事。”