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でもね、そんなことまでする必要はなかったのです。いつか後悔するでしょうね。」「いいえ、そんなことありませんわ。」と、ジョウは、じぶんのしたことを、一がいに非難されなかったので、ほっとしていいました。　みんなは、ジョウの髪について、いろいろ考えました。なんといっても、重大事件でした。食卓をかこんだとき、髪の話でもちきりでした。いろいろ話があったあげく、ジョウがいいました。

"I hate to borrow as much as Mother does, and I knew Aunt March would croak, she always does, if you ask for a ninepence.

Meg gave all her quarterly salary toward the rent, and I only got some clothes with mine, so I felt wicked, and was bound to have some money, if I sold the nose off my face to get it."

"You needn't feel wicked, my child! You had no winter things and got the simplest with your own hard earnings," said Mrs. March with a look that warmed Jo's heart, "I hadn't the least idea of selling my hair at first, but as I went along I kept thinking what I could do, and feeling as if I'd like to dive into some of the rich stores and help myself.

「はじめは髪を売るなんて考えなかったのよ、どうしたらいいかと考えながら歩いているうちに、

In a barber's window I saw tails of hair with the prices marked, and one black tail, not so thick as mine, was forty dollars.

ひょいと床屋の窓を見ると、長いけれど、あたしほどこくない黒髪が、一たば四十ドルなの、

It came to me all of a sudden that I had one thing to make money out of, and without stopping to think, I walked in, asked if they bought hair, and what they would give for mine."

とっさにあたしにもお金になるものがあると気がついてはいっていったの。そして、いくらに髪を買って下さるか尋ねたのよ。

"I don't see how you dared to do it," said Beth in a tone of awe, "Oh, he was a little man who looked as if he merely lived to oil his hair.

He rather stared at first, as if he wasn't used to having girls bounce into his shop and ask him to buy their hair.

店の人は、女の子が髪を売りに来たことなんか、あまりないらしく、びっくりしていたけど、

He said he didn't care about mine, it wasn't the fashionable color, and he never paid much for it in the first place.

あたしの髪の色は、今の流行ではないといって、なるべき安く買おうとするのよ。

The work put into it made it dear, and so on.

It was getting late, and I was afraid if it wasn't done right away that I shouldn't have it done at all, and you know when I start to do a thing, I hate to give it up.

So I begged him to take it, and told him why I was in such a hurry.

そこであたしお金のいるわけを話したりして、ぜひぜひといそいだの。

It was silly, I dare say, but it changed his mind, for I got rather excited, and told the story in my topsy-turvy way, and his wife heard, and said so kindly, 'Take it, Thomas, and oblige the young lady.

そうしたら、おかみさんが聞きつけて出て来て、買って娘さんをよろこばしておあげなさいよ。

I'd do as much for our Jimmy any day if I had a spire of hair worth selling."

あたしにも売れるような髪があったら、家のジンミイのためなら売りますよと、とても親切なんでしょ。

"Who was Jimmy?" asked Amy, who liked to have things explained as they went along, "Her son, she said, who was in the army.

ジンミイというのは、出征している息子ですって。」

How friendly such things make strangers feel, don't they?

　話がおわると、メグが尋ねました。

She talked away all the time the man clipped, and diverted my mind nicely."

"Didn't you feel dreadfully when the first cut came?" asked Meg, with a shiver, "I took a last look at my hair while the man got his things, and that was the end of it. I never snivel over trifles like that.

「切られるとき、こわいと思わなかった？」「床屋さんが道具を出しているあいだに、あたし見おさめに、じぶんの髪をながめたわ。でも、あたしめそめそしないわ。

I will confess, though, I felt queer when I saw the dear old hair laid out on the table, and felt only the short rough ends of my head. It almost seemed as if I'd an arm or leg off.

でもきってしまったら、腕か足きられたようなへんな気持したわ、

The woman saw me look at it, and picked out a long lock for me to keep.

おかみさんはあたしがきられた髪をながめているのに気がついて、長い毛を一本ぬいて、しまっておきなさいといってくれたの。

I'll give it to you, Marmee, just to remember past glories by, for a crop is so comfortable I don't think I shall ever have a mane again."

おかあさん、記念にこれさしあげます。きったらさっぱりして、あたしもう二度とのばそうと思いません。」

Mrs. March folded the wavy chestnut lock, and laid it away with a short gray one in her desk.

　おかあさんは、その毛をたたみ、おとうさんのみじかい灰色の毛といっしょに、机のなかにしまいました。

She only said, "Thank you, deary," but something in her face made the girls change the subject, and talk as cheerfully as they could about Mr. Brooke's kindness, the prospect of a fine day tomorrow, and the happy times they would have when Father came home to be nursed, No one wanted to go to bed when at ten o'clock Mrs. March put by the last finished job, and said, "Come girls."

