Little Women · chapter 26 of 31
Lazy Laurence
懒劳里
Christmas in Nice brings Amy a surprise: Laurie, drifting and careless. A month later she gives him a new name, and he doesn't laugh for long.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 那年秋天，乔帮贝丝把秘密告诉了爸爸妈妈。
Nà nián qiūtiān, Qiáo bāng Bèisī bǎ mìmì gàosu le bàba māma.
That autumn, Jo did as Beth asked and told Father and Marmee her secret.
- Narrator 圣诞节那天，在很远的尼斯，天气很好。
Shèngdànjié nà tiān, zài hěn yuǎn de Nísī, tiānqì hěn hǎo.
On Christmas, far away in Nice, the weather was fine.
- Amy 弗洛，你看那个人！是劳里！
Fúluò, nǐ kàn nàge rén! Shì Láolǐ!
Flo, look at that man! It's Laurie!
Chapter 26 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.
- Laurie 艾米？是你啊！圣诞节快乐！
Àimǐ? Shì nǐ a! Shèngdànjié kuàilè!
Amy? It's you! Merry Christmas!
- Amy 你怎么来尼斯了？你爷爷呢？
Nǐ zěnme lái Nísī le? Nǐ yéye ne?
What are you doing in Nice? Where's your grandfather?
- Laurie 爷爷不在这儿。我呢，走来走去，什么也不做。
Yéye bú zài zhèr. Wǒ ne, zǒu lái zǒu qù, shénme yě bú zuò.
Grandpa isn't here. Me, I wander around and do nothing.
- Amy 今天晚上有晚会，你也来跳舞吧！
Jīntiān wǎnshang yǒu wǎnhuì, nǐ yě lái tiàowǔ ba!
There's a party tonight. Come and dance too!
- Laurie 艾米？是你吗？你真像一位小姐了！
Àimǐ? Shì nǐ ma? Nǐ zhēn xiàng yí wèi xiǎojiě le!
Amy? Is that you? You look like a real young lady!
- Amy 我长大了，劳里。你今天才看到吗？
Wǒ zhǎngdà le, Láolǐ. Nǐ jīntiān cái kàndào ma?
I've grown up, Laurie. Are you only seeing it today?
- Laurie 那么，这位小姐，跟我跳舞好吗？
Nàme, zhè wèi xiǎojiě, gēn wǒ tiàowǔ hǎo ma?
Well then, miss, will you dance with me?
- Amy 好啊。可是跳舞的时候，你别太懒！
Hǎo a. Kěshì tiàowǔ de shíhou, nǐ bié tài lǎn!
All right. But don't be lazy when you dance!
- Narrator 一个月过去了。劳里天天看艾米画画。
Yí gè yuè guòqù le. Láolǐ tiāntiān kàn Àimǐ huàhuà.
A month went by. Every day Laurie watched Amy paint.
- Laurie 艾米，你画了一上午了。看你画画，我都累了！
Àimǐ, nǐ huà le yí shàngwǔ le. Kàn nǐ huàhuà, wǒ dōu lèi le!
Amy, you've been painting all morning. Just watching you paint makes me tired!
- Amy 你什么也没做，还累？弗洛和我给你起了一个新名字。
Nǐ shénme yě méi zuò, hái lèi? Fúluò hé wǒ gěi nǐ qǐ le yí gè xīn míngzi.
You haven't done a thing, and you're tired? Flo and I have a new name for you.
- Laurie 好啊，叫什么？
Hǎo a, jiào shénme?
All right, what is it?
- Amy 懒劳里。
Lǎn Láolǐ.
Lazy Laurence.
- Laurie 懒劳里？这个名字不错！
Lǎn Láolǐ? Zhège míngzi búcuò!
Lazy Laurence? Not a bad name!
- Amy 别笑！你什么都有，可以做一个好人，也可以过得很快乐。
Bié xiào! Nǐ shénme dōu yǒu, kěyǐ zuò yí gè hǎo rén, yě kěyǐ guò de hěn kuàilè.
Don't laugh! You have everything. You could be good, and you could be happy.
- Laurie 那现在呢？
Nà xiànzài ne?
And now?
- Amy 你又懒又不快乐。我不喜欢现在的你。
Nǐ yòu lǎn yòu bú kuàilè. Wǒ bù xǐhuan xiànzài de nǐ.
You're lazy, and you're unhappy. I don't like you the way you are now.
- Laurie 你说得对……可是乔不要我。
Nǐ shuō de duì… kěshì Qiáo bú yào wǒ.
You're right... but Jo doesn't want me.
- Amy 劳里……对不起，我不知道。
Láolǐ… duìbuqǐ, wǒ bù zhīdào.
Laurie... I'm sorry. I didn't know.
- Laurie 那你呢？弗洛说，有一个有钱人想跟你结婚。
Nà nǐ ne? Fúluò shuō, yǒu yí gè yǒu qián rén xiǎng gēn nǐ jiéhūn.
And what about you? Flo says a rich man wants to marry you.
- Amy 弗雷德很有钱，可是我不爱他。我不会跟他结婚。
Fúléidé hěn yǒu qián, kěshì wǒ bú ài tā. Wǒ bú huì gēn tā jiéhūn.
Fred is very rich, but I don't love him. I won't marry him.
- Narrator 第二天早上，来了两封信。
Dì èr tiān zǎoshang, lái le liǎng fēng xìn.
The next morning, two letters came.
- Amy 劳里的信：“懒劳里去找爷爷了，他要做一个好孩子。”
Láolǐ de xìn: “Lǎn Láolǐ qù zhǎo yéye le, tā yào zuò yí gè hǎo háizi.”
Laurie's letter: “Lazy Laurence has gone to his grandpa. He means to be a good boy.”
- Amy 他走了……我会很想他的。
Tā zǒu le… wǒ huì hěn xiǎng tā de.
He's gone... I'll miss him so much.
- Amy 贝丝的信：“我坐在窗户边，给学校的孩子们做小手套。春天快来了。”
Bèisī de xìn: “Wǒ zuò zài chuānghu biān, gěi xuéxiào de háizimen zuò xiǎo shǒutào. Chūntiān kuài lái le.”
Beth's letter: “I sit by my window and make little mittens for the school children. Spring is nearly here.”
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Where is Amy at Christmas when she sees Laurie?
“圣诞节那天，在很远的尼斯”
- What does Laurie say he does with his days?
“我呢，走来走去，什么也不做”
- What new name do Amy and Flo give Laurie?
“弗洛和我给你起了一个新名字……懒劳里”
- Why won't Amy marry Fred?
“弗雷德很有钱，可是我不爱他”
- What does Beth's letter say she does by her window?
“我坐在窗户边，给学校的孩子们做小手套”