Little Women · chapter 9 of 31
The Pickwick Club
匹克威克俱乐部
Saturday night upstairs, the sisters' club meets, and Jo has a proposal that Meg and Amy are sure to hate.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 五月的一个星期六晚上，四个姐妹在楼上开会。
Wǔyuè de yí gè xīngqīliù wǎnshang, sì gè jiěmèi zài lóushàng kāihuì.
One Saturday evening in May, the four sisters held a meeting upstairs.
- Meg 匹克威克俱乐部开会了！我是匹克威克先生，大家安静！
Pǐkèwēikè Jùlèbù kāihuì le! Wǒ shì Pǐkèwēikè xiānsheng, dàjiā ānjìng!
The Pickwick Club is now meeting! I am Mr. Pickwick. Quiet, everyone!
- Amy 匹克威克先生，乔又在吃苹果！
Pǐkèwēikè xiānsheng, Qiáo yòu zài chī píngguǒ!
Mr. Pickwick, Jo is eating apples again!
Chapter 9 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.
- Jo 吃苹果，我想得快！
Chī píngguǒ, wǒ xiǎng de kuài!
Apples make me think faster!
- Beth 我们的小报，写好了吗？
Wǒmen de xiǎobào, xiě hǎo le ma?
Is our little paper written?
- Jo 写好了。可是先听我说：我想让劳里进我们的俱乐部！
Xiě hǎo le. Kěshì xiān tīng wǒ shuō: wǒ xiǎng ràng Láolǐ jìn wǒmen de jùlèbù!
It's written. But first, listen: I want Laurie to join our club!
- Meg 不行！他是男孩子！
Bù xíng! Tā shì nánháizi!
Certainly not! He's a boy!
- Amy 他会笑我们的小报！
Tā huì xiào wǒmen de xiǎobào!
He'll laugh at our paper!
- Jo 贝丝，你说呢？
Bèisī, nǐ shuō ne?
Beth, what do you say?
- Beth 我说可以。他帮了我们很多，我们不能太自私。
Wǒ shuō kěyǐ. Tā bāng le wǒmen hěn duō, wǒmen bù néng tài zìsī.
I say yes. He's helped us so much. We mustn't be selfish.
- Meg 贝丝说得对。好吧，他可以来。
Bèisī shuō de duì. Hǎo ba, tā kěyǐ lái.
Beth is right. All right, he may come.
- Amy 那他不能笑我们的俱乐部！
Nà tā bù néng xiào wǒmen de jùlèbù!
Then he mustn't laugh at our club!
- Jo 太好了！劳里，出来吧！
Tài hǎo le! Láolǐ, chūlai ba!
Wonderful! Laurie, come on out!
- Laurie 你们好！匹克威克先生，晚上好！
Nǐmen hǎo! Pǐkèwēikè xiānsheng, wǎnshang hǎo!
Hello, everyone! Good evening, Mr. Pickwick!
- Meg 劳里？你怎么在这儿？
Láolǐ? Nǐ zěnme zài zhèr?
Laurie? What are you doing here?
- Jo 他一直躲在里边，我们说什么，他都听见了！
Tā yìzhí duǒ zài lǐbian, wǒmen shuō shénme, tā dōu tīngjiàn le!
He's been hiding in there the whole time. He heard every word we said!
- Amy 那他都知道了？我的脸都红了！
Nà tā dōu zhīdào le? Wǒ de liǎn dōu hóng le!
So he knows everything? My face is all red!
- Laurie 别生气！乔都告诉我了：星期六晚上，楼上，不能笑。
Bié shēngqì! Qiáo dōu gàosu wǒ le: xīngqīliù wǎnshang, lóushàng, bù néng xiào.
Don't be cross! Jo told me everything: Saturday nights, upstairs, and no laughing.
- Beth 劳里，欢迎你。
Láolǐ, huānyíng nǐ.
Welcome, Laurie.
- Laurie 谢谢，贝丝！我还有礼物：我们两家中间，有一个旧木头箱子。
Xièxie, Bèisī! Wǒ hái yǒu lǐwù: wǒmen liǎng jiā zhōngjiān, yǒu yí gè jiù mùtou xiāngzi.
Thank you, Beth! And I have a present: between our two houses there's an old wooden box.
- Beth 是小鸟以前住的吗？
Shì xiǎoniǎo yǐqián zhù de ma?
The one the birds used to live in?
- Laurie 对！现在我们可以在里边放信。两家都有钥匙！
Duì! Xiànzài wǒmen kěyǐ zài lǐbian fàng xìn. Liǎng jiā dōu yǒu yàoshi!
Yes! Now we can leave letters in it. Both houses have a key!
- Amy 有这样的邻居，真好！
Yǒu zhèyàng de línjū, zhēn hǎo!
It's so nice to have a neighbor like that!
- Narrator 没过几天，箱子里有了第一封信。
Méi guò jǐ tiān, xiāngzi li yǒu le dì yī fēng xìn.
Only a few days later, the first letter was in the box.
- Jo “请马奇家的姐妹们……”天哪，劳里请我们去玩一天！
“Qǐng Mǎqí jiā de jiěmèimen…” Tiān na, Láolǐ qǐng wǒmen qù wán yì tiān!
“The March sisters are invited...” Good heavens, Laurie's asking us out for a whole day!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Who is Mr. Pickwick in the sisters' club?
“我是匹克威克先生，大家安静！”
- Why does Amy say no to Laurie at first?
“他会笑我们的小报！”
- Why does Beth say Laurie may join?
“他帮了我们很多，我们不能太自私。”
- Where has Laurie been the whole time?
“他一直躲在里边，我们说什么，他都听见了！”
- What is Laurie's present for the club?
“有一个旧木头箱子……现在我们可以在里边放信。”