They were now driving past some very old apple trees next to the road. The trees were full of sweet-smelling, snowy- white flowers. The little girl looked at them.
这时马车经过路边的一排老苹果树。树上开满了雪白而芬芳的花朵。小女孩欣赏着。
'Aren't the trees beautiful? 'she said happily. 'But am I talking too much? Please tell me. I can stop if necessary, you know. '
“这些树多美呀！”她感叹道。“可我是不是说得太多了？如果是，请您告诉我。您知道，我会停止的。”
Matthew smiled at her. 'You go on talking, 'he answered. 'I like listening to you. '
马修冲她笑笑答道：“你继续说吧，我喜欢听。”
When they arrived at Green Gables, Marilla came to the door to meet them. But when she saw the little girl, she cried in surprise, 'Matthew, who's that? Where's the boy? '
当他们到格林·盖布尔斯的时候，玛丽拉到门口迎接他们。但当她看见小女孩时，她惊讶地叫道：“马修，她是谁？男孩在哪儿？”
'The children's home has made a mistake, 'he said unhappily, 'and sent a girl, not a boy. '
“孤儿院弄错了，送来一个女孩，不是男孩。”他不高兴地说。
The child was listening carefully. Suddenly she put her head in her hands and began to cry.
孩子先是仔细地听着，突然双手捂住脸哭了起来。
'You—you don't want me! 'she sobbed. 'Oh—oh! You don't want me because I'm not a boy! '
“你们——你们不要我！”她哭泣着。“噢——噢！因为我不是男孩你们不要我了！”
'Now, now, don't cry, 'said Marilla kindly.
“哦，别哭，”玛丽拉和蔼地说。
'Don't you understand? Oh! This is the worst thing that's happened to me in all my life! '
“您不理解吗？这是我一辈子遇到的最糟糕的事情！”
'Well, you can stay here, just for tonight, 'said Marilla. 'Now, what's your name? '
“那好吧，你可以呆在这里，但只能呆一个晚上，”玛丽拉说。“你叫什么名字？”
The child stopped crying. 'Will you please call me Cordelia? ' she asked.
孩子停止哭泣。“您能叫我科黛拉吗？”她问道。
'Call you Cordelia? Is that your name? '
“叫你科黛拉？那是你的名字吗？”
'Well, no, it isn't, but it's a very beautiful name, isn't it? I like to imagine my name is Cordelia, because my real name is Anne Shirley—and that's not a very interesting name, is it? '
“不，不是的，但那名字很好听，不是吗？我喜欢幻想着我的名字叫科黛拉，因为我的真名叫安妮·雪利——那名字没什么意趣，不是吗？”
Marilla shook her head. 'The child has too much imagina-tion, 'she thought.
玛丽拉摇摇头，“这孩子太爱幻想了，”她心里暗想。
Later, when Anne was in bed, Marilla said to her brother, 'She must go back to the children's home tomorrow. '
稍晚些，等安妮睡着以后，玛丽拉对哥哥说：“明天这孩子必须回孤儿院去。”
'Marilla, don't you think…'began Matthew. 'she's a nice little thing, you know. '
“玛丽拉，你不认为……”马修说道。“这小家伙挺可爱的。”
'Matthew Cuthbert, are you telling me that you want to keep her? 'asked Marilla crossly.
“马修·卡斯伯特，你难道是想让她留下？”玛丽拉生气地说。
Matthew looked uncomfortable. 'Well, she's clever, and interesting, and—'
马修一副不知所措的样子。“可是，这小姑娘聪明、有趣，而且……”
'But we don't need a girl! '
“但我们不需要女孩！”
'But perhaps she needs us, 'Matthew replied, surprisingly quickly for him. 'She's had a very unhappy life up to now, Marilla. She can help you in the house. I can get a boy from the village to help me on the farm. What do you think? '
“但也许她需要我们，”马修的回答来得出奇的快。“玛丽拉，这孩子到现在为止生活一直很不幸。她可以帮助你干些家务活。我可以从镇上找一个男孩子帮我干农活。你觉得怎么样？”
Marilla thought for a long time. 'All right, 'she said in the end, 'I agree. The poor child can stay. I'll look after her. '
玛丽拉想了很久。“好吧，”她终于说，“我同意。这可怜的孩子可以留下。我会照顾她的。”
Matthew smiled happily. 'Be as good and kind to her as you can, Marilla. I think she needs a lot of love. '
马修高兴地笑了。“尽可能对她好些，玛丽拉。我想这孩子太需要人疼爱了。”

 2/2   首页 上一页 1 2