おかあさんは、ただ、ありがとうといっただけでしたが、娘たちはおかあさんの顔色を見て話をかえ、ブルック氏の親切なことや、明日はよい天気になりそうなことや、おとうさんが帰っていらして、じぶんたちが看病できるたのしさなど、できるだけ元気に話しました。だれもねたくないようでしたが、十時をうつと、おかあさんは、さあ、みなさんといいました。

Beth went to the piano and played the father's favorite hymn.

ピアノで、おとうさんの一ばん好きな讃美歌をひきました。

All began bravely, but broke down one by one till Beth was left alone, singing with all her heart, for to her music was always a sweet consoler, "Go to bed and don't talk, for we must be up early and shall need all the sleep we can get.

元気よくうたい出しましたが、一人また一人と声が出なくなり、音楽がいつもなぐさめになるベスだけが、心こめてうたいました。

Good night, my darlings," said Mrs. March, as the hymn ended, for no one cared to try another, They kissed her quietly, and went to bed as silently as if the dear invalid lay in the next room.

　讃美歌がおわると、娘たちはおかあさんにキッスして、しずかに床にはいりました。

Beth and Amy soon fell asleep in spite of the great trouble, but Meg lay awake, thinking the most serious thoughts she had ever known in her short life.

ベスとエミイは、大きな心配ごとがあっても、すぐにねむりましたが、メグはねむれませんでした。

Jo lay motionless, and her sister fancied that she was asleep, till a stifled sob made her exclaim, as she touched a wet cheek.., "Jo, dear, what is it? Are you crying about father?"

ジョウは、身うごきもしなかったので、メグはもういもうとがねむったことと思っていましたが、おさえつけたようなすすり泣きを聞いたので声をかけました。「ジョウ、おとうさんのことで泣いてるの？」

"No, not now."

「今はそうじゃないの、

"What then?"

"My... My hair!" burst out poor Jo, trying vainly to smother her emotion in the pillow, It did not seem at all comical to Meg, who kissed and caressed the afflicted heroine in the tenderest manner, "I'm not sorry," protested Jo, with a choke.

あたしの髪のこと。」　ジョウは、そういって、なおもはげしく泣きました。メグは、なやめるいもうとにキッスし、その頭をなでました。

"I'd do it again tomorrow, if I could.

「後悔はしていないの。

It's only the vain part of me that goes and cries in this silly way.

だけど、美しいものをなくしたので、ちょっとばかり泣いただけ。

Don't tell anyone, it's all over now.

でも、もうすっかりおちついたから、だれにもいわないで。

I thought you were asleep, so I just made a little private moan for my one beauty.

How came you to be awake?"

おねえさんは、どうしてねられないの？」

"I can't sleep, I'm so anxious," said Meg, "Think about something pleasant, and you'll soon drop off."

「とても心配なので。」「たのしいことを考えてごらんなさい。ねむれてよ。」

"I tried it, but felt wider awake than ever."

"What did you think of?"

"Handsome faces--eyes particularly," answered Meg, smiling to herself in the dark, "What color do you like best?"

"Brown, that is, sometimes. Blue are lovely."

Jo laughed, and Meg sharply ordered her not to talk, then amiably promised to make her hair curl, and fell asleep to dream of living in her castle in the air, The clocks were striking midnight and the rooms were very still as a figure glided quietly from bed to bed, smoothing a coverlet here, settling a pillow there, and pausing to look long and tenderly at each unconscious face, to kiss each with lips that mutely blessed, and to pray the fervent prayers which only mothers utter.

　話しているうちに、ジョウが大きく笑ったので、メグはおしゃべりをやめようといって、ジョウの髪にカールをかけることを約束し、やがて二人はねむってしまいました。　時計が、十二時をうち、ひっそりと部屋がしずまったとき、一人の人かげが、娘たちのベッドからベッドを歩き、ふとんにさわったり、枕をなおしたり、ね顔をながめたり、唇にそっとキッスしたり熱いいのりをささげたりしました。

As she lifted the curtain to look out into the dreary night, the moon broke suddenly from behind the clouds and shone upon her like a bright, benignant face, which seemed to whisper in the silence, "Be comforted, dear soul! There is always light behind the clouds."

　その人かげが、カーテンをひいて、わびしい夜空を見あげたとき、ふいに黒雲のかげから月があらわれて、あかるい慈悲ぶかい顔のように、その人かげに照りましたが、その顔は、言葉なき言葉で、こうささやいているように思われました。「心やすくあれ、いとしき魂よ、雲のかげには、いつも光あり。」

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