小妇人 Chapter 01

[00:00:00.00]Chapter One
[00:00:09.20]Merry Christmas
[00:00:16.50]It was almost Christmas.
[00:00:18.70]Four girls sat by the fire in their living room.
[00:00:22.00]There was a lot of snow outside.
[00:00:24.60]"Christmas won't be Christmas without presents," said Jo.
[00:00:28.60]"It's terrible to be poor!'' said Meg.
[00:00:32.20]"Some girls have a lot of pretty things, but we don't have many,' said Amy.
[00:00:37.30]"But we have mother and father, 
[00:00:39.80]and this nice, warm home," said Beth.
[00:00:43.40]"Father isn't here now,'' said Jo.
[00:00:46.00]"And who knows when he'll return." 
[00:00:48.10]Their father was away with the Union Army.
[00:00:51.60]Margaret, or Meg, was sixteen years old and very pretty.
[00:00:56.20]She had light brown hair and big brown eyes.
[00:00:59.80]She liked pretty clothes.
[00:01:02.10]Josephine, or Jo, was fifteen, and she was tall and thin.
[00:01:07.90]She had gray eyes and long dark hair.
[00:01:11.10]She liked climbing trees and doing things that boys do.
[00:01:15.60]Elizabeth, or Beth, was thirteen, 
[00:01:19.10]and had brown hair and kind blue eyes.
[00:01:22.30]She was gentle and very timid, and loved playing the piano.
[00:01:26.90]Amy was only twelve.
[00:01:29.40]She was lively and happy.
[00:01:31.80]She felt important and thought she was very pretty, with her blonde hair and blue eyes.
[00:01:37.80]"Mother will soon be home.
[00:01:40.00]Oh poor Mother, it's snowing outside," said Beth.
[00:01:44.60]"Let's put her slippers near the fire," said Jo.
[00:01:48.10]She looked at them.
[00:01:49.60]"These slippers are very old."
[00:01:51.60]"I can get her some new slippers with my dollar," said Beth.
[00:01:55.90]This Christmas the sisters had only one dollar each to spend.
[00:02:00.20]"No, I can!" said Meg.
[00:02:02.90]"No, I am going to buy the slippers for mother," said Jo loudly.
[00:02:07.20]"Oh, girls," said Beth quietly. "Let's each buy mother something, 
[00:02:12.60]but not anything for ourselves." 
[00:02:15.60]She always thought about other people.
[00:02:18.30]"Alright," said Meg happily. "I can buy her a pair of gloves." 
[00:02:22.60]"And I can buy her some handkerchiefs," said Beth.
[00:02:26.10]"Mother likes perfume," said Amy. "I can buy her a little bottle."
[00:02:30.30]"Let's go out tomorrow and buy mother's Christmas presents," said Beth.
[00:02:36.00]Mrs March came home and took off her wet coat.
[00:02:40.10]She sat down near the warm fire and the girls sat near her.
[00:02:44.70]"I have a letter from father!" she said happily.
[00:02:48.10]She read it to the girls.
[00:02:51.10]Father's letter was cheerful and full of love for his girls.
[00:02:55.60]He told them to work at home and to wait for his return.
[00:03:00.00]"When will he come home, mother?" asked Beth.
[00:03:03.90]"Not for many months," said Mrs March.
[00:03:07.20]"He must stay and do his work.
[00:03:09.20]And we must work to help all the poor soldiers at war."
[00:03:13.70]After dinner the girls made socks and gloves for the soldiers.
[00:03:20.90]I he next day was Christmas Eve, 
[00:03:23.50]and at nine o'clock in the evening Beth played the piano 
[00:03:27.40]and they sang Christmas carols.
[00:03:30.30]Then they went to bed.
[00:03:32.90]Jo got up early on Christmas morning.
[00:03:35.70]"Merry Christmas, everyone!" she said happily.
[00:03:40.00]The four girls dressed quickly and went to the kitchen.
[00:03:43.70]Hannah, the family's servant, was already there.
[00:03:47.40]There was a special Christmas breakfast for the family on the table.
[00:03:51.70]"Merry Christmas, Hannah.
[00:03:53.40]Where's mother?" asked Meg.
[00:03:55.40]"A poor woman came to ask her for some help, so she went to see her," said Hannah.
[00:04:01.90]The girls put their mother's presents in the living room.
[00:04:05.40]Just then Mrs March opened the front door.
[00:04:09.00]"Merry Christmas!" they all said together.
[00:04:12.70]"And a Merry Christmas to you," said Mrs March.
[00:04:16.30]"Listen, girls, there's a very poor woman near here.
[00:04:20.20]She and her family came here from Germany - they're immigrants.
[00:04:24.00]Her name is Mrs Hummel and she has six children and a new baby.
[00:04:28.80]They have no fire and no food on Christmas Day.
[00:04:32.80]Will you give them your breakfast as a Christmas present?"
[00:04:36.30]The girls were hungry and looked at the good food on the table.
[00:04:40.70]"I'm glad we didn't start eating," said Jo.
[00:04:43.90]"Oh, yes," said Beth.
[00:04:46.40]"We must take it to that poor family."
[00:04:49.40]"I'll take the cakes," said Amy.
[00:04:52.10]Cakes were her favorite food, 
[00:04:55.00]and it was difficult for Amy to give away something she liked.
[00:05:00.00]"I'll prepare a nice basket for them," said Meg.
[00:05:03.90]"Good," said Mrs March.
[00:05:06.10]"When we come back we can have some bread and milk."
[00:05:11.80]When they returned home, 
[00:05:13.80]the sisters gave their mother the presents.
[00:05:16.80]She was very happy.
[00:05:18.50]In the evening the four sisters performed a play in the attic.
[00:05:25.10]Some friends came to see it too.
[00:05:28.10]Everyone had fun and laughed.
[00:05:30.50]Jo liked writing stories and plays.
[00:05:34.70]After the play the girls and their friends went downstairs to the kitchen.
[00:05:41.60]There were all kinds of delicious food on the table.
[00:05:45.50]And there were beautiful flowers too.
[00:05:48.40]The girls were very surprised.
[00:05:50.80]"Where did this come from?" asked Amy.
[00:05:53.90]"And the flowers?" asked Jo.
[00:05:56.30]"Mother did it!" said Meg.
[00:05:58.70]"No," said Mrs March, "Old Mr Laurence sent it.
[00:06:02.90]"Mr Laurence and his grandson live alone in that big house 
[00:06:08.10]and I don't think they have any friends," said one of the girls.
[00:06:12.30]"I think the grandson's shy.
[00:06:14.80]He stays at home and studies with his tutor."
[00:06:17.90]"I heard that he traveled to Europe," said Amy.
[00:06:21.60]"Old Mr Laurence knows we helped the Hummel family and he was pleased," said Mrs March.
[00:06:27.30]"I don't know him, but I think he's a kind gentleman."