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The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson, I.

I.

TO MY

UNNAMED

LITTLE COLLABORATOR

Wisdom is the principal thing;

therefore get wisdom: and with

all thy getting get understanding.

Proverbs, iv, 7

The four children were lying on the grass.

"... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade—a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely. And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown. She was lying on the sward—a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet—and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments. The bottom of the lovely silk dress was all dirty——" "Wondrous Fair, if you don't mind you'll make that sheet dirty, too," said Pin. "Shut up, will you!" answered her sister who, carried away by her narrative, had approached her boots to some linen that was bleaching.

"Yes, but you know Sarah'll be awfly cross if she has to wash it again," said Pin, who was practical. "You'll put me out altogether," cried Laura angrily.—"Well, as I said, the edge of her robe was all muddy—no, I don't think I will say that; it sounds prettier if it's clean. So it hung in long, straight beautiful folds to her ankles, and the Prince saw two little feet in golden sandals peeping out from under the hem of the silken gown, and——" "But what about the marks of travel?" asked Leppie.

"Donkey! haven't I said they weren't there? If I say they weren't, then they weren't. She hadn't travelled at all." "Oh, parrakeets!" cried little Frank.

Four pairs of eyes went up to the bright green flock that was passing over the garden.

"Now you've all interrupted, and I shan't tell any more," said Laura in a proud voice. "Oh, yes, please do, Wondrous Fair! Tell what happened next," begged Pin and Leppie. "No, not another word. You can only think of sheets and parrakeets." "Please, Wondrous Fair," begged little Frank. "No, I can't now.—Another thing: I don't mind if you call me Laura to-day, as it's the last day." She lay back on the grass, her hands clasped under her head. A voice was heard, loud, imperative.

"Laura, I want you. Come here." "That's mother calling," said Pin. Laura kicked her heels. The two little boys laughed approval.

"Go on, Laura," coaxed Pin. "Mother'll be angry. I'll come, too." Laura raised herself with a grumble. "It's to try on that horrid dress." In very fact Mother was standing, already somewhat impatient, with the dress in her hand. Laura wriggled out of the one she had on, and stood stiffly and ungraciously, with her arms held like pokers from her sides, while Mother on her knees arranged the length.

"Don't put on a face like that, miss!" she said sharply on seeing Laura's air. "Do you think I'm making it for my own pleasure?" She had sewn at it all day, and was hot and tired.

"It's too short," said Laura, looking down. "It's nothing of the kind," said Mother, with her mouth full of pins. "It is, it's much too short." Mother gave her a slight shake. "Don't you contradict ME! Do you want to tell me I don't know what length you're to wear your dresses?" "I won't wear it at all if you don't make it longer," said Laura defiantly. Pin's chubby, featureless little face lengthened with apprehension. "Do let her have it just a tiny bit longer, mother dear, dear!" she pleaded.

"Now, Pin, what have you got to do with it I'd like to know!" said Mother, on the verge of losing her temper over the back folds, which WOULD not hang.

"I'm going to school to-morrow, and it's a shame," said Laura in the low, passionate tone that never failed to exasperate Mother, so different was it from her own hearty fashion of venting displeasure. Pin began to sniff, in sheer nervous anxiety.

"Very well then, I won't do another stitch to it!" and Mother, now angry in earnest, got up and bounced out of the room.

"Laura, how can you?" said Pin, dissolving. "It's only you who make her so cross." "I don't care," said Laura rebelliously, though she was not far off tears herself. "It IS a shame. All the other girls will have dresses down to the tops of their boots, and they'll laugh at me, and call me a [P.4] baby;" and touched by the thought of what lay before her, she, too, began to sniffle. She did not fail, however, to roll the dress up and to throw it unto a corner of the room. She also kicked the ewer, which fell over and flooded the floor. Pin cried more loudly, and ran to fetch Sarah.

Laura returned to the garden. The two little boys came up to her; but she waved them back.

"Let me alone, children. I want to think." She stood in a becoming attitude by the garden-gate, her brothers hovering in the background.—Then Mother called once more.

"Laura, where are you?" "Here, mother. What is it?" "Did you knock this jug over or did Pin?" "I did, mother." "Did you do it on purpose?" "Yes." "Come here to me." She went, with lagging steps. But Mother's anger had passed: she was at work on the dress again, and by squinting her eyes Laura could see that a piece was being added to the skirt. She was penitent at once; and when Mother in a sorry voice said: "I'm ashamed of you, Laura. And on your last day, too," her throat grew narrow. "I didn't mean it, mother." "If only you would ask properly for things, you would get them." Laura knew this; knew indeed that, did she coax, Mother could refuse her nothing. But coaxing came hard to her; something within her forbade it. Sarah called her "high-stomached", to the delight of the other children and her own indignation; she had explained to them again and again what Sarah really meant. On leaving the house she went straight to the flower-beds: she would give Mother, who liked flowers very well but had no time to gather them, a bouquet the size of a cabbage. Pin and the boys were summoned to help her, and when their hands were full, Laura led the way to a secluded part of the garden on the farther side of the detached brick kitchen. In this strip, which was filled with greenery, little sun fell: two thick fir trees and a monstrous blue-gum stood there; high bushes screened the fence; jessamine climbed the wall of the house and encircled the bedroom windows; and on the damp and shady ground only violets grew. Yet, with the love children bear to the limited and compact, the four had chosen their own little plots here rather than in the big garden at the back of the house; and many were the times they had all begun anew to dig and to rake. But if Laura's energy did not fizzle out as quickly as usual—she was the model for the rest—Mother was sure to discover that it was too cramped and dark for them in there, and send Sarah to drive them off. Here, safely screened from sight, Laura sat on a bench and made up her bouquet. When it was finished—red and white in the centre with a darker border, the whole surrounded by a ring of violet leaves—she looked about for something to tie it up with. Sarah, applied to, was busy ironing, and had no string in the kitchen, so Pin ran to get a reel of cotton. But while she was away Laura had an idea. Bidding Leppie hold the flowers tight in both his sticky little hands, she climbed in at her bedroom window, or rather, by lying on the sill with her legs waving in the air, she managed to grab, without losing her balance, a pair of scissors from the chest of drawers. With these between her teeth she emerged, to the excited interest of the boys who watched her open-mouthed.

Laura had dark curls, Pin fair, and both wore them flapping at their backs, the only difference being that Laura, who was now twelve years old, had for the past year been allowed to bind hers together with a ribbon, while Pin's bobbed as they chose. Every morning early, Mother brushed and twisted, with a kind of grim pride, these silky ringlets round her finger. Although the five odd minutes the curling occupied were durance vile to Laura, the child was proud of her hair in her own way; and when in the street she heard some one say: "Look—what pretty curls!" she would give her head a toss and send them all a-rippling. In addition to this, there was a crowning glory connected with them: one hot December morning, when they had been tangled and Mother had kept her standing too long, she had fainted, pulling the whole dressing-table down about her ears; and ever since, she had been marked off in some mysterious fashion from the other children. Mother would not let her go out at midday in summer: Sarah would say: "Let that be, can't you!" did she try to lift something that was too heavy for her; and the younger children were to be quelled by a threat to faint on the spot, if they did not do as she wished. "Laura's faint" had become a byword in the family; and Laura herself held it for so important a fact in her life that she had more than once begun a friendship with the words: "Have you ever fainted? I have." From among these long, glossy curls, she now cut one of the longest and most spiral, cut it off close to the root, and with it bound the flowers together. Mother should see that she did know how to give up something she cared for, and was not as selfish as she was usually supposed to be.

"Oh .. h .. h!" said both little boys in a breath, then doubled up in noisy mirth. Laura was constantly doing something to set their young blood in amazement: they looked upon her as the personification of all that was startling and unexpected. But Pin, returning with the reel of thread, opened her eyes in a different way.

"Oh, Laura ...!" she began, tearful at once.

"Now, res'vor!" retorted Laura scornfully—"res'vor" was Sarah's name for Pin, on account of her perpetual wateriness. "Be a cry-baby, do." But she was not damped, she was lost in the pleasure of self-sacrifice.

Pin looked after her as she danced off, then moved submissively in her wake to be near at hand should intercession be needed. Laura was so unsuspecting, and Mother would be so cross. In her dim, childish way Pin longed to see these, her two nearest, at peace; she understood them both so well, and they had little or no understanding for each other.—So she crept to the house at her sister's heels. Laura did not go indoors; hiding against the wall of the flagged verandah, she threw her bouquet in at the window, meaning it to fall on Mother's lap. But Mother had dropped her needle, and was just lifting her face, flushed with stooping, when the flowers hit her a thwack on the head. She groped again, impatiently, to find what had struck her, recognised the peace-offering, and thought of the surprise cake that was to go into Laura's box on the morrow. Then she saw the curl, and her face darkened. Was there ever such a tiresome child? What in all the world would she do next?

"Laura, come here, directly!" Laura had moved away; she was not expecting recognition. If Mother were pleased she would call Pin to put the flowers in water for her, and that would be the end of it. The idea of a word of thanks would have made Laura feel uncomfortable. Now, however, at the tone of Mother's voice, her mouth set stubbornly. She went indoors as bidden, but was already up in arms again.

"You're a very naughty girl indeed!" began Mother as soon she appeared. "How dare you cut off your hair? Upon my word, if it weren't your last night I'd send you to bed without any supper! "—an unheard-of threat on the part of Mother, who punished her children in any way but that of denying them their food. "It's a very good thing you're leaving home to-morrow, for you'd soon be setting the others at defiance, too, and I should have four naughty children on my hands instead of one.— But I'd be ashamed to go to school such a fright if I were you. Turn round at once and let me see you!" Laura turned, with a sinking heart. Pin cried softly in a corner.

"She thought it would please you, mother," she sobbed. "I WILL not have you interfering, Pin, when I'm speaking to Laura. She's old enough by now to know what I like and what I don't," said Mother, who was vexed at the thought of the child going among strangers thus disfigured.—"And now get away, and don't let me see you again. You're a perfect sight." "Oh, Laura, you do look funny!" said Leppie and Frank in weak chorus, as she passed them in the passage.

"Well, you 'ave made a guy of yourself this time, Miss Laura, and no mistake!" said Sarah, who had heard the above.

Laura went into her own room and locked the door, a thing Mother did not allow. Then she threw herself on the bed and cried. Mother had not understood in the least; and she had made herself a sight into the bargain. She refused to open the door, though one after another rattled the handle, and Sarah threatened to turn the hose in at the window. So they left her alone, and she spent the evening in watery dudgeon on her pillow. But before she undressed for the night she stealthily made a chink and took in the slice of cake Pin had left on the door-mat. Her natural buoyancy of spirit was beginning to reassert itself. By brushing her hair well to one side she could cover up the gap, she found; and after all, there was something rather pleasant in knowing that you were misunderstood. It made you feel different from everyone else.

Mother—sewing hard after even the busy Sarah had retired—Mother smiled a stern little smile of amusement to herself; and before locking up for the night put the dark curl safely away.

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I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I.

TO MY |possessive pronoun لي TO MY

UNNAMED Безымянный в контексте Unnamed <БЕЗ ІМЕНІ>

LITTLE COLLABORATOR |Маленький помощник small|Junior partner |küçük işbirlikçi |Mały współpracownik |Маленький помічник متعاون صغير

Wisdom is the principal thing; Мудрость|||главное| La sagesse|||| Primary understanding|||| Bilgelik|||| الحكمة هي الشيء الرئيسي. La sagesse est l'élément principal ;

therefore get wisdom: and with par conséquent|||et| as a result|||| لذلك اقتنوا الحكمة: ومع acquérir de la sagesse ; et avec

all thy getting get understanding. ||||понимание tout|ton|||compréhension كل ما تبذلونه من الحصول على الفهم. all thy getting get understanding. tout ce que tu obtiens obtient la compréhension.

Proverbs, iv, 7 Притчи 4:7|Притчи 4:7

The four children were lying on the grass. ||||лежали||| |||||||green ground covering كان الأطفال الأربعة مستلقين على العشب. The four children were lying on the grass. Les quatre enfants sont allongés dans l'herbe.

"... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade—a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely. ||||дальше и дальше||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ||||plus loin||||||||aînée||jusqu'à||||||clairière||clairière||||||||||||||| ||||deeper||||||||||||||||open clearing||open clearing||||||||||||||| قالت الفتاة الكبرى: "... وذهب الأمير أبعد فأكثر داخل الغابة، حتى وصل إلى فسحات جميلة - الفسحة، كما تعلمون، هي مكان في الغابة مفتوح وخضراء وجميل. "... and the Prince went further and further into the forest," said the elder girl, "till he came to a beautiful glade—a glade, you know, is a place in the forest that is open and green and lovely. "Le prince s'enfonça de plus en plus dans la forêt, dit la fille aînée, jusqu'à ce qu'il arrive à une belle clairière - une clairière, tu sais, c'est un endroit de la forêt qui est ouvert, vert et beau. And there he saw a lady, a beautiful lady, in a long white dress that hung down to her ankles, with a golden belt and a golden crown. |||||||||||||||pendait||||jusqu'aux chevilles||||ceinture dorée||||couronne |||||||||||||||||||lower legs|||||||| وهناك رأى سيدة، سيدة جميلة، ترتدي ثوبًا أبيض طويلًا يصل إلى كاحليها، مع حزام ذهبي وتاج ذهبي. Et là, il vit une dame, une belle dame, vêtue d'une longue robe blanche qui lui tombait jusqu'aux chevilles, avec une ceinture d'or et une couronne d'or. She was lying on the sward—a sward, you know, is grass as smooth as velvet, just like green velvet—and the Prince saw the marks of travel on her garments. |||||pelouse||||||||lisse||velours||||||||||marques|||||vêtements |||||grassy surface||grassy area||||||||soft, luxurious fabric||||soft, luxurious fabric|||||||||||clothing كانت مستلقية على العشب — كما تعلم، العشب ناعم مثل المخمل، تمامًا مثل المخمل الأخضر — ورأى الأمير علامات السفر على ملابسها. Elle était couchée sur l'herbe - une herbe douce comme du velours, comme du velours vert - et le Prince a vu les marques du voyage sur ses vêtements. The bottom of the lovely silk dress was all dirty——" |bas|||charmant|soie|||| كان الجزء السفلي من الفستان الحريري الجميل متسخًا ——" "Wondrous Fair, if you don't mind you'll make that sheet dirty, too," said Pin. 奇妙的||||||||||||| merveilleux|foire merveilleuse||||esprit||||drap|||| قال بين: "يا لها من قصة رائعة، إذا كنت لا تمانع، فسوف تجعل تلك الورقة متسخة أيضًا". "Shut up, will you!" tais||| answered her sister who, carried away by her narrative, had approached her boots to some linen that was bleaching. ||||emportée||||récit|avait||||||lin|||blanchissement ||||||||||||||||||whitening in sunlight أجابت أختها التي تأثرت بسردها، فقربت حذائها من بعض الكتان الذي كان مبيضا.

"Yes, but you know Sarah'll be awfly cross if she has to wash it again," said Pin, who was practical. ||||||非常生气||||||||||||| ||||||très fâchée||||||||||||| ||||Sarah will||awfully||||||||||||| قال بين، الذي كان عمليًا: «نعم، لكنك تعلم أن سارة ستغضب بشدة إذا اضطرت إلى غسله مرة أخرى.» "Oui, mais tu sais que Sarah sera terriblement fâchée si elle doit le laver à nouveau", dit Pin, qui est pratique. "You'll put me out altogether," cried Laura angrily.—"Well, as I said, the edge of her robe was all muddy—no, I don't think I will say that; it sounds prettier if it's clean. Tu vas||||complètement|||||||||||||||boueux|||||||||||||| ||||||angry character||||||||||||||||||||||||more elegant||| صرخت لورا بغضب: "سوف تطردني تمامًا". "حسنًا، كما قلت، كانت حافة ثوبها موحلة بالكامل - لا، لا أعتقد أنني سأقول ذلك؛ يبدو أجمل إذا كان نظيفًا. "Eh bien, comme je l'ai dit, le bord de sa robe était tout boueux - non, je ne pense pas que je dirai cela ; c'est plus joli si c'est propre. -- Вы меня совсем выбьете из колеи, -- сердито воскликнула Лаура. -- Ну, как я уже сказала, край ее халата был весь в грязи -- нет, я не думаю, что скажу это; звучит красивее, если он чистый. So it hung in long, straight beautiful folds to her ankles, and the Prince saw two little feet in golden sandals peeping out from under the hem of the silken gown, and——" |||||||||||||||||||||探出||||||||丝绸的|| ||pendait|||||plis||||||||||||||espionnant|||||ourlet|||soyeux|robe| ||||||||||lower legs||||||||||||||||||||elegant dress| وهكذا كان يتدلى في ثنيات طويلة ومستقيمة جميلة حتى كاحليها، ورأى الأمير قدمين صغيرتين ترتديان صندلًا ذهبيًا تبرزان من تحت حاشية الثوب الحريري، و..." Так оно и висело длинными прямыми красивыми складками до щиколоток, и принц увидел две маленькие ножки в золотых сандалиях, выглядывавшие из-под края шелкового платья, и... "But what about the marks of travel?" "ولكن ماذا عن علامات السفر؟" — А как же следы путешествия? asked Leppie. |Leppie inquired سأل ليبي.

"Donkey! âne haven't I said they weren't there? ألم أقل أنهم لم يكونوا هناك؟ If I say they weren't, then they weren't. إذا قلت أنهم لم يكونوا كذلك، فهم لم يكونوا كذلك. She hadn't travelled at all." ولم تسافر على الإطلاق". "Oh, parrakeets!" |perruches |Small colorful birds "أوه، الببغاوات!" "Oh, parrakeets!" cried little Frank. بكى فرانك الصغير.

Four pairs of eyes went up to the bright green flock that was passing over the garden. quatre||||||||||flock|||qui passait||| ||||||||||group of birds|||||| صعدت أربعة أزواج من العيون إلى القطيع الأخضر اللامع الذي كان يمر فوق الحديقة. Quatre paires d'yeux se sont levées vers le troupeau vert vif qui passait au-dessus du jardin. Четыре пары глаз поднялись на ярко-зеленую стайку, проносившуюся над садом.

"Now you've all interrupted, and I shan't tell any more," said Laura in a proud voice. ||||||shall not||||||||| "Oh, yes, please do, Wondrous Fair! Tell what happened next," begged Pin and Leppie. ||||imploraient||| "No, not another word. You can only think of sheets and parrakeets." |||||draps||perruches "Please, Wondrous Fair," begged little Frank. "No, I can't now.—Another thing: I don't mind if you call me Laura to-day, as it's the last day." |||||||ne||||||||||||| "Autre chose : cela ne me dérange pas que vous m'appeliez Laura aujourd'hui, puisque c'est le dernier jour. She lay back on the grass, her hands clasped under her head. ||||||||交叉||| ||||||||entrelaçées||| A voice was heard, loud, imperative. |||||命令式 |||||commanding

"Laura, I want you. Come here." "That's mother calling," said Pin. Laura kicked her heels. |a frappé||talons Лора пинала каблуками. The two little boys laughed approval. les||||| ||||giggled with approval| Les deux petits garçons rient d'approbation.

"Go on, Laura," coaxed Pin. |||劝说| |||encouragée| |||gently urged| "Mother'll be angry. I'll come, too." Laura raised herself with a grumble. |||||抱怨声 Laura||||| Laura s'est levée en grommelant. "It's to try on that horrid dress." c'est|||||| "C'est pour essayer cette horrible robe." In very fact Mother was standing, already somewhat impatient, with the dress in her hand. ||||||déjà|un peu||||||| Laura wriggled out of the one she had on, and stood stiffly and ungraciously, with her arms held like pokers from her sides, while Mother on her knees arranged the length. |扭动||||||||||僵硬地||不情愿地||||||||||||||||| Laura|se tortilla||||||||||rigidement||||||||barres||||||||genoux|||longueur |squirmed out of||||||||||||awkwardly||||kept rigid||rigid objects||||||||||| Laura s'est débarrassée de celui qu'elle portait et s'est tenue debout, raide et peu gracieuse, les bras maintenus comme des tisonniers le long de son corps, tandis que Mère, à genoux, arrangeait la longueur de la robe.

"Don't put on a face like that, miss!" — Не делайте такое лицо, мисс! she said sharply on seeing Laura's air. — резко спросила она, увидев, как Лаура вздрогнула. "Do you think I'm making it for my own pleasure?" She had sewn at it all day, and was hot and tired. ||缝纫||||||||| ||cousu||||||||| ||stitched|||||||||

"It's too short," said Laura, looking down. "It's nothing of the kind," said Mother, with her mouth full of pins. C'est||||||||||||épingles ||||||||||||sewing needles "Il n'en est rien", dit la mère, la bouche pleine d'épingles. "It is, it's much too short." Mother gave her a slight shake. ||||légère| "Don't you contradict ME! ||challenge my authority| Do you want to tell me I don't know what length you're to wear your dresses?" "I won't wear it at all if you don't make it longer," said Laura defiantly. ||||||||||||||défiant ||||||||||||||with resistance Pin's chubby, featureless little face lengthened with apprehension. |joufflu|sans traits|||allongé avec appréhension|| Пухлое, безликое личико Пина вытянулось от опасения. "Do let her have it just a tiny bit longer, mother dear, dear!" |||||||un tout petit||||| she pleaded. a-t-elle plaidé.

"Now, Pin, what have you got to do with it I'd like to know!" "Maintenant, Pin, qu'est-ce que tu as à voir avec ça, j'aimerais bien le savoir !" — Ну, Пин, при чем тут ты, я хотел бы знать! said Mother, on the verge of losing her temper over the back folds, which WOULD not hang. ||sur le point de||sur le point de||||s'énerver||||plis||||pendre

"I'm going to school to-morrow, and it's a shame," said Laura in the low, passionate tone that never failed to exasperate Mother, so different was it from her own hearty fashion of venting displeasure. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||发泄| |||||next day||||||||||||||||irritate deeply||||||||||||expressing feelings|anger or annoyance "Я иду в школу завтра, и это позор," сказала Лора низким, страстным тоном, который никогда не переставал раздражать Мать, настолько отличался от ее собственной сердечной манеры выражать неудовольствие. Pin began to sniff, in sheer nervous anxiety. Pin se mit à renifler, par pure anxiété nerveuse. Пин начал принюхиваться, явно нервничая.

"Very well then, I won't do another stitch to it!" |||||||缝合|| |||||||bit of work|| "Très bien alors, je ne ferai plus un seul point de couture !" and Mother, now angry in earnest, got up and bounced out of the room. et Mère, qui s'est mise sérieusement en colère, se lève et sort de la pièce en sautillant.

"Laura, how can you?" said Pin, dissolving. ||溶解中 ||breaking down emotionally "It's only you who make her so cross." "Il n'y a que vous qui la mettez en colère." "I don't care," said Laura rebelliously, though she was not far off tears herself. |||||叛逆地|||||||| ||||||bien que||||||en larmes| |||||defiantly|||||||| "It IS a shame. All the other girls will have dresses down to the tops of their boots, and they'll laugh at me, and call me a [P.4] baby;" and touched by the thought of what lay before her, she, too, began to sniffle. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||抽泣 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||pensée||||||||||renifler |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||began to cry Toutes les autres filles auront des robes qui descendront jusqu'au haut de leurs bottes, et elles se moqueront de moi et me traiteront de bébé" ; et touchée par la pensée de ce qui l'attendait, elle commença elle aussi à renifler. Все остальные девушки будут в платьях до голенищ, и они будут надо мной смеяться и называть меня [P.4] малышкой»; и, тронутая мыслью о том, что ее ждет, она тоже начал чихать. She did not fail, however, to roll the dress up and to throw it unto a corner of the room. |||n'a pas manqué|cependant||||||||||dans||||| Elle ne manqua cependant pas de rouler la robe et de la jeter dans un coin de la pièce. She also kicked the ewer, which fell over and flooded the floor. |aussi|||cruche|||||inonda le sol|| ||||water pitcher|||||soaked|| Pin cried more loudly, and ran to fetch Sarah. |||||||取来| |||||||chercher| |||||||go get|

Laura returned to the garden. The two little boys came up to her; but she waved them back. Les deux petits garçons s'approchent d'elle, mais elle leur fait signe de s'éloigner.

"Let me alone, children. I want to think." She stood in a becoming attitude by the garden-gate, her brothers hovering in the background.—Then Mother called once more. |||||||||||||||arrière-plan||Mère||| Elle se tenait dans une attitude convenable près de la porte du jardin, ses frères s'agitant à l'arrière-plan.

"Laura, where are you?" "Here, mother. What is it?" "Did you knock this jug over or did Pin?" ||||container for liquid||||a person "I did, mother." "Did you do it on purpose?" ||||sur| — Ты сделал это нарочно? "Yes." "Come here to me." She went, with lagging steps. |||缓慢的| |||slow-moving| But Mother's anger had passed: she was at work on the dress again, and by squinting her eyes Laura could see that a piece was being added to the skirt. |||||||||||||||眯着眼睛|||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||jupe |||||||||||||||narrowing her eyes||||||||||||||part of dress Но гнев матери прошел: она снова принялась за платье, и, прищурив глаза, Лаура увидела, что к юбке прибавляется кусок. She was penitent at once; and when Mother in a sorry voice said: "I'm ashamed of you, Laura. ||悔过的||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||honteuse||| ||sorry for wrongdoing||||||||||||||| Elle s'est tout de suite montrée pénitente, et quand maman a dit d'une voix désolée : "J'ai honte de toi, Laura. Она сразу раскаялась; и когда Мать жалобным голосом сказала: «Мне стыдно за тебя, Лора. And on your last day, too," her throat grew narrow. Et pour ton dernier jour, aussi", sa gorge se serra. "I didn't mean it, mother." "Je ne le pensais pas, mère." "If only you would ask properly for things, you would get them." |||||correctement|||||| "Si seulement tu demandais les choses correctement, tu les obtiendrais". Laura knew this; knew indeed that, did she coax, Mother could refuse her nothing. ||||en effet||||||||| ||||||||persuade gently||||| Laura le savait ; elle savait même que, si elle l'enjoignait, Mère ne pourrait rien lui refuser. But coaxing came hard to her; something within her forbade it. 但是|劝诱||||||||| |||||||en elle||interdisait| |persuading gently||||||||| Sarah called her "high-stomached", to the delight of the other children and her own indignation; she had explained to them again and again what Sarah really meant. ||||ventre proéminent|||plaisir|||||||||||||||||||| ||||proud or haughty||||||||||||||||||||||| Sarah l'appelait "haut-le-corps", à la grande joie des autres enfants et à sa propre indignation ; elle leur avait expliqué maintes et maintes fois ce que Sarah voulait vraiment dire. Сара назвала ее «пузатой», к радости других детей и своему собственному негодованию; она снова и снова объясняла им, что на самом деле имела в виду Сара. On leaving the house she went straight to the flower-beds: she would give Mother, who liked flowers very well but had no time to gather them, a bouquet the size of a cabbage. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||花束||||| |||||||||fleurs||||||||||||||||ramasser||||||||chou ||||||||||flower plots||||||||||||||||||||||| En sortant de la maison, elle se rendait directement aux plates-bandes : elle offrait à maman, qui aimait beaucoup les fleurs mais n'avait pas le temps de les cueillir, un bouquet de la taille d'un chou. Pin and the boys were summoned to help her, and when their hands were full, Laura led the way to a secluded part of the garden on the farther side of the detached brick kitchen. |||||召唤到||||||||||||||||偏僻的||||||||||||砖| |||||||||||||||Laura|montra le chemin|||||||||||||||||| Pinocchio|||||||||||||||||||||hidden away||||||||||||| Pin et les garçons furent appelés à l'aider, et lorsqu'ils eurent les mains pleines, Laura les conduisit dans une partie isolée du jardin, de l'autre côté de la cuisine en briques. In this strip, which was filled with greenery, little sun fell: two thick fir trees and a monstrous blue-gum stood there; high bushes screened the fence; jessamine climbed the wall of the house and encircled the bedroom windows; and on the damp and shady ground only violets grew. ||小片区域|||||绿意||||||||||巨大的||||||||||茉莉花||||||||环绕着||||||||||||| |||||||lush vegetation||||||evergreen conifers||||gigantic|||||||blocked the view|||||||||||||||||||||||| Yet, with the love children bear to the limited and compact, the four had chosen their own little plots here rather than in the big garden at the back of the house; and many were the times they had all begun anew to dig and to rake. ||||||||||紧凑的||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||耙子 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||clear leaves Тем не менее, с любовью детей к ограниченному и компактному, четверо выбрали свои собственные маленькие участки здесь, а не в большом саду позади дома; и много раз они начинали заново копать и разгребать. But if Laura's energy did not fizzle out as quickly as usual—she was the model for the rest—Mother was sure to discover that it was too cramped and dark for them in there, and send Sarah to drive them off. ||||||逐渐消失||||||||||||||||||||||狭窄||||||||||||| ||||||diminish gradually||||||||||||||||||||||too small||||||||||||| Но если энергия Лауры не выдыхалась так быстро, как обычно, — она была образцом для остальных, — Мать обязательно обнаружит, что им там слишком тесно и темно, и пошлет Сару отогнать их. Here, safely screened from sight, Laura sat on a bench and made up her bouquet. ||||||took a seat|||||||| When it was finished—red and white in the centre with a darker border, the whole surrounded by a ring of violet leaves—she looked about for something to tie it up with. Sarah, applied to, was busy ironing, and had no string in the kitchen, so Pin ran to get a reel of cotton. |||||||||||||||||||卷轴|| Сара, к которой обратились, гладила, а веревки на кухне не было, так что Пин побежал за мотком хлопка. But while she was away Laura had an idea. Bidding Leppie hold the flowers tight in both his sticky little hands, she climbed in at her bedroom window, or rather, by lying on the sill with her legs waving in the air, she managed to grab, without losing her balance, a pair of scissors from the chest of drawers. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||flailing about|||||||||||||||||||| With these between her teeth she emerged, to the excited interest of the boys who watched her open-mouthed.

Laura had dark curls, Pin fair, and both wore them flapping at their backs, the only difference being that Laura, who was now twelve years old, had for the past year been allowed to bind hers together with a ribbon, while Pin's bobbed as they chose. ||||||||||飘动||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ||||Laura's sister|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Laura's hair|||||||moved freely||| У Лауры были темные кудри, у Пин — светлые, и обе они носили их, развеваясь на спине, с той лишь разницей, что Лоре, которой было теперь двенадцать лет, в прошлом году разрешили связать свои кудри лентой, в то время как Пин подстригся как они выбирают. Every morning early, Mother brushed and twisted, with a kind of grim pride, these silky ringlets round her finger. |||||||||||||||卷发||| |||||||||||||the silky ringlets|smooth and soft|curly hair strands||| Каждое утро рано Мать расчесывала и накручивала с какой-то мрачной гордостью эти шелковистые локоны вокруг пальца. Although the five odd minutes the curling occupied were durance vile to Laura, the child was proud of her hair in her own way; and when in the street she heard some one say: "Look—what pretty curls!" |||unusual or extra|||hair styling|||endurance of hardship|||||||||||||||||||||||||||| she would give her head a toss and send them all a-rippling. ||||||||||||flowing in waves она тряхнула бы головой, и они бы затрепетали. In addition to this, there was a crowning glory connected with them: one hot December morning, when they had been tangled and Mother had kept her standing too long, she had fainted, pulling the whole dressing-table down about her ears; and ever since, she had been marked off in some mysterious fashion from the other children. ||||||||||||||||||||knotted up|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Вдобавок к этому с ними была связана еще одна слава: в одно жаркое декабрьское утро, когда они переплелись и Мать заставила ее стоять слишком долго, она упала в обморок, опустив весь туалетный столик на уши; и с тех пор она была каким-то таинственным образом отделена от других детей. Mother would not let her go out at midday in summer: Sarah would say: "Let that be, can't you!" Мать не отпускала ее летом в полдень: Сара говорила: «Да будет так, не так ли!» did she try to lift something that was too heavy for her; and the younger children were to be quelled by a threat to faint on the spot, if they did not do as she wished. |||||||||||||||||||subdued or controlled|||||||||||||||| пыталась ли она поднять что-то слишком тяжелое для нее; а младшие дети должны были быть подавлены угрозой упасть в обморок на месте, если они не сделают того, что она хотела. "Laura's faint" had become a byword in the family; and Laura herself held it for so important a fact in her life that she had more than once begun a friendship with the words: "Have you ever fainted? |||||common reference point|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| «Обморок Лауры» стал в семье притчей во языцех; и сама Лаура считала это настолько важным фактом в своей жизни, что не раз начинала дружбу со слов: «Ты когда-нибудь падал в обморок? I have." From among these long, glossy curls, she now cut one of the longest and most spiral, cut it off close to the root, and with it bound the flowers together. |||||||||||||||tightly wound|||||||||||||| Mother should see that she did know how to give up something she cared for, and was not as selfish as she was usually supposed to be.

"Oh .. h .. h!" said both little boys in a breath, then doubled up in noisy mirth. ||||||||||||joyful laughter — на одном дыхании сказали оба мальчика, а потом согнулись пополам в шумном веселье. Laura was constantly doing something to set their young blood in amazement: they looked upon her as the personification of all that was startling and unexpected. ||||||||||||||||||embodiment|||||surprising and unexpected|| But Pin, returning with the reel of thread, opened her eyes in a different way.

"Oh, Laura ...!" she began, tearful at once.

"Now, res'vor!" |Take action now "Сейчас, ре'вор!" retorted Laura scornfully—"res'vor" was Sarah's name for Pin, on account of her perpetual wateriness. ||with contempt|reservoir of tears||||||||||constant or endless|excessive tears "Be a cry-baby, do." «Будь плаксой, делай». But she was not damped, she was lost in the pleasure of self-sacrifice. ||||discouraged||||||||| Но она не затухла, она утонула в удовольствии самопожертвования.

Pin looked after her as she danced off, then moved submissively in her wake to be near at hand should intercession be needed. ||||||moved gracefully||||obediently||||||||||intervening on behalf|| Laura was so unsuspecting, and Mother would be so cross. |||not suspicious|||||| Лора ничего не подозревала, а Мать была бы так зла. In her dim, childish way Pin longed to see these, her two nearest, at peace; she understood them both so well, and they had little or no understanding for each other.—So she crept to the house at her sister's heels. ||||||yearned||||||closest family members|||||||||||||||||||||moved quietly||||||| В своей смутной, детской манере Пин жаждала увидеть этих двоих, своих ближайших, в покое; она так хорошо понимала их обоих, а они мало или совсем не понимали друг друга. Так что она прокралась в дом по пятам за сестрой. Laura did not go indoors; hiding against the wall of the flagged verandah, she threw her bouquet in at the window, meaning it to fall on Mother's lap. ||||||||||||covered porch||||||||||||||| But Mother had dropped her needle, and was just lifting her face, flushed with stooping, when the flowers hit her a thwack on the head. |||||sewing tool|||||||reddened with exertion||bending down|||||||sharp hit||| She groped again, impatiently, to find what had struck her, recognised the peace-offering, and thought of the surprise cake that was to go into Laura's box on the morrow. |felt around|||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Она снова нетерпеливо пошарила в поисках того, что ее поразило, узнала мирную жертву и подумала о пироге-сюрпризе, который завтра должен был попасть в коробку Лауры. Then she saw the curl, and her face darkened. Was there ever such a tiresome child? What in all the world would she do next?

"Laura, come here, directly!" Laura had moved away; she was not expecting recognition. Лора отошла; она не ждала признания. If Mother were pleased she would call Pin to put the flowers in water for her, and that would be the end of it. The idea of a word of thanks would have made Laura feel uncomfortable. Мысль о словах благодарности заставила бы Лору чувствовать себя неловко. Now, however, at the tone of Mother's voice, her mouth set stubbornly. Однако теперь, услышав тон голоса Матери, ее рот упрямо скривился. She went indoors as bidden, but was already up in arms again. ||||as instructed||||||| Она вошла в дом, как и было велено, но уже снова была в ополчении.

"You're a very naughty girl indeed!" began Mother as soon she appeared. "How dare you cut off your hair? Upon my word, if it weren't your last night I'd send you to bed without any supper! Честное слово, если бы это не была твоя последняя ночь, я бы отправил тебя спать без ужина! "—an unheard-of threat on the part of Mother, who punished her children in any way but that of denying them their food. "— неслыханная угроза со стороны Матери, которая наказывала своих детей любым способом, кроме лишения их пищи. "It's a very good thing you're leaving home to-morrow, for you'd soon be setting the others at defiance, too, and I should have four naughty children on my hands instead of one.— But I'd be ashamed to go to school such a fright if I were you. ||||||||||||||||||rebellious resistance||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| -- Очень хорошо, что ты завтра уезжаешь из дома, а то скоро ты и других вызовешь, и у меня на руках будет четверо непослушных детей вместо одного. -- Но мне было бы стыдно. ходить в школу такой испуг, если бы я был вами. Turn round at once and let me see you!" Laura turned, with a sinking heart. Pin cried softly in a corner.

"She thought it would please you, mother," she sobbed. ||||||||cried with emotion "I WILL not have you interfering, Pin, when I'm speaking to Laura. She's old enough by now to know what I like and what I don't," said Mother, who was vexed at the thought of the child going among strangers thus disfigured.—"And now get away, and don't let me see you again. ||||||||||||||||||annoyed|||||||||||marred in appearance||||||||||| You're a perfect sight." Ты прекрасное зрелище». "Oh, Laura, you do look funny!" said Leppie and Frank in weak chorus, as she passed them in the passage.

"Well, you 'ave made a guy of yourself this time, Miss Laura, and no mistake!" ||have|||||||||||| "Ну, на этот раз вы сделали из себя парня, мисс Лора, и это не ошибка!" said Sarah, who had heard the above.

Laura went into her own room and locked the door, a thing Mother did not allow. Then she threw herself on the bed and cried. Mother had not understood in the least; and she had made herself a sight into the bargain. Мать ничего не поняла; и она сделала себе зрелище в придачу. She refused to open the door, though one after another rattled the handle, and Sarah threatened to turn the hose in at the window. ||||||||||shook vigorously||||||||||||| Она отказывалась открывать дверь, хотя одна за другой гремела ручка, а Сара пригрозила, что включит шланг в окно. So they left her alone, and she spent the evening in watery dudgeon on her pillow. ||||||||||||sullen resentment||| But before she undressed for the night she stealthily made a chink and took in the slice of cake Pin had left on the door-mat. ||||||||secretly|||small opening||||||||||||||door covering Но прежде чем раздеться на ночь, она украдкой щелкнула щелью и взяла кусок пирога, оставленный Пин на коврике у двери. Her natural buoyancy of spirit was beginning to reassert itself. ||cheerfulness||||||come back| Ее природная жизнерадостность начала проявляться. By brushing her hair well to one side she could cover up the gap, she found; and after all, there was something rather pleasant in knowing that you were misunderstood. Она обнаружила, что хорошо зачесав волосы набок, она могла скрыть брешь; и, в конце концов, было что-то довольно приятное в том, что тебя неправильно поняли. It made you feel different from everyone else.

Mother—sewing hard after even the busy Sarah had retired—Mother smiled a stern little smile of amusement to herself; and before locking up for the night put the dark curl safely away. Мать — усердно шила после того, как даже занятая Сара ушла на пенсию — Мать улыбнулась суровой улыбочкой, забавляя себя; и перед тем, как запереть на ночь, убрала темный локон благополучно.