Little Women · chapter 4 of 31
The House Next Door
旁边的大房子
While her sisters work, Jo reads to sharp old Aunt March, until one snowy afternoon gives her a reason to visit the big house next door.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Narrator 爸爸帮了一个朋友，钱都没了。现在，姐妹们都要工作。
Bàba bāng le yí gè péngyou, qián dōu méi le. Xiànzài, jiěmèimen dōu yào gōngzuò.
Father had helped a friend, and all the money was gone. Now the sisters all had to work.
- Jo 梅格去金家做家庭教师。我呢，天天给马奇姑妈读书。
Méigé qù Jīn jiā zuò jiātíng jiàoshī. Wǒ ne, tiāntiān gěi Mǎqí gūmā dú shū.
Meg works for the Kings as a governess. And me? I read to Aunt March every day.
- Aunt March 约瑟芬！你又在看你自己的书！
Yuēsèfēn! Nǐ yòu zài kàn nǐ zìjǐ de shū!
Josephine! You're reading your own book again!
- Jo 对不起，马奇姑妈！我这就给您读。
Duìbuqǐ, Mǎqí gūmā! Wǒ zhè jiù gěi nín dú.
Sorry, Aunt March! I'll read to you right now.
- Aunt March 你们家都这么穷了，还不快读？
Nǐmen jiā dōu zhème qióng le, hái bú kuài dú?
With your family as poor as it is, you'd better hurry up and read!
- Jo 她的腿不好，还爱生气。可是她家的书真多！
Tā de tuǐ bù hǎo, hái ài shēngqì. Kěshì tā jiā de shū zhēn duō!
Her legs are bad, and she's always cross. But she has so many books!
- Narrator 一个下雪的下午，乔在外边玩雪。
Yí gè xià xuě de xiàwǔ, Qiáo zài wàibian wán xuě.
One snowy afternoon, Jo was outside playing in the snow.
- Jo 那是劳里，在窗户后边！看我的雪球！
Nà shì Láolǐ, zài chuānghu hòubiān! Kàn wǒ de xuěqiú!
That's Laurie, behind the window! Watch my snowball!
- Laurie 乔！我病了一个星期，一个人在家，真没意思！
Qiáo! Wǒ bìng le yí gè xīngqī, yí gè rén zài jiā, zhēn méi yìsi!
Jo! I've been sick for a week, all alone at home. It's so dull!
- Jo 那我来看你！
Nà wǒ lái kàn nǐ!
Then I'll come and see you!
- Narrator 很快，乔就在劳里的房间里，给他讲马奇姑妈的事。
Hěn kuài, Qiáo jiù zài Láolǐ de fángjiān li, gěi tā jiǎng Mǎqí gūmā de shì.
Soon Jo was up in Laurie's room, telling him all about Aunt March.
- Laurie 乔，你太好玩了！我好久没这么笑了。
Qiáo, nǐ tài hǎowán le! Wǒ hǎojiǔ méi zhème xiào le.
Jo, you're so funny! I haven't laughed like this in ages.
- Jo 你天天一个人在这儿，看什么呢？
Nǐ tiāntiān yí gè rén zài zhèr, kàn shénme ne?
What do you look at, up here alone every day?
- Laurie 有时候晚上你们忘了拉窗帘，我就看你们坐在火边，像画一样。
Yǒu shíhou wǎnshang nǐmen wàng le lā chuānglián, wǒ jiù kàn nǐmen zuò zài huǒ biān, xiàng huà yíyàng.
Some evenings you forget to draw the curtain, and I watch you all by the fire, like a picture.
- Jo 看我们？
Kàn wǒmen?
Watching us?
- Laurie 对。你知道，我没有妈妈。
Duì. Nǐ zhīdào, wǒ méiyǒu māma.
Yes. I haven't got a mother, you know.
- Jo 这么大的房子，就你一个人，多可怜！来我们家吧！
Zhème dà de fángzi, jiù nǐ yí gè rén, duō kělián! Lái wǒmen jiā ba!
This big house, and only you in it. You poor thing! Come over to our house!
- Laurie 你们家有四个女孩子，对不对？
Nǐmen jiā yǒu sì gè nǚháizi, duì bu duì?
There are four girls in your family, aren't there?
- Jo 对！梅格、我、贝丝，还有艾米。贝丝很害羞。
Duì! Méigé, wǒ, Bèisī, hái yǒu Àimǐ. Bèisī hěn hàixiū.
Yes! Meg, me, Beth and Amy. Beth's very shy.
- Laurie 医生来了，我得去一下。你去楼下看书吧！
Yīshēng lái le, wǒ děi qù yíxià. Nǐ qù lóuxià kàn shū ba!
The doctor's here, I have to go for a bit. Go downstairs and look at the books!
- Jo 画上的老先生好像很骄傲。可是他的眼睛在笑，我不怕他。
Huà shang de lǎo xiānsheng hǎoxiàng hěn jiāo'ào. Kěshì tā de yǎnjing zài xiào, wǒ bú pà tā.
The old gentleman in this painting looks proud. But his eyes are smiling. I'm not afraid of him.
- Mr. Laurence 谢谢你，小姐。你不怕我，啊？
Xièxie nǐ, xiǎojiě. Nǐ bú pà wǒ, a?
Thank you, miss. So you're not afraid of me, hey?
- Jo 不太怕，劳伦斯先生。
Bú tài pà, Láolúnsī xiānsheng.
Not much, Mr. Laurence.
- Mr. Laurence 你很勇敢，像你外公。他是我的老朋友。
Nǐ hěn yǒnggǎn, xiàng nǐ wàigōng. Tā shì wǒ de lǎo péngyou.
You're brave, like your grandfather. He was an old friend of mine.
- Laurie 爷爷，乔想听我弹钢琴。
Yéye, Qiáo xiǎng tīng wǒ tán gāngqín.
Grandpa, Jo wants to hear me play the piano.
- Jo 劳里，你弹得真好！
Láolǐ, nǐ tán de zhēn hǎo!
Laurie, you play so beautifully!
- Mr. Laurence 好了，别弹了！
Hǎo le, bié tán le!
That's enough. Stop playing!
- Jo 那么好的钢琴，没人弹……贝丝最喜欢音乐了，可是她谁都怕。
Nàme hǎo de gāngqín, méi rén tán… Bèisī zuì xǐhuan yīnyuè le, kěshì tā shéi dōu pà.
Such a fine piano, and nobody plays it... Beth loves music more than anything, but she's afraid of everyone.
What changed in the story?
- What work does Meg do?
“梅格去金家做家庭教师”
- Why has Laurie stayed inside for a week?
“我病了一个星期”
- What does Laurie tell Jo about himself?
“我没有妈妈”
- What does Jo say about the man in the painting?
“我不怕他”
- What does Mr. Laurence do when Laurie plays the piano?
“好了，别弹了！”