名著阅读

"Curly black hair, brown skin, big black eyes, handsome nose, fine teeth, small hands and feet, taller than I am, very polite, for a boy, and altogether jolly. Wonder how old he is?"

“卷曲的黑头发，棕色皮肤，黑色的大眼睛，好看的鼻子，牙齿洁白，手脚不大，比我略高，显得温文尔雅，不乏风趣。只是不知他多大年纪？”

It was on the tip of Jo's tongue to ask, but she checked herself in time and, with unusual tact, tried to find out in a round-about way.

乔正开口要问，却又及时收住，转而机智地换了一种婉转的口吻。

"I suppose you are going to college soon? I see you pegging away at your books, no, I mean studying hard." And Jo blushed at the dreadful 'pegging' which had escaped her.

“我想你很快就要念大学了吧？我看到你在啃书本--不，我是指用功读书。“乔为自己冲口说了个不雅的"啃"字而涨红了脸。

Laurie smiled but didn't seem shocked, and answered with a shrug. "Not for a year or two. I won't go before seventeen, anyway."

劳里并没有在意，他微笑着耸耸肩回答：“这一两年内都不会；要到十七岁我才念大学。”

"Aren't you but fifteen?" asked Jo, looking at the tall lad, whom she had imagined seventeen already.

“你才十五岁吗？”乔望着这位高高的小伙子问。她以为他已经十七岁了。

"Sixteen, next month."

“下个月满十六岁。”

"How I wish I was going to college! You don't look as if you liked it."

“如果我可以念大学就好了！而你似乎不大喜欢呢。”

"I hate it! Nothing but grinding or skylarking. And I don't like the way fellows do either, in this country."

“我讨厌读文学，一味只是灌输和玩乐。我也不喜欢这个国家的生活方式。”

"What do you like?"

“你喜欢什么呢？”

"To live in Italy, and to enjoy myself in my own way."

“住在意大利，按自己的方式做事。”

Jo wanted very much to ask what his own way was, but his black brows looked rather threatening as he knit them, so she changed the subject by saying, as her foot kept time, "That's a splendid polka! Why don't you go and try it?"

乔非常想问问他自己的方式是什么，但他锁起双眉，样子显得极为严肃，乔便一边用脚踏着节拍，一边换了个话题：“这支波尔卡舞曲棒极了！你为什么不去跳？”

"If you will come too," he answered, with a gallant little bow.

“如果你也一起来的话，”他说道，并颇有修养地轻轻一躬身子。

"I can't, for I told Meg I wouldn't, because . . ." There Jo stopped, and looked undecided whether to tell or to laugh.

“我不能，因为我跟梅格说过我不跳，因为—-"乔欲言又止，思量着是说出来呢还是一笑了之。

"Because, what?"

“因为什么？”

"You won't tell?"

“你不会说出去吧？”

"Never!"
　　
“绝对不会！”

词汇释义

1.check v. 检查，阻止，核对

They checked their steps.
他们突然停住脚步。

2.tact[tækt] n. 机智，手法

Her patience and tact were legendary.
她的耐心和机智是出名的。

3.peg away v. 坚待不懈地工作，勤奋工作

The boy pegged away at a home assignment.
男孩毫不懈怠地做老师布置的家庭作业。

4.skylark['skailɑ:k] n. 云雀 vi. 嬉戏

5.gallant adj. 英勇的，华丽的，殷勤的 n. 时髦男士，对女子殷勤的男士，求爱者，情夫 vt. 献殷勤

He was very gallant at the ball.
他在舞会上对妇女大献殷勤。

难句解析
　　
1.It was on the tip of Jo's tongue to ask, but she checked herself in time and, with unusual tact, tried to find out in a round-about way.

【难句解析】on the tip of one's tongue意思是“差点要说出”；round-about 意思是“迂回的，委婉的”；

【句子翻译】乔正开口要问，却又及时收住，转而机智地换了一种婉转的口吻